Trivia:Electrified freight only routes

[thenorthern]

Whenever I go into Birmingham on the train I notice several electrified freight only lines which I reckon are there so that through goods trains can avoid Birmingham New Street thus avoiding congestion.

It made me think though how many freight only lines are there, the line to Trafford Park Freight Terminal is of course electrified and only used by goods trains.

Can anyone else think of any other lines that are electrified and normally only used by goods trains?

The longest freight only electrified line ever I can think of is the Woodhead Line between 1970 and 1981 after passengers were withdrawn but before the line closed fully.

 

[kevconnor]

The section of line from Manchester Oxford Road to Trafford Park is certainly no where near the longest but is electrified and is only used by freight trains and the football specials to Old Trafford Football Ground.

 

[6Gman]

Whenever I go into Birmingham on the train I notice several electrified freight only lines which I reckon are there so that through goods trains can avoid Birmingham New Street thus avoiding congestion.

Whatever their original purpose I think most of the wired links in the Birmingham area are for operational flexibility during disruption these days.

 

[Mag_seven]

The Crewe "Independent lines". The "goods lines" north of Carlisle Kingmoor yard.

 

[paulb1973]

Wolverhampton Steel terminal (which was part wired) and the Folly Lane Branch in the Runcorn area were former examples of electrified branches. In-fact there are quite a few former examples; the Aston (Windsor) Branch and the Mail Branch in Birmingham, Hardendale Quarry Line off the WCML, the 'North Staffordshire' curve at Crewe, Rugby to Clifton Mill and return line including the DED. There has certainly been some reduction in the wirescape in & around the Edge Hill area of Liverpool too. Note most of these were electrified during the early 1960's WCML scheme - when a 'electrify everything' mentality existed initially.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The Crewe "Independent lines". The "goods lines" north of Carlisle Kingmoor yard.

There was the formerly electrified Carlisle Through Goods Line linking the south of the station to the aforementioned Yard, badly damaged [and not repaired] by a runaway freight train in the mid 80's. Presumably this was wired for non-passenger services avoiding the station.

 

[Freightmaster]

The section of line from Manchester Oxford Road to Trafford Park ... is electrified and is only used by freight trains and the football specials to Old Trafford Football Ground.

Really?????! hock:

Even assuming that you meant to say Deansgate rather than Oxford Road,
What about all the Norwich / Scarborough to Liverpool trains which are
routed via Warrington Central, not to mention the hourly 'stoppers' which
serve Urmston, Glazebrook, etc...

MARK

 

[Kite159]

Really?????! hock:

Even assuming that you meant to say Deansgate rather than Oxford Road,
What about all the Norwich / Scarborough to Liverpool trains which are
routed via Warrington Central, not to mention the hourly 'stoppers' which
serve Urmston, Glazebrook, etc...

MARK

I assume Kev meant by electrics rather than the DMU services.

----

Does the Wolverhampton - Walsall line count, with it's one electric passenger train a week booked?

 

[Freightmaster]

I assume Kev meant by electrics rather than the DMU services.

Maybe so, but in this instance, the OP was specifically asking about freight only lines:

Can anyone else think of any other lines that are electrified and normally only used by goods trains?

Which is also borne out by the words "freight only" in the title of this topic.


Obviously, there is a similar, related question along the lines
of "how many electrified lines in this country do not have a daily,
timetabled, electric passenger service?", but that probably needs
its own topic, as its a completely different question...


MARK

 

[Kite159]

Man Utd Football Ground station appears to be on a loop off the main-line with no crossover from the Liverpool direction
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/Manchester_United_Halt1.JPG

However I would imagine most freight won't use that loop and will go straight onto the mainline

 

[satisnek]

The one that intrigues me is Colwich-Stone. Today there doesn't seem to be any freight at all on this line, only the Euston-Manchester Pendos (I cruised the Trent & Mersey canal alongside it last summer). But there is no way the Beeching-era BR would have not only retained but electrified a 'cut-off' route like this for nothing more than an hourly (now half-hourly) passenger service. All I can assume is that there used to be a serious amount of freight traffic going south from the Potteries in the old days.

 

[Springs Branch]

In the Wigan area, the electrified Bamfurlong Goods lines run alongside the WCML for about 2 miles south from Wigan NW to Bamfurlong Junction. The WCML is sextuple hereabouts.
The two Goods Lines provide access to what remains of Springs Branch depot, the former Bickershaw colliery branch, then dive under the four main lines to join the Slow lines at Bamfurlong. I imagine these days the wires on the Goods Lines go a long time between scrapes.

Also in the vicinity is a freight-only electrified line so new it's probably not even energised yet.
This is the 60-chain Ince Moss Chord from Ince Moss Jct to Bamfurlong Sidings Jct. - being electrified as part of the Wigan-Huyton scheme.

I'm not sure whether any regular freight still uses the Ince Moss chord (if it does, it most certainly will not be electrically-hauled). I assume it's being wired for operational flexibility.

It could, in principle, be used as a 25kV diversionary route if the Chat Moss line is blocked anywhere between Parkside and Huyton/Roby.
And if there is ever a Liverpool-Scotland Pendolino service, this could also be one option for a crafty reversal of the sets at night, by running ECS Lime St- Newton-le-Willows - Bamfurlong - St.Helens - Lime St. or vice versa. (Oops, getting off thread now)

 

[Carlisle]

There was the formerly electrified Carlisle Through Goods Line linking the south of the station to the aforementioned Yard, badly damaged [and not repaired] by a runaway freight train in the mid 80's. Presumably this was wired for non-passenger services avoiding the station.

Yes there was still the odd mast in place until a few years ago and you can see where the bridges were raised to accommodate the overhead wires

 

[Ploughman]

York freight lines from Holgate to Skelton Jn 1m 58ch

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

In the Wigan area, the electrified Bamfurlong Goods lines run alongside the WCML for about 2 miles south from Wigan NW to Bamfurlong Junction. The WCML is sextuple hereabouts.
The two Goods Lines provide access to what remains of Springs Branch depot, the former Bickershaw colliery branch, then dive under the four main lines to join the Slow lines at Bamfurlong. I imagine these days the wires on the Goods Lines go a long time between scrapes.

Also in the vicinity is a freight-only electrified line so new it's probably not even energised yet.
This is the 60-chain Ince Moss Chord from Ince Moss Jct to Bamfurlong Sidings Jct. - being electrified as part of the Wigan-Huyton scheme.

I'm not sure whether any regular freight still uses the Ince Moss chord (if it does, it most certainly will not be electrically-hauled). I assume it's being wired for operational flexibility.

It could, in principle, be used as a 25kV diversionary route if the Chat Moss line is blocked anywhere between Parkside and Huyton/Roby.
And if there is ever a Liverpool-Scotland Pendolino service, this could also be one option for a crafty reversal of the sets at night, by running ECS Lime St- Newton-le-Willows - Bamfurlong - St.Helens - Lime St. or vice versa. (Oops, getting off thread now)

The Lowton Jn/Parkside-Newton le Willows-Earlestown-Winwick Jn diversion off the WCML has seen little electric use and maybe none at all in recent years.
All set to change in a few weeks with the completion of Chat Moss wires.
Ince Moss-Bamfurlong wires will come a bit later - the masts are up but no wires yet.

Garston FLT is another short electrified freight line off the Crewe-Liverpool line.

 

[Mag_seven]

Don't think that the electrified spur from Stratford main line platforms (i.e. not the LORL platforms) carries any passenger trains so that can be added. I can also add of course any electrified "goods loop" (i.e. a loop that is not cleared for passenger services) on the electrified main lines.

 

[NotATrainspott]

Sunnyside Junction to Whifflet Junction. I think there are only freight services over this line even though they are not electric.

 

[leananger]

Harlesden to Kensal Rise (NW London)