Quadruple Track - Longest

[Lee_Again]

I seem to recall that the 50(ish) miles from St Pancras to Bedford was the longest stretch of quadruple track in the UK. Given we have had many recent improvements (Trent Valley etc) and St Pancras is now only triple to Kentish Town what is the longest stretch of quadruple track in the UK?

I would add that IMHO the route to Rugby, where a pair of tracks go via Northampton, can't count.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Euston-Roade then, maybe Knebworth-Huntingdon?

St Pancras-Kettering (not Bedford) was at some point in the past.

 

[anthony263]

Can we include Paddington - Didcot?

 

[martinsh]

Used to be New York - Chicago !

 

[Old Timer]

The Midland Main line four track section was originally from St Pancras right through to Glendon North Jct, which was to the north of Kettering, and has always historically represented the longest continuous section of four-track railway in the UK.

Even with the short section between St Pancras and Kentish Town taken away I would still say this must be the longest section in the UK. Unfortunately I do not have any access where I am to the various documents that would demonstrate this.

 

[MK Tom]

AFAIC the Northampton loop is the slow lines of the WCML. I don't see it as two separate lines.

How long is just south of Nuneaton to Colwich Junction?

 

[Nym]

WCML Drops to 3 track somewhere S of Rugby IIRC.

 

[HSTEd]

I thought it might be Church Fenton to Northallerton but that only comes out at 65km

 

[Pumbaa]

WCML Drops to 3 track somewhere S of Rugby IIRC.

North of Rugby you mean then its about 6 miles? south of Nuneaton 4 track is regained.

I wouldn't class the drain as WCML although historically it was - today the WCML is measured via Weedon and the Northampton lines noted as such.

 

[pmgarvey]

Used to be New York - Chicago !

Bloody hell, that's impressive!

 

[nr_signaller]

The mml is 3 track from sharnbrook, not far north of bedford

Its gotta be about 60 miles quadruple track euston to roade on wcml south

 

[AlterEgo]

Its gotta be about 60 miles quadruple track euston to roade on wcml south

It isn't as much as that. I'd say just under fifty at a guess.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

AFAIC the Northampton loop is the slow lines of the WCML. I don't see it as two separate lines.

They're miles apart - it's not a four track railway with towns in between!

 

[nr_signaller]

59mi 60ch from euston to roade according to mileage.railmiles.org

 

[Tomnick]

Some mileages from Quail:


Waterloo - Worting Jn: 50m21ch
Paddington - Foxhall Jn: 53m55ch
Dock Jn North (Kentish Town) - Sharnbrook Jn: 55m56ch
Euston - Roade: 60m24ch (to what appears to be the actual divergence)

Euston to Roade looks to be the clear winner then, unless there's another stretch that I've missed. As OT indicated above though, the Midland used to to be four-tracked right through from St Pancras to Glendon North Jn (74m77ch).

 

[MK Tom]

They're miles apart - it's not a four track railway with towns in between!

But they're the same tracks... if you want to not go via Northampton you have to purposefully transfer to the fast lines because that's where the slow lines go... as I see it it's just a much bigger version of Sharnbrook tunnel. It's not like Birmingham or Stoke on Trent where you branch off, it's the same tracks going straight ahead and rejoining later. I know NR have taken the attitude that the fast lines are the WCML and the slow lines aren't, but there's no reason to say that. If anything it should be the other way round, the WCML should go through this massive town come almost city and the fast lines could be treated as an avoiding line. But they are in practise just the fast lines and the slow lines because they flow into those lines at both ends.

 

[Old Timer]

But they're the same tracks... if you want to not go via Northampton you have to purposefully transfer to the fast lines because that's where the slow lines go... as I see it it's just a much bigger version of Sharnbrook tunnel. It's not like Birmingham or Stoke on Trent where you branch off, it's the same tracks going straight ahead and rejoining later. I know NR have taken the attitude that the fast lines are the WCML and the slow lines aren't, but there's no reason to say that. If anything it should be the other way round, the WCML should go through this massive town come almost city and the fast lines could be treated as an avoiding line. But they are in practise just the fast lines and the slow lines because they flow into those lines at both ends.

The Northampton loop has never been considered as part of the main WCML four track section. It has its own ELR and is separated physically by a considerable geographical distance. The Northampton loop is also shown separately in the Sectional Appendix.

The Fast / Slow lines run as far as Hanslope North Jct where they then become the Down and Up Main and Northampton lines respectively as far as Rugby South Jct.

In BR days there were also separate route working instructions as well as freight train loading tables.

 

[Eagle]

How does Waterloo–Worting Junction compare?

 

[Old Timer]

The mml is 3 track from sharnbrook, not far north of bedford

Its gotta be about 60 miles quadruple track euston to roade on wcml south

Bugger, I had forgotten about that stupid recovery !

How does Waterloo–Worting Junction compare?

The physical connections are at 50m 29ch, with the flyover at 50m 70ch.

 

[paulb1973]

WCML Drops to 3 track somewhere S of Rugby IIRC.

Brinklow (north of Rugby) to Attleborough Junction (just south of Nuneaton) is the three-track section on the Trent Valley part of the WCML - passing places such as; the Oxford Canal, Nettle Hill, Shilton, Ansty and Bulkington/M69 Motorway. Basically the 'triangle' between Nuneaton, Coventry & Rugby.

 

[Philip Elliott]

The Northampton loop has never been considered as part of the main WCML four track section. It has its own ELR and is separated physically by a considerable geographical distance. The Northampton loop is also shown separately in the Sectional Appendix.

On top of that, there is no such thing as the Northampton 'loop' - it is two different lines. The first line into Northampton was a branch from Blisworth to Bridge Street followed shortly after by the through line from Roade - Market Harborough where it joined the Rugby - Peterborough line. The route from Hillmorton - Kings Heath wasn't built until 30-40 years later for direct LNWR trains from the west midlands to the eastern counties.

On a side note, Stoke is not on the WCML - it is on the North Staffordshire Main line from Norton Bridge - Macclesfield. (Stone-Colwich was always a branch line).

 

[Zoe]

On a side note, Stoke is not on the WCML - it is on the North Staffordshire Main line from Norton Bridge - Macclesfield. (Stone-Colwich was always a branch line).

Or simply the Colwich Junction to Macclesfield Line with the section from Norton Bridge to Stone known as the Norton Bridge and Stone Line.

 

[Philip Elliott]

Norton Bridge was always the mainline, Colwich was a terminus for passenger services until the creation of the LMS.

 

[Zoe]

Norton Bridge was always the mainline, Colwich was a terminus for passenger services until the creation of the LMS.

Yes, I'm just going by the line names that the ELRs were derrived from. The mileage is calculated from Macclesfield to Colwich via the Colwich Junction to Macclesfield Line.

 

[Old Timer]

On top of that, there is no such thing as the Northampton 'loop' - .

Then I will ignore my 10 odd BR years experience of working the Rugby PSB area and be guided by your years of experience. :roll:

 

[Rugd1022]

Then I will ignore my 10 odd BR years experience of working the Rugby PSB area and be guided by your years of experience. :roll:

Re - the fasts via Kilsby Tunnel and the slows via Northampton.... most of us who work the route still call them 'old line' and 'new line' respectively, and everybody concerned knows what we're talking about.... some also refer to the latter as 'the Northampton Loop', whether it's an official designation or not it doesn't really matter as those of us who work it are all singing from the same hymn sheet anyway!

Sounds daft I know, but when one of the bobbies tells me ''we'll have you out old line mate, don't hang about'' I get a nice warm glow

 

[MK Tom]

Obviously it doesn't come close to being the longest, but how long is Victoria-Three Bridges?

 

[Old Timer]

Re - the fasts via Kilsby Tunnel and the slows via Northampton.... most of us who work the route still call them 'old line' and 'new line' respectively, and everybody concerned knows what we're talking about.... some also refer to the latter as 'the Northampton Loop', whether it's an official designation or not it doesn't really matter as those of us who work it are all singing from the same hymn sheet anyway!

Sounds daft I know, but when one of the bobbies tells me ''we'll have you out old line mate, don't hang about'' I get a nice warm glow

Thanks for that old chap.

In my time I have known the Northampton lines referred to as the Deviation, the Loop and as you rightly say, the New line.

Thank God there are still some on here who were about in BR days, or at least have the knowledge.

Back in my days we also used, variously, the phrases "down the Bank", or "(in) the Black Hole" to describe trains which had gone via the New lines and were off both the Bletchley and Rugby PSB panels, these terms even being recognised by Regional Control in Crewe. TRains which went via Weedon were always referred to as running Old line, and as I recall one or two official publications carried the phrases Weedon (Old Line) or Northampton (New Line) in brackets after either, a bit like the Willesden(New Lines) scenario, although Network Rail it would seem have gone on a dumbing down exercise with regards to the old names of lines/routes.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Obviously it doesn't come close to being the longest, but how long is Victoria-Three Bridges?

That's debatable, it depends if you count the tracks that split south of Coulsdon as Fasts and Slows (which they officially are, but they are quite a way apart and totally separate).

 

[Ploughman]

As an aside to the current situation.
What was the longest stretch of 4 track historically?

 

[Old Timer]

As an aside to the current situation.
What was the longest stretch of 4 track historically?

St Pancras to Glendon North Jct.