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Newcastle - High Level Bridge - EC Services

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AlterEgo

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Prompted by a recent visit to the area:

I know that during times of disruption EC services will turn around using the High Level Bridge, but are any services booked to use the bridge regularly?

What about XC or TPE services? I'm sure I took a Virgin XC service over the bridge in the middle of the day in about 2006, but am unsure if this was due to disruption...
 
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shedman

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I was on an early morning XC service last year from York to Newcastle that went over it. I assumed that was booked but could be wrong? It was about 07xx off York (the service had come from Doncaster).
 

ReverendFozz

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I seem to remember a XC HST leaving over the High Level Bridge in the late 90's a couple of times as it only had one power car(at the front) going that way to keep facing the right direction
 

DarloRich

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I cant recall any booked EC services. I THINK it is mainly XC who go that way.

I have been that way on EC when there have been power car problems or a set needs turning
 

JohnCarlson

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Prompted by a recent visit to the area:

I know that during times of disruption EC services will turn around using the High Level Bridge, but are any services booked to use the bridge regularly?

What about XC or TPE services? I'm sure I took a Virgin XC service over the bridge in the middle of the day in about 2006, but am unsure if this was due to disruption...

I think the answer is yes but not many. I think there is/was also a HST working that ran into Newcastle from London, dropped its passengers, then ran over the High Level empty then waited at greensfield then back into the central station and then reversed back to London.
 

91101

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Prior to Eureka, and I imagine it still exists, there was a set that came into NCL about 10ish from The Cross, terminated, and was then ran ECS via the HLB for route retention before forming the 11:30 back to KGX.
 

GNER 373

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I seem to remember a XC HST leaving over the High Level Bridge in the late 90's a couple of times as it only had one power car(at the front) going that way to keep facing the right direction

An XC HST in the late 90's!!!

Can I have Saturdays lottery numbers too! ;)

My Brother-In-Law lived in an apartment that faces the HLB from the Gateshead side. I've been there at different times of the day and seen a few XC 220/221 sets (and double sets) pass over mostly around 6-7pm. It's mostly frequented by Northern services. It's years since I caught a GNER/NXEC/EC service passing over it.
 

DaveNewcastle

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Most of the replies so far have referred to EastCoat services (which can be seen, as others have posted, on a rather unpredictable basis).
But the OP's question didn't seem to be Operator-specific.
There are many regular services over the High Level bridge - all the Newcastle - Sunderland (then Durham coast southwards) services go that way, and I am often caught out by the occasional TPE southbound service (I'm not able to tell you their destination) which departs to the east (northbound in Newcastle) but then traverses the High Level Bridge to gain the southbound ECML.
 

BOSCH

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We go that way on saturday nights/sunday mornings just to keep it fresh in our heads !!!:lol::lol:
 

cuccir

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Most of the replies so far have referred to EastCoat services (which can be seen, as others have posted, on a rather unpredictable basis).
But the OP's question didn't seem to be Operator-specific.
There are many regular services over the High Level bridge - all the Newcastle - Sunderland (then Durham coast southwards) services go that way, and I am often caught out by the occasional TPE southbound service (I'm not able to tell you their destination) which departs to the east (northbound in Newcastle) but then traverses the High Level Bridge to gain the southbound ECML.

It does say EC in the thread title!

In my experience this is most commonly used by the Newcastle to Durham Coast services, as you say. It is also used by a few XC services, particularly I think those which will be reversing out of Birmingham New Street (so I guess those heading to Oxford and beyond). If you're looking for HSTs then I think I've been over it in the XC HST which tends to be in the north-east on Sunday mornings, but that might be a faulty memory. Quite a few of the Hexham and beyond trains use it, as they often depart from the Northbound only platform 1 from Newcastle - I think this includes the Scotrail services to Glasgow. I've also seen the occasional TPE on it, as you point out. Grand Central trains can often be seen round there as well, I presume going to and from the Heaton depot?

The Central in Gateshead, a 'Head of Steam'-owned pub has a balcony which overlooks the track between the High Level Bridge, though you tend to only see Northern Rail and the occasional Grand Central heading to and from Heaton on it. If you crane your neck round you can see the trains which are heading to/from the High Level Bridge as well!
 

philjo

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I don't know if they still do with the new EC timetable but a number of the Northern Newcastle-Carlisle services go out that way - departing from the north facing bay platform (platform 1?) - the train can dive under the ECML to access the Hexham line so it doesn't conflict with anything else south of Newcastle.

I assume the EC services to Edinburgh diverted via Carlisle during engineering works in Northumberland would also do this as this would avoid the train having to reverse in Newcastle so the train would still be in the correct formation.

I have been that way on a 225 set last year (due to a fault in the DVT) - the train departed from Newcastle going north which made some of the passengers think they had go on to the wrong train! so from Durham through to Kings Cross the train was now the wrong way round.
 

sprinterguy

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I assume the EC services to Edinburgh diverted via Carlisle during engineering works in Northumberland would also do this as this would avoid the train having to reverse in Newcastle so the train would still be in the correct formation.
It's been a couple of years since I last did the diversions, but all the ones I've been on have departed over the King Edward Bridge, rather than the High Level Bridge. Otherwise, they would be in the reverse formation when they returned compared to when they left, rather than keeping them the right way round.
 

Liam

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I assume the EC services to Edinburgh diverted via Carlisle during engineering works in Northumberland would also do this as this would avoid the train having to reverse in Newcastle so the train would still be in the correct formation.

Only if if returned from Edinburgh via Carlisle. If it left Edinburgh to the East it would be the wrong way round again.
 

AlterEgo

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Thanks for the helpful info, all - I'd totally forgotten about PSUL! I know that all Durham Coast services are booked to use the bridge as their normal route.
 

Darandio

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XC in its current state did not exist until 2007, I was making the lottery reference as in you could see the future. Nothing wrong with it didn't mean to offend! :)

You didn't offend. :D However, XC HST's have existed for decades, if the poster had said Arriva XC HST then you could have asked for the lottery numbers.
 

Anonywave

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Some Northern Rail trains from the Tyne Valley also use the High Level Bridge on the way into Newcastle often, especially if they are continuing on s/b on the ecml (to Middlesborough or someplace)
 

sprinterguy

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Some Northern Rail trains from the Tyne Valley also use the High Level Bridge on the way into Newcastle often, especially if they are continuing on s/b on the ecml (to Middlesborough or someplace)
There's only one southbound Northern service a day that uses the ECML, a late evening service running to Darlington. All Middlesborough trains run via the Durham Coast. Though it is true that a few services from the Tyne Valley line make use of the High Level Bridge, most commonly when accessing platform 1, as others have said.
 
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Metrocentre shuttles are often known to come round through the old Gateshead stations and then over the high level bridge. Hexham and Carlisles I've found generally are pathed over the King Edward (although I've not been on that many of them to say with too much authority). To say its to avoid confliction with the ECML is rather baffling for me. It's four lanes/paths/tracks (pardon my lack of technical knowledge) over the King Edward and usually the ECML services use the two most western ones.

Back in the virgin (pre voyager days - yay) the 18xx Newc - Bristol TM used to be booked as a class 47 and a rake of mark 2s that always used to High Level to avoid uncoupling the loco. The odd thing was that there didn't seem to be a pattern of routing. Some days it would arrive at Central via the High Level and head out over the King Edward, and other times it would be in the opposite direction. Always baffled me, but I did always aim to get that service mainly because I got to use a sparsely used bit of track, and secondly because it wasn't a regular sight in the North East. That and mkII's are awesome.
 

cuccir

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Metrocentre shuttles are often known to come round through the old Gateshead stations and then over the high level bridge. Hexham and Carlisles I've found generally are pathed over the King Edward (although I've not been on that many of them to say with too much authority). To say its to avoid confliction with the ECML is rather baffling for me. It's four lanes/paths/tracks (pardon my lack of technical knowledge) over the King Edward and usually the ECML services use the two most western ones..

Most Hexham & Carlisle trains do go via the King Edward, but as has been pointed out they also do use the HLB at times, usually so that these services can use the northbound bay platform 1 at Newcastle.
 
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Most Hexham & Carlisle trains do go via the King Edward, but as has been pointed out they also do use the HLB at times, usually so that these services can use the northbound bay platform 1 at Newcastle.

I can honestly say in all the times I've used Central, I never seen a Westbound service depart from Platform 1. Perhaps I use the station at the wrong times. Must really cut up the flow of traffic Northbound to have to traverse the entire Eastern entrance to the station.
 

SteveP29

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I assume the EC services to Edinburgh diverted via Carlisle during engineering works in Northumberland would also do this as this would avoid the train having to reverse in Newcastle so the train would still be in the correct formation.

From my experience of the diversions, they tend to terminate the diverted services at Newcastle (all HST's, obviously, as the Tyne Valley isn't wired) and they run between Newcastle and Edinburgh all day.
Some units do end up continuing to KX but for the most part, the 225 sets run from KX to Newcastle and back again
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Grand Central trains can often be seen round there as well, I presume going to and from the Heaton depot?

There's no entrance onto the HLB from the north of the ECML, so Grand Central services have coming from Heaton into service go through Central Station and over the Kind Edward and obviously in reverse when making the opposite journey
 

cuccir

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There's no entrance onto the HLB from the north of the ECML, so Grand Central services have coming from Heaton into service go through Central Station and over the Kind Edward and obviously in reverse when making the opposite journey

Ah, OK, that makes sense, I think where I've seen them is on the track which runs along the Gateshead side of the HLB junction, that is, from the King Edward in the direction of Sunderland.
 

sprinterguy

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From my experience of the diversions, they tend to terminate the diverted services at Newcastle (all HST's, obviously, as the Tyne Valley isn't wired) and they run between Newcastle and Edinburgh all day.
Some units do end up continuing to KX but for the most part, the 225 sets run from KX to Newcastle and back again
Yep, assuming that the arrangements haven't changed in the last couple of years, the HSTs shuttled back and forth between Newcastle, Carlisle and Edinburgh, except for the Aberdeen and Inverness services which continued through to/from Kings Cross, with 225s running the remainder of the services between Newcastle and KX.
 

14xxDave

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I see that it is just two lines across the bridge now with only one wired...does this mean that even after the refurb there is still a major weight restriction imposed? I also noticed the three sets of crossovers to give maximum flexibility should things go wrong....

Dave
 
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