Darlington station expansion

[yorksrob]

Oh yeah that's a little rare but it does happen from time to time. The layout at Darlington has always been very flexible (apart from that one little niggle). It was more painful when a down LNER (or XC/TPE) had to pass a Northern at the southern end of P4. The bypass loop is painfully slow compared to the direct P4 approach (10/20mph I think versus maybe 50 or 60?).

All the more time for northbound passengers to savour the sight of the magnificent train shed !

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Aug 2026 ==

But extremely difficult to replace the switched diamond with 3 turnouts in the space available to keep the connection to Eagleascliffe. Could possibly be done though - but may require losing the line adjacent to 1 and moving the turnouts for 2/3 on to the Down Loop.
I suspect the opportunity was identified in the project, but presumably passed up for cost reasons.

Bypass loop is 20mph, southern half of 4 is 35mph according to the Sectional appendix. It changes to 50mph in the northern half after the points from the loop.

Don't think I've ever seen anything on the line next to the P1 line.

 

[Darandio]

Don't think I've ever seen anything on the line next to the P1 line.

Whilst not a daily or even weekly occurrence there's been plenty there over the years. Stabled railtours, Northern units, Hitachi tests etc. However for something truly nostalgic, watch this one......

 

[yorksrob]

Whilst not a daily or even weekly occurrence there's been plenty there over the years. Stabled railtours, Northern units, Hitachi tests etc. However for something truly nostalgic, watch this one......

That's certainly an interesting manoeuvre. I bet they were giving out the free Virgin cola that day !

 

[ainsworth74]

Bypass loop is 20mph, southern half of 4 is 35mph according to the Sectional appendix. It changes to 50mph in the northern half after the points from the loop. https://vaildata.uk/sa?lor=LN600&seq=010&name=DARLINGTON

Ah thanks for that, it certainly felt faster and like a more significant difference in speed whenever I've done it!

Interestingly, 1S06 LNER 0730 King's Cross - Edinburgh, which doesn't stop at Darlington, was routed on the Up Main through the station and is using the Bi-Di to Aycliffe Crossovers while other trains were in platforms 1 and 5.

Yes I've noticed them doing that a few times now (sending something on the Up via the Bi-Di to Aycliffe) since the station layout changed. I'm starting to think that there needs to be a project to put some crossovers north of the station to avoid the long schlep to Aycliffe. Especially as it's SIMBIDs so it's quite a slow move and means that nothing can follow behind the diverted train either. It's one at at time.

Don't think I've ever seen anything on the line next to the P1 line.

Yeah it's one of those bits of infrastructure that doesn't see that much use but is definetly helpful to have around. As noted by @Darandio below it gets used for all sorts of odds and ends.

Whilst not a daily or even weekly occurrence there's been plenty there over the years. Stabled railtours, Northern units, Hitachi tests etc. However for something truly nostalgic, watch this one......

I do enjoy going back to that video from time to time.

 

[cats_five]

That's certainly an interesting manoeuvre. I bet they were giving out the free Virgin cola that day !

Yes, and it raised some questions in my mind! What was wrong with the coach? Where was it recovered to, how & when? And most of all, as I watched the footage of it reversing back into the station, the driver was (of course) sat in his normal place so how were the people controlling the move communicating with him?

 

[zwk500]

the driver was (of course) sat in his normal place so how were the people controlling the move communicating with him?

Either with the train comms from the door panel or (more likely) back-to-back radios. Although you can see the cab doors are open at the end of the video so perhaps the driver was double-checking the hand signals visually.

 

[Zomboid]

But extremely difficult to replace the switched diamond with 3 turnouts in the space available to keep the connection to Eagleascliffe. Could possibly be done though - but may require losing the line adjacent to 1 and moving the turnouts for 2/3 on to the Down Loop.

Is that even necessary? With the new up platform I'd just replace the diamond with a simple turnout and use the crossover associated with the junction to get to/from the up main. You lose parallel moves to/from 1 & 4, but the new platform replaces that function.

And since the junction is a single lead you're not getting any parallel moves to/from the branch anyway.

 

[yorksrob]

Yes, and it raised some questions in my mind! What was wrong with the coach? Where was it recovered to, how & when? And most of all, as I watched the footage of it reversing back into the station, the driver was (of course) sat in his normal place so how were the people controlling the move communicating with him?

And managing it all with the passengers on board !

 

[Darandio]

What was wrong with the coach?

That video is a re-upload from years ago, the original one appears to be removed. What I do seem to vaguely recall is that it was discussed in the comments on the original video and it was an overheated axle bearing or something similar. @ainsworth74 will no doubt have seen the original years ago and might recall it, it might even have been discussed on here.

 

[ainsworth74]

That video is a re-upload from years ago, the original one appears to be removed. What I do seem to vaguely recall is that it was discussed in the comments on the original video and it was an overheated axle bearing or something similar. @ainsworth74 will no doubt have seen the original years ago and might recall it, it might even have been discussed on here.

Yeah my recollection is that it was a hot axle box issue on the carriage.

 

[cats_five]

Either with the train comms from the door panel or (more likely) back-to-back radios. Although you can see the cab doors are open at the end of the video so perhaps the driver was double-checking the hand signals visually.

I saw someone giving hand signals as he reversed towards the back part of the train but have no idea how he could see them from his seat, since there aren't wing mirrors. I wondered if someone else was in the cab but couldn't see anyone.

 

[AlanRailer]

Maybe it is a bit anecdotal but the effect of the expansion seems to have much increased pedestrian throughput at the Bank Top entrance.
Cars might be looping around/under to avoid that massive walk and two flights of stairs .


Apparently they had planned a moving walkway for that corridor but overspend prevented it.

 

[Notabene]

Why don't the platform canopies extend to the edge? The don't offer much protection

 

[yorksrob]

Why don't the platform canopies extend to the edge? The don't offer much protection

Seems to be the modern way with new platform canopies.

 

[swt_passenger]

Seems to be the modern way with new platform canopies.

Electrification safety clearance, isn’t it? First discussed here after being seen in a big way at the Reading rebuild?

 

[yorksrob]

Electrification safety clearance, isn’t it? First discussed here after being seen in a big way at the Reading rebuild?

Indeed, good job as well, given all the pre-existing platform canopies that seem to be immolating everywhere...

 

[swt_passenger]

Indeed, good job as well, given all the pre-existing platform canopies that seem to be immolating everywhere...

maybe they should go back to wooden canopies?

 

[yorksrob]

maybe they should go back to wooden canopies?

They'd probably be afraid of passengers jumping up and impaling themselves on the dagger boards !

On a better note, they've just very tastefully refurbished the existing canopies at Lancaster station, so why they can't do it for newer canopies is bonkers.