The UK Railway Network- a true network?

[Zoe]

There is a chord off the mainline onto the Looe branch at Liskeard which allows the Moorswater freight to get onto the Looe branch. It is also used for changing units over onto the Looe branch.

That's the L&L siding. As steamybrian says, it can't be used by passenger trains.

 

[MK Tom]

Something nobody's pointed out is that Sheffield Supertram will be connected to national rail after the construction of the Rotherham tram-train project.

 

[12CSVT]

Slightly off topic, if an item of rolling stock ventured to the other side of the Channel Tunnel, how far across Europe (or even Asia) could it reach without leaving the rails ?

 

[Zoe]

Slightly off topic, if an item of rolling stock ventured to the other side of the Channel Tunnel, how far across Europe (or even Asia) could it reach without leaving the rails ?

When you get to the former Soviet border there's a break of gauage.

 

[HSTEd]

Slightly off topic, if an item of rolling stock ventured to the other side of the Channel Tunnel, how far across Europe (or even Asia) could it reach without leaving the rails ?

Pyongyang if it was some sort of Talgo style gauge changer and there was an appropriate gauge changer provided..... without such presumably theoretical equipment.... Turkey perhaps?

 

[starrymarkb]

Probably as far as the Ukranian Border... Beyond that would need a gauge change to Russian...

 

[Eagle]

I would discount NIR as not only has it always operated independantly of the UK network, but uses Irish gauge.

It hasn't always been independent. Most of the lines in Northern Ireland were owned by LMS (formerly Midland Railway) prior to nationalization. In fact BR owned them for about six months immediately after, until the Ulster Transport Authority was created in 1949.
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Pyongyang if it was some sort of Talgo style gauge changer and there was an appropriate gauge changer provided..... without such presumably theoretical equipment.... Turkey perhaps?

And then when the Bosporus Tunnel opens...?

 

[Zoe]

There isn't a single UK railway network. The UK has two main line railway networks, GB and NI. Both however are UK railways.

 

[reb0118]

And then when the Bosporus Tunnel opens...?

Terhan? or possibly Mirjawa on the Pakistan border ~ not sure if the through line to Quetta is still open? If so that would enable a train to make it right through to the Sub Continent.

When the situation calms down in Syria it may be possible to get to Aqaba. Alexi Sayle did so in the mid nineties at any rate.

 

[Kali]

LUL do own some tube-gauge diesels, so no need to recharge batteries.

 

[badassunicorn]

Mod Note: Thread merged into a recent thread on the same topic

Unsure if this is asked before, but is it possible to travel from any station in the country to any other station in the country? Are all the tracks linked up? I mean theoretically like, be pretty impossible to do in reality I would imagine!

 

[Sidious]

You might have to swim if you wanted to go anywhere north of Portsmouth via Ryde Pier Head...

 

[fairysdad]

I'd imagine you'd have issues with the Isle of Wight, and if you're talking lines that can have passengers on then the Liskeard - Looe line would be an issue too.

There are probably others

 

[HSTEd]

The train lift to reach the Waterloo and City is gone, but as I understand that is a tube line now...

 

[12CSVT]

I'd imagine you'd have issues with the Isle of Wight, and if you're talking lines that can have passengers on then the Liskeard - Looe line would be an issue too.

There are probably others

The line linking the Looe branch to the Great Western main line at Liskeard is on a very tight curve, and no train is permitted to carry passengers over it. That's one piece of track which is 'out of bounds' even to the Branch Line Society.

 

[jopsuk]

but as I understand that is a tube line now...

The W&C was sold by BR to London Transport (now TfL) for a nominal £1 in 1994, so it has been officially a "tube" line for over 18 years.

 

[fairysdad]

The W&C was sold by BR to London Transport (now TfL) for a nominal £1 in 1994, so it has been officially a "tube" line for over 18 years.

The thing here is that the question that started this section of thread (before they were merged) said can every station be accessed by every other station. As you don't need the W&C to visit either Waterloo or Bank (and afaik the rest of the Underground system is interlinked in some way or another, even if the stock doesn't necessarily exist to actually do it), it doesn't matter that the W&C is separate from the rest of the network.

 

[PR1Berske]

Just as the road network isn't technically connected as one - with private roads and one way systems and weight/height restrictions - so the rail network isn't either (and as has been said, the NI system is British and can't be accessed directly anyway)

It would be ideal to have such open access (to coin a phrase) to know that a train leaving Grimsby could theoretically turn up at Southport, but alas, that's not how the system works.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Just as the road network isn't technically connected as one - with private roads and one way systems and weight/height restrictions - so the rail network isn't either (and as has been said, the NI system is British and can't be accessed directly anyway)

It would be ideal to have such open access (to coin a phrase) to know that a train leaving Grimsby could theoretically turn up at Southport, but alas, that's not how the system works.

Speaking of Southport - say Preston - Southport - isn't there a buffer up so no physical connection at Ormskirk? Even Preston -Liverpool Central?

 

[PR1Berske]

Speaking of Southport - say Preston - Southport - isn't there a buffer up so no physical connection at Ormskirk? Even Preston -Liverpool Central?

Line is buffered up at Ormskirk, so one platform, two lines.

Both Burscough curves are out of service/mothballed/closed, so no direct connection

Only public service link from Preston directly to Southport are the 2 and 2X buses (from the soon to be demolished Preston Bus Station)

 

[lancastrian]

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

And before that it was part of the Cambrian Railways at the time of the Grouping. As was the Welshpool & Llanfair Railway. Not forgetting the ex Northern Counties Committee Narrow Gauge lines in Northern Ireland.

 

[6Gman]

I think we have concluded that - apart from the Isle of Wight - there is a physical link between all Network Rail lines.

We have also established that, in the past, BR had some narrow-gauge lines which - clearly - were separate from the network! Vale of Rheidol and Welshpool & Llanfair - possibly also the Corris Railway? There were also discrete n.g. systems at various works and engineers depots (such as Crewe & Horwich Works).

The only discrete standard gauge British Rail line I can think of was the Holyhead Breakwater line, but I'm sure there must have been others!

 

[tractakid]

Is Merseyrail part of National Rail? I have seen examples where it seems to be quoted alongside National Rail.

 

[Andyjs247]

Is Merseyrail part of National Rail? I have seen examples where it seems to be quoted alongside National Rail.

Yes, Merseyrail is part of the National Rail network.

Does anyone know if the Mersey Docks & Harbour Board system is still in operation at Birkenhead Docks? MDHB is separate but does connect with National Rail; I remember travelling between Manchester Piccadilly and Wrexham on a class 40-hauled rail tour which went via the docks.

There's still a few industrial or military sites which are separate from but connected to the National Rail network and which deserve a mention - the steelworks in Scunthorpe or the Bicester Military Railway spring to mind.

 

[krus_aragon]

We have also established that, in the past, BR had some narrow-gauge lines which - clearly - were separate from the network! Vale of Rheidol and Welshpool & Llanfair - possibly also the Corris Railway?

Yes, the Corris was in BR hands, through the GWR. Tom Rolt describes its provenance in Railway Adventure, as he sought to acquire its rolling stock. Traffic ceased in 1947 due to flood damage to an embankment near Machynlleth.

The Holyhead breakwater was of course broad gauge until 1911!