Track Widening Schemes that never happened

[Sad Sprinter]

Does anyone know of any historical plans to widen sections of track from say, two to four? I read an interesting thread recently that the line from Balham to Streatham Hill was originally meant to be four tracks and got be wondering whether the SR planned to quadruple the line as far as Crystal Palace. I wonder how many track widening schemes were proposed that were never completed.

 

[Ianno87]

I believe some of the required land to 4 track the southern end of the Brighton Main Line was aquired but never used.

 

[steamybrian]

Finchley Central to Edgware on the LT Northern Line extension. Work started in 1939 on increasing the line from single to double track. Second track laid from Finchley Central to Mill The Hale but subsequently removed. Second platform built at Mill The Hale but subsequently abandoned. Second platform at Mill Hill East never built.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

Finchley Central to Edgware on the LT Northern Line extension. Work started in 1939 on increasing the line from single to double track. Second track laid from Finchley Central to Mill The Hale but subsequently removed. Second platform built at Mill The Hale but subsequently abandoned. Second platform at Mill Hill East never built.

I am sure I saw a map plan somewhere that had four tracks between Finchley Central and East Finchley, with a new station inbetween called Finchley Manor.

 

[Taunton]

There are a lot of single lines around the country that were built with earthworks and structures to support a double line, which never took place. Over time the track may have been centred in places but the original wide structures are still there. The Bluebell north from Sheffield Park is an example.

 

[Pinza-C55]

The NER had a plan to widen the Penshaw - Sunderland line from 2 to 4 tracks between Hylton and Pallion in about 1900 but never did.

 

[edwin_m]

The line from Mansfield Junction (Nottingham) towards Bulwell was intended to be four-tracked at some time - most of the road bridges over it were rebuilt to suit, and the tram now makes use of some of the formation.

Dare I mention Birmingham-Coventry?

 

[delt1c]

How about Welwyn Viaduct, many proposals to quadruple but still just 2 tracks

 

[ChiefPlanner]

4 tracking Moor Park into Rickmansworth Station.

6 Tracking Ealing Broadway (WR) to Langley (the GWR had the idea of relocating Old Oak Common to Iver !)

 

[bramling]

Does anyone know of any historical plans to widen sections of track from say, two to four? I read an interesting thread recently that the line from Balham to Streatham Hill was originally meant to be four tracks and got be wondering whether the SR planned to quadruple the line as far as Crystal Palace. I wonder how many track widening schemes were proposed that were never completed.

Railtrack certainly had aspirations to quadruple the Digswell Viaduct. I don’t think it ever went that far beyond aspiration though.

 

[Ploughman]

Leeds Marsh Lane viaduct was rumoured to have a reserved corridor alongside upto the mid 90's then Railtrack sold it off.

 

[Cowley]

There are a lot of single lines around the country that were built with earthworks and structures to support a double line, which never took place. Over time the track may have been centred in places but the original wide structures are still there. The Bluebell north from Sheffield Park is an example.

Another good preserved example is the Mid Hants south of Butts Junction towards Winchester.
I think many of the bridges between Coleford Junction to near Barnstaple were the same as well.

 

[30907]

Does anyone know of any historical plans to widen sections of track from say, two to four? I read an interesting thread recently that the line from Balham to Streatham Hill was originally meant to be four tracks and got be wondering whether the SR planned to quadruple the line as far as Crystal Palace.

With two tunnels in that section I rather doubt it, but it's intriguing.

 

[Revaulx]

Following the building of the Hope Valley line, the Midland embarked upon massive capacity improvements at both ends, building the Cheadle Heath cut-off into Manchester and quadrupling the approaches to Sheffield. Plans to continue the four tracking northwards from Sheffield Midland were certainly considered, but presumably kyboshed by the outbreak of war.

 

[S&CLER]

The North Eastern line from Leeds to Micklefield was built with bridges wide enough for 4 tracks but never widened. The L&Y had plans to widen from Pemberton (junction of the line from Wigan Wallgate and the Wigan avoiding line) to the junction with the North Liverpool line near Fazakerley. I think the cost of widening Upholland tunnel must have put a stop to this idea.

 

[Cricketer8for9]

I think I’m right that the London and South Western railway planned a full eight tracking between Clapham Junction and Waterloo but never quite got round to the final part through Queen’s Rd Battersea (now Queenstown Rd).

 

[Dr_Paul]

We recently discussed elsewhere the rebuilding of Richmond station in the 1930s in such a way as to provide four platforms on the Windsor lines, and also the various ideas about additional lines for the South-Western mainline between Surbiton and Wimbledon.

 

[infobleep]

There are a lot of single lines around the country that were built with earthworks and structures to support a double line, which never took place. Over time the track may have been centred in places but the original wide structures are still there. The Bluebell north from Sheffield Park is an example.

I believe the line north of Sheffield Park was double tracks but the Bluebell Railway either singled it or it was single by the point they took over and they decided they didn't want it to be double track.

 

[Bald Rick]

Dare I mention Birmingham-Coventry?

The LMS won the powers to do that, but I presume a war got in the way.

Railtrack certainly had aspirations to quadruple the Digswell Viaduct. I don’t think it ever went that far beyond aspiration though.

Railtrack certainly bought a number of the houses near the viaduct, and then rented them out. They were later sold - one assumes at a tidy profit to the taxpayer.

 

[topydre]

Machynlleth - Dyfi Junction was down for doubling in 1923 but the work was "deferred" by 1927. Shame.. the extra capacity there would have been very useful - according to Gwyn Briwnant Jones (Talerddig in Great Western Days) it was one of the most intensively used single track stretches in the UK during WWII - and would probably allow a full hourly service (splitting/joining at Machynlleth) on the Cambrian Network (Main + Coast)
* budget was £52,200 at the time!!

 

[Pinza-C55]

Another good preserved example is the Mid Hants south of Butts Junction towards Winchester.
I think many of the bridges between Coleford Junction to near Barnstaple were the same as well.

My pet railway, the Malton & Driffield, was mainly built with 2 track structures and embankments but was only ever single track. Burdale Tunnel is nearly unique in that the north portal is single track but the south portal is double track.

north end burdale tunnel

Explore fishermandave89's 4205 photos on Flickr!

flic.kr

Burdale Tunnel [2] 20.5.78 by A1 Northeastern, on Flickr

 

[Cowley]

My pet railway, the Malton & Driffield, was mainly built with 2 track structures and embankments but was only ever single track. Burdale Tunnel is nearly unique in that the north portal is single track but the south portal is double track.

north end burdale tunnel

Explore fishermandave89's 4205 photos on Flickr!

flic.kr

Burdale Tunnel [2] 20.5.78 by A1 Northeastern, on Flickr

Really interesting @Pinza-C55.

 

[Pinza-C55]

Thanks. I have built the whole line in the Trainz simulator and you can see the tunnel between 05.52 and 07.38.

 

[theironroad]

In the stagecoach days of SWT, they floated a plan to have a fifth track from Surbiton to I think Clapham junction and claim was all the land required was already in railway ownership. Never got very far though.

 

[Bald Rick]

In the stagecoach days of SWT, they floated a plan to have a fifth track from Surbiton to I think Clapham junction and claim was all the land required was already in railway ownership. Never got very far though.

That was an NR proposal, and was never taken far. What was clear is that it would be extraordinarily disruptive to build.

 

[MarlowDonkey]

6 Tracking Ealing Broadway (WR) to Langley (the GWR had the idea of relocating Old Oak Common to Iver !)

If that had been built, it might have found a later use as extensions of the District or Circle Lines. Historically there had been a District Railway service from Windsor.

 

[30907]

I believe the line north of Sheffield Park was double tracks but the Bluebell Railway either singled it or it was single by the point they took over and they decided they didn't want it to be double track.

East Grinstead to Copyhold Jn/Haywards Heath was double but Horsted Keynes to Culver Jn was always single.

 

[DerekC]

According to Bert Moody's Southampton's Railways the LSWR got powers and bought land to four-track between Eastleigh and St Denys but never went ahead with the work.

Staying in my local county, the Meon Valley Railway from Butts Junction at Alton to Knowle Junction near Fareham was built to main line standards, with structures for two tracks throughout, but was never more than single.

 

[theironroad]

That was an NR proposal, and was never taken far. What was clear is that it would be extraordinarily disruptive to build.

I think extraordinarily disruptive is mild, at time I go through the area and think just where would have it been squeezed in in places .

 

[Gerald Fiennes]

Does the District Railway's plans for a deep level line from South Kensington to the City count, the net result of which is a spare platform and weird tunnel portals at South Ken?