Lines where semaphore signals are still used

[miklcct]

When I visited Deal a few weeks ago, I was surprised that semaphore signalling, something which should have long gone into history, was still used there in front of a modern high-speed bullet train.

Where in the national mainline network are semaphore signals still used?

 

[FGW_DID]

Worcester & Shrewsbury immediately spring to mind.

 

[PGAT]

Are there still semaphores at Hastings?

 

[vic-rijrode]

There are still semaphore signals on the Newcastle to Carlisle route, together with some magnificent signalboxes - on a line used occasionally as a deviation by HSTs, bi-modes etc.

 

[Whistler40145]

Does the Cumbrian Coast line still have any Semaphore Signals?

 

[The Planner]

When I visited Deal a few weeks ago, I was surprised that semaphore signalling, something which should have long gone into history, was still used there in front of a modern high-speed bullet train.

Where in the national mainline network are semaphore signals still used?

If they work and still do what is needed of them, why do they need to be history? They will get replaced in the fullness of time.

 

[Parallel]

I think there are still some in Cornwall, around St Erth and Liskeard and probably a few others.

When GWR’s IETs were diverted via Yeovil and Honiton earlier this year, they ran via Yeovil Pen Mill which still has semaphores.

There are still some on the Marches route, if that counts as a main line.

 

[_toommm_]

Does the Cumbrian Coast line still have any Semaphore Signals?

Lots of them.

 

[Whistler40145]

Lots of them.

Presumably still on the Carnforth to Barrow in Furness line too?

 

[InkyScrolls]

When I visited Deal a few weeks ago, I was surprised that semaphore signalling, something which should have long gone into history, was still used there in front of a modern high-speed bullet train.

Where in the national mainline network are semaphore signals still used?

There are loads of them on secondary and branch lines around the British Isles. Of the routes I sign, Skipton to Carlisle and Skipton to Lancaster have quite a bit, including manually worked crossings.

 

[michael8]

Island Line?

 

[Stuart-h]

Wigan Wallgate to Southport

Helsby Station

 

[43055]

The north staffs line between Derby and Stoke.

 

[swt_passenger]

There was a thread in 2021, (since closed), which looked at this from the perspective of trying to predict where the last semaphores would still be in operation, of course it also turned into a fairly long 10 page discussion of the then current locations:

Where will the last semaphore signals be on the national network?

With so few locations retaining semaphore signals, it's just a matter of time before the last ones will be replaced. But where will the last ones be? Maybe one of the locations which still have plenty, such as Worcester, Shrewsbury or Cornwall? Or maybe a smaller location somewhere? When...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Llanigraham]

Marches Line from Abergavenny to Shrewsbury.

 

[Boodiggy]

Wembley Carriage Lines (Intercity Depot) and the Dudding Hill freight Line

 

[Class172]

As well as the previously mentioned Shrewsbury and Worcester, there's also Droitwich Spa, Malvern, Ledbury and (I think) Moreton-in-Marsh.

 

[PlatformEdgeVT]

There are some between Boston and Nottingham

 

[EZJ]

York-Scarborough at Barton Hill, Howsham,Kirkham Abbey and Weaverthorpe.

 

[d9009alycidon]

Plenty of Semaphores in Scotland, Stranraer line south of Ayr, several locations on the Highland Main Line.

 

[4COR]

and (I think) Moreton-in-Marsh.

It certainly does, as does Norton Junction where the Cotswold Line joins the line to Worcester Shrub Hill, but I think sadly the junction signal with lower quadrant distant controlling the junction towards Oxford and Cheltenham is now an LED colour light.

 

[Lucy1501]

On the whole network there are hundreds of boxes with lever frames, some of which don't operate semaphore signals (Like the Stockport 5), or just small semaphore shunt discs (Like St Helens). Not sure what you class as "mainline" but off the top of my head I can think of the following locations:

In England:

• The Tyne Valley Line (Blaydon to Corby Gates)
• The Cumbrian Coast (Wigton to Barrow-in-Furness)
• The Furness Line (Barrow-in-Furness to Carnforth Station Junction)
• The Bentham Line (Carnforth Station Junction to Settle Junction)
• The Settle to Carlisle (Howe & Co's Sidings - Hellifield South Junction)
• Bishop Auckland Branch at Shildon
• Windermere Branch at Burnside Higher
• Barton-upon-Humber branch at Barrow Road, Oxmarsh Crossing and Goxhill
• Skegness Line (Sleaford - Skegness) excluding Thorpe Culvert, Sibsey and Sleaford East
• Cornish Main Line (Lisekard to Penzance)
• Parbold on the Wigan to Southport Line
• Midge Hall on the Preston to Ormskirk line
• Rainford Junction on the Wigan to Kirby Line
• Ellesmere Port to Helsby
• Plumly West on the Stockport to Chester route
• Horrocksford Junction on the Clitheroe Line
• St Helens on the Liverpool to Wigan Line
• Ryde St Johns on the Isle of Wight
• Bopeep Junction and Hastings
• Worcester and Droitwitch Spa
• The Cotswolds Line at Moreton in Marsh and Norton Junction
• The Malvern Line (Henwick to Hereford)
• The Derby to Stoke Line (Eggington Junction - Caverswall Crossing)
• Parts of the Scarborough to York Line
• Gristhorpe on the Hull to Scarborough line
• The Harrogate Line (Poppleton to Harrogate)
• The Whitby Branch at Nunthorpe
• The Warrington Low Level Line (Fiddlers Ferry - Arpley Junction)
• The Peak Forest Area (Great Rocks Jct & Peak Forest South)
• The Buxton Line (Buxton - Furness Vale)
• Glazebrook East on the Liverpool - Manchester Line

In Scotland:

• The Stranraer Line (Kilkerran - Stranraer)
• The Dumfries Line (Annan - Kilmarnock)
• West Highland Line at the Pass of Brader (stone signals) and Fort William Junction
• Cupar to Tay Bridge South
• Stirling to Perth
• Dundee to Aberdeen (exclusive)
• Aberdeen to Keith Junction
• Perth to Aviemore (excluding Dunkeld)

In Wales:

• The Conwy Valley Line at Llanwrst
• Deganwy and Llandudno Station
• The North Wales Coast from Penmaenmawr to Holyhead
• The Borderlands Line at Penyfford and Dee Marsh Junction
• The Welsh Marshes Line between Gobowen North and Little Mill Junction
• The Maesteg Branch at Tondu
• Ferryside on the South Wales Main Line

I do appologise for the long post but I do hope that you find it somewhat informative!

 

[Railsigns]

• Perth to Aviemore (excluding Dunkeld)

There are still semaphores at Dunkeld.

 

[tomuk]

• The Welsh Marshes Line between Gobowen North and Little Mill Junction

Just to point out that the Marches and Chester Lines are by majority in England not Wales. Gobowen to Pontrilas including the biggest box in the world at Shrewsbury are all in England.

 

[Lucy1501]

There are still semaphores at Dunkeld.

I got mixed up with Pitlochry, sorry!

 

[DelW]

Littlehampton, two pairs on brackets at the ends of the platforms.

IIRC some of the semaphores on the Cotswold line were only installed around ten years ago, when sections of the route were redoubled.

 

[The exile]

On the whole network there are hundreds of boxes with lever frames, some of which don't operate semaphore signals (Like the Stockport 5), or just small semaphore shunt discs (Like St Helens). Not sure what you class as "mainline" but off the top of my head I can think of the following locations:

In England:

• The Tyne Valley Line (Blaydon to Corby Gates)
• The Cumbrian Coast (Wigton to Barrow-in-Furness)
• The Furness Line (Barrow-in-Furness to Carnforth Station Junction)
• The Bentham Line (Carnforth Station Junction to Settle Junction)
• The Settle to Carlisle (Howe & Co's Sidings - Hellifield South Junction)
• Bishop Auckland Branch at Shildon
• Windermere Branch at Burnside Higher
• Barton-upon-Humber branch at Barrow Road, Oxmarsh Crossing and Goxhill
• Skegness Line (Sleaford - Skegness) excluding Thorpe Culvert, Sibsey and Sleaford East
• Cornish Main Line (Lisekard to Penzance)
• Parbold on the Wigan to Southport Line
• Midge Hall on the Preston to Ormskirk line
• Rainford Junction on the Wigan to Kirby Line
• Ellesmere Port to Helsby
• Plumly West on the Stockport to Chester route
• Horrocksford Junction on the Clitheroe Line
• St Helens on the Liverpool to Wigan Line
• Ryde St Johns on the Isle of Wight
• Bopeep Junction and Hastings
• Worcester and Droitwitch Spa
• The Cotswolds Line at Moreton in Marsh and Norton Junction
• The Malvern Line (Henwick to Hereford)
• The Derby to Stoke Line (Eggington Junction - Caverswall Crossing)
• Parts of the Scarborough to York Line
• Gristhorpe on the Hull to Scarborough line
• The Harrogate Line (Poppleton to Harrogate)
• The Whitby Branch at Nunthorpe
• The Warrington Low Level Line (Fiddlers Ferry - Arpley Junction)
• The Peak Forest Area (Great Rocks Jct & Peak Forest South)
• The Buxton Line (Buxton - Furness Vale)
• Glazebrook East on the Liverpool - Manchester Line

In Scotland:

• The Stranraer Line (Kilkerran - Stranraer)
• The Dumfries Line (Annan - Kilmarnock)
• West Highland Line at the Pass of Brader (stone signals) and Fort William Junction
• Cupar to Tay Bridge South
• Stirling to Perth
• Dundee to Aberdeen (exclusive)
• Aberdeen to Keith Junction
• Perth to Aviemore (excluding Dunkeld)

In Wales:

• The Conwy Valley Line at Llanwrst
• Deganwy and Llandudno Station
• The North Wales Coast from Penmaenmawr to Holyhead
• The Borderlands Line at Penyfford and Dee Marsh Junction
• The Welsh Marshes Line between Gobowen North and Little Mill Junction
• The Maesteg Branch at Tondu
• Ferryside on the South Wales Main Line

I do appologise for the long post but I do hope that you find it somewhat informative!

I think both Bognor Regis and Littlehampton stations are still bastions of semaphore signalling (though not 100%) as is the East end of Hastings station. Although this won't apply everywhere on the above lists, if there is no staff saving to be made by the abolition of semaphore and no operational advantage to be had, there's little point. After all - even the 1970s mas signalling schemes are now coming up for renewal and often in a more parlous state than the much older semaphore installations.

 

[MadMac]

On the whole network there are hundreds of boxes with lever frames, some of which don't operate semaphore signals (Like the Stockport 5), or just small semaphore shunt discs (Like St Helens). Not sure what you class as "mainline" but off the top of my head I can think of the following locations:


In Scotland:

• The Stranraer Line (Kilkerran - Stranraer)
• The Dumfries Line (Annan - Kilmarnock)
• West Highland Line at the Pass of Brander (stone signals) and Fort William Junction
• Cupar to Tay Bridge South
• Stirling to Perth
• Dundee to Aberdeen (exclusive)
• Aberdeen to Keith Junction
• Perth to Aviemore (excluding Dunkeld)

Also: Perth to Dundee
Lugton
Longannet
On Aberdeen-Inverness, semaphores still remain at Insch,
Kennethmont, Huntly and Keith Junction.

 

[The exile]

When I visited Deal a few weeks ago, I was surprised that semaphore signalling, something which should have long gone into history, was still used there in front of a modern high-speed bullet train.

Where in the national mainline network are semaphore signals still used?

I think the nearest to your part of the world is at Greenford - clearly visible from the platform - or has it fallen victim to HS2 construction work?

 

[Trainlog]

Are there still semaphores at Hastings?

Yes there are luckily.