Electrified Rail Lines which have either closed or are now diesel operated

[Llandudno]

Here are few electrified lines that have closed:

Lancaster Castle - Morecambe
Southport - Crossens
Manchester - Sheffield (east of Hadfield)

There must be quite a few more, but are there some that are no longer electrified and only diesel trains operate on.

 

[GardenRail]

Does the Manchester 3rd Rail System count, it got taken away from the Heavy Rail network in favour of trams.

The Folkestone Docks branch?

 

[chrisdoward]

Here are few electrified lines that have closed:

Lancaster Castle - Morecambe
Southport - Crossens
Manchester - Sheffield (east of Hadfield)

There must be quite a few more, but are there some that are no longer electrified and only diesel trains operate on.

Presuming you are including 3rd rail electrified lines then:
Woodside Jn to Selsdon Jn.
Nunhead to Crystal Palace High Level.

 

[steamybrian]

I am sure this has been discussed previously but here are a few from the South East--

London Underground-
Holborn-Aldwych
Green Park- Charing Cross (Jubilee line)
Whitechapel-Shoreditch
Epping-Ongar
Acton Town- South Acton
Hounslow Town branch (Piccadilly line)

London Midland-
Croxley Green-Watford High Street
Rickmansworth Church Street- Watford High Street
Broad Street- Dalston Junction (part reopened)

Southern-
Holborn Viaduct- Blackfriars
Crystal Palace High Level- Nunhead
Elmers End- Addiscombe
Woodside-Selsdon
West Croydon-Wimbledon (now Tramlink)
Dover Western Docks triangle
Folkestone Harbour- Junction
Reading Southern- Reading Spur Junction
Haywards Heath (Copyhold Jn)- Horsted Keynes

Eastern
North Woolwich-Stratford( part now reopened)
Tilbury Riverside triangle

further north....
Grimsby and Immingham Tramway

 

[DarloRich]

Newport > Shildon?

 

[Peterthegreat]

Closed
Bury to Holcombe Brook
Penistone to Wath

 

[Merle Haggard]

? Copyhold Jct ? - Horsted Keynes
Holcombe Brook Branch Jct - Holcombe Brook - sorry duplicated above

 

[swt_passenger]

Long before the Metro alterations the North Tyneside Loop (ie everything via Jesmond, Howdon or Benton to the coast, and the Riverside branch) and the South Shields line had their third rail electrification removed. In that case they downgraded quite a significant passenger network. I think the decision was independent of the possibility of Metro conversion in the future.

 

[snowball]

One previous thread is here:

25/6.25 kV electrification removed

As we’re having a discussion on third rail, what OHL has been removed? Here’s a few starters: Dalreoch-Balloch Central - singled (equipment reused on Lanark branch) Craigendoran-Helensburgh Central - singled High Street-Bridgeton Central - line closed Balloch Central-Balloch Pier - line closed...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Lloyds siding]

Liverpool Overhead Railway. and extension to Seaforth and Litherland station
North Mersey branch with electrified lines from Seaforth to Aintree Sefton Arms and link with Liverpool Overhead railway.

 

[Rescars]

Should non-main line undertakings be included. Hellingly Hospital Railway for example. There must be other examples of electrified private sidings. Although a railway enterprise, GNoSR's Cruden Bay Hotel Tramway is presumably stretching the point somewhat.

There are also several parts of the London Underground which are no longer operational (e.g. King William Street). Am I correct in thinking the 4th rail no longer reaches Ongar?

 

[75A]

? Copyhold Jct ? - Horsted Keynes

? Copyhold Jct ? - Horsted Keynes
Holcombe Brook Branch Jct - Holcombe Brook - sorry duplicated above

The electrified line to Horsted Keynes was closed to passengers in October 1963, part of it was then used to store disused stock before a stone terminal opened @ Ardingly, all be it under diesel power from Haywards Heath.

 

[nw-sparks]

Southport to Crossens and Meols Cop. Some still open with diesel power.

 

[steamybrian]

Should non-main line undertakings be included. Hellingly Hospital Railway for example. There must be other examples of electrified private sidings. Although a railway enterprise, GNoSR's Cruden Bay Hotel Tramway is presumably stretching the point somewhat.

There are also several parts of the London Underground which are no longer operational (e.g. King William Street). Am I correct in thinking the 4th rail no longer reaches Ongar?

See my entry above re- London Underground. Ongar branch closed in 1994 and electrified rails removed - now mostly reopened as Epping- Ongar Railway.
I forgot about the King William Street branch closed in 1900

 

[Merle Haggard]

The electrified line to Horsted Keynes was closed, but the line still goes as far as Ardingly for stone, all be it under diesel power.

Visiting the Bluebell and its very rural station, the idea of a 2-BIL turning up years ago just seems particularly surreal; perhaps more so than other de-electrifications

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

There was a 1.5kV DC OHL route from Guide Bridge to Ashton Moss, part of the Sheffield-Manchester 1950s wiring.
Some of the redundant masts might still be there, though those at Ashton Moss were replaced by 25kV AC OHL during the Stalybridge scheme.
Wiring has also vanished from sidings wired in the early 1960s around (eg) Crewe and Edge Hill.

On Metrolink, the original route through Oldham Mumps (using the former heavy rail alignment) was replaced by street running through the town centre, and the original route and station have disappeared.

 

[nw-sparks]

Bidston to Bidston North Junction.
Liverpool Exchange.

 

[ReturnToSPT]

Not sure I’ve seen anything electric on Manchester to Hazel Grove of late

 

[Ash Bridge]

There was a 1.5kV DC OHL route from Guide Bridge to Ashton Moss, part of the Sheffield-Manchester 1950s wiring.
Some of the redundant masts might still be there, though those at Ashton Moss were replaced by 25kV AC OHL during the Stalybridge scheme.
Wiring has also vanished from sidings wired in the early 1960s around (eg) Crewe and Edge Hill.

On Metrolink, the original route through Oldham Mumps was replaced by one through the town centre, and the original route and station have disappeared.

About a dozen or so of the old dc masts were still in situ after the remodelling work towards Denton Junction at least until very recently I believe. I think also the original dc masts are still in place on the short Ashton East Junction - Dukinfield Junction line.

 

[Haywain]

Long before the Metro alterations the North Tyne Loop and South Shields line had their third rail electrification removed. In that case they downgraded quite a significant passenger network. I think the decision was independent of the possibility of Metro conversion in the future.

As well as the lines now forming part of the Metro, the Riverside loop was electrified and subsequently closed completely.

 

[jfollows]

Not sure I’ve seen anything electric on Manchester to Hazel Grove of late

2H91 07:10 Hazel Grove to Piccadilly; was 331019 today for example. But very few other services I agree.
See https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:P57599/2023-11-23/detailed#allox_id=0

 

[MadMac]

Long before the Metro alterations the North Tyne Loop and South Shields line had their third rail electrification removed. In that case they downgraded quite a significant passenger network. I think the decision was independent of the possibility of Metro conversion in the future.

The “driver” behind that was the substations being badly in need of replacement, plus ready availability of DMUs from Beeching closures.

 

[InOban]

Balloch to Balloch Pier

 

[Merle Haggard]

The “driver” behind that was the substations being badly in need of replacement, plus ready availability of DMUs from Beeching closures.

In the case of North tyneside, it was possibly the coincidence of that and of the stock (the LNER Artic. sets) also overdue for replacement.
Oddly, with South, the stock went on to run elsewhere.

 

[Shimbleshanks]

Pretty much the whole of the UK urban tramway system?

 

[Purple Train]

Brockenhurst-Lymington Pier was dieselised on weekdays after the withdrawal of the 3-CIGs. No idea when 450s started operating the full service but it was certainly 158/159s for a period of time.

 

[dastocks]

Visiting the Bluebell and its very rural station, the idea of a 2-BIL turning up years ago just seems particularly surreal; perhaps more so than other de-electrifications

In the first years of Bluebell Railway operations Horsted Keynes was still in use as a terminus for electric services from/via Haywards Heath.

 

[Grumpy Git]

Runcorn Folly Lane siding had 25kv OLE until about 10-15 years ago.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Loads in France, especially around the South-West and Massif Central.

 

[steamybrian]

Some more from the South East..

Moorgate- Farringdon (Thameslink lines)
Bricklayers Arms branch (partly electrified)
Polegate- Stone Cross Junction
Newhaven Marine branch..?
Do you include spurs such as
Staines West curve (Windsor branch) towards Egham.
Frimley- Brookwood curve

Is Fawkham Jn- Springhead Jn (HS1) still used.???