The Robin Hood Line in brief

[Gathursty]

In a nod to Mr Techniquest, I'm trying to include costs and timings. Whilst I don't record units and numbers, you may wish to double-check using RTT or whatever you prefer.

20/02/2017
1049 Manchester Oxford Road - Manchester Piccadilly (ATW)
1120 Manchester Piccadilly - Sheffield (TPX)
1244 Sheffield - Worksop (Northern)
1338 Worksop - Nottingham (EMT)
1447 Nottingham - Manchester Piccadilly (EMT)

Food/Drink - £10.50
Car park - £3.00
Fares - £32.50
Total - £46.00

Originally planned to start from Wigan but a work call resulted in a change from the 0959 Wigan North Western start to the day and instead a drive into the big city.

The weather hit its sunny albeit windy zenith at Sheffield and was fairly dreich through Grindleford all the way to Stockport.

I enjoyed the hour journey twisting along the Robin Hood line which was basking in sunshine from Worksop down to about Mansfield.

I was wondering why Newstead was missed from the all station stops but my googling tonight gave me the answer.

I was a bit confused at seeing a passing loop on the left hand side for a northbound unit somewhere south of Bulwell as I was under the mistaken impression that the whole line was double-tracked however it is but one of many things that add to the quirkiness of this mixture of rurality, urbanity, mixture of different historical company lines and trams running alongside for a while.

It's not the most stunning of lines in comparison to those in Scotland but it is one that I'm glad to have ticked off.

It's also good to see Ilkeston getting it's finishing touches before it is opened in April. I was going to take a bus but the weather and the timings at Langley Mill made me remain on the train.

 

[Techniquest]

I'm honoured you chose to tot up your expenditure for your report I'm not sure how I came to start adding that data to my reports but it's there now. I have a hunch rg177 started doing it and I nicked the idea

Looks like a fun little adventure there, although a shame you had to change plans last minute!

 

[tramdan]

Glad to see someone has enjoyed a trip on the RHL. I spent 6 months that I will never get back commuting 5 days a week from Worksop to Nottingham on that line so know it well.

The section through Bulwell was single tracked in the early '00s during construction of the Nottingham tram system. There is a passing loop between Bulwell Forest CCTV crossing and Moor Bridge where northbound services are often held, this means that they sort of pass 'wrong side' so to speak.

Just south of Bulwell the formation widens out and the railway and tramway both run as double track, giving a rather excellent section of four track running.

 

[Cowley]

I keep meaning to do that line when I'm up in Nottingham, it's always interested me because of all the colliery lines that must have come off it in the past. Can you see any traces of them nowadays? I assume it was once double track too?

 

[Harpers Tate]

As of about 3 weeks ago:
The branch to Calverton is still just about visible but extremely overgrown.
The "short cut" across from the Erewash valley line is still in situ at Kirkby, but seems to get little traffic. The trackwork from the branch over to (what was) High Marnham power station plus some collieries etc., is all still present and correct at Shirebrook, but unused. There is nothing left at Elmton & Creswell junction except a trackbed.

 

[robbeech]

It's not a bad line, just wish the connections at Worksop (from ex NOT trains) were timed better but that would affect the London / Derby / Easst Anglia timings so you can't have it all.

The line from Shirebrook junction to at least Thoresby Colliery Junction is still operational, i'm not sure if there are still trains that go as far as High Marnham but the Rail Innovation and Development Centre (RIDC) runs along that line at least to Tuxford.

There's a couple of freight bits a week go via the shortcut at Kirkby, but some of the first ECS positioning moves of the day and the Worksop to Nottingham ECS move at the end of the day for example go this route.

 

[ashworth]

The section through Bulwell was single tracked in the early '00s during construction of the Nottingham tram system. There is a passing loop between Bulwell Forest CCTV crossing and Moor Bridge where northbound services are often held, this means that they sort of pass 'wrong side' so to speak.

Just south of Bulwell the formation widens out and the railway and tramway both run as double track, giving a rather excellent section of four track running.

The section from just south of Bulwell northwards to Hucknall had to be a single line to accommodate the tram tracks. Also I suppose the section from Newstead to just south of Kirkby in Ashfield, which had to be completely rebuilt including the opening up of the tunnel, was unfortunately, but perhaps understandably built as a single line to save money.

The long straight single line section northwards from Hucknall through Linby to Newstead really should have remained double track. The double track had remained in place following the closure of Linby and Newstead Collieries but one track was removed prior to the Robin Hood Line reopening to cut the cost. If the double track had remained timekeeping on the line would be more reliable in event of any late running. Stops on alternate services at Bulwell and Newstead were cut in order to maintain a more reliable service and to allow for slight delays through the single line section. Passing loops at Moorbridge and Newstead may not have been required if the double track between Hucknall and Newstead had been left in place. Also it might have allowed for a station stop at Linby as there was before the original passenger service was withdrawn in the 1960"s.