Single-track station on double-track railway?

[AJDesiro]

The Chase Line portion of Rugeley Trent Valley could count, the line goes from double to single track for the platform, though the 4-track WCML is adjacent.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

The Chase Line portion of Rugeley Trent Valley could count, the line goes from double to single track for the platform, though the 4-track WCML is adjacent.

Can one really look at platform 1 at Rugeley Trent Valley in isolation, as the station has three platforms in total. Its layout seems not to be that of a 'single track station'.

 

[Taunton]

Limerick Junction was long an extreme variation, which somewhat defied description, as on a double track railway there was a third track which served the lengthy single main platform, with crossovers in the middle where trains from both directions had to reverse to get into it, sometimes when handling trains from both directions at once ending up with the two trains standing with the locomotives facing one another. Most of the main line expresses stopped here and went through all this. In recent times it has been rebuilt.

The arrangement for connecting trains to Waterford, which start from a bay in this platform facing in the wrong direction, and have to reverse twice to get onto their line, finally crossing the main line at right angles on the level, just adds to it all.

A wonderful Irish description was "the only station where all trains have to go through it or past it before they can even get into it".

 

[John Luxton]

Going back to GWR Broad Gauge days there were several single sided stations with two platforms on the same side with a cross-over.

I can't recall which ones but I have seen photos, diagrams and models.

 

[midland1]

Bromsgrove when it was simplified about 1970, not any more though I'm glad to say.

 

[Basil Jet]

Interestingly the electric wires at Ware both continue through the station, so there are two wires above the single track.

 

[Magdalia]

Going back to GWR Broad Gauge days there were several single sided stations with two platforms on the same side with a cross-over.

From what I've read this was fairly common in the early days of railways, especially in towns where the station was on the edge. I think that Derby was another example.

Cambridge was unusual in that it remained that way until very recently, the island platform only being a bit more than 10 years old.

Limerick Junction was long an extreme variation, which somewhat defied description, as on a double track railway there was a third track which served the lengthy single main platform, with crossovers in the middle where trains from both directions had to reverse to get into it, sometimes when handling trains from both directions at once ending up with the two trains standing with the locomotives facing one another. Most of the main line expresses stopped here and went through all this. In recent times it has been rebuilt.

The arrangement for connecting trains to Waterford, which start from a bay in this platform facing in the wrong direction, and have to reverse twice to get onto their line, finally crossing the main line at right angles on the level, just adds to it all.

A wonderful Irish description was "the only station where all trains have to go through it or past it before they can even get into it".

I have only been to Ireland a few times, but I did make sure that I visited Limerick Junction and rode on the Limerick-Rosslare train that did two reversals.

Limerick Junction was similar to Cambridge but with important differences. One was that, unlike Cambridge, Limerick Junction did not have continuous track all the way along the main platform, the scissors crossover in the middle had a bit missing. Another was the line that went across the front of the station, with a level crossing over the station access road, that was used by the Limerick-Rosslare train to get to and from the south end bay. The method of operation in the main platform at Limerick Junction was also very different from at Cambridge.

 

[Mgameing123]

Fenny Stratford & Bedford St John's on the Marston Vale Line.

 

[stuu]

Going back to GWR Broad Gauge days there were several single sided stations with two platforms on the same side with a cross-over.

I can't recall which ones but I have seen photos, diagrams and models.

Swindon and Reading certainly were; Swindon didn't get a proper down platform until about 20 years ago, before that trains had to cross the up main line to access the island platform

 

[Ashley Hill]

Swindon and Reading certainly were; Swindon didn't get a proper down platform until about 20 years ago, before that trains had to cross the up main line to access the island platform

Swindon did have a down platform but it was taken out of passenger use for a long time. IIRC it was still used for parcels. A bit of it is still visible at the London end of P4.
Pilning now only has an up platform.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Limerick Junction was long an extreme variation, which somewhat defied description, as on a double track railway there was a third track which served the lengthy single main platform, with crossovers in the middle where trains from both directions had to reverse to get into it, sometimes when handling trains from both directions at once ending up with the two trains standing with the locomotives facing one another. Most of the main line expresses stopped here and went through all this. In recent times it has been rebuilt.

The arrangement for connecting trains to Waterford, which start from a bay in this platform facing in the wrong direction, and have to reverse twice to get onto their line, finally crossing the main line at right angles on the level, just adds to it all.

A wonderful Irish description was "the only station where all trains have to go through it or past it before they can even get into it".

Limerick Junction was altered in 1967 so that main line trains could at least enter the long single platform without reversal. A north facing chord was also provided at the same time to enable through Limerick to Dublin services without calling at the Junction. The second, down, platform was only provided recently - it is a pity a south facing chord from the Waterford line couldn't have been built at the same time.