Worst capacity versus traffic

47271 · 20 Mar 2018

I live on the Highland Main Line. For a number of years I've been exasperated not by that route, which is bad enough, but the woeful Ladybank-Hilton Jn section, which for 15 miles of uninterrupted single track carries Scotrail Edinburgh-Inverness 'expresses'. It also attempts to support an hourly Edinburgh-Perth semi fast service.

Is this the worst example of dismal line capacity in the UK? I'm especially on the lookout for other long single track sections that struggle to deal with demand. Does anywhere else try to run a frequent service over this sort of length of single line?

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hexagon789 · 20 Mar 2018

47271 said:
I live on the Highland Main Line. For a number of years I've been exasperated not by that route, which is bad enough, but the woeful Ladybank-Hilton Jn section, which for 15 miles of uninterrupted single track carries Scotrail Edinburgh-Inverness 'expresses'. It also attempts to support an hourly Edinburgh-Perth semi fast service.

Is this the worst example of dismal line capacity in the UK? I'm especially on the lookout for other long single track sections that struggle to deal with demand. Does anywhere else try to run a frequent service over this sort of length of single line?

How many services per day does it have? While not as long, the Kilmarnock-Barassie line has a broadly two-hourly device each-way.

47271 · 20 Mar 2018

hexagon789 said:
How many services per day does it have? While not as long, the Kilmarnock-Barassie line has a broadly two-hourly device each-way.

Edinburgh-Perth hourly.

hexagon789 · 20 Mar 2018

47271 said:
Edinburgh-Perth hourly.

Definitely the worst I can think of then. Certainly of that length in Scotland.

Railsigns · 20 Mar 2018

The Borders Railway must rank quite highly. Although the longest stretch of uninterrupted single line (Tynehead Jn - Galabank Jn) is a little under ten miles in length, it carries a half hourly service in both directions throughout the day.

randyrippley · 20 Mar 2018

how does it compare with Salisbury - Exeter?

HSTEd · 21 Mar 2018

St Ives branch?
It is effectively operated at almost it's theoretical capacity - and there is no historical double track to reinstate. Finding a suitable place for a passing loop is challenging in the least.

The Planner · 21 Mar 2018

We have done something similar before in a thread, you need to look at the single line occupation. In the case of the Borders railway suggestion above, if its 2tph both ways you have a 9.5 min SRT so 38 minutes occupation in the hour. Its not that high I suspect in comparison to other places.

LNW-GW Joint · 21 Mar 2018

Sutton Bridge Jn to Welshpool is nearly 19 miles yet it manages an hourly service each way (not all of the day).
The line speeds are quite decent though (up to 130km/h (80mph)).

hexagon789 · 21 Mar 2018

randyrippley said:
how does it compare with Salisbury - Exeter?

That's not single line the whole way to be fair, though.

30907 · 21 Mar 2018

A number of single lines operate at effectively 100% capacity during the day.
Fortunately most of them are fairly self contained.
Ladybank-Hilton Jn is unusual in being 15 miles long and carrying class 1 services. They form part of the hourly service so the line isn't at capacity - but I suspect they do nothing for its punctuality.

hexagon789 · 21 Mar 2018

30907 said:
A number of single lines operate at effectively 100% capacity during the day.
Fortunately most of them are fairly self contained.
Ladybank-Hilton Jn is unusual in being 15 miles long and carrying class 1 services. They form part of the hourly service so the line isn't at capacity - but I suspect they do nothing for its punctuality.

I wonder what the maximum frequency service you could run on that route would be?

Bald Rick · 21 Mar 2018

According to a presentation I saw a few years ago, the slow lines at East Croydon operate at 107% of technical capacity in the morning peak. Which is presumably why it is so difficult to run the service reliably!

hexagon789 · 21 Mar 2018

Bald Rick said:
According to a presentation I saw a few years ago, the slow lines at East Croydon operate at 107% of technical capacity in the morning peak. Which is presumably why it is so difficult to run the service reliably!

I can imagine; wonder how that timetable got signed off.

ChiefPlanner · 21 Mar 2018

30907 said:
A number of single lines operate at effectively 100% capacity during the day.
Fortunately most of them are fairly self contained.
Ladybank-Hilton Jn is unusual in being 15 miles long and carrying class 1 services. They form part of the hourly service so the line isn't at capacity - but I suspect they do nothing for its punctuality.

Try Ystrad Rhondda - Treherbet - about 98% usage in a standard hour over a long traffic day - with a service that is far from self contained .....

hexagon789 · 21 Mar 2018

ChiefPlanner said:
Try Ystrad Rhondda - Treherbet - about 98% usage in a standard hour over a long traffic day - with a service that is far from self contained .....

That does sound a bit cramped to say the least!

ChiefPlanner · 21 Mar 2018

hexagon789 said:
That does sound a bit cramped to say the least!

With a manual key token exchange too - the delights of the so called "Digital railway" (pause for hollow laughter) are unlikely to be seen ever at the top end of the Welsh Valleys.

By and large , the service does seem to run very well......

hexagon789 · 21 Mar 2018

ChiefPlanner said:
With a manual key token exchange too - the delights of the so called "Digital railway" (pause for hollow laughter) are unlikely to be seen ever at the top end of the Welsh Valleys.

By and large , the service does seem to run very well......

It often seems to be the case that the less modern technology, the less there is to go wrong. The signalmen and women on that line must have a very busy time!

Bald Rick · 21 Mar 2018

hexagon789 said:
I can imagine; wonder how that timetable got signed off.

Because in this instance (as in many others) technical capacity is lower than theoretical capacity. This was discovered long after the theoretical capacity was set. If you try to correct it, it means removing trains from the timetable. Politically difficult!

DanNCL · 21 Mar 2018

The single track section on the DLR between Pudding Mill Lane and Bow Church? Although very short in comparison to the routes mentioned in Scotland, at peak hours it does handle a train roughly every 5 minutes in each direction.

Very similar would be the single track sections on the Tyne & Wear Metro between Pelaw and Jarrow, with a train every 12 minutes in each direction, although there is a passing loop in the middle at Hebburn which does help with capacity there

hexagon789 · 21 Mar 2018

Bald Rick said:
Because in this instance (as in many others) technical capacity is lower than theoretical capacity. This was discovered long after the theoretical capacity was set. If you try to correct it, it means removing trains from the timetable. Politically difficult!

Indeed, politically suicidal! Yeah, can't see any easy fix for that.

Bald Rick · 21 Mar 2018

hexagon789 said:
Indeed, politically suicidal! Yeah, can't see any easy fix for that.

It’s called rebuilding Croydon.

hexagon789 · 21 Mar 2018

Bald Rick said:
It’s called rebuilding Croydon.

Quite

ChiefPlanner · 21 Mar 2018

hexagon789 said:
It often seems to be the case that the less modern technology, the less there is to go wrong. The signalmen and women on that line must have a very busy time!

Very true words .....(but they all work together very well) -

hexagon789 · 21 Mar 2018

ChiefPlanner said:
Very true words .....(but they all work together very well) -

Well, no one arrangement is perfect

30907 · 21 Mar 2018

hexagon789 said:
I wonder what the maximum frequency service you could run on that route would be?

With a journey time of 17min, 1.5 tph (each way) would be the absolute limit, but for a route like that, connecting two main lines, it would be very unwise to attempt it.

hexagon789 · 21 Mar 2018

30907 said:
With a journey time of 17min, 1.5 tph (each way) would be the absolute limit, but for a route like that, connecting two main lines, it would be very unwise to attempt it.

I don't think I'd care to try it shall we say!

moogal · 26 Mar 2018

DanNCL said:
The single track section on the DLR between Pudding Mill Lane and Bow Church? Although very short in comparison to the routes mentioned in Scotland, at peak hours it does handle a train roughly every 5 minutes in each direction.

Every 5 mins daytime off-peak, every 4 mins peak. And even then it's very fragile - a minute or two's delay can lead to a train missing its slot and the next train bunching up behind it.

apk55 · 27 Mar 2018

moogal said:
Every 5 mins daytime off-peak, every 4 mins peak. And even then it's very fragile - a minute or two's delay can lead to a train missing its slot and the next train bunching up behind it.

The single track section on Manchester Metrolink through Navigation road is very similar, 6min service through a single track section with a station stop (and 2 level crossings). It is rare that a tram can get a none stop run onto the section.
Some other highly used single track sections are
Colne Branch
Blackpool South branch
Windermere branch

james60059 · 31 Mar 2018

With the exception of the passing loop, surely the Coventry - Leamington line would be a contender, especially with the imminent start of the local service to serve Kenilworth.

Worst capacity versus traffic

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