Horbury Jn - why so slow?

[londonmidland]

As the title states, does anyone know why this part of the line between Sheffield and Leeds (via Kirkgate) is so slow?

On the approach to Wakefield Kirkgate from the South, it seems to crawl at around 15/20mph for quite some time before speeding up only to slow down again for Kirkgate.

Surely something can be done to raise the speed of this line thus improving journey times along here?

 

[Class465fan]

Is it a temporary speed limit?

 

[_toommm_]

Is it a temporary speed limit?

I don't think so as its been like it for a while now - unless it was originally a temp restriction that never was lifted.

 

[Grumpy]

I think this goes back to the days when the mail line was Kirkgate-Mirfield with through loco hauled trains Liverpool-York and four tracks needed to cope with all the coal trains. The Barnsley route was a relatively insignificant branch. Nowadays the most important route commercially is Kirkgate-Barnsley with two fast and one slow trains/hour. The fast trains are normally 158's and it feels wrong that these have to slow to 15mph to negotiate the junction. I have often wondered why they don't remodel to increase the speed and at the same time reduce Horbury-Kirkgate to two tracks.

 

[Welshman]

It always seemed slow even when Kirkgate-Horbury-Mirfield was the main line with trains running from York to Manchester.
I seem to remember that part of the line was badly affected by subsidence from the nearby mining activities. Perhaps it has still not received the necessary work to bring it up to main-line standards.

 

[Mugby]

I think it's simply that the pointwork at Horbury Jcn. just isn't of the required standard for a higher speed crossover.

Whenever I travel on a Sheffield - Leeds 'Express' it's usually crossed onto the outer track at Horbury which I presume is the Slow line?
If it goes on the inner track, which presumably is the Main, the driver can accelerate from the junction just that little bit quicker.
I can't understand why they usually go on the Slow when there's nothing else around, although I imagine it would still have to cross, closed to Kirkgate in order to access the platform line.

 

[Tractor37]

The fast lines are on the outside, slow lines inside. It was always presumed that once a train had traversed Horbury Junction in the down direction (towards Wakefield) that the linespeed increased to 60mph. After a route learner had looked through his sectional appendix it was discovered that the linespeed on the down fast was 20mph upto the underpass (north end of golf course) then increased to 60mph before reducing to 40mph after passing under the ECML. Not much is gained time wise by running on the Down Slow.

 

[Blockman]

If you look at the relevant page from the sectional appendix (publicly available, see attachment) you can see why the confusion arose. The diagram appears to show the resumption of 60 mph when the track straightens soon after the junction, when in fact it goes on for 52 chains, or 0.65 miles after the junction. It would be interesting to know the true reason though.

It seems that it is only the down lines that are affected. According to the sectional appendix it is still 60 mph on the up fast and slow lines in the same area, so it is unlikely to be old mining subsidence as probably all lines would be affected.

 

[Spartacus]

I know there's a bit if post construction undulation on the cycle path running close to the down side which suggests ground conditions may be a cause at that side. I wonder if there's also restrictions on the two bridges just on the Barnsley side of the junction, which would making improving the speed of the junction a low priority if trains would then have to slow for the river and canal crossings anyway?

 

[Tractor37]

Where the line speed on the down fast increased to 60mph the speed decreases to 40mph on the down slow only. As for restrictions over the river and canal bridges on the up and down branch there aren't any, line speed remains 60mph. The junction is supposed to be getting replaced in the next control period to increase the linespeeds crossing from the up/down slow/fast to the up/down branch.

 

[jayah]

If you look at the relevant page from the sectional appendix (publicly available, see attachment) you can see why the confusion arose. The diagram appears to show the resumption of 60 mph when the track straightens soon after the junction, when in fact it goes on for 52 chains, or 0.65 miles after the junction. It would be interesting to know the true reason though.

It seems that it is only the down lines that are affected. According to the sectional appendix it is still 60 mph on the up fast and slow lines in the same area, so it is unlikely to be old mining subsidence as probably all lines would be affected.

Judging by google maps, the change of speed at 46m20c appears to coincide with a signal gantry over the two lines in question. But why one drops 60 to 40, then 60,40 again in barely a mile is a mystery, let alone going 60,40 when the line next door goes 20,60 at the same signal. You can bet there is a nice bit of approach control too, just to maximise the delays.

The whole lot, in common with much of the infrastructure in that part of the world needs ripping out and replacing, should have been done years ago.