Both the ECML and WCML are continuous double track (or more tracks) from London to Glasgow/Edinburgh, and a fair amount of the lines in the west and south are, including the GWML of course. But how far does double track extend north of Edinburgh/Glasgow? Can you go from Penzance to Inverness on continuous double track?
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How far can you travel on continuous double track in the UK?
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No. You don't get far from Penzance before you hit single track.
Gloster
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Nor can you get much beyond Perth before you hit single track. You can’t get as far as Montrose on the route to Aberdeen either. For major stations the limit is Plymouth to Arbroath, if you regard the latter as major.
Right, I thought the whole of the Cornish Main Line was double track. So only London - Plymouth is continuous double track then? Or is it only to Exeter?
Bletchleyite
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Where is there single track on the Cornish mainline?
Gloster
Veteran Member
Royal Albert Bridge, Largin and Long Rock to Penzance.
Dr Hoo
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Largin Viaduct too?
Gloster
Veteran Member
Corrected. How could I forget: I worked Largin box.
There's single track not far from the station throat! Other places as mentioned above.
Highlander1
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You can't go North of Perth either towards Inverness or towards Dundee before you hit single track. If travelling from the east you can get to Usan junction, just south of Montrose before reaching single track
Taking a convoluted route what would the maximum mileage be?
Is Plymouth > Birmingham Area ( can avoid passing through New Street station ) > Banbury > Reading > North London Line > ECML > Leeds > Manchester > Glasgow > Arbroath possible ?
If so I suspect trying to add Wolverhampton > Crewe > Stoke-on-Trent > **** > ECML falls over more than once.
**** via Birmingham area then Reading would be longer than WCML direct but aside from any other limitation can repeating Wolverhampton > Birmingham area be avoided?
cadder toad
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Single track Perth-Barnhill on Dundee route. Double track Edinburgh- Dundee- Usan, just south of montrose. Perth-Forfar-Aberdeen was double track until closure of the Stanley-Kinnaber section in 1960s.
Topological
Established Member
Is the goal to end up as far as possible from where you started?
If not then presumably the answer may involve ending up in Camarthen and starting in Plymouth?
If Maindee East was double track then you could do even better, but that prevents coming down south and then swinging back north on the Marches.
If not then presumably the answer may involve ending up in Camarthen and starting in Plymouth?
If Maindee East was double track then you could do even better, but that prevents coming down south and then swinging back north on the Marches.
Highlander1
Member
Glasgow to Arbroath is not possible. You'd need to go via Edinburgh to Arbroath to avoid the short single track section north of Perth. Also you'd need to walk between Glasgow Central and Glasgow Queen Street, which of course would mean you're not traveling entirely by train.
SteelWeelApeal
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I’m fully expecting to have missed something and that this will need amending, but, assuming not using the same track twice, including reversing, how about:
Arbroath - Edinburgh - York (via Durham coast?) - Leeds - Doncaster - Sheffield - Derby - Nottingham - Peterborough - Cambridge - Thameslink - Redhill - Guildford - Woking - Clapham Junction - Brixton - Sutton - Horsham - Barnham - Southampton - Westbury - Newbury - Didcot - Oxford - Milton Keynes - Northampton - Tamworth - Stafford - Crewe - Manchester - Earlstown - Chester - Shrewsbury - Wolverhampton - Aston - Birmingham NS - Bristol Parkway - Exeter St David’s - Plymouth.
Arbroath - Edinburgh - York (via Durham coast?) - Leeds - Doncaster - Sheffield - Derby - Nottingham - Peterborough - Cambridge - Thameslink - Redhill - Guildford - Woking - Clapham Junction - Brixton - Sutton - Horsham - Barnham - Southampton - Westbury - Newbury - Didcot - Oxford - Milton Keynes - Northampton - Tamworth - Stafford - Crewe - Manchester - Earlstown - Chester - Shrewsbury - Wolverhampton - Aston - Birmingham NS - Bristol Parkway - Exeter St David’s - Plymouth.
swt_passenger
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If you leave Newcastle for the Durham Coast without reversing there‘s a short single track section on the Gateshead side of the river.
Is the route taken by the sleeper from Carlisle to Edinburgh all double track?
No - Station Jn to E Jn is single. But you could go via Shotts.
DelW
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Depends how rigorous you want to be, but I can't see a double track route from the North London Line to the ECML. Both the obvious options are single line (North London Incline or Harringay Curve).
Just to the West side of Saint Budeaux Ferry Road is the starting point of double track. So you could extend the starting point a few miles to Saint Budeaux Ferry Road station. It is entirely double track from this station. The double track finishes quite far North past Arbroath near the hamlet of Inverusan just before you get in to the Montrose area. So i think Saint Budeaux Ferry Road to Inverusan is the furthest.
NLL to ECML would involve either the North London incline or Harringay Junction, Both of which are single lines.
satisnek
Member
1. Single track through Grantham station (or, if you classify the whole station area as multiple track, there's still a single lead to/from the Nottingham route).
2. Single track Rossett - Wrexham.
Sorry
SteelWeelApeal
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Knew there would be something. Easily fixed though…1. Single track through Grantham station (or, if you classify the whole station area as multiple track, there's still a single lead to/from the Nottingham route).
2. Single track Rossett - Wrexham.
Sorry
Derby - Syston curve - Peterborough (is this all double?)
Tamworth - Stone - Stoke on Trent - Manchester
Earlestown - Crewe - Shrewsbury
zwk500
Veteran Member
Syston curve is single I think.
Topological
Established Member
The north-facing curve was double for a long time.
South-facing curve, the one used by the CrossCountry trains, is single.
As someone who grew up there it always seemed odd that it was that way round.
satisnek
Member
I did think about this, Syston North curve is indeed double but it carries no passenger services. You'll have to reverse at Leicester, and then that bit is single.
It's single track on departure from Earlestown, then you'll have to change at Warrington Bank Quay, and then are there any Avanti services which call both there and Crewe?
I'm not going to even think about having a go at this - there are so many single track chords and single lead junctions that BR laid in mad fits of rationalisation that anything other than a straight main line run is likely to catch you out!
DelW
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As I noted two posts above yours
satisnek
Member
So it is - I just saw a single track section on Google Earth and jumped to the wrong conclusion
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