Trivia: Examples of avoiding lines used by (in service) passenger trains to bypass a major station...

[Mcr Warrior]

Any examples out there of avoiding lines (which completely bypass a major station) that are currently still being used, even if occasionally, by passenger trains in service?

Such as, for example, possibly might be the case at locations such as Carlisle, Carmarthen, Crewe, Darlington, Inverness, Swansea and/or York?

(Not thinking here of lines that run through the centre of a given station, albeit not adjacent to any platform face, such as a number of stations on the Trent Valley).

Or are such avoiding lines ever only used by freight workings or ECS movements?

 

[swt_passenger]

Didcot has fairly well used avoiding lines. But is it actually a major station?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Didcot has fairly well used avoiding lines. But is it actually a major station?

Not the worst shout. Reckon 3 million plus passengers a year (pre COVID) makes Didcot Parkway worthy of consideration. Not a location that I'd considered!

 

[centraltrains]

Wolverhampton/Rugeley - Birmingham International/Coventry (avoiding New Street) via Bescot/Aston South Junction (to Stechford) is often used for WCML diversions if there's an issue on the Trent Valley. (Wrexham and Shropshire use to regularly use that route.)

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Wolverhampton/Rugeley - Birmingham International/Coventry (avoiding New Street) via Bescot/Aston South Junction (to Stechford) is often used for WCML diversions if there's an issue on the Trent Valley.

Think I'd probably consider these to be diversionary routes rather than avoiding lines; however, it might otherwise be a short thread if we do exclude them.

 

[pdeaves]

Many (not all) northbound Lumo services are scheduled to avoid York. Does that fit what you are after?

 

[Western Sunset]

Westbury.
Not sure if Frome (which has an avoiding line) can be considered "major" though.

 

[34006]

The Cliftonville curve, to bypass Brighton.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Many (not all) northbound Lumo services are scheduled to avoid York. Does that fit what you are after?

Does the Lumo use the Down Slow / Up Slow lines to avoid York, thus not running through the station?

 

[Snow1964]

The Quarry line avoiding Redhill
Debatable if it is an avoiding line, or some quadrupled tracks on different alignment

 

[Mcr Warrior]

The Cliftonville curve, to bypass Brighton.

Between Hove and Preston Park. Yep, that seems like a good shout.

 

[jfollows]

Does the Lumo use the Down Slow / Up Slow lines to avoid York, thus not running through the station?

Some of them are booked, to, yes, but whether or not they do on the day depends on local conditions.

 

[Western Sunset]

Bristol Temple Meads has the "rhubarb" curve so trains from Bath can go direct to Filton Abbey Wood.

 

[jfollows]

Carlisle's avoiding lines were removed a long time ago; they existed following electrification in 1974 but were subsequently removed. Although they were "goods" lines they did used to allow passenger services over them according to the old Sectional Appendix.

 

[Western Sunset]

The WCML fast lines avoid Northampton. Does that count?

Carlisle's avoiding lines were removed a long time ago; they existed following electrification in 1974 but were subsequently removed. Although they were "goods" lines they did used to allow passenger services over them according to the old Sectional Appendix.

There's still the curve south of the station via Bog Jn though. Don't think it sees any passenger traffic though.

 

[jfollows]

I've also used the Stoke-on-Trent avoiding lines which existed until the 1980s, but have been removed a long time now. Used once during engineering works which closed the main station lines.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Westbury.
Not sure if Frome (which has an avoiding line) can be considered "major" though.

Westbury had 500,000 passengers annually pre-COVID and Frome maybe some 200,000 passengers per year. Probably both allowable given that they both have named avoiding lines.

 

[SWTCommuter]

Does Weston-super-Mare count or is it just on a loop off the main line?

 

[Western Sunset]

The North-South chord of the triangle east of Gloucester sees Cross-Country services avoid that city.

Does Weston-super-Mare count or is it just on a loop off the main line?

Similar to Worcester Shrub Hill.

 

[nw12398]

A lot of trains between Taunton and Bristol bypass Weston-Super-Mare (I think all XC services between the two plus the relatively rare Exeter-London GWR services via Bristol?).

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Bristol Temple Meads has the "rhubarb" curve so trains from Bath can go direct to Filton Abbey Wood.

Is that the one between North Somerset Junction and Dr. Day's Junction? Does any in service passenger train actually use that without reversing into/back out of Bristol Temple Meads?

 

[Western Sunset]

The mainlines used to by-pass Bedford Midland Road, until an additional platform was constructed on one of the lines.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

A lot of trains between Taunton and Bristol bypass Weston-Super-Mare (I think all XC services between the two plus the relatively rare Exeter-London GWR services via Bristol?).

Like that. Weston-super-Mare also has its own named avoiding line.

 

[Western Sunset]

Is that the one between North Somerset Junction and Dr. Day's Junction? Does any in service passenger train actually use that without reversing into/back out of Bristol Temple Meads?

Yep.
Pre Covid I'm sure there was at least one train that went that way. Not sure of present situation.

 

[jfollows]

Is that the one between North Somerset Junction and Dr. Day's Junction? Does any in service passenger train actually use that without reversing into/back out of Bristol Temple Meads?

There used to be but I don't think so currently.
I lived in Bath and worked in Bristol 1994-96 and there weren't any then, but more recently I think there was a Filton-Bath (or Bath-Filton, or both) service.
EDIT 2R98 15:53 Bristol Parkway to Bath Spa in the May 2015 timetable used it.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

The mainlines used to by-pass Bedford Midland Road, until an additional platform was constructed on one of the lines.

Not currently the case, so no to that one.

 

[The Planner]

You cannot add Crewe for another couple of years until the Independant lines are re-signaled.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

The Quarry line avoiding Redhill
Debatable if it is an avoiding line, or some quadrupled tracks on different alignment

Reckon that's o.k. Redhill is certainly avoided by the Quarry Line and it had over 3 million passengers annually (pre COVID) so definitely counts as being busy enough.

 

[507020]

Coming back from the Elizabeth Line opening day this week I went on the 19:40 service from Euston to Manchester Piccadilly, which uniquely goes via the entirety of the Styal line avoiding Stockport and not reversing at Manchester Airport. Some Sunday morning TfW services also go that way.

 

[Galvanize]

The South Eastern Main Line avoiding Lewisham. On Sundays the Cannon Street-Orpington stoppers go straight from St Johns to Hither Green without stopping at Lewisham, and avoid it completely!