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Can I write

Our journey starts on the railway platform?

Or does it start at the platform?

Eddie Kal
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Irina
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2 Answers2

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You can say either.

You stand on the platform and you wait on the platform (though you could also say you wait at the platform). The train arrives at the platform. (In the UK, the announcements refer to "the train now standing at platform 7".)

So your journey starts on the platform but it also starts at the platform. I suppose really your journey doesn't start until you're on the train (because if you're going to count it as starting when you reach the platform, why not when you reach the station, or when you leave home?) - in which case "at" is better, because when you first get on the train, the train is still at the platform (but not on it).

rjpond
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The main confusion here comes with the three prepositions: "IN", "AT", and "ON".

IN - If you are referring to a Proper Noun - which is a location.

I am in England.
I will be Brazil tomorrow evening

AT - If you are referring to a place like a park, railway station, bookshop.

Our journey starts at the Railway Station.

I am at the supermarket.

ON - If you are actually on top of something. Or a specific day, date.

I am on the bed.

I am standing on top of the mountain

The Answer to your question is:

Our journey starts at the railway platform

Keet Sugathadasa
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  • One minor clarification - on can also refer to a large vehicle, like "on the train". – stangdon Oct 13 '17 at 19:13
  • @stangdon, Yes it can. So basically you are on the train. But it literally means that you are standing on the train. The more appropriate answer would be, "in the train". Eg: I am sitting in the train. – Keet Sugathadasa Oct 13 '17 at 19:16
  • Thank you all. I need to know about AT with "the platform" and with the verb TO START (( – Irina Oct 13 '17 at 19:21
  • @Irina, if the above answer helped, please mark it as the answer. Thank you – Keet Sugathadasa Oct 13 '17 at 19:28
  • @KeetMalin - No, "on the train" does definitely not mean you are literally standing on the train. "in the train" is much less idiomatic. – stangdon Oct 13 '17 at 19:40
  • @stangdon - you are correct. It's a matter of having a large floor space where we refer to it with ON. This link explains better: https://www.quora.com/Why-do-we-say-on-the-bus-or-on-the-train-but-in-the-car – Keet Sugathadasa Oct 13 '17 at 19:47
  • You can be on your bed, in your bed, and at your bed. Whatever distinctions you were trying to draw with your examples, I don't think they're working out. – Robusto Oct 28 '17 at 21:43