Distance between Stowmarket and Ely

[ABB125]

According to RailMiles, the distance between Stowmarket and Ely is 40m 53ch. My manual calculation, using the Sectional Appendix, is 38m 71ch. Could anyone clarify which is correct?

My working is as follows (note that I'm using a decimal place to separate miles and chains simply to make typing easier; I do know how to ass them up properly!):

• Stowmarket to Haughley Junction: 2.33
• Haughley Jn to Chippenham Jn: 24.45
• Chippenham Jn to former Snailwell Jn: 0.63
• Snailwell Jn to Ely Dock Jn: 10.59
• Ely Dock Jn to Ely: 0.31

Total=36.231=38.71

Thanks very much.

 

[pelli]

Just to help narrow it down, Railmiles gives the route for 40mi53ch as Stowmarket, Haughley Jn, Elmswell, Thurston, Bury St Edmunds, Bury St Edmunds Recp., Kennet Redland Ground Frme, Kennett, Chippenham Jn, Soham, Ely Dock Jn, Ely.

The individual segments agree with your calculation except between Chippenham Jn and Ely Dock Jn, where Railmiles goes via Soham for 8mi49ch + 4mi55ch = 13mi24ch whereas you go via Snailwell Jn for 0mi63ch + 10mi59ch = 11mi42ch. This accounts for the 1mi62ch difference between your results.

Assuming you and Railmiles are looking at the same route but just split at different via points, then if your source has mileages for Soham you could further pin down the location of the discrepancy. I have no local knowledge so cannot comment on "(former) Snailwell Jn".

 

[Gloster]

Looking at the Trackmap (2006 edition) I tend to agree with your own totals. However, there is a possibility of confusion in the Snailwell junction area.

 

[Shwam3]

RailMiles says 8mi 49ch between Chippenham Jn and Soham, sectional appendix mileage is 6mi 73ch (extra 1mi 56ch).
RailMiles 4mi 55ch between Soham and Ely Dock Jn, sectional appendix 4mi 49ch (extra 0mi 6ch).

Based on the new Soham station being at a mileage of 7mi 64ch, not sure what mileage the current Soham location is.

 

[ABB125]

I have no local knowledge so cannot comment on "(former) Snailwell Jn".

East of Newmarket, the line from Haughley junction splits, with one line going to Cambridge, and one to Ely. There used to be a chord direct between the Ely and Cambridge lines, making a triangle, but that's no longer in existence. See here. I assume Snailwell Jn is where the chord joined the line to Ely.

Looking at the Trackmap (2006 edition) I tend to agree with your own totals. However, there is a possibility of confusion in the Snailwell junction area.

I would agree that Snailwell seems likely to be the problem.

RailMiles says 8mi 49ch between Chippenham Jn and Soham, sectional appendix mileage is 6mi 73ch (extra 1mi 56ch).

Between Chippenham Jn and Snailwell Jn, the Sectional Appendix says a distance of 0.63, then at Snailwell it changes to 1.54 and counts upwards towards Ely. Perhaps RailMiles is assuming that the mileage resets to 0 at Snailwell?


Here's the relevant bit of the SA, to save people having to find it themselves:



Thanks everyone so far! This isn't the first time I've found discrepancies with RailMiles distances, but normally it's only a couple of chains' difference, in which case I go with my manual calculations. This example is too big to ignore, though!

 

[O L Leigh]

Perhaps RailMiles is assuming that the mileage resets to 0 at Snailwell?

Or rather that it fails to recognise the mileage being reset and is adding the extra 1m 54ch.

 

[Bevan Price]

The Railway Performance Society mileage charts show (decimal miles), for station centre to station centre:

Ely to Bury St. Edmunds 24.43
Bury St. Edmunds to Stowmarket 14.46

Total 38.89 miles, or about 38 miles 71 chains.

 

[ABB125]

The Railway Performance Society mileage charts show (decimal miles), for station centre to station centre:

Ely to Bury St. Edmunds 24.43
Bury St. Edmunds to Stowmarket 14.46

Total 38.89 miles, or about 38 miles 71 chains.

I think I'll use 38m 71ch then. Thanks all!

 

[CyrusWuff]

For Routeing Guide purposes, Table 14 of the eNRT gives it as 39 miles.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Inclined to agree that the correct direct Stowmarket -> Ely station to station mileage should be 38 miles 71 chains.

At the site of the former Snailwell Junction, it's 0 miles 63 chains West -> East to Chippenham Junction.

The 1 mile 54 chains, also measured to the site of the former Snailwell Junction, is the distance from the former Newmarket old station to Ely Dock Junction, via the now closed South->West chord.

The error seems to be in some sources using a distance of 12 miles 33 chains as being the distance from the former Snailwell Junction to Ely Dock Junction. It's actually the distance from the former Newmarket old station.

Noted that TRACKatlas (3rd edition) (2017) seems to make this error.

IMHO, it should be 12 miles 33 chains less the 1 mile 54 chains, which is 10 miles 59 chains, as being the distance between the former Snailwell Junction and Ely Dock Junction.