Locations where rail traffic moves on the right

[thenorthern]

Carrying on from the Bi-Directional thread this thread is about locations where traffic always or normally moves on the right as opposed to the left. Most rail traffic in the United Kingdom of course follows the same rules as road traffic and travels on the Left.

The only location I can think of is Rannoch station which is on a single line passing loop in which trains travel on the right through the station.

Can anyone think of any other locations with Right hand traffic?

 

[alex17595]

They do it on some places on the West Highland line for operational reasons. Well it nearly caught me out at Spean Bridge!

 

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

The Central Line around White City has right hand running

 

[najaB]

Muir of Ord - passing loop with right-hand running.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

When the Axminster loop was first commissioned, it had right hand running for some reason, but I believe it now runs as "normal".

 

[edwin_m]

Some of the underground portions of Tube trains also run on the right. I think this is usually to do with the older ones following the streets above, where the only option when the street got narrow was to put one tunnel above the other.

I think the right hand running in certain loops on RETB lines was to ensure that sidings off the loop were trailing to the normal direction of traffic and therefore didn't require locks and detection.

 

[Lockwood]

The Victoria line around Euston switched to right running to allow for easier interchange with the Northern Line.
The was a station mentioned elsewhere I can't remember where platform 1 and 2 are on the same physical platform, with a passing loop coming out in the middle. The trains run on the right through that loop.

 

[najaB]

The was a station mentioned elsewhere I can't remember where platform 1 and 2 are on the same physical platform, with a passing loop coming out in the middle. The trains run on the right through that loop.

I think you are thinking of Penryn.

 

[47271]

I'm not sure if this is the sort of thing you're looking for - a single track main line and a loop? I'm not so familiar with the WHL so this could be what's happening there too?

On the Highland Main Line for example, at Dunkeld northbound trains run 'right hand' but only in the circumstances of there being no crossing southbound traffic. If there is a cross then the northbound train is placed in the Platform 2 loop, and the southbound runs through or stops on the main line left hand. Platform 1 runs both ways, but the loop only northbound.

If you only ever used or passed through the station on non crossing northbound trains you'd be given the impression of RH running.

 

[snowball]

The Victoria line around Euston switched to right running to allow for easier interchange with the Northern Line.

Yes, the two tubes of the Victoria Line roll over each other to get into the required configuration, and then again to get back to left-hand running. The requirement for the unusual configuration is only at Euston, but if I remember correctly, there isn't enough space for the rollover to fit between Euston and Warren Street or between Euston and King's Cross, so it takes place south of Warren Street and north of King's Cross, so there is right-hand running through all three stations.

 

[Class 170101]

Northern Line between Borough and Moorgate runs the opposite way.

The Jubilee line around Baker Street is the same.

Occasionally happens on Great Eastern Main Line if the line is blocked immediately south of Witham Station between there and Kelvedon to the north.

 

[Railsigns]

I think the right hand running in certain loops on RETB lines was to ensure that sidings off the loop were trailing to the normal direction of traffic and therefore didn't require locks and detection.

It's the opposite. The right-hand running has the effect of making the siding connections facing and was done to ease shunting operations - the train-operated loop points don't need to be manually pumped reverse to access the sidings.

Facing point locks are provided on the siding points but there is no detection.

The crossing loops concerned are: Garelochhead, Ardlui, Bridge of Orchy, Rannoch, Spean Bridge, Taynuilt and Muir of Ord.

 

[markindurham]

Doesn't the Festiniog operate 'right side' at their loops?

 

[trash80]

Worcester Foregate Street though i believe its officially 2 single lines that just happen to be next to each other.

 

[edwin_m]

I'm not sure if this is the sort of thing you're looking for - a single track main line and a loop? I'm not so familiar with the WHL so this could be what's happening there too?

On the Highland Main Line for example, at Dunkeld northbound trains run 'right hand' but only in the circumstances of there being no crossing southbound traffic. If there is a cross then the northbound train is placed in the Platform 2 loop, and the southbound runs through or stops on the main line left hand. Platform 1 runs both ways, but the loop only northbound.

If you only ever used or passed through the station on non crossing northbound trains you'd be given the impression of RH running.

This happens in several places on the Highland and probably elsewhere too, but the arrangement on RETB lines is different with each side of the loop used in only one direction. Railsigns has corrected my explanation of those!

 

[Eccles]

Doesn't the Festiniog operate 'right side' at their loops?

Yep - as does the Welsh Highland.

 

[Poolie]

At Hartlepool, up passenger trains cross to the downside to access platform 2 due to platform 1 being out of use. There was talk that Grand Central wanted to reopen platform 1 but haven't heard anything for a while :cry:

 

[Taunton]

Limerick Junction current arrangement has Down trains running on the right of Up trains. They cross over at each end of the Down platform.

Brunel's main stations along the Great Western and the Bristol & Exeter were also built like Limerick Junction (or Cambridge), all to one side of the line, so they had a similar arrangement until rebuilt. Taunton was apparently like this earlier in the 19th century.

In France, SNCF also runs on the left as standard. However, in eastern France, Alsace etc, which was Germany until 1918, the right hand running of the former country was retained, trains cross over where the old border stations used to be. When the TGV-Est was extended into Alsace a flyover was built to allow the two tracks to roll over one another.

 

[thenorthern]

I think the people mover at Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 moves on the right.

 

[swt_passenger]

When the Axminster loop was first commissioned, it had right hand running for some reason, but I believe it now runs as "normal".

The logic behind that was that the single tracks heading towards Axminster were both on the 'wrong' side of the formation for that direction of travel. (In other words east of Axminster heading down the single is on the right, and west of it heading up the single line is also on the right.) So full line speed of around 80/85 mph is available through the points if set normal all the way to the station, but a reduction to 50 mph through the points is necessary to achieve normal running.

Because of this it was though to be better if trains accelerating from a station call took the low speed route over the points, because they would still be getting up to speed.

Notwithstanding the subsequent change to normal running, the online sectional appendix I downloaded a few months back still stated that RH running was the norm, (with the page dated June 2015).

 

[MarkyT]

When the Axminster loop was first commissioned, it had right hand running for some reason, but I believe it now runs as "normal".

The Kent / Sussex / Wessex Routes Sectional Appendix:
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse...dix/kent sussex wessex sectional appendix.pdf

Page 104, Table A, LOR SW115, seq 013, latest update - (Supplement No. 24 – 05 September 2015) has a note:

'Right hand running' normally applies between Axminster East Jn and Axminster West Jn

I remember SWT did try 'left hand running' at Axminster for a while but reverted to 'right hand' pretty quickly. Running right hand avoids a premature slow down from the 85MPH line speed to the 60MPH turnout speed. By taking the straight on route at the turnouts, braking for the platform can be left a little later. The loop turnouts in both directions are well over a mile out from the station and there are three signal block sections in each direction through each loop, so simultaneous arrivals from both directions both see greens on approach to the loop junction signals.

 

[swt_passenger]

What a coincidence that was MarkyT...

By the way, realtimetrains platform numbers suggests left hand running is booked?

 

[MarkyT]

I remember SWT did try 'left hand running' at Axminster for a while but reverted to 'right hand' pretty quickly.

Correction: I was wrong. A check at Realtime Trains shows they are running conventional left hand running now, that is platform 2 for up trains, platform 1 for down. I assume this must be the norm.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

what a coincidence that was markyt...

snap!

 

[47271]

Just thinking of junctions, at Ladybank southbound trains coming off the Perth line call at or pass through the down platfrom - ie facing the wrong way on the main line from Edinburgh to Dundee. They then crossover to the up line south of the station. This is rather more an outcome of the coincidence of junction design and the location of the station than it is anything to do with RH running, but add it the collection if you like.

 

[Mojo]

On the Northern line at Kentish Town the Northbound line is on top of the Southbound, with the Northbound slightly to the right of the Southbound.

 

[Iskra]

Bare Lane-Morecambe

 

[PHILIPE]

At Elgin, where the first train appears to arrive at the platform with the facilities and a second train running in the other platform could be one going in the opposite direction.

 

[Taunton]

At Elgin, where the first train appears to arrive at the platform with the facilities and a second train running in the other platform could be one going in the opposite direction.

I don't know to what extent it still applies, but the former Northern Counties Committee line from Belfast to Londonderry installed, about 100 years ago, Manson's tablet exchange equipment on locomotives and lineside, and rearranged all the loops at each wayside station so there was one straight line and one loop, both signalled bi-directionally. As 90% plus of movements did not pass a train, expresses could maintain 60 mph-plus, exchanging single line tablets mechanically, while any local or goods would be looped, which might be either side of the main line, this being on the side of the main station building, while the opposite track only had a rudimentary platform and shelter, and might go all day without being used at all.

 

[snowball]

On the Northern line at Kentish Town the Northbound line is on top of the Southbound, with the Northbound slightly to the right of the Southbound.

If the northbound is slightly to the right of the southbound (as seen by a northbound train) doesn't that mean that the southbound is slightly to the right of the northbound (as seen by a southbound train)?

Bare Lane-Morecambe

Isn't that two single lines? (A configuration that also exists elsewhere, e.g. Navigation Road NR/Metrolink)

 

[6Gman]

Stoke line trains normally leave Crewe on the right hand of the two tracks. Very odd when they pass an oncoming train on the nearside!