Trivia: Largest population served by single track line

[najaB]

Rather a random trivia question but it occurred to me today that Inverness is possibly the largest population centre in the UK that is served by predominantly single-track railways.

Are there any larger places that share the honour (I'm excluding Aberdeen because while Usan-Montrose is single track, that's a very short section of a long railway).

 

[Railsigns]

Rather a random trivia question but it occurred to me today that Inverness is possibly the largest population centre in the UK that is served by predominantly single-track railways.

Are there any larger places that share the honour [?]

Yes - Derry/Londonderry for one.

 

[najaB]

Yes - Derry/Londonderry for one.

Good point, wasn't thinking about NI rail.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

A few contenders:

Aberystwyth, in term-time at least?

Lytham?

Technically the Morecambe line is two independent single tracks, so perhaps that counts?

Yeovil has two stations each with 2 platforms, but both are just loops along lengthy single sections. That reasoning leads me to...

Weston-super-Mare, as the loop is single either side of the station.

Disclaimer: I haven't looked up the populations of any of the above places, they're just off the top of my head.

EDIT: Plymouth. Three routes in, two of which are single as they enter the city!

 

[steamybrian]

Crowborough has a population of over 20,000
(larger than Aberystwyth)

Braintree In 2011 the census was 41,634

 

[najaB]

EDIT: Plymouth. Three routes in, two of which are single as they enter the city!

That's cheating! Anyway, it still doesn't count as one of the routes is double.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
The reason it came to mind is that with the HML being shut it's proving to be a bit a of nightmare scheduling additional services (e.g. the Tesco train and the Sleeper) over the line to Aberdeen.

 

[tony_mac]

Presumably the old favourite of Corby would be up there.

 

[Parallel]

Exmouth and Barnstaple are single track only and the former has a census of over 35,000. The latter, just over 20,000.

 

[Altnabreac]

Norwich 213,000
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trowse_Bridge

 

[najaB]

Norwich 213,000
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trowse_Bridge

and

Aberdeen 186,000
https://www.railscot.co.uk/North_British_Arbroath_and_Montrose_Railway/index.php

I'm going to disqualify both of them - they're both on double (or more) track lines that have very short sections of single track.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Corby being doubled literally as I travel on an EMT there!

 

[JamesRowden]

Tunbridge Wells (56000) has single track sections on its line in both directions, and has a greater population than Inverness.

Hastings (86000) would count if being the fastest routes to the majority of the country counts as being 'predominantly served by'.

 

[PHILIPE]

A city, Worcester (Foregate St) which is served by 2 single lines, one from Tunnel Jcn and the other Shrub Hill. They cross over to the West of the station if required at Henwick.

 

[theageofthetra]

Beckenham has the single track Southern route through Birkbeck.

 

[najaB]

Tunbridge Wells (56000) has single track sections on its line in both directions, and has a greater population than Inverness.

How long are the sections?

Hastings (86000) would count if being the fastest routes to the majority of the country counts as being 'predominantly served by'.

I probably worded it badly - I was thinking of places that are only served by lines which are predominantly single line. The HML and Aberdeen-Inverness lines both have double-track sections but are mainly single track.

 

[JamesRowden]

How long are the sections?

There are four single track tunnels on the Tonbridge-Hastings line which passes through Tunbridge Wells.

To the north Somerhill Tunnel is 890m long. To the South, Strawberry Hill Tunnel is 250m long, Wadhurst Tunnel 1.15km long and Mountfield Tunnel is 530m long.

 

[najaB]

There are four single track tunnels on the Tonbridge-Hastings line which passes through Tunbridge Wells...

That's marginal - I don't know if I'd class c. 3km out of 50km as 'predominantly' single-track.

 

[JamesRowden]

That's marginal - I don't know if I'd class c. 3km out of 50km as 'predominantly' single-track.

I suppose it depends on what the definition of the word `line' is and whether 890m is long enough to be a line
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Or if we include the `predominantly' word, it would be a question of whether 1.78km (minus 1 over infinity) is long enough to be a line

 

[Harlesden]

Cleethorpes?

 

[Iskra]

Whitehaven?

 

[Kite159]

Newquay

In the summer months

 

[61653 HTAFC]

That's cheating! Anyway, it still doesn't count as one of the routes is double.

The OP said mostly/predominantly single, so 2 out of 3 (the Brunel bridge and Tamar Valley) qualifies, surely... Cheeky rather than cheating, anyway!

 

[Old Hill Bank]

OK let's throw in Redditch.

 

[backontrack]

Whitehaven?

Whitehaven is double-track throughout from Carlisle, even then it's only single as far as Sellafield (should be redoubled, really), although Maryport only has one platform (it's only ever had one despite always being on a double-track line, even today).

Whitby's only accessible by a single track line, from Grosmont. The second platform's been reopened for the NYMR, but that's still only on a spur.

 

[najaB]

Whitby's only accessible by a single track line, from Grosmont. The second platform's been reopened for the NYMR, but that's still only on a spur.

Population is about 11k so smaller than Londonderry and Inverness.

 

[richw]

Falmouth/Penryn Falmouth population approx. 27000. Penryn's 7000. Penryn's balloons massively in term time, with several thousand students at the uni.

 

[swcovas]

Merthyr Tydfil must be right up there. Ebbw Vale, Maesteg, Penarth all sizeable population too. Oh, and Aberdare for that matter. Rhymney is pretty small though.

 

[30907]

Beckenham has the single track Southern route through Birkbeck.

Not to mention its original route, the Mid Kent round from New Beckenham.

But no way "predominantly single track!"

 

[GRALISTAIR]

There are four single track tunnels on the Tonbridge-Hastings line which passes through Tunbridge Wells.

To the north Somerhill Tunnel is 890m long. To the South, Strawberry Hill Tunnel is 250m long, Wadhurst Tunnel 1.15km long and Mountfield Tunnel is 530m long.

I know this is completely OT - but does anyone think that a "Farnworth Tunnel" approach could ever be done on this line - i.e. rebore with new concrete segments etc and double track?

 

[yorksrob]

I know this is completely OT - but does anyone think that a "Farnworth Tunnel" approach could ever be done on this line - i.e. rebore with new concrete segments etc and double track?

Physically, there's nothing to stop it. However, at Farnworth, you have the smaller tunnel which could be used whilst the big tunnel was worked on.

I would have thought that if it was ever worthwhile (unlikely) they'd just build a new tunnel alongside.