Required track at Ashford International

[Cambus731]

I'm looking at the 2013 edition of S.K.Baker's Rail Atlas and there is a bit of track I haven't done and I'm considering going to Kent tomorrow.
It is the small section of single line which leaves the Maidstone line just before the junction with HS1 and rejoins the line just after it.
Is it mainly used by down trains?
Does anyone have any idea which trains ( if any) are likely to traverse it tomorrow?
I appreciate there probably are website for this sort of information but I'm not familiar with them.

 

[zwk500]

If you're talking about the Maidstone Relief (stays north of the HS1 chords into Ashford) you'd need to find a train from the Maidstone East Line to Platform 5 or 6. If you're talking about the Maidstone Loop (Crosses the HS1 lines with the Down/Up Maidstone) I don't think any passenger services are regularly booked to use it.

This page should show the first option:

Realtime Trains - Departures from Ashford International

Realtime Trains provides live realtime running information for the Great British railway network using open data.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[yorksrob]

I've been on a few late evening trains from Maidstone that have ended up in 1/2. It seemed a bumpy bit of track !

 

[Cambus731]

If you're talking about the Maidstone Relief (stays north of the HS1 chords into Ashford) you'd need to find a train from the Maidstone East Line to Platform 5 or 6. If you're talking about the Maidstone Loop (Crosses the HS1 lines with the Down/Up Maidstone) I don't think any passenger services are regularly booked to use it.

This page should show the first option:

Realtime Trains - Departures from Ashford International

Realtime Trains provides live realtime running information for the Great British railway network using open data.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

I reckon it's the Maidstone relief line. I've been meaning to clear it for years.

 

[zwk500]

I reckon it's the Maidstone relief line. I've been meaning to clear it for years.

Here's a drawing off the Quail for clarity:

 

[Cambus731]

That's the chap. Am I likely to find a train traversing that tomorrow daytime?
I suspect it would be more likely to be a down train?

 

[zwk500]

That's the chap. Am I likely to find a train traversing that tomorrow daytime?
I suspect it would be more likely to be a down train?

I can't guarantee 100% that trains will use it, but any train from Maidstone East to Ashford platforms 5 or 6 should use it. I posted a link to the list of these trains on Realtimetrains tomorrow in post #2.

There's a fair chance that Up trains towards Maidstone East from Platforms 5 and 6 will use it as well, but unfortunately the schedules in RTT don't show that level of detail.

 

[brad465]

I'm looking at the 2013 edition of S.K.Baker's Rail Atlas and there is a bit of track I haven't done and I'm considering going to Kent tomorrow.
It is the small section of single line which leaves the Maidstone line just before the junction with HS1 and rejoins the line just after it.
Is it mainly used by down trains?
Does anyone have any idea which trains ( if any) are likely to traverse it tomorrow?
I appreciate there probably are website for this sort of information but I'm not familiar with them.

Almost all Maidstone East line trains to/from Canterbury West (and at the moment Ramsgate) will use platforms 5/6 and in turn that chord, which is bi-directional. I have been on a couple that didn't, but for the sake of avoiding conflicts in the Ashford International area the majority of trains going to/from CBW do. Ashford terminators are more likely to use platform 1/2, and thus would not use the subject chord. I suspect they can't all use platforms 5/6 as the HS1 services still need to use them.

 

[David Goddard]

So based on RTT the following arrive into P6 and should use the chord:

2N16 0755 London Victoria to Ashford International arr 0923
2N28 1055 London Victoria to Ashford International arr 1221
2N44 1455 London Victoria to Ashford International arr 1628

The following depart from Platform 5 or 6 and should use the chord:
2A18 0735 Folkestone Central to London Victoria at 0757
2A54 1658 Ashford International to London Victoria
2A60 1827 Ashford International to London Victoria

There are others but I have picked three each way at reasonable sociable times!

 

[Cambus731]

Thank you to everyone for your help on this. I traversed it on the 1227 from Ashford yesterday.
I'm glad to have finally cleared this.

 

[zwk500]

Thank you to everyone for your help on this. I traversed it on the 1227 from Ashford yesterday.
I'm glad to have finally cleared this.

Thanks for the update!

 

[AverageTD]

Would the hourly Victoria to Canterbury West/Ramsgate trains not use this curve? It looks a lot more convenient than going down to P3.