Freight only lines.

[Spankthemonkey]

Burton to Leicester via Ashby and Coalville. Lots of freight at the eastern end. Prime candidate for reopening for passenger use.

 

[eastwestdivide]

Any offers for the longest freight only line in the country?

Don't know, but here are some approx mileages, calculated by tracing the route using gb.mapometer.com
Mileages calculated from junction to junction on the purely freight sections, so I've said "Shireoaks" for ease of reference, but the mileage is to Brancliffe junction.

Kirk Sandall-Maltby-Shireoaks = about 20mi
Chinley-Peak Forest-Buxton-Hindlow quarry = about 15 mi
Coalville line = about 29 mi
Sheffield Woodburn Jn-Deepcar sidings = about 8.5 mi
Rotherham-Chesterfield via Old Road = about 14.5 mi, although only the first 6 are truly freight-only, as there are a few booked passenger workings on the southern half of this route)
Saltburn-Boulby Potash = about 11.5 mi
Hoo Jn-Grain = about 11.5 mi
Apppledore-Lydd (Dungeness) = about 9 mi
Edited later to add:
Stenson Jn-Trent Jn = about 12 mi
(for 6 days a week) Gainsborough-Brigg-Barnetby = about 20.5mi
Grimsby-Immingham-Ulceby = about 11.5 mi
Stockton-Stillington-Ferryhill = about 11 mi
Morpeth-Blyth-Longbenton area = about 16 mi, plus other branches off it?
Ayr-Mauchline = about 10 mi (plus a branch to Killoch)

 

[Monarch010]

So is there a good map out there somewhere showing where all these freight only lines are?

S.K Baker Rail Atlas?

 

[D6975]

The Parson Street to Portbury line is a relatively new freight only line but the only current booked traffic is a sporadic weekly car train.

There's a flow of coal started up again now. Runs about once a week.

 

[D6975]

What is the definition of a freight only line ? Most of the through lines mentioned do see passenger trains, albeit one a day or even one a week. Castleford-Milford Jn and Milford curve I would say are both freight only, but there is a train on Sunday afternoon that traverses both of them, I did it last year. Also some of the once a day booked route retention services quite often don't take their booked route, the Whitacre one is a good example, I've tried to do it 3 times now and have gone down the main all 3 times...

 

[eastwestdivide]

What is the definition of a freight only line ? Most of the through lines mentioned do see passenger trains, albeit one a day or even one a week....

With a couple of exceptions, I restricted my mileage calculations in post 32 to "proper" freight lines of a decent length, i.e. not just little curves, and only lines with no booked passenger services

 

[RichmondCommu]

The Cromford and High Peak Railway (now High Peak Trail) was one of the few railways which was largely only ever freight only.

Not entirely. For a brief time in the 19th century it was used by passengers until someone got killed.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Don't know, but here are some approx mileages, calculated by tracing the route using gb.mapometer.com
Mileages calculated from junction to junction on the purely freight sections, so I've said "Shireoaks" for ease of reference, but the mileage is to Brancliffe junction.

Kirk Sandall-Maltby-Shireoaks = about 20mi
Chinley-Peak Forest-Buxton-Hindlow quarry = about 15 mi
Coalville line = about 29 mi
Sheffield Woodburn Jn-Deepcar sidings = about 8.5 mi
Rotherham-Chesterfield via Old Road = about 14.5 mi, although only the first 6 are truly freight-only, as there are a few booked passenger workings on the southern half of this route)
Saltburn-Boulby Potash = about 11.5 mi
Hoo Jn-Grain = about 11.5 mi
Apppledore-Lydd (Dungeness) = about 9 mi
Edited later to add:
Stenson Jn-Trent Jn = about 12 mi
(for 6 days a week) Gainsborough-Brigg-Barnetby = about 20.5mi
Grimsby-Immingham-Ulceby = about 11.5 mi
Stockton-Stillington-Ferryhill = about 11 mi
Morpeth-Blyth-Longbenton area = about 16 mi, plus other branches off it?
Ayr-Mauchline = about 10 mi (plus a branch to Killoch)

Apologies for being a pedantic so and so but it's actually Stenson Junction to Sheet Stores Junction.

 

[eastwestdivide]

Apologies for being a pedantic so and so but it's actually Stenson Junction to Sheet Stores Junction.

Fair do's. You could probably add the proper junction names for the rest too! Was trying to make it easy for people, by using well-known names.

So any freight-only lines longer than the Coalville line?

 

[RichmondCommu]

No I think that is the longest one!

 

[jonesy3001]

Surprised no-one has said the freight line that goes past newton heath depot on the old oldham/rochdale line near to the old dean lane station that runs side by side with metrolink.

 

[Altfish]

Has Hazel Grove to Sharston been mentioned?

 

[eastwestdivide]

Has Hazel Grove to Sharston been mentioned?

Yes, post 29 as "Hazel Grove to Altrincham"
About 6.5 mi I reckon.

 

[Ships]

Hazel Grove to Altrincham

Hazel grove to northerden. Between Altrincham and Northerden is runs the Manchester - Chester service via the EJN

 

[route101]

Is there not a line that runs along side the Largs line to Hunterston?

 

[JordyWM]

Stourbridge Junction to Round Oak (Harts Hill), Brierley Hill

 

[Skimpot flyer]

There are the freight branches to London Gateway (formerly Corringham), Dagenham Dock and what used to be Port Victoria (from Hoo). Shorter freight-only lines around London are Kew Bridge to South Acton; what's left of the GWR Brentford branch; the Canonbury curve. I think that some of the connections at Stratford don't have passenger services.

If we're counting the Canonbury Curve, then I can't believe nobody has mentioned Camden Road to South Hampstead. This route is surely freight-only, since the withdrawal of the passenger service to the now-demolished Primrose Hill station many many years ago ?
(I have, however, travelled this route on a passenger service as recently as September last year, when London Overground ran trains from Stratford to Willesden Junction 'via an alternative route' on several consecutive Sundays, whilst the normal route via Gospel Oak was undergoing work associated with the GOBLIN electrification works)

 

[Railwaysceptic]

If we're counting the Canonbury Curve, then I can't believe nobody has mentioned Camden Road to South Hampstead. This route is surely freight-only, since the withdrawal of the passenger service to the now-demolished Primrose Hill station many many years ago ?
(I have, however, travelled this route on a passenger service as recently as September last year, when London Overground ran trains from Stratford to Willesden Junction 'via an alternative route' on several consecutive Sundays, whilst the normal route via Gospel Oak was undergoing work associated with the GOBLIN electrification works)

I've travelled that way too, several times. I sometimes wonder if a regular service from Willesden Junction Low Level to Stratford could be blended into an amended London Overground service.

Another short London freight-only link is Acton Wells Junction via the SW Lines to Mitre Bridge Junction. There are a couple of YouTube in-cab videos showing that route.

 

[bussnapperwm]

Stourbridge Junction to Round Oak (Harts Hill), Brierley Hill

If abellio get their way, we may see trains back to Brierley Hill yet!

 

[mcmad]

Is there not a line that runs along side the Largs line to Hunterston?

Yes there is an electrified single line and a Up direction freight only (loaded) line from Ardossan South Beach to Hunterston. Following the falldown in coal traffic its been considered to convert it into electrified double track passenger line but its a lot of money for not a lot of benefit.

 

[faltskog36abba]

Philips park to ashburys is a freight only line which connects the Man Victoria to Huddersfield line to the Man Piccadilly to guide bridge line. There was a suggestion that if the line was electrified it would allow trains from- Hadfield and Glossop to use this route into Victoria station as an alternative to Piccadilly, This was from the northern hub proposals in 2009.

 

[aylesbury]

Aylesbury to Calvert via Quainton rubbish and earth trains at least three a day six days a week has seen c 56,s ,66s,and once had 117 dmu,s to Bletchley am, pm plus a parcels /newspaper to Northampton via Bletchley.The last was in the sixties and ran from Bletchley after using the freight viaduct and then the slow lines to Northampton, newspapers all unloaded at Aylesbury and then parcels onwards.Some times an additional parcel train ran at around midday to Bletchley if required .Also occasionally a train of New Holland bailers would go northwards to Bletchley from Aylesbury on train of flat cars all shunted by our resident o8 and then north by a class 25 or even a 31.

 

[dewsnapsliding]

Philips park to ashburys is a freight only line which connects the Man Victoria to Huddersfield line to the Man Piccadilly to guide bridge line. There was a suggestion that if the line was electrified it would allow trains from- Hadfield and Glossop to use this route into Victoria station as an alternative to Piccadilly, This was from the northern hub proposals in 2009.

There is/was one Liverpool - Newcastle early Sunday morning service which uses/used this line wasn’t there?

 

[Bevan Price]

Philips park to ashburys is a freight only line which connects the Man Victoria to Huddersfield line to the Man Piccadilly to guide bridge line. There was a suggestion that if the line was electrified it would allow trains from- Hadfield and Glossop to use this route into Victoria station as an alternative to Piccadilly, This was from the northern hub proposals in 2009.

Technically, it is a "non-passenger" line rather than freight only. It is used for E.C.S. movements between Newton Heath & Manchester Piccadilly, and also a few Class 185 movements to/from Ardwick Depot

 

[eastwestdivide]

Aylesbury to Calvert via Quainton ... once had 117 dmu,s to Bletchley am, ...

Something like 11 miles Aylesbury to Calvert I reckon.
Wasn't it the 115 DMUs from the Marylebone services that went that way to Bletchley for maintenance (rather than the 117s from the Paddington/Reading axis)?

 

[JordyWM]

If abellio get their way, we may see trains back to Brierley Hill yet!

I’m hoping so, and with the tram extension now getting the full go ahead, hopefully the link up will make it more likely.

 

[Dr_Paul]

If we're counting the Canonbury Curve, then I can't believe nobody has mentioned Camden Road to South Hampstead. This route is surely freight-only, since the withdrawal of the passenger service to the now-demolished Primrose Hill station many many years ago? (I have, however, travelled this route on a passenger service as recently as September last year, when London Overground ran trains from Stratford to Willesden Junction 'via an alternative route' on several consecutive Sundays, whilst the normal route via Gospel Oak was undergoing work associated with the GOBLIN electrification works)

Indeed, I did forget that one. I went that way on an NLL train a few times when the Hampstead Heath tunnel was being modified to take the overhead line equipment. The way the tunnels between Primrose Hill and South Hampstead snake around each other was fascinating. In those pre-internet days it took ages to find track-plans that could show me all the complexities at the top end of Camden Bank; trying to work it all out in the absence of a track-plan defeated me. I also believe that the track was still there in the empty-stock tunnel that started at the top of Camden Bank; now that really did intrigue me, as I had no idea where that went when I first saw it.

Another short London freight-only link is Acton Wells Junction via the SW Lines to Mitre Bridge Junction. There are a couple of YouTube in-cab videos showing that route.

I did think of this one, but then forgot to mention it. I would be surprised if the line up from Acton Main Line to Acton Wells ever had any regular passenger services.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

The Hamworthy branch in Dorset

 

[turboslug]

Technically, it is a "non-passenger" line rather than freight only. It is used for E.C.S. movements between Newton Heath & Manchester Piccadilly, and also a few Class 185 movements to/from Ardwick Depot

The 10.03 liverpool to Newcastle on a Sunday was routed this way until they started raising bridges for electrification work, its in tpe contract for 1 passenger train a week to go over the route liverpool & manchester tpe drivers sign it & liverpool conductors sign the route, passes very close to man city's ground

 

[Scotrail84]

Dunfermline to Alloa is truly freight only apart from the odd charter train in the summer months. As far as I'm aware no ScotRail drivers or guards sign the route between Alloa and Dunfermline.

The Methil branch is another which may one day see a revival as a passenger line.

Someone mentioned the Edinburgh sub. I believe there is at least one booked train in each direction on weekdays a X/C service to/from Dundee or Aberdeen plus empty ScotRail stock moves including the loco hauled fife circle sets. ScotRail guards sign the sub for diversions.