Trivia: Over how many islands does the Network Rail system currently exist?

[vic-rijrode]

If you look at a large-scale map of Europe, then I suggest that one could consider Great Britain as an island, so all of Network Rail's system is on this island together with the small ones mentioned in this thread.

Of course, since Brexit, Continental Europe and Asia is an offshore island to the mainland of Great Britain...

 

[Gaelan]

If you look at a large-scale map of Europe, then I suggest that one could consider Great Britain as an island, so all of Network Rail's system is on this island together with the small ones mentioned in this thread.

Of course, since Brexit, Continental Europe and Asia is an offshore island to the mainland of Great Britain...

Great Britain was listed in the first post!

 

[XAM2175]

Google shows The Forth Bridge passing near Inchgarvie, not over it, although at low tide the situation might be different.

Google satellite view suggests the bridge legs are very close to, but not actually on the Island. Unless it’s dependent on the state of the tide…

Ordnance Survey maps show that the north-eastern pier in that group of four is planted directly on the island, but below the high-water line. The other three piers are founded on a shelf of rock that slopes away from the island towards the south.

The lighthouse under the bridge there (also visible in Google's imagery) marks the western end of the island.


The "HWMOST" and "LWMOST" outlines are the high- and low-water marks of ordinary spring tides, as at 1960 and 1954 respectively.
(reproduced from OS Plan NT 1379, revised 1960 and published 1961, made available by the National Library of Scotland at https://maps.nls.uk/view/130077368)



The island was used for offices and the accommodation of workers during the construction of the bridge, and the OS map even shows a footbridge linking the high ground on the island to the bridge pier.

The lighthouse is of some historic interest (if you'll forgive the diversion from the topic) in that it's built upon the pier that was constructed for the original Forth Bridge - Thomas Bouch's suspension bridge, further work on which was cancelled following the Tay Bridge disaster.

 

[swt_passenger]

Ordnance Survey maps show that the north-eastern pier in that group of four is planted directly on the island, but below the high-water line. The other three piers are founded on a shelf of rock that slopes away from the island towards the south.

The lighthouse under the bridge there (also visible in Google's imagery) marks the western end of the island.


The "HWMOST" and "LWMOST" outlines are the high- and low-water marks of ordinary spring tides, as at 1960 and 1954 respectively.
(reproduced from OS Plan NT 1379, revised 1960 and published 1961, made available by the National Library of Scotland at https://maps.nls.uk/view/130077368)



The island was used for offices and the accommodation of workers during the construction of the bridge, and the OS map even shows a footbridge linking the high ground on the island to the bridge pier.

The lighthouse is of some historic interest (if you'll forgive the diversion from the topic) in that it's built upon the pier that was constructed for the original Forth Bridge - Thomas Bouch's suspension bridge, further work on which was cancelled following the Tay Bridge disaster.

Thanks for finding the details. I did wonder if it depended on the state of the tide.

 

[Rescars]

Looks like I seriously under estimated the amount of islands the rail system traverses. And I completely forgot about the islands ceeated by the construction of the Jubilee river.
And I over looked the river islands in the Trent. Whenever I go over the Trent on the ECML, which I usually do about 5 or 6 times a year, I've always wondered about the two channels. I just assumed one was artificial. Obviously I was completely wrong about that.
Thank you everyone fir the fascinating replies.

This is indeed a fascinating thread.

Thinking laterally, if you are looking for yet more islands, don't forget all those island platforms of the railways' own making!

 

[reb0118]

Surely that's General Wade to us folk

Or even Marshall Wade.

 

[snowball]

Or even Marshall Wade.

Since we're being pedantic, there's only one L when it's a rank or a job title.