Least used track in regular use.

[Journeyman]

The chord from Winchburgh Junction to Dalmeny hasn't seen regular use since the pandemic kicked off, with the morning service from Fife to Glasgow, and evening return, axed. It carries very little else, as freight generally goes over Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine these days.

 

[507020]

There were GWR 150 specials to Portishead in 1985. I travelled on one as a student, hauled by 46443 from the Severn Valley. Others ran with Hinton Manor, and the chocolate and cream cl 117 dmu.

I chased the Hastings unit tour on my cycle, it did the Severn Beach line too.

Since the line re-opened to Pill, and new contruction to Portbury, I have been down the gorge behind a standard tank and 5029 Nunney Castle.

Looking forward to it finally re-opening for regular services.

As I’m sure are all Portishead residents, with the road journey time to Bristol approaching the 3 hour mark (pre-pandemic) it will take less than half an hour on a Class 165 DMU.

The chord from Winchburgh Junction to Dalmeny hasn't seen regular use since the pandemic kicked off, with the morning service from Fife to Glasgow, and evening return, axed. It carries very little else, as freight generally goes over Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine these days.

I noticed this. Dalmeny being adjacent to the Forth Bridge. I don’t even think any service from Edinburgh to Dalmeny was running at the height of the pandemic.

Some of the least used tracks seem to be the most scenic.

 

[flitwickbeds]

Where else has a parliamentary train?

Gainsborough to Barnetby via Kirton Lyndsey and Brigg?

 

[Spartacus]

Burton - Moira must be a contender, on average probably sees one train a week, in the up direction only, sometimes sees no trains a week, sometimes more than one.

 

[marsker]

The line from Saltburn to Boulby mine (what remains of the former coastal route to Whitby) carries freight “as required” but there has been local talk of a reinstatement of passenger services. (Pie in the sky is my feeling in the present climate)

There are usually several services a day to and from Boulby mine and more than 1 a week to Skinngrove rolling mills. Beyond Skinngrove, the line is actually owned by the mine and not part of the national network. DBC recently won the mine traffic back from Freightliner.

 

[greyman42]

The track behind the former Brightside station in Sheffield must be a contender - currently scheduled to see one ECS train a week in one direction only although on rare occasions it may see more use during times of disruption.

Where does this track go? I have never noticed it.

 

[318259]

Possibly the Jordanhill Chord. Not sure how often it's used for empty stock movements, but it's only used in-service during line closures.

 

[waverley47]

I vote the Anniesland link, reinstalled during the Glasgow queen street tunnel works, and subsequently almost useless.

It's used very, very occasionally during disruption, and is still certified for passenger use, but has no timetabled journeys across it during a normal week.

 

[InOban]

Surely the Anniesland link is merely a crossover linking the Maryhill line through Kelvindale, which ends in a bay platform at Anniesland, to the through tracks?

I had assumed that the Jordanhill chord is used to work sets between Yoker and Milngavie at the beginning and end of the day. Although the platform lengthening at Milngavie may mean that sets park up overnight there.

 

[Intercity 225]

Where does this track go? I have never noticed it.

It starts at Meadowhall platform 4, then runs adjacent to the MML before deviating around the side of the former Brightside station. It then finally joins the MML at Brightside Junction.

It’s very noticeable on Google Maps here - you can spot it because of how rusty it is compared to the main lines!

 

[greyman42]

Thanks. I have done that stretch of track many times and never noticed it. I will look out for it next time.

 

[waverley47]

Surely the Anniesland link is merely a crossover linking the Maryhill line through Kelvindale, which ends in a bay platform at Anniesland, to the through tracks?

I had assumed that the Jordanhill chord is used to work sets between Yoker and Milngavie at the beginning and end of the day. Although the platform lengthening at Milngavie may mean that sets park up overnight there.

It functions the same way as the Jordan hill chord though, having no regular use and connecting two separate parts of the railway network, albeit much shorter than many comparable chords network wide.

It's short, at less than 200m, but still functions the same way as chords all over the country. It's more than a mere crossover, however less than a fully fledged branch line.

 

[InOban]

I should have looked on Google maps! It's much longer than I thought.

RTT shows two late night ecs services from Milngavie to Yoker and one in the other direction in the morning. They will use the Chord.

 

[waverley47]

I should have looked on Google maps! It's much longer than I thought.

RTT shows two late night ecs services from Milngavie to Yoker and one in the other direction in the morning. They will use the Chord.

This being the jordanhill chord then definitley. It's long enough for a six car train to sit just clear of the junctions at each end, but in practice signalling overlaps make this impossible, so timetabling anything around it during normal running is very difficult.

 

[Bevan Price]

Earlestown West Curve (mentioned above) is used by several freight trains daily - notably the Liverpool to Drax biomass services.

 

[Efini92]

Preston docks

 

[iknowyeah]

Monk Bretton down to the glass factory? Been informed one freight a week

 

[FenMan]

The (now) freight only line from King's Lynn Junction to Middleton Towers (formerly the route to Dereham) may be a contender. Plenty of paths show on Realtime Trains, but they're rarely activated.

 

[BurtonM]

Obligatory Denton reference

 

[4F89]

Up chester independent at crewe....

Obligatory Denton reference

With its 20 odd freights a day, I say phooey

 

[steamybrian]

Appledore to Dungeness branch used to be one train a week on a Thursday.
Is that still the situation.?

 

[Bill57p9]

Hunterston - Ardrossan up slow? AFAIK nuclear flask train once every few weeks since the coal flows stopped.

Falkland Junction - Mauchline is an odd one: I believe the only booked service are the china clay tanks into Irvine and many of those now use alternative routes. However the line seems to pick up quite a bit of infrastructure and diverted workings, especially with the current weekend WCML closures.

 

[01d-and]

The North [?] part of the Lifford triangle , i.e., the part that avoids Kings Norton station , West Midlands ?? Or on the freight theme , the "goods loop" at Blackwell , just past the top of the Lickey Incline.

 

[D6130]

Earlestown West Curve (mentioned above) is used by several freight trains daily - notably the Liverpool to Drax biomass services.

It's also used by the evening Ellesmere Port-Liverpool Lime Street Northern passenger service.

 

[Efini92]

The North [?] part of the Lifford triangle , i.e., the part that avoids Kings Norton station , West Midlands ?? Or on the freight theme , the "goods loop" at Blackwell , just past the top of the Lickey Incline.

That gets used every day by XC

 

[The Planner]

That was the junction for GWR expresses from Paddington to Birkenhead Woodside (therefore also Ellesmere Port and Helsby). Maps of HS2 don’t even show the new route obstructing the junction, so hopefully it has only been severed for construction work and will be put back. I’m very interested in that line and will be starting a thread on it.

Don't count your chickens on that one.

 

[Mordac]

That gets used every day by XC

Even the chord that doubles back into new street (e.g., Camp Hill Southbound to Cross City Northbound)?

 

[route101]

Anything use the line to Leith docks?

 

[Efini92]

Even the chord that doubles back into new street (e.g., Camp Hill Southbound to Cross City Northbound)?

No I can’t think of anything that goes that way actually.

 

[The Planner]

Even the chord that doubles back into new street (e.g., Camp Hill Southbound to Cross City Northbound)?

No I can’t think of anything that goes that way actually.

One going round that way now, 5T61