Trivia: Any completely self contained routes?

[pdeaves]

W&C still has no track connection.

Indeed. I intended 'was once in this category' as it was, but no longer is, 'national network'.

 

[nw1]

Depending on what exactly you count, branches like Sudbury may be candidates in normal service (the only track connection to the rest of the world being used to get a unit on and off the branch at each end of the day). There will be numerous other similar examples.

For 'no track connection at all', there will be very few. The Waterloo & City line was once in this category until passed to London Underground.

Didn't Sudbury at one time - and for quite a long period in fact - run to and from Colchester Town?

(I can see why, as presumably Colchester is the local 'centre' so through journeys would encourage traffic - guessing the GE is so busy now that there are no longer any paths available so they had to cut it back to the branch).

Historical, but Bridport was a shuttle to and from Maiden Newton. I can see why that would have accelerated closure, as to reach Bridport from say Bournemouth you'd have to change at Weymouth and again at Maiden Newton - not exactly a user-friendly journey. It did manage to survive until 1975 though, which was good going. Can't help feeling that Bridport would still be open today if they had run the services to and from Weymouth instead.

 

[SuspectUsual]

However, some services run as self contained shuttles. The Bromley North, Stourbridge Town, Looe and St Ives lines all run self contained during normal service, but share connection.

The first St Ives train of the day starts back at Penzance and the last departure runs through to Penzance, but everything else during the day is self contained

 

[Meerkat]

Other examples which theoretically could run without interference from the outside network are the Far North Line, by virtue of separate platforms at Inverness, and Merseyrail similarly with separate platforms at Ellesmere Port and Chester.

Merseyrail can’t operate independently at Chester as the platform is shared and the access to it crosses lines used by other trains.

 

[waverley47]

The first St Ives train of the day starts back at Penzance and the last departure runs through to Penzance, but everything else during the day is self contained

Merseyrail can’t operate independently at Chester as the platform is shared and the access to it crosses lines used by other trains.

Yes, but these are two route which theoretically could be segregated completely. They obviously aren't for operational reasons, but it is still possible, especially with the long proposed new island at Chester.

 

[urbophile]

Yes, but these are two route which theoretically could be segregated completely. They obviously aren't for operational reasons, but it is still possible, especially with the long proposed new island at Chester.

Chester and Hunts Cross are the only two Merseyrail termini involving physical junctions with other lines (plus Bidston, a TfW terminus involving through running onto Merseyrail track). Southport (and Ellesmere Port?) of course has the possibility of through running but the others end in buffer stops.

 

[Meerkat]

Yes, but these are two route which theoretically could be segregated completely. They obviously aren't for operational reasons, but it is still possible, especially with the long proposed new island at Chester.

That would involve the depot only being accessible from the east end of the station - can’t imagine they would be too keen on that.

 

[mrcheek]

Lymington is another line that although connected to the mainline, is operated separately. I think trains from the branch only reach the mainline to exchange stock

 

[Shimbleshanks]

The Glasgow subway is self contained.

It's 4ft gauge, not standard gauge, so it has to be. On the subject of underground lines, the Waterloo & City is effectively independent of both National Rail and London Underground - the only connection being a hoist-type affair.

 

[topydre]

Holyhead breakwater operated separately for a period
Think it was like that in 1980s but don’t know the dates

The narrow gauge Vale of Rheidal railway might have been separate (unless the tracks actually had a crossing of standard gauge) which was part of BR until end of 1980s

I think it was Serpell 2A that proposed closure of the Cambrian Lines but retention of the VoR; that would really have meant isolation.
But yes, separate (although I think there was a bit of dual gauge at the exchange sidings in the 1960s)

 

[DelW]

On the subject of underground lines, the Waterloo & City is effectively independent of both National Rail and London Underground - the only connection being a hoist-type affair.

The hoist was north-west of the main Waterloo station, and was removed when the international platforms were built in the early '90s.

Rolling stock now has to be lifted down to or up from the depot tracks via an opening alongside Spur Road south of the station, using a road mobile crane positioned alongside. (There is a small permanent crane there, but it has nowhere near adequate capacity to lift a coach.)

 

[Brooke]

Not in the UK, but the Waterford and Tramore Railway in Ireland was never connected to the rest of the network.

Question: did the same apply to the railway lines south of Cork, before the cross-city lines connected them up to the main network? And did any of them remain open after the cross-city lines were shut?

 

[class ep-09]

Previous posts mentioned temporarily “disconnected” parts of network due to natural weather events .
Most of the Cornwall was separated from the network, when Dawlish seawall and its tracks were washed away .

 

[Dai Corner]

Previous posts mentioned temporarily “disconnected” parts of network due to natural weather events .
Most of the Cornwall was separated from the network, when Dawlish seawall and its tracks were washed away .

All of Cornwall and a fair bit of Devon in fact,

 

[birchesgreen]

Although physically connected the Stourbridge branch is isolated in the sense that the 139s cannot leave it.

 

[THC]

Question: did the same apply to the railway lines south of Cork, before the cross-city lines connected them up to the main network? And did any of them remain open after the cross-city lines were shut?

All in here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cork_City_Railways

THC

 

[flitwickbeds]

The Sheerness branch is also ran as a self contained service except for a few depot moves.

 

[DelW]

The Sheerness branch is also ran as a self contained service except for a few depot moves.

Though IIRC there have in the past been peak-hours trains running directly between the Sheerness line and London (and vice versa), via the west curve at Sittingbourne.

 

[WesternBiker]

Were any of these ever part of BR or the SR? Bideford may have been.

The Bideford, Westward Ho! & Appledore Railway was an independent company and closed pre-grouping (1917). Famously, the locomotives had to be steamed across Bideford's ancient road bridge on temporary track to the L&SWR sidings on the other side of the river, for disposal.

 

[AM9]

Another line with services run in isolation (and without any signalling apart from it's access to the main WCML) is the St Albans Abbey to Watford Junction branch. Noormally*, a train passes onto it at Waford before the first service and exits the branch after the last train. Its only connection with the rest of Network Rail during the day is the ac on the OLE.
* 'Normal' as in pre COVID-19, - at the moment, there is a changeover to and from replacement bus services during the day.

 

[Glenn1969]

Are there any through services from the main line to the Southminster branch in Essex ?

 

[SargeNpton]

Are there any through services from the main line to the Southminster branch in Essex ?

Morning and evening peak services, plus the last up[ trains of the day.

 

[nw1]

Morning and evening peak services, plus the last up[ trains of the day.

At one time it was hourly all day, IIRC. I think the pattern was; there was a 20 minute interval semi-fast between London and Shenfield, two per hour went to Southend, the other to Southminster, and the 'gap' left in the 20-minute pattern to Southend was filled by a faster service (something like Stratford and Shenfield only on the mainline).