matchmaker
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Nocks book on the Highland Railway mentions that all the bridges and viaducts on the Direct Line via Carr Bridge were built to accomodate double track.
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Track Widening Schemes that never happened
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Nocks book on the Highland Railway mentions that all the bridges and viaducts on the Direct Line via Carr Bridge were built to accomodate double track.
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Sad Sprinter
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Was the Chatham between Brixton and Shortlands ever marked for four tracking?
Almost everything would have had to be moved.
Revaulx
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Didn’t the Catford loop provide the extra tracks? Plus it got round Forbes’s fear of Sydenham Hill tunnel collapsing.
The MSJ&A quadrupled from just beyond Old Trafford station (now Trafford Bar) to just short of Sale. There was a loop between Sale and Brooklands, so quadrupling that bit wouldn’t have been that hard, and land was acquired to further widen as far as Timperley. I suppose the cost of rebuilding Sale and Brooklands stations just wasn’t worth it.
The decline in service between the late 50s and the line’s conversion to Metrolink in 1992 was sad to see.
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Helvellyn
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Would probably have been reduced to double track by BR - at least to build Parkway station. Potentially would have made St Denys a six platform station, unless it ended up like Eastleigh with through Fast lines.
I'm sure there were also proposals to four track from Northam to Southampton Central at one point as well which would have necessitated a second tunnel. But I can't recall how far these got.
Bevan Price
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The LNWR or LMSR planned to extend 4 tracking over the Chat Moss route westwards from the former Barton Moss Junction. There was enough land width to extend 4 tracks for about 2-3 miles towards Astley, but the scheme was dropped. Part of the unused land was used for a temporary diversion in the 1970s, whilst a bridge was being built to cross the (then new) M62
swt_passenger
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According to the ticket office chap at Swaythling, speaking many years ago, that station‘s main building and the St Denys up side building were built much further back from the platform than normal to allow for planned four tracking. The position of St Denys up platform canopy definitely fits in with that idea, and there’s also an odd sort of passageway through to Swaythling down platform.
2392
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If you look at the original earthworks, bridges and Tunnel of the Worth Valley,they were all built to double track width. But the Original Worth Valley Railway Co., Midland/LMS/BR never got round to installing the second track. They only bit of doubling if you can call it that was when the current presevarion asociety installed the passing loop at Damians. Equally there are sections Esk Valley between Grosmont and Battersby were built to accommodate double track layouts. The area being riddled with iron ore deposits......
Sprinter107
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I read that Lea Hall was built with quadrupling in mind, so the 2 side platforms could easily be made into 2 island platforns.
Dr Hoo
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As a former BR manager in the Southampton area I can confirm that Eastleigh-St Denys had been a real possibility. The long-gone level crossing at Stoneham was a problem. Swaythling station also only allowed for double track without complete reconstruction.
Southampton Airport Parkway started out as just Southampton Airport in a very minimalist form. But even by that time the capacity of four-aspect signalling, modern traction and continuous braking was making additional tracks on that stretch less necessary.
john prytherch
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I believe the LMS long wanted to eliminate the Flint bottleneck (Connah's Quay No. 2 to Muspratts Sidings) which was one of two breaks in the quadruple track from Chester to Llandudno Junction. I think some land may have been acquired, but the logistics and politics of getting four tracks through Flint proved too hard. The other bottleneck (Llandulas to Colwyn Bay No.1) would have been too difficult as it involved a tunnel after Llysfaen.
apk55
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Some lines I know were built single with the intention to convert to double track. In some cases structures were built to accommodate double track but this feature was never used. Two examples I can think of were
Alston to Haltwishle line which was intended to carry on beyond Alston through a long tunnel to join the St johns Chapel branch. Many structures were built for double track.
Clayton West branch (now home to the Kirkless light railway) which again was intended to be a through line..
Alston to Haltwishle line which was intended to carry on beyond Alston through a long tunnel to join the St johns Chapel branch. Many structures were built for double track.
Clayton West branch (now home to the Kirkless light railway) which again was intended to be a through line..
Spartacus
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An early example is the Leeds & Selby Railway which was built with expansion in mind, with most of the bridges over the railway being constructed wide enough to span 4 tracks, even where the cuttings weren't dug out for 4 tracks, leaving curious bridges seemingly part embedded in the cutting side.
theironroad
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4 tracking from Eastleigh to Southampton central throughout would still be a good idea I reckon, especially if freight want to increase pathways from the maritime.
davetheguard
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Going north (i.e. in the "down" direction) the double track from Exeter ended at Copplestone. It was then single with passing loops as far as Umberleigh Gates (just south of Umberleigh station), from where it was double again to the present Barnstaple station. At one time, I believe the plan was to double the whole route throughout.
Yes it’s surprising in a way considering how busy the route must have been.
davetheguard
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Indeed. Every station on the single line section, had a passing loop; even tiny Portsmouth Arms. All that pointwork! All those signallers & associated token instruments! It makes you wonder if, construction costs aside, if it would have been cheaper to operate it as a double track line throughout. And that's before you consider punctuality.....
Interesting.
fairysdad
Member
I remember reading about times when the trains were too long for the loops - particularly at Portsmouth Arms or King's Nympton - so in order for trains to cross, some trains would have to be reversed into the goods sidings, and points held manually by blocks of wood. (Can't remember the exact details; it was either in the Middleton Press book on the line, or the John Nicholson(?) book that I read it in, so might be wrong - the books are currently in storage at Mum's house, so can't look it up either!)
Snow1964
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The 4 tracking was also to continue north of Eastleigh to the junction with the GWR line via Winchester Chesil.
I think there was also serious consideration given to 4 tracking from Wallers Ash to Micheldever (which both had loops) both prior to First World War, and again in WW2
Some works did happen, such as replacing Wide Lane level crossing with a bridge wide enough to span 4 tracks, although since Southampton Airport (now Parkway) Station was built virtually impossible to spot site of crossing.
The GWR had plans to 4 track from Didcot to Swindon (the middle part was eventually done in early 1930s from Wantage Road to Challow)
ac6000cw
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I think the bridge over the Great Ouse river at Ely on the single line from Soham has now twice been rebuilt as a double-track structure (in the late 1930s and in 2007 after a derailment badly damaged it) but the doubling has never taken place. WW2 stopped the 1930's LNER plans to double Soham-Ely, BR never felt the need, and so far NR plans haven't come to fruition.
Also some of the modern bridges (over new roads) on the Felixstowe branch appear to have abutments designed to take twin bridge decks, but only have one deck in place.
Also some of the modern bridges (over new roads) on the Felixstowe branch appear to have abutments designed to take twin bridge decks, but only have one deck in place.
I see the new Soham station building contract has been let, for one platform ...
Sometimes you feel that with proposals planned, replanned, and done yet again, the money spent overall could actually have finished the project but it never gets done.
davetheguard
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Yes, yes, & yes!
Before it could be done, the LSW or SR and GW entered into a revenue-sharing agreement of some description for the West Country, so that put a stop to it.
In any case, the business case would have to have been based on the summer Saturday traffic, plus some modest staff savings, so would have been challenging.
edwin_m
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Apparently the footbridge to be built as part of the station works at Soham (which just carries a path that isn't suitable for mobility impaired) will be upgradeable with lifts if a second platform is ever needed.
Helvellyn
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But that was pretty much done wasn't it? By that I mean given it is four tracks until just South of Shawford station, dropping to three (only one Up line) until North of the station where it drops to two tracks. The GWR line via Winchester Chesil then left Eastwards roughly where the M3 crosses the SWML. So it was only really the Shawford station area that needed work.
That's been mooted in Wessex capacity enhancement plans - reinstate four tracks through Micheldever (as you come out of Popham No. 2 Tunnel) then extend down to Wallers Ash to effectively give a dynamic loop meaning freight can effectively be "leapfrogged" at two four track sections between St Denys and Worting Junction (Eastleigh to Shawford / Wallers Ash to Micheldever).
Do have to wonder if four aspect signalling and reduced headways to send more freightliner traffic via Laverstock (thus avoiding the constrained Worting Junction - Winchester - Southampton Central route) would be a cheaper alternative.
swt_passenger
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I think the route study suggested both routes were needed in the medium term anyway, even with the extra four tracking.
bramling
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An obscure one:
GWR from Letterston to Fishguard. There were plans around 1903 for a new route to bypass the original heavily graded single-track route out of Fishguard. This would have involved two tunnels, one of them fairly lengthy, and some deep cuttings. Some sources suggest the plan may have been to retain the original route as the down line.
Some earthworks at either end were constructed, and there appears to be an abortive road overbridge on the outskirts of Goodwick which still survives to this day, however that’s as far as it ever got.
GWR from Letterston to Fishguard. There were plans around 1903 for a new route to bypass the original heavily graded single-track route out of Fishguard. This would have involved two tunnels, one of them fairly lengthy, and some deep cuttings. Some sources suggest the plan may have been to retain the original route as the down line.
Some earthworks at either end were constructed, and there appears to be an abortive road overbridge on the outskirts of Goodwick which still survives to this day, however that’s as far as it ever got.
When the redevelopment of the Bull Ring shopping centre was being planned in the 1990’s there were plans to leave enough space in the foundations to build and extra pair of tracks between New Street and Proof House Junction. Railtrack told the developers they wouldn’t be needed and the plans were redrawn. Very short sighted.
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