Steepest gradients?

[MidnightFlyer]

We all know Lickey is far and away the most popular and steepest gradient on Britain's mainline network, but what others run it close, and how far must a stretch of line be for it to qualify?

Also, what is the flattest stretch of line in the UK, and what individual stretch is the flattest?

Many thanks

 

[DavidBrown]

The climb from Exeter St Davids to Exeter Central is 1 in 37.

When open, the climb out of Ilfracombe station was 1 in 36, and was the steepest climb out of a terminal station in the country.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Well done for specifying main line. I was just about to write Folkestone Harbour branch.. The South Devon banks have some nasty grades (Hemerdon and the final stretch Stoneycombe to Dainton Tunnel)

It's not a main line, but the Snowdon Mountain Railway?

 

[Wyvern]

Once upon a time the Cromford and High Peak Railway had the steepest adhesion worked gradient at 1 in 14 and the tightest curve at 55 yards

 

[TGV]

Flattest? Huntingdon to Peterborough?

HS1 has 1 in 40 at several locations - Thames tunnel (both sides), Stratford, Singlewell, Nashenden... Has any other line got such gradients in only 30 miles?

 

[asylumxl]

I don't know how you'd define mainline, but this topic has come up before and City Thameslink to London Blackfriars is incredibly steep but I don't know if you'd class it as part of a mainline.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Mainline as in part of the in use heavy rail network

 

[asylumxl]

Mainline as in part of the in use heavy rail network

Well then CTK to BFR is very steep, though I can't remember the gradient.

 

[Old Timer]

Also, what is the flattest stretch of line in the UK, and what individual stretch is the flattest?

Many thanks

Paddington to Swindon

 

[starrymarkb]

Flattest? Huntingdon to Peterborough?

HS1 has 1 in 40 at several locations - Thames tunnel (both sides), Stratford, Singlewell, Nashenden... Has any other line got such gradients in only 30 miles?

Think it's steeper then lickey in places. LGV standards allow up to 1 in 25!

 

[Essexman]

I thought Dainton was steeper than 1 in 40 - similar to Lickey & Exeter.
But I may be wrong.

 

[TGV]

Think it's steeper then lickey in places. LGV standards allow up to 1 in 25!

The maximum permitted on HS1 is 1 in 40. LGV Est has the steepest gradients of any high speed line that I know of. 1 in 28 or 1 in 30 in places.

 

[Oliver]

IIRC Umberleigh station, on the Barnstaple line, has a gradient post showing 1 in 4096, i.e. one foot rise in almost a mile - virtually level.

 

[DavidBrown]

I thought Dainton was steeper than 1 in 40 - similar to Lickey & Exeter.
But I may be wrong.

I have a gradient profile showing it getting up to 1 in 36 (Wikipedia says 1 in 38).

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Parts of the East Suffolk line between Saxmundham and Oulton Broad South have one in infinity boards (shown with the sideways eight sign).

 

[asylumxl]

Apparently the ramp up to Blackfriars is 1 in 37. Took me ages to find the ancient thread which had the information.

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=28120

Here if you're interested .

 

[Twoonthebuzzer]

The climb up Sapperton Tunnel imbetween Stroud and Kemble is pretty steep! I don't know how it compares to other gradients though!

 

[mountainmike]

Old Mersey Railway - now Wirral line on Merseyrail is 1:27 I believe. Not sure it would count as mainline though.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

What about the section near Pirbright Junction? Isn't that a 1 in ( 5 figure number ) gradient? Virtually indistinguishable from being level?

 

[Statto]

Old Mersey Railway - now Wirral line on Merseyrail is 1:27 I believe. Not sure it would count as mainline though.

Funny you should mention Mersey, although i'm not sure what the gradient is Lime Street to Edge Hill is pretty steep.

 

[Chapeltom]

Buxton to Dove Holes must be steep and so must a lot of the Buxton to Hazel Grove stretch.

 

[LE Greys]

York-Northallerton, looks like it was designed with a ruler and a spirit level.

It used to be 1 in 36 out of Ilfracombe.

 

[Eagle]

IIRC Umberleigh station, on the Barnstaple line, has a gradient post showing 1 in 4096, i.e. one foot rise in almost a mile - virtually level.

Weirdly precise then. Is it a coincidence that that's exactly one in 2¹²?

Dangerously offtopic but the shallowest gradient I think I've seen signed on a road is an unthinkable-on-the-railways 5% (one in 20), although I may be misremembering.

 

[Bedpan]

Parts of the East Suffolk line between Saxmundham and Oulton Broad South have one in infinity boards (shown with the sideways eight sign).

I think that's just an alternative way of saying "Level" which was used by the Great Eastern. (ie infinity signb rather than writing the word).
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

What about the section near Pirbright Junction? Isn't that a 1 in ( 5 figure number ) gradient? Virtually indistinguishable from being level?

I was gooing to mention that too, but I was going to say that it was somewhere between Surbiton and Woking. On reflection I think you're right though, it was in the Pirbright Junction/Sturt Lane area. There used to be a 4 figure gradient post on the down platform at Esher station, but I don't know if tis still there.

 

[The Planner]

There is an Ian Allen book that shows all the gradients of most mainlines and many shut ones too, very useful it is.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

When trains are diverted to avoid Lickey they still have to brave a pretty serious gradient at Old Hill Bank. I'm not entirely sure what it is, but it is one in thirtysomething.

 

[tbtc]

Buxton to Dove Holes must be steep and so must a lot of the Buxton to Hazel Grove stretch.

Must be bad if its too steep for Pacers to climb (?)

 

[matchmaker]

Apart from Cowlairs (which is 1 in 42) the Glasgow - Edinburgh via Falkirk High route is very level - I'm sure I've seen a 1 in 800 sign at some point.

For consistent heavy gradients, the climbs from Blair Atholl to Drumochter and Inverness to Slochd take some beating.

 

[Wyvern]

Buxton to Dove Holes must be steep and so must a lot of the Buxton to Hazel Grove stretch.

Hazel Grove to Dove Holes was reputed to be the longest continuous section using banking engines.

Buxton to Dove Holes, of course, is where John Axon GC lost his life.

 

[notadriver]

The East London Line has many stretches of around 1 in 30. I believe the units on the line are the most powerful of the Electrostar family.