What's the latest on Soham to Ely redoubling ?

[Justin Smith]

Baker's rail atlases keep telling me the line from Soham to Ely is due to be redoubled, but the last mention I can find was from about 2015, and then it wasn't too positive !
What's the latest ?

 

[John R]

One of the long list of enhancements that keep being kicked into the long grass I’m afraid. One of my few criticisms of recent Bakers is that there are too many enhancements included which are far from definite, and in some cases highly speculative. I did feed that back to Joe Brown on X and he agreed and said the next edition will adopt a different approach.

 

[a good off]

It was a project that quietly died after struggling to receive funding. Soham to Ely Dock Jn has never been double track, it just had a passing goods loop at Barway Sidings and the initial part of the branch at Ely Dock was double until the 1992 resignalling.

 

[Railwaysceptic]

It was a project that quietly died after struggling to receive funding. Soham to Ely Dock Jn has never been double track, it just had a passing goods loop at Barway Sidings and the initial part of the branch at Ely Dock was double until the 1992 resignalling.

Would restoring those short twin-track sections be of any use?

 

[cle]

Would this have any incremental benefit to Ely capacity at all?

 

[Steve Harris]

It was a project that quietly died after struggling to receive funding. Soham to Ely Dock Jn has never been double track, it just had a passing goods loop at Barway Sidings and the initial part of the branch at Ely Dock was double until the 1992 resignalling.

I am presuming that it will be linked in with Ely North Junction upgrade, as doubling is probably not justifiable until that's done first.

 

[a good off]

For anyone who’s interested in what Ely looked like in the days leading up to the resignalling, including the Soham branch, go to my friend’s YouTube page https://youtube.com/@nicholasyoungman3724?si=_mA2Jo3FNdqK0-oD

 

[Magdalia]

The latest on the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement is a minister's response to a debate in parliament earlier in December which was discussed here:

Could Ely junction be upgraded?

Moderator note: split from https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/labour-spending-review.287714/ Nothing for Ely Junction then? Seems short sighted given how it unblocks freight and caters for growth in the Cambridge area.

www.railforums.co.uk

The last consultation on the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement was in 2021. Most of the documents are now offline. The Network Rail website still has a map which is ambiguous about whether Soham is included.

 

[Justin Smith]

Rather than start a new thread to ask this, and it is obliquely relevant, I read that Chippenham Junc* to Dullingham was singled in 1978, but when was the section west of that (i.e. to Coldham Lane Junc - Cambridge) singled ?

* Was it singled westwards from Chippenham junc or just from Newmarket in 1978 ?

 

[eastdyke]

Rather than start a new thread to ask this, and it is obliquely relevant, I read that Chippenham Junc* to Dullingham was singled in 1978, but when was the section west of that (i.e. to Coldham Lane Junc - Cambridge) singled ?

* Was it singled westwards from Chippenham junc or just from Newmarket in 1978 ?

Warren Hill tunnel [Chippenham Junction side of existing Newmarket station] was never double and represents a significant obstacle to gauge enhancement. Built 1852-4 it is around 1km. in length.
West of Dullingham, the line to Coldham Lane Junction was, I believe singled in the early 1980's. Wikipedia quotes 1983.
Note that the original rail route from Cherry Hinton station until around 1896 was more direct to the north end of Cambridge Station [ie not via Coldham Lane Junction].

Railways in Newmarket are covered in some depth by Newmarket Local History Society and their website piece is well worth a read.

Railway

The Railway comes to Newmarket Rail transport in Britain had its crude beginnings in 1825 when the first rail line was laid by the Stockton & Darlington Railway Company. By 1829 George Stephenson had designed his much improved 'Rocket' engine that proved it could haul wagons carrying heavy loads...

newmarkethistory.org.uk

Selected tiny quote:

1960: Newmarket Station was still very busy. The records show that 64,679 passenger tickets were issued and 17,461 parcels handled during the year. On the goods side, caravans, agricultural implements, fertilizers and barley left the station and much paper imported from the USA was received. Horse traffic amounted to 1,073 sent and 1.573 received. The station building itself still retained its old importance, including the spacious booking hall with oak panelled walls on the up platform.

 

[Magdalia]

Rather than start a new thread to ask this, and it is obliquely relevant, I read that Chippenham Junc* to Dullingham was singled in 1978, but when was the section west of that (i.e. to Coldham Lane Junc - Cambridge) singled ?

* Was it singled westwards from Chippenham junc or just from Newmarket in 1978 ?

As has already been pointed out Warren Hill Tunnel has always been single track.

Newmarket-Dullingham was singled in 1978 after a tornado lifted the Newmarket signal box off its foundations.

Dullingham-Coldham Lane Junction was singled in 1982 as part of the introduction of Cambridge power signal box. There is a long passing loop at Dullingham.

Coldham Lane to Cambridge had been 4 tracks but this was reduced to 2 tracks with a single lead junction onto the Newmarket line.

East West Rail proposes restoration of the 4 tracks to Coldham Lane Junction and double track across Coldhams Common to a turnback siding/Cambridge East station.

 

[Justin Smith]

Thank you both !