The UK Railway Network- a true network?

[tractakid]

Are all UK National Rail stations interlinked?

ie... is it theoretically possible for a train carriage to visit all the stations without leaving the track? (obviously would need to be diesel for the non-electrified bits)

Obviously the Island Line is an exception... are there any other sections of track that are completely isolated?

I'm not talking about normal operation. Obviously, some lines are effectively independent in their normal operation.

 

[reb0118]

Are all UK National Rail stations interlinked?

ie... is it theoretically possible for a train carriage to visit all the stations without leaving the track? (obviously would need to be diesel for the non-electrified bits)

Obviously the Island Line is an exception... are there any other sections of track that are completely isolated?

I'm not talking about normal operation. Obviously, some lines are effectively independent in their normal operation.

I would say yes with the following caveats:-

1) Island Line, Isle of Wight (as you mentioned)

2) Northern Irish Rail - yes Northern Ireland is in the UK,

&

3) Stourbridge Jn. to Stourbridge Town (Parry People Mover) (not sure about this one though?)

Also any line that is temporarily disconnected for engineering purposes.

Cheers

 

[sprinterguy]

3) Stourbridge Jn. to Stourbridge Town (Parry People Mover) (not sure about this one though?)

It would require a reversal but the Stourbridge Town branch is still fully connected to the national network at Stourbridge Junction.

 

[reb0118]

3) Stourbridge Jn. to Stourbridge Town (Parry People Mover) (not sure about this one though?)

It would require a reversal but the Stourbridge Town branch is still fully connected to the national network at Stourbridge Junction.

Thanks for that. Should have referenced the Quail prior to posting.

 

[Tomonthetrain]

I would say yes with the following caveats:-

1) Island Line, Isle of Wight (as you mentioned)

2) Northern Irish Rail - yes Northern Ireland is in the UK,

&

3) Stourbridge Jn. to Stourbridge Town (Parry People Mover) (not sure about this one though?)

Also any line that is temporarily disconnected for engineering purposes.

Cheers

There still is a connection between the branch and the mainline

 

[tractakid]

Yes- the Stourbridge line was in my mind when I created the thread, but I had the feeling it was connected despite never being used in normal service.

Also in my mind was the Looe branch, simply because I seem to remember reading that the Liskeard platforms were at right angles and physically separate from the main line platforms. Anyone know to clarify?

And as for Northern Ireland, yes, it's part of the UK, but not National Rail. Am I correct?

 

[Greenback]

Yes- the Stourbridge line was in my mind when I created the thread, but I had the feeling it was connected despite never being used in normal service.

Also in my mind was the Looe branch, simply because I seem to remember reading that the Liskeard platforms were at right angles and physically separate from the main line platforms. Anyone know to clarify?

The branch platform is at right angles, but there is a connection from the main line. if there wasn't a way to get the units on and off the branch, it would cause quite a few operational difficulties!

 

[steamybrian]

The Looe branch is connected to the main line at Liskeard by a siding connection which I do not think is used by passenger trains.

The isolated Waterloo and City Line was BR owned until transferred to London Underground in 1994. It is still isolated from the rest of the LU system and new stock has to be craned in from ground level to the track below ground level.

 

[tractakid]

The branch platform is at right angles, but there is a connection from the main line. if there wasn't a way to get the units on and off the branch, it would cause quite a few operational difficulties!

Yes. Makes sense.

As for the drain, I was about to use it as a LU example, but decided it wasn't necessary. I had completely forgotten it was once BR. (doesn't help that I was -1 day old when the transfer happened, haha)

 

[johnnychips]

BR used to own the narrow-gauge railway from Aberystwyth to Devil's Bridge for some bizarre reason. (Anyone know why?) Obviously that wouldn't have interconnected.

 

[sheff1]

BR used to own the narrow-gauge railway from Aberystwyth to Devil's Bridge for some bizarre reason. (Anyone know why?) .

It was part of the Great Western Railway at the time of nationalisation.

 

[tractakid]

How much other track is accessible? I'm not talking about non passenger sections of track- I mean, for example, how much of the Metropolitan Line (and other tube lines) is accessible to National Rail stock? What about in Newcastle? (or anywhere else)

 

[Manchester77]

Waterloo and city is completely isolated and that used to be on BR

 

[12CSVT]

How much other track is accessible? I'm not talking about non passenger sections of track- I mean, for example, how much of the Metropolitan Line (and other tube lines) is accessible to National Rail stock? What about in Newcastle? (or anywhere else)

It is possible (at least in theory) to reach most London Underground lines from the national network.
Metropolitan Line at Amersham and Harrow-on-the-Hill
District Line at Wimbledon, East Putney, Richmond and Gunnesbury
Bakerloo Line at Queens Park
Central Line at Ruislip LUL depot
The Metropolitan and District Lines in turn have access to Hammersmith & City, Circle and Piccadilly lines, while Metropolitan also has access to Jubilee Line

Not sure if Victoria or Northern Line have physical connections with other Underground lines.

The Tyne & Wear Metro can be accessed at Pelaw, while Manchester Metrolink can be accessed via East Lancs Railway at Bury.

I emphasise the words 'In Theory', as there are very few items of rolling stock which would be suitable for both the national network and the light railway systems I have mentioned.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

while Manchester Metrolink can be accessed via East Lancs Railway at Bury.

Can it? The only connection between the ELR and any other network is NR near Castleton AFAIK.

 

[transmanche]

Not sure if Victoria or Northern Line have physical connections with other Underground lines.

Northern line has a link to the Piccadilly at Kings Cross. Victoria line has a link to the Piccadilly at Finsbury Park.

 

[umontu]

while Manchester Metrolink can be accessed via East Lancs Railway at Bury.

Metrolink can be accessed at Bury from the East Lancs
Altrincham (The line there is still owned by NR between Navigation road and Altrincham)
Newton Heath (There's a gate there past the bin liner depot)
& Manchester Victoria (There's a trailing set of points just outside the station before the decent to the tunnel)

I don't know about the Rochdale extension but I'd guess there'll be some kind of connection.

(Any I've missed let me know)

 

[12CSVT]

Can it? The only connection between the ELR and any other network is NR near Castleton AFAIK.

Yes. Here's the proof.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0h_MUkBaDY&feature=fvsr

 

[bicbasher]

Slightly OT but could you get a ticket to Bank in the days of the drain being part of BR/NSE?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Yes. Here's the proof.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0h_MUkBaDY&feature=fvsr

Ah, my apologies, completely forgot about Buckley Wells!

 

[Zoe]

District Line at Wimbledon, East Putney, Richmond and Gunnesbury

There's also a physical connection at Barking.

 

[Jonny]

Metrolink can be accessed at Bury from the East Lancs
Altrincham (The line there is still owned by NR between Navigation road and Altrincham)
Newton Heath (There's a gate there past the bin liner depot)
& Manchester Victoria (There's a trailing set of points just outside the station before the decent to the tunnel)

I don't know about the Rochdale extension but I'd guess there'll be some kind of connection.

(Any I've missed let me know)

Just for completeness, there's even a crossover just north of Altrincham which saves having to haul stock through the on-road city centre section - see here for a link.

 

[12CSVT]

Slightly OT but could you get a ticket to Bank in the days of the drain being part of BR/NSE?

Not when I tried in the 1980s. At Waterloo British Rail ticket office I ask for a day return to Bank with a Young Persons railcard, but was directed to London Underground ticket office. Did the same there and was told railcards aren't valid on the Underground, and ended up paying the Underground fare for what was at the time a British Rail journey.

Just to scratch 1 1/3 miles of track !

 

[transmanche]

Did the same there and was told railcards aren't valid on the Underground, and ended up paying the Underground fare for what was at the time a British Rail journey.

Yes, Underground fares were charged for many years before the line transferred to LU. (Although I guess you would have been able to buy a through season ticket to Bank?)

 

[umontu]

Just for completeness, there's even a crossover just north of Altrincham which saves having to haul stock through the on-road city centre section - see here for a link.

Ah cheers!

As seen in the Radcliffe works video these connections are important.

But when considering the question, can any carriage go anywhere? Think about these issues.

At Pomona, Gmex and South Chadderton* there are steep gradients making heavy rail carriages passage difficult, though not impossible. There's also the crossings on light rail networks, the one at Abraham Moss in particular, are of a different standard making heavy rail use very difficult.

* The Gradient at South Chadderton is why I guess there will be a connection at Rochdale.

 

[Zoe]

Yes, Underground fares were charged for many years before the line transferred to LU. (Although I guess you would have been able to buy a through season ticket to Bank?)

Strange that there were barriers at bank separating the Waterloo and City line from London Underground if LU fares applied.

 

[HSTEd]

Didn't there use to be a train lift at the W&C that would allow trains to be moved onto it without leaving the rails?

 

[Zoe]

Didn't there use to be a train lift at the W&C that would allow trains to be moved onto it without leaving the rails?

Yes, it was removed around 1990 to allow for the construction of Waterloo International.

 

[Manchester77]

Can it? The only connection between the ELR and any other network is NR near Castleton AFAIK.

Iirc there's a connection in the navigation road area but not 100%

It is possible (at least in theory) to reach most London Underground lines from the national network.
Metropolitan Line at Amersham and Harrow-on-the-Hill
District Line at Wimbledon, East Putney, Richmond and Gunnesbury
Bakerloo Line at Queens Park
Central Line at Ruislip LUL depot
The Metropolitan and District Lines in turn have access to Hammersmith & City, Circle and Piccadilly lines, while Metropolitan also has access to Jubilee Line

Not sure if Victoria or Northern Line have physical connections with other Underground lines.

The Tyne & Wear Metro can be accessed at Pelaw, while Manchester Metrolink can be accessed via East Lancs Railway at Bury.

I emphasise the words 'In Theory', as there are very few items of rolling stock which would be suitable for both the national network and the light railway systems I have mentioned.

All sub-surface lines (district, Hammersmith, circle, metropolitan) are connected
Yes there is connections on the northern and Victoria
Remember the 1995 stock currently operated on the northern line was delivered to Ruslip Depot before being driven over to Golders Green/Morden depots
There are also the Euston and Kings Cross loops which allow northern and Piccadilly line trains to change lines.
Victoria has finsbury park. When the vic was constructed the re modelled finsbury park so a southbound Victoria line train can become a northbound Piccadilly line train. The two lines are quite close as at Arsenal station you can hear 2009 stock running in the tunnels and there were plans for Manor House to transfer from Piccadilly line to Victoria line.
The only LU line with now connection is the Waterloo and city line. Also the DLR afaik has no connection to any other parts of the network
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Didn't there use to be a train lift at the W&C that would allow trains to be moved onto it without leaving the rails?

Yes I think that's how they got the 1940 stock u for network day in 1986
It was demolished to make way for Waterloo International, what a waste

 

[transmanche]

Victoria has finsbury park. When the vic was constructed the re modelled finsbury park so a southbound Victoria line train can become a northbound Piccadilly line train.

The connection is northbound-northbound and southbound-southbound: it's impossible for a southbound Victoria line train to access the northbound Piccadilly line.

(Although officially the Piccadilly line is now referred to as east-west...)