Maximum allowed width for trains in UK?

[Wardog]

Also, what is the maximum allowed speed through grade crossings in UK?

In Denmark it is 140 km/h, when ATC is installed.

Im not for sure about the maximum allowed Width for trains in Denmark, other than we got 3,15 wide trains on the intercity lines, and even 3,6 meter wide commuter trains around the Copenhagen area.

It could be interesting to compare

 

[30907]

125mph is permitted for supervised crossings, and there are some such on the East Coast route, but only 100mph for automatic crossings. At that speed the lines have AWS.

Maximum width at waist level on most routes is approximately 2.8m but some ex Great Western routes allow a slightly greater width, and HS1 is built to standard European width.
An oversimplification but it will do to start with.

 

[Wardog]

125mph is permitted for supervised crossings, and there are some such on the East Coast route, but only 100mph for automatic crossings. At that speed the lines have AWS.

Maximum width at waist level on most routes is approximately 2.8m but some ex Great Western routes allow a slightly greater width, and HS1 is built to standard European width.
An oversimplification but it will do to start with.

Thanks, thats a good answer for starters

Seems it was not too foresighted to place the tracks so close, that it only permits 2,8 meter wide trains, if you dont mind me saying so. It doesnt permit for 2 + 3 seating, or 2 + 2 comfortable wide seats. Its a shame really...

 

[Zoidberg]

Thanks, thats a good answer for starters

Seems it was not too foresighted to place the tracks so close, that it only permits 2,8 meter wide trains, if you dont mind me saying so. It doesnt permit for 2 + 3 seating, or 2 + 2 comfortable wide seats. Its a shame really...

But, but, I've been on trains here with 2+3 seating. Unless I was imagining ...

 

[jopsuk]

Maximum width varies not just with route, but with length. There's essentially two main standard sizes currently- 20m(ish) long carriages are ~2.8m wide, 23m long carriages are ~2.7m wide. Mostly, modern EMUs are 20m stock and DMUs 23m stock (exceptions are numerous). ~2.8m is the widest that straight platforms (where the body length is unimportant) will take and thus is the "hard" limit.

 

[Trog]

Seems it was not too foresighted to place the tracks so close, that it only permits 2,8 meter wide trains, if you dont mind me saying so. It doesnt permit for 2 + 3 seating, or 2 + 2 comfortable wide seats. Its a shame really...

I blame those nasty Stephenson's fancy not realising in the early 1830's that people would want to carry 9'-6" containers of electronics from China, or that with a bit of development the Rocket could be made to do 125MPH as standard.

 

[stevefromdonny]

But, but, I've been on trains here with 2+3 seating. Unless I was imagining ...

Yes you have. Northerns 322 and 321s have 2 + 3 seating for a start. Problem is it is a push for space in the aisle.

 

[krus_aragon]

I blame those nasty Stephenson's fancy not realising in the early 1830's that people would want to carry 9'-6" containers of electronics from China, or that with a bit of development the Rocket could be made to do 125MPH as standard.

In fairness to Robert Stephenson, the Conwy and Britannia tubular bridges (see my avatar) were a better shape for containerised freight than all those silly brick arches... :P

 

[Ash Bridge]

I think the widest trains to run here were the class 503 EMUs (3.02m.)? although that was the overall width including the step boards.

 

[Wardog]

I think the widest trains to run here were the class 503 EMUs (3.02m.)? although that was the overall width including the step boards.

I wonder about the cost per km of track relaying, in order to make space for 3,4 meter wide trains? Allowing for 2 + 3 comfortable seating.

 

[Deerfold]

I wonder about the cost per km of track relaying, in order to make space for 3,4 meter wide trains? Allowing for 2 + 3 comfortable seating.

HS2 is being built to allow for wider trains. As part of the planning for HS2 they looked into relaying York to Newcastle - the cost was estimated at up to £4 billion + disruption costs and would take 8 years.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...083/hs2-review-of_technical-specification.pdf - Section 6.1.4

 

[swt_passenger]

I wonder about the cost per km of track relaying, in order to make space for 3,4 meter wide trains? Allowing for 2 + 3 comfortable seating.

The track repositioning is comparatively trivial, once you've moved all the platforms, and widened all the under-bridges, over-bridges, cuttings, embankments and tunnels.

 

[edwin_m]

I wonder about the cost per km of track relaying, in order to make space for 3,4 meter wide trains? Allowing for 2 + 3 comfortable seating.

You have to relay the tracks further apart. Which means you will also have to replace practically every bridge, tunnel, signal, OLE support etc since if it didn't infringe the clearances of the wider trains to start with it would do when the track was moved outwards. Not to mention buying a strip of land alongside the railway for most of its length to widen the formation, including bits of thousands of back gardens which people won't want to give up.

Probably more expensive, and certainly vastly more hassle, than building a new route on a totally new alignment which can avoid most of the built-up areas.

 

[Wardog]

You have to relay the tracks further apart. Which means you will also have to replace practically every bridge, tunnel, signal, OLE support etc since if it didn't infringe the clearances of the wider trains to start with it would do when the track was moved outwards. Not to mention buying a strip of land alongside the railway for most of its length to widen the formation, including bits of thousands of back gardens which people won't want to give up.

Probably more expensive, and certainly vastly more hassle, than building a new route on a totally new alignment which can avoid most of the built-up areas.

In other words; Mission Impossible!