Re-doubling of single track lines or reinstatement of passing loops

[Llandudno]

In recent years how many sections of single track have been/are being redoubled (or quadrupled!) or passing loops reinstated thereby reversing some of British Rail’s rationalisation of the network?

Some examples spring to mind:
Part of Chester to Wrexham redoubled
Broad Green to Huyton four track
Hope Valley upgrade ongoing
and coming soon a passing loop between Inverness and Muir of Ord

 

[306024]

Beccles loop in Dec 2012 enabled the hourly service to be introduced throughout on the East Suffolk line.

 

[Freightmaster]

Another example is Kettering to Sharnbrook (from three back to the original four)




MARK

 

[swt_passenger]

Axminster dynamic loop to allow hourly trains to Exeter.

 

[Bald Rick]

Quite a bit down in Cornwall.

Cotswold line

West Wales line around Loughor

Chiltern Line from Princes Risborough to Aynho

 

[lachlan]

Aberdeen to Inverurie has been redoubled recently, apart from the tunnels in Aberdeen.

 

[bramling]

Quite a bit down in Cornwall.

Cotswold line

West Wales line around Loughor

Chiltern Line from Princes Risborough to Aynho

Swindon-Kemble

Alvechurch (which I believe was new construction, not a reinstatement)

Coming soon will also be Pelaw - Simonside on the T&W Metro.

 

[steamybrian]

Bristol TM- Filton - quadrupled. Second pair of tracks reinstated.
Loop reinstated at Knighton on the Central Wales line.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Coventry-Gibbet Hill (towards Kenilworth)

Dovey Junction (loop)

Welshpool loop extended to Fron

Kettering-Corby

Manton Junction

Gretna-Annan

Much longer loop around Lugton-Stewarton on the Barrhead-Kilmarnock single track

Re-doubling of one of the junctions in the Trent triangle

Methley Junction

Wigston North Junction

Re-quadrupling much of Oxford-Wolvercot

Entrance loop onto Blackpool South line at Kirkham

(Apologies for any spelling errors.)

 

[steamybrian]

Brading loop reinstated (Isle Of Wight)

 

[Johnny Lewis]

Not exactly a redoubling, but reinstatement of crossovers at Halton Jn and Frodsham Jn to allow the Halton Curve to operate bi-directionally.

Bathgate branch also redoubled as part of the Bathgate to Drumgelloch (re)opening.

 

[steamybrian]

Oxford to Bicester was reduced to single line after closure in 1968. It was then reopened to passenger services as a single line but was redoubled under the East-West Rail Scheme.
Following singling of much of the Salisbury- Exeter line and in addition to already mentioned Axminster loop-
Loop at Tisbury installed
Yeovil Junction- loop installed (second platform) . It was done shortly after singling...!

 

[Kite159]

Gowerton area?

Moving the loop at Forres with the station relocation, previously outside the station now 2 platforms, if they counts

 

[WAO]

Burngullow

 

[Taunton]

Yeovil Junction- loop installed (second platform) . It was done shortly after singling...!

This was the section Yeovil Junction to Sherborne, singled June 1967, reinstated to double track October 1967, thus making it likely the first double reinstatement. It was only possible in such short order because the previous second track had not yet been taken up.

 

[Grecian 1998]

Quite a bit down in Cornwall.

Probus - Burngullow was redoubled in 2004 - the one long stretch of single track on the main line. Long Rock - Penzance approaches, Pinnock and Largin viaducts, and the Royal Albert Bridge remain single, but all these stretches are short enough to have little impact on the timetable.

The Penryn loop was installed in 2008. Pedantically however, this wasn't a redoubling as such as the other platform wasn't brought into use, but more an efficient way of creating a loop to increase frequency without having to reinstate the old platform - a new solution to an old problem.

Not aware of any other Cornish redoublings, but then I think all of the surviving branch lines have always been single track anyway (not sure about Newquay given its historic freight traffic over the southern section).

This was the section Yeovil Junction to Sherborne, singled June 1967, reinstated to double track October 1967, thus making it likely the first double reinstatement. It was only possible in such short order because the previous second track had not yet been taken up.

Yes Sherborne - Yeovil Junction approach was reinstated in 1967 as the old track hadn't been removed. It wasn't possible to pass trains in Yeovil Junction station itself until 1975 however.

Tisbury loop was added in 1986 at a cost of around £500,000 at 1986 prices. Not sure what it would be now. Annoyingly it couldn't take in the station itself as the down platform had been sold off, so trains still have to pass each other with at least one at a standstill in a field in Wiltshire.

Axminster dynamic loop was created in 2009.


At the other end of Britain, Blair Atholl - Dalwhinnie was redoubled on the Highland Main Line in 1976. I think this was more for freight traffic labouring up to Druimuachdar Summit than anything else.

 

[railfan99]

Axminster dynamic loop to allow hourly trains to Exeter.

An Internet search showed some photos circa 2008-09.

Am I correct that 'dynamic loop' is a use of 'dynamic' as in 'great', and that here it means 'longer than a standard passing loop'?

In my neck of the woods, the government-owned Australian Rail Track Corporation uses 'passing lane' to distinguish (say) six or seven kilometres of double track from a normal 1800 or 1500 metre long passing loop on what are otherwise single line sections.

 

[The exile]

Dynamic loops are long enough to permit passing “on the move” (at least in theory) - as opposed to traditional loops on single lines such as the West Highland which aren’t - often just being double track at stations.

 

[contrex]

Wasn't the passing loop at Clifton Down extended towards Redland some time in the 1990s? In effect, a re-doubling?

 

[leedslad82]

I do think our network is a lot better than others. I was in Spain last week and did the benidorm to alicante tram train. Mostly single track and every time we hit a section where it was double tracked we then sat and waited what felt like ages for a unit coming other direction to clear single line section for us.

 

[HuggyB87]

I believe they are doubling up the track past Kirkby for the new Headbolt Lane station

 

[Falcon1200]

Shields Junction (Glasgow)/Paisley Gilmour Street was four tracks, reduced to two, then restored to three (triplified ?!!)

 

[paul1609]

This was the section Yeovil Junction to Sherborne, singled June 1967, reinstated to double track October 1967, thus making it likely the first double reinstatement. It was only possible in such short order because the previous second track had not yet been taken up.

The section between Templecombe and Yeovil Junction wasn't reinstated as double track in the normal way in that the ex Up line remained a reversible line with the ex down line a diverging loop. A fast Exeter service could approach Yeovil Junction at the same time as a terminating Yeovil Stopper. It may have changed with the line improvements but it remained like that until we'll in to the 2000s.

 

[geoffk]

Extended loop at Darwen, on the Bolton - Blackburn line (2015).

 

[Pinus contorta]

I think the approach to Oxenholme was re-modelled a while back to allow trains using the branch to 'pass' each other without blocking the main line for any length of time.

 

[brad465]

The section between Templecombe and Yeovil Junction wasn't reinstated as double track in the normal way in that the ex Up line remained a reversible line with the ex down line a diverging loop. A fast Exeter service could approach Yeovil Junction at the same time as a terminating Yeovil Stopper. It may have changed with the line improvements but it remained like that until we'll in to the 2000s.

I don't get why Templecombe isn't 2 platforms, instead of the current setup with the double track starting/finishing right outside the west side of the station, as an eastbound train could sit in the station if waiting for one coming the other way, particularly if there are delays. Of course the act of extending the old platform on the south side to the running line over the old trackbed has I suspect knocked out any prospect of Templecombe station being redoubled anytime soon.

 

[185]

reinstatement of crossovers at Halton Jn and Frodsham Jn to allow the Halton Curve to operate bi-directionally.

It is bidirectional now, Liverpool Chester operates (mostly) hourly in both directions over it now. Was fixed four years ago.

 

[The exile]

I don't get why Templecombe isn't 2 platforms, instead of the current setup with the double track starting/finishing right outside the west side of the station, as an eastbound train could sit in the station if waiting for one coming the other way, particularly if there are delays. Of course the act of extending the old platform on the south side to the running line over the old trackbed has I suspect knocked out any prospect of Templecombe station being redoubled anytime

Wasn’t the initial problem the same as at Tisbury - the second platform having been sold off? Admittedly, since I believe that’s the platform now in use, things have presumably changed In theintervening 40 years

 

[Greybeard33]

Part of the Oldham Loop line was redoubled when converted to Metrolink.

 

[geoffk]

Wasn’t the initial problem the same as at Tisbury - the second platform having been sold off? Admittedly, since I believe that’s the platform now in use, things have presumably changed In the intervening 40 years

I thought extending the old down platform across the empty track bed was to avoid building an accessible footbridge. The old footbridge is now locked and used only by, presumably, Network Rail staff to reach the now disused up platform.