Trivia: Stations on four track line but only the middle two tracks have platforms.

[busestrains]

Other than Millbrook are there any other stations in the UK on a four track line but only the two centre tracks have platforms?

Millbrook has a very unique layout in that it is a four track railway but the two centre lines are the slow lines and the two outer lines are the fast lines and there are only platforms on the two centre tracks with no platforms on the two outer tracks. So it is the reverse of most four track stations. It is quite a unique layout.

My question is are there any other stations in the UK like this which are on a four track line but only the two centre tracks have platforms?

 

[Snow1964]

Some of the stations where Jubilee and Metropolitan lines share route north of Finchley Road are line that, with Jubilee line (formerly Bakerloo) serving an island platform, and non stop Metropolitan trains passing on outer tracks. But the line to Marylebone runs alongside so strictly is a 6 track (not 4 track) section

Millbrook was rebuilt in 1935, there was another platform (since removed) with the entrance near Foundry Lane (before dual carriageway was built). The footbridge still links the area. The rebuild was full quadrupling (+ 2 tracks to docks, added few years earlier) through to 2 extra platforms at Southampton. There used to be 2 extra tracks to the Western docks (which in 1970s and 1980s were also third rail electrified, but might have been de-electrified), so strictly Millbrook is a 6 track layout, not on a 4 track section

 

[Purple Train]

Isn't Water Orton like that?

 

[mattdickinson]

Some of the stations where Jubilee and Metropolitan lines share route north of Finchley Road are line that, with Jubilee line (formerly Bakerloo) serving an island platform, and non stop Metropolitan trains passing on outer tracks

Preston Road and Northwick Park are similar with slow Metropolitan services stopping, and the fasts on the outside.

 

[59CosG95]

Isn't Water Orton like that?

Not quite, there are only three tracks.

 

[baz962]

Caledonian road and Barnsbury on the London Overground. The North London line is generally two track , but between Camden road and Highbury and Islington it goes to four with the two centre tracks going either side of Caledonian road.

 

[Bill57p9]

Port Talbot Parkway: because the outer tracks are the goods lines.

Bristol Parkway is similar with 6 track and only the middle 4 with platforms.

The Great Central liked their island platforms, so there are probably some (historic) examples there.

 

[zwk500]

If you stretch the definition, Hellifield has a single island platform for the central passenger lines and 2 goods loops outside the passenger lines.

 

[Bill57p9]

A further stretch: Carstairs has an island platform in the middle of 5 tracks.

 

[yorksrob]

If you stretch the definition, Hellifield has a single island platform for the central passenger lines and 2 goods loops outside the passenger lines.

And they're both used by passenger trains (albeit charter ones).

 

[Neo9320]

Burton on Trent (if I’m understanding the question correctly)

Edit: the outer lines at Burton are really just long loops, so I guess it doesn’t really count.

 

[zwk500]

Burton on Trent (if I’m understanding the question correctly)

Edit: the outer lines at Burton are really just long loops, so I guess it doesn’t really count.

They're counted as running lines rather than loops.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Kirk Sandall (near Doncaster) might be a contender. Appears to have two running lines either side of an island platform.

 

[30907]

Caledonian road and Barnsbury on the London Overground. The North London line is generally two track , but between Camden road and Highbury and Islington it goes to four with the two centre tracks going either side of Caledonian road.

Yes - it is so as a result of rationalisation, and would have had four platforms for decades. Incidentally, from memory the historic layout was "paired by use" (up-down-up-down") all the way from Camden Road to Dalston Jn.

 

[Mag_seven]

Stratford International especially if you regard platforms 1 and 4 as not in use?

 

[zwk500]

Stratford International?

Has platforms on the outer lines as well, so disqualified.

 

[Mag_seven]

Has platforms on the outer lines as well, so disqualified.

But they are not in use i.e. in effect not there.

 

[zwk500]

But they are not in use i.e. in effect not there.

They've been used, and in theory can be used should regulations change/circumstances dictate so to me they count, but I will leave it for @busestrains to rule on that one!

 

[Mag_seven]

They've been used, and in theory can be used should regulations change/circumstances dictate so to me they count, but I will leave it for @busestrains to rule on that one!

There are also lines in-between the Kent High Speed Island and the closed platforms.

 

[zwk500]

There are also lines in-between the Kent High Speed Island and the closed platforms.

Then it's disqualified for being 6-tracks not 4?

 

[swt_passenger]

Then it's disqualified for being 6-tracks not 4?

I’d rule Stratford out as being a two track railway with loops. The main point the OP noted about Millbrook was it is line named as a four track railway (with defined up/down and fast/slow passenger lines), although even then the 4 tracking only continues a few hundred yards further west as four track.

 

[zwk500]

I’d rule Stratford out as being a two track railway with loops. The main point the OP noted about Millbrook was it is line named as a four track railway (with defined up/down and fast/slow passenger lines), although even then the 4 tracking only continues a few hundred yards further west as four track.

That's a valid contention, but would also rule out Helifield, Caledonian Road, and Carstairs. Burton On Trent, Kirk Sandall and Port Talbot Parkway might just get away with it

 

[Mag_seven]

Then it's disqualified for being 6-tracks not 4?

Well if we are going to get really tight / strict about definitions then that rules out most if not all the other suggestions in this thread.

 

[baz962]

That's a valid contention, but would also rule out Helifield, Caledonian Road, and Carstairs. Burton On Trent, Kirk Sandall and Port Talbot Parkway might just get away with it

Although Caledonian road isn't fast and slow, all four can be used with passengers and aren't just goods loops.

 

[swt_passenger]

That's a valid contention, but would also rule out Helifield, Caledonian Road, and Carstairs. Burton On Trent, Kirk Sandall and Port Talbot Parkway might just get away with it

Yes, the more you drill down into the question Millbrook’s layout does becomes a bit of an outlier.

 

[zwk500]

Yes, the more you drill down into the question Millbrook’s layout does becomes a bit of an outlier.

The only other true 'Inside-out' 4-track layout I can think of is at Oxford, where the through lines are the Reliefs, and the outer lines the Mains (I think). Hartford Jn has a rare UF-US-DF-DS layout, and there's probably others if you dig into it.

Well if we are going to get really tight / strict about definitions then that rules out most if not all the other suggestions in this thread.

A fair few of them yes!

Although Caledonian road isn't fast and slow, all four can be used with passengers and aren't just goods loops.

I don't have the Section Appendix to hand, what are the Line Names again? They may be usable by passengers but trains cannot overtake without the slower train being brought to a stand between Caledonian Rd and Camden E Jn, so to me they're still Loops on a 2-track line rather than a proper 4-track section, depending on how strict the OP wanted to be with their definitions.

 

[Kingston Dan]

Wandsworth Town?

 

[swt_passenger]

Wandsworth Town?

No, because however the tracks are operated, all four have platforms. However in the sectional appendix they are described with the conventional layout of fasts between slows.

 

[BluePenguin]

Has platforms on the outer lines as well, so disqualified.

Platforms which are never used though so do they really not count? I doubt anyone has set foot on them since 2012

Anyway, the fast lines are in the middle they don’t run between both sets of platforms. They mirror each other. You could have a Southeastern train on both the island platforms and a Eurostar overtaking on the middle lines on either side. Same as the examples above really

 

[fairysdad]

You might be able to include Queenstown Road Battersea in this if you're not limited to just a 4-track railway.