Trivia: Largest population served by single track line

[LLivery]

Corby beats all of them with a population of 65,000 (give or take). Though it is being re-doubled

 

[najaB]

Corby beats all of them with a population of 65,000 (give or take). Though it is being re-doubled

I could be wrong but from Google maps it looks like the line north from Corby is mainly double?

 

[Railsigns]

Corby beats all of them with a population of 65,000 (give or take). Though it is being re-doubled

It doesn't beat Londonderry (pop. 85,000) or, for that matter, East Kilbride (pop. 74,000).

 

[driver_m]

There's a very long single line in Liverpool. Does that count or is that cheating?!

 

[RichmondCommu]

Whitehaven is double-track throughout from Carlisle, even then it's only single as far as Sellafield (should be redoubled, really)...

Hmm, I'm wondering whether perhaps due to limited clearances some of the route has always been single track?

 

[Andyjs247]

Great Yarmouth - Wikipedia gives a population figure of up to 97277 for the wider borough, depending on the definition.

 

[ashworth]

Mansfield with a population of 105,000.
Long single line section on the Robin Hood Line from just south of Bulwell on the outskirts of Nottingham to just south of Kirkby in Ashfield. It must be about 7 miles of single track with just 2 passing loops at Moor Bridge and Newstead.

 

[Ships]

Whitehaven is double-track throughout from Carlisle, even then it's only single as far as Sellafield (should be redoubled, really), although Maryport only has one platform (it's only ever had one despite always being on a double-track line, even today).

Whitby's only accessible by a single track line, from Grosmont. The second platform's been reopened for the NYMR, but that's still only on a spur.

I think it is being redoubled.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Hmm, I'm wondering whether perhaps due to limited clearances some of the route has always been single track?

I think it used to be double track

 

[northwichcat]

How are we defining this? The Mid-Cheshire line has single track sections between Stockport and Navigation Road and between Mouldworth and Chester. That means as every service goes between Stockport and Chester all intermediate stations are served by a train that has used a single track line on it's way to get there.

 

[najaB]

How are we defining this?

I'd say any line of significant length (e.g. over 10 miles) that is less than 50% double tracked. So a short branch line to a town wouldn't count (e.g. Kendal) but the HML would.

 

[Altnabreac]

I'd say any line of significant length (e.g. over 10 miles) that is less than 50% double tracked. So a short branch line to a town wouldn't count (e.g. Kendal) but the HML would.

Probably rules out EK then as I reckon about 3-4 miles out of 7 on the branch line is single (so too short) or 3-4 miles out of 11 from Glasgow Central is single (so less than 50%).

 

[Railsigns]

Probably rules out EK then as I reckon about 3-4 miles out of 7 on the branch line is single (so too short) or 3-4 miles out of 11 from Glasgow Central is single (so less than 50%).

That does rule out East Kilbride. Damn those moving goalposts!

Still, it doesn't look like anyone has bettered my initial suggestion of Derry without ignoring the criteria set out in post #1.

 

[PHILIPE]

A city, Worcester (Foregate St) which is served by 2 single lines, one from Tunnel Jcn and the other Shrub Hill. They cross over to the West of the station if required at Henwick.

Still leading, I think as Norwich disqualified. Population 100,842.

 

[KeithP]

Never mind 'predominately', the whole of Cornwall* is totally served by a single track line over Brunel's Royal Albert Bridge.



*ignoring that part of Cornwall served via Bere Alston.

 

[urbophile]

There's a very long single line in Liverpool. Does that count or is that cheating?!

Where?
Though the majority of the stretch from Fazakerley to Kirkby (population 50,000?) is single.

 

[snowball]

Where?
Though the majority of the stretch from Fazakerley to Kirkby (population 50,000?) is single.

I think he was referring to the Loop of the Loop and Link, e.g. Lime Street low level.

 

[driver_m]

I think he was referring to the Loop of the Loop and Link, e.g. Lime Street low level.

I was! It is a single line too and is a few miles long. I know what the OP is getting at in fairness. A proper single track line there and back, i suppose the Heathrow underground loop is even bigger !

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

Cleethorpes has a single track. Pop c.30-40,000.

 

[martinsh]

Don't think anyone has mentioned the following

Boston (pop 58000)
Weymouth (pop 52000)
Lytham St Annes (pop 41000)
Dorchester (pop 19000)

 

[Ianno87]

Great Yarmouth - Wikipedia gives a population figure of up to 97277 for the wider borough, depending on the definition.

Arguably, it is served by a double track railway... It's just that one track goes via Acle, the other via Berney Arms

 

[DimTim]

Rotherham - via Holmes chord (257,280)

 

[najaB]

Rotherham - via Holmes chord (257,280)

It's on a two-track railway so no.

 

[driver_m]

It's on a two-track railway so no.

In a few months/years(!) time your clear winner is going to be Blackpool when the main route is shut for the knitting and resignalling.

 

[thealexweb]

Darwen? Between Bolton and Blackburn there are still long stretches of single running.

 

[martinsh]

Darwen? Between Bolton and Blackburn there are still long stretches of single running.

Darwen is pop 31000

Also forgot from my earlier list

Nelson 29000
Colne 18000

 

[FenMan]

I'll go with King's Lynn, the population served by the station, using the local authority's boundaries, is 147,451.

 

[najaB]

I'll go with King's Lynn, the population served by the station, using the local authority's boundaries, is 147,451.

Hmm... the single track section is about 6 miles so it's just squeezing in there by virtue of a large population.

So far Derry/Londonderry sounds like the leader.

 

[matchmaker]

Hmm... the single track section is about 6 miles so it's just squeezing in there by virtue of a large population.

So far Derry/Londonderry sounds like the leader.

Although Inverness is at the end of a far longer single line...

 

[najaB]

Although Inverness is at the end of a far longer single line...

Yup, three of them actually (if you count the Far North line).

 

[Altnabreac]

I'll go with King's Lynn, the population served by the station, using the local authority's boundaries, is 147,451.

If we're changing the definition from a town to a Local Authority then I expect Highland will win with a population of 233,000 only served by 3 routes that are all predominately single track