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Shortest section of single track

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Greetlander

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I took this screenshot from the excellent cabview video from Don Coffey (and if you're on here Sir, I apologise for the theft and salute your excellent films).

It's the "single lead junction" across Scarborough Bridge at York. It has me wondering if the section between the points qualifies as a single line, and if so, is there a shorter section anywhere else?
 

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transmanche

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There used to be something similar at Reading, with a short stretch of single-line on the approach to platforms 4a and 4b. This was eliminated when the bridge was widened and the platforms were reconfigured to become 4, 5 and 6.

9-reading-new-southern-plat.gif

Source: http://www.rail.co.uk/rail-news/2011/reading-station-upgrade-continues-apace/
 

30907

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Shipley platform 5?
...is quite a bit longer, but you remind me that for a few years 3 and 4 shared a short section of single track over Low Well bridge. But then we are getting into single-lead junctions which are IMO not quite what the OP was referring to - York was just to save money.

BTW Reading 4b was an add-on to the original 1965 4a.
 

MarkyT

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There used to be something similar at Reading, with a short stretch of single-line on the approach to platforms 4a and 4b. This was eliminated when the bridge was widened and the platforms were reconfigured to become 4, 5 and 6.

9-reading-new-southern-plat.gif

Source: http://www.rail.co.uk/rail-news/2011/reading-station-upgrade-continues-apace/
Vastern Road bridge, at the east end of Reading station, was rebuilt in the 1960s or 70s after the old separate Southern station had closed. The Southern service was so sparse in those days that BR thought they could get away with a single replacement platform at General originally, roughly on the alignment of the former parcels bay and down siding, so the new bridge was built to accommodate just that one line next to the GWML Down Main and a narrow public footpath alongside. It didn't take long to realise a single Southern platform couldn't cope reliably and was a big mistake, so a second was added pretty quickly. Placing the new turnout just west of the bridge avoided widening it at that time and accommodated the then standard 8-car maximum trains. When plans were formulated to use 10+ car trains on the South Western, a reconstruction of the bridge would have been neccessary even if the single lead throat configuration had been retained, but once the pointwork was to the east of the bridge, a more conventional double track throat arrangement was possible to arrange, which is what is there today feeding the three 12-car terminal platforms.
 

BucksBones

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Was about to post Dore & Totley - then looked more closely at the picture in the OP! I can’t see how it’s even physically possible to beat that - what is it, 2 foot?!
 

najaB

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It's the "single lead junction" across Scarborough Bridge at York. It has me wondering if the section between the points qualifies as a single line, and if so, is there a shorter section anywhere else?
Why is that even a thing? Was the bridge weak on one side?
 

ijmad

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Wimbledon Platform 9. Not the shortest but pretty short.
 

brad465

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The Medway Valley line divergence at Paddock wood is pretty short, depending on how you view the mainline platform. It diverges from platform 2, the the bay platform line connects onto the single line, before the line almost immediately becomes 2 track beyond that junction, if that makes sense.
 

LNW-GW Joint

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There's a similar layout at Golborne Jn turning off the WCML towards the Chat Moss route.
The quad WCML becomes double and then has a single turnout for the junction towards Parkside; it then splits immediately for Lowton Jn where the Liverpool route curve diverges from the Manchester one.
The layout dates from when there was next to no passenger traffic between the two main lines, but it has carried a heavy load over the past few years while electrification has been in progress on the Bolton line.
 

Sean Emmett

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Weymouth must be a contender - the two running lines come together for a brief single line section before fanning out to the stub for the quay branch and the 3 platforns
 

ComUtoR

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What is considered a 'single line' is a 'reversible line' included ?

My vote would be for Hawkwood Junction
 

big all

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They are single lead junctions, mainly to save cost and/or fit within the available space.

You need two points for full access, rather than two crossovers and a lot of space.

Or you could use a diamond crossing in the same space
 
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BS56

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Of course there is Ware station on the Hertford East branch but this is just a bit longer then the platform and is well within station limits
 

CEN60

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For the record - back to back half connections as per the photo in the 1st post if installed new would have a "single" line length of 2x3.070m = 6.14m (if standard fronts on Vertical S&C) - however in the past the fronts used to be less (1.7ish m I think) - so the "single line" could be 3.4m "ish" - S&C does get "butchered" on site thru' the years - S&C this close does & can cause problems - buffer lock for one, the current NR Track design standard indicates "ideal" lengths between S&C - however there are many locations similar to the above on the network.
 
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godfreycomplex

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Very small single lead going into the Up & Down Kew Branch at Old Kew Junction (between Brentford & Kew Bridge for the unitiated)
 

deltic08

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Also I'd say that is not a single line it's just two sets of points facing away from each other.
A single line is one connecting two double lines however short and that is what this is. A single line connecting to only one double line is called a siding.
 

Tomnick

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A single line is one connecting two double lines however short and that is what this is. A single line connecting to only one double line is called a siding.
No it isn’t - a siding isn’t a running line, and dead-end single lines (e.g. Colne or Windermere) are running lines, not sidings.

I’d suggest that a physical single line ought to be at least one signal section in each direction to qualify - you certainly wouldn’t consider those short bits such as the OP’s example in York as single lines in the context of the signalling regs!
 

6026KingJohn

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What about Criananlarich? See photo, one set of points for the split to either side of the platform and one for a main junction between the Oban and Fort William lines. Northbound trains split and then depart for separate destinations, no problem you can visually see when the points have been cleared. Southbound, however, with joining trains where is the single line token to? As an example, from RTT. 1Y44 from Fort William leaves Upper Tyndrum at 1319 and arrives at Crianlarich at 1327. meanwhile 1Y24 from Oban leaves Tyndrum Lower at 1320 while the Fort William train is in section, and arrives at Crianlarich at 1331. Both trains continuing at 1337 as 1Y44.
Now, do BOTH trains have a token to Crianlarich or is it to just before the points, making the bit between the two sets of points a separate single track?
Perhaps one of the more knowledgeable signallers could enlighten me.
 

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deltic08

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No it isn’t - a siding isn’t a running line, and dead-end single lines (e.g. Colne or Windermere) are running lines, not sidings.

I’d suggest that a physical single line ought to be at least one signal section in each direction to qualify - you certainly wouldn’t consider those short bits such as the OP’s example in York as single lines in the context of the signalling regs!
I thought Windermere and Colne were regarded as extended sidings as they have no signalling apart from entry and exit signals like sidings?
 
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