Steepest gradient for a station?

[TukayAway]

I've tried searching for this but have sort of come up short. The best I could find is that trains aren't allowed to be split/coupled on anything more than 1 in 500 and new stations should be on the level, although reopened stations do get some leeway.

Off the top of my head, the North end of Farringdon slips away greatly, and the northbound platform at Kings Cross coming from Moorgate must have been steep. It makes sense that they'd all be fairly level at least to help the trains depart but there must have been some exceptions surely?

 

[507 001]

Beddgelert on the WHR is 1 in 40 and is afaik the steepest in the country.
We're allowed to split/join there too.

Not sure about mainline though sorry

 

[matchmaker]

Dunblane is 1 in 70 or thereby. Sets are occasionally split there.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

Old Hill is probably 1 in 40.

The whole of Old Hill Bank is bloody steep. Towards the top of it is Rowley Regis station and the platforms there noticeably curve up like a miniature skip jump.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Even the climb to Miles Platting out of Man Vi is no picnic.

 

[Joseph_Locke]

The NR standards go pretty much as follows:

If you can, not steeper than 1 in 500.

(an older rule of thumb was 1 in 250).

If no terminating or reversing, you can go steeper than 1 in 500, but you need to consider "alternative means of ensuring safety" - this can range from requiring the driver to stay in the train to sand drags interlocked with the platform starting signal, etc.

Up to 1 in 100 or so you can normally justify the design based on the cost of making it flatter - however on HSTSI lines the limit is 1 in 400 (however section 4.2 of GI/GN 7616 (available at rgsonline) is as clear as mud.

The other consideration is train performance - there's no point saving money by "getting away with" 1 in 60 if the service is operated by class 150s - they'd never move off fully laden (well, you know what I mean) or, if it's in a leafy tree-lined cutting, the trains may never stop, in leaf fall season ...

Against all this, the probability of a runaway (based on historic data) by a stationary train from a platform in service is about zero, so it is all a bit cautious!

 

[hairyhandedfool]

It's uphill both ways out of City Thameslink, with the southern end of the platforms (down by the lifts) probably not that different to the average gradient to Blackfriars.

 

[edwin_m]

The relaxation in the rules on gradients in stations was probably a result of RSSB project T815. The report (downloadable via the link below) includes a list of stations on severe gradients and concludes that there isn't a safety issue with exceeding the previous limits.

This research was required to inform the Infrastructure Standards Committee on the continuing need for a requirement for platforms to be located on track with an average gradient not steeper than 1 in 500. As part of meeting capacity improvements across the railway network new stations are being built and platforms are being added to existing stations. In many cases the locations of these platforms are constrained and have to be accommodated on existing track with existing vertical alignment. The research concluded that this measure is no longer required and that there could be benefits in terms of more flexibility as to the location of stations and cost reductions for platform improvement schemes. A proportion of the estimated £50m to £70m of investment per year could be saved by this research. The research was carried out on behalf of the Infrastructure Standards Committee and involved a desk top exercise using rolling stock, station and operational expertise together with reference documents. It may lead to changes in Railway Group Standards in due course.

http://www.rssb.co.uk/RESEARCH/Lists/DispForm_Custom.aspx?ID=499

 

[gordonthemoron]

The gradient of the platforms at Ingolstadt Nord High Speed line is alarming to say the least (Germany)

 

[DaveNewcastle]

Isn't Glasgow Queen Street a particularly busy terminus at the bottom of a bank, with gradients of 1 in 44 coming out of the tunnel and still at least 1 in 100 on the platforms?

There have been incidents.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Isn't Glasgow Queen Street a particularly busy terminus at the bottom of a bank, with gradients of 1 in 44 coming out of the tunnel and still at least 1 in 100 on the platforms?

There have been incidents.

Liverpool Lime Street is similar, and there's been incidents there too (including one that killed a 142!).

 

[simon.exd]

The line from Exeter St Davids to Exeter Central is pretty steep, not sure of the exact incline tho.

 

[edwin_m]

Also Bradford Interchange, but in all these cases the platforms are level (or at least the end nearest the stops is). The historic concern was always that if there was a station on an incline the train might roll away if the crew left without securing it properly.

 

[matchmaker]

Isn't Glasgow Queen Street a particularly busy terminus at the bottom of a bank, with gradients of 1 in 44 coming out of the tunnel and still at least 1 in 100 on the platforms?

There have been incidents.

Worst incident was 1928. 3 killed.

http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docsummary.php?docID=1911

"The first (Edinburgh) portion of the 9.45 p.m. express passenger train, Glasgow to Edinburgh and London, had just left Queen Street Station when a collision occurred between the rear end of this train and the engine of an empty carriage train which was being shunted from a siding into a platform line at the station. I regret to state that one passenger was killed, two more sustained severe injuries, and died in hospital; and 52 suffered from injuries and shock, of whom 15 had to be detained in hospital."

You wouldn't know nowadays about the operational difficulties Cowlairs Incline used to cause, as modern Sprinter class DMU's tackle it with little difficulty.

 

[steamybrian]

It's uphill both ways out of City Thameslink, with the southern end of the platforms (down by the lifts) probably not that different to the average gradient to Blackfriars.

Part of the platforms of City Thameslink are on the 1 in 29 to Blackfriars.

 

[matchmaker]

Look at any station on the Glasgow Subway. They are on a "hump". Gradients of 1 in 20 approaching and leaving each station! The tunnels under the Clyde are 1 in 18.

Any adhesion worked advance on that?

 

[transmanche]

Look at any station on the Glasgow Subway. They are on a "hump". Gradients of 1 in 20 approaching and leaving each station! The tunnels under the Clyde are 1 in 18.

Any adhesion worked advance on that?

Quite a few tube stations are built on steep humps - and the DLR has some very steep climbs.

But Wikipedia suggests that the narrow-gauge Pöstlingbergbahn in Austria has an 11.6% (or 1:8.62) section.

 

[Railsigns]

Dunblane is 1 in 70 or thereby.

Dunblane station is on a gradient of 1 in 212, with steeper gradients before and after.

 

[30907]

The line from Exeter St Davids to Exeter Central is pretty steep, not sure of the exact incline tho.

1 in 37, but not through either station!

 

[Ploughman]

According to the gradient plot Goathland on the NYMR is 1 in 138 through the platforms.
This comes after the climb up the 1 in 49. Before continuing South at 1 in 90

Shuttles do split and run round but only after moving into the loop to do so.
Normal running entails downhill trains passing over a turnout that would lead into a sand drag.

 

[northwichcat]

Does anyone know what the gradient gets up to approaching Sheffield from Darnall? That seems pretty steep.

 

[simon.exd]

1 in 37, but not through either station!

No I kind of realised that after I pressed to go button!! D'oh..
Ok what about a bit further up the line by St James Park?

 

[Trainfan344]

Torre is on a hill IIRC

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

On the Middleton Junction station to Oldham Wernerth station link line between the original Manchester and Leeds Railway and the Oldham Loop Line, there was a very steep upwards gradient of 1 mile 383 yards, of which over one mile was at the ruling gradient of 1 : 27, which was said to be the steepest locomotive hauled incline in Britain.