Least Used Stretch of Railway

[Fat Controller]

A few weeks ago cant remember the date just happend to be on Open trains Gloucester map and saw a train reported on the branch. It departed to Crewe so must have been a nuclear flask train.

 

Also little used Clarbeston road to Fishguard.

There has been a local service launched with Welsh Assembly backing from Fishguard with five return workings; the first runs as far as Clarbeston, where it connects with a Milford Haven to Manchester train, the rest appear to run through to Carmarthen, and possibly further east. As well as this, there is at least one daily service, perhaps two, connecting with the boats to Ireland. This is the busiest the line has been since the early 1960s, when the local service was abandoned.

[Rugd1022]

West of Mantle Line the Leicester - Burton route's ongoing existence could be described as precarious.

 

It is currently used by one train heading to Barton Hill, most days, roughly once a week by a Tube stock movement and by the Eurostar trains being taken for scrap, however often they are scheduled.

 

Also Network Rail often use the route for moving their test trains around and can often do so unexpectedly.

 

I know someone who recently bought a house next to the line who was reliably informed by the usual suspects that the line was closed and hadn't seen a train in years. A view reinforced by many of the locals who, admittedly, probably never see what little traffic there is that remains, including the ones that regularly walk their dogs that way (apparently he often notices them passing his garden oblivious to the fact they are using a live railway.

 

The first my colleague discovered to the contrary was, as he put it, "Being on the p**s and getting up for a 'gypsies' at two in the morning and a bloody great stone train was passing."

 

It seems, for signal box staffing reasons, when Barton Hill is busy any post midnight trains leave via the Burton end, rather than the preferred way via Leicester.

 

During the day, pathing anything slow via Burton onto a busy 125 mph railway is rather problematic, as one look at this Real Time Trains timing will confirm.

 

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/H22405/2017/08/04/advanced

 

Note the near three hour wait at Burton for a suitable slot in the timetable.

 

I wouldn't call it precarious although to some it could easily be seen that way, a very good mate of mine is one of the regular Signalman at Moira and it's manned more often than you'd think. Nice tidy job for him as he lives in Overseal! Part of the problem with the route west of Mantle Lane is lack of route knowledge, I learnt the road from Knighton to ML eleven years ago and have only been conducted out of Bardon going west twice in all that time. Only two of our lads at Rugby still sign that way, we were all supposed to learnt it ages ago in case of diversions but nothing happened, for reasons we know not.

 

I'll be working up the Branch two days next week, I'll have a word with the Bardon lads and see what's what   

[D854_Tiger]

ironbridge doesnt see any trains anymore, the NR test trains that are booked down there don't run as no one signs it, well i say that i used to sign it so i only need a refresh as it has lapsed from my route card but its a bit of a catch 22 situation, how do i get down there if no trains run!

 

not a lot uses oxley chord in the bushbury-oxley direction, similarly, darlaston jn to pleck jn, perry barr south to perry barr west jn

 

 

The justification for building the Oxley chord was so the Ironbridge coal trains would not have to reverse to gain access to Bushbury Junction therefore, with the decline of Ironbridge, it has kind of lost its reason for being.

 

Darlaston to Pleck is quite well used mostly by those container trains and automotive trains between the North West and Southampton that are routed via Sutton Park and Solihull.

 

The Perry Barr junction is used a few times a day by LM empty stock trains to from Soho and by a couple of round the houses passenger trains from International to New St deliberately routed that way to retain driver familiarity.

 

That curve generally springs to life whenever anything has gone belly up between New St and International and, like yesterday, when Aston Villa are playing at home and LM run their unadvertised Witton football specials.

[Rugd1022]

Had a phone call from our roster clerk last week to check if I'm still ok going via New St and Soho / Perry Barr, one of our trip jobs will be going that way in a week or two. As for Darlaston to Pleck, it's used a lot by railgrinders when moving between jobs, I've conducted loads (far too many, hateful contraptions!) over the years.

[D854_Tiger]

I wouldn't call it precarious although to some it could easily be seen that way, a very good mate of mine is one of the regular Signalman at Moira and it's manned more often than you'd think. Nice tidy job for him as he lives in Overseal! Part of the problem with the route west of Mantle Lane is lack of route knowledge, I learnt the road from Knighton to ML eleven years ago and have only been conducted out of Bardon going west twice in all that time. Only two of our lads at Rugby still sign that way, we were all supposed to learnt it ages ago in case of diversions but nothing happened, for reasons we know not.

 

I'll be working up the Branch two days next week, I'll have a word with the Bardon lads and see what's what 

 

 

Is it necessary to open Moira box in order to pass trains between Mantle Lane and Burton.

 

I ask because I had believed (well I read it on another forum) one of the reasons trains from Bardon Hill get sent via Moira, in the early hours, is because Bardon Hill box would otherwise have to be kept open and it cannot be switched out unlike Moira box, which can.

 

This makes sense because apparently Bardon Hill has somewhat restricted loading facilities so at busy times, when more than two trains have to be handled in a day, it's not possible to load a third train in time before the afternoon signalling shifts end.

 

So dispatching the last train via Burton means only Mantle Lane needs to be kept open to handle a third train.

 

As Mantle Lane box controls a level crossing it must always be open for the line to handle any traffic although it's only the restricted access to Bardon Hill and the need to split trains which is the reason Mantle Lane sees any traffic at all from the Leicester end, over and above any train routed via Burton. If it wasn't for that everything could, in theory, be routed in from the Leicester end and Mantle Lane would also see very little traffic which would no doubt please all the motorists.

 

The reason I said the Moira section led a precarious existence was that I believe for a time it was designated OOU and saw no booked traffic whatsoever, though in practice between Network Rail test trains and the odd extra stone train it never quite fell into disuse, thought it's fair to say it often went many weeks at a time without seeing a train.

 

It was the weekly Tube S-stock delivery trains that proved to be something a lifesaver, until a more or less daily Tinsley - Bardon Hill working was recently added, that weekly train was more or less it for the Moira section.

 

I also believe with traffic being so infrequent a 20 mph speed restriction has been imposed, for no better reason than, with such long periods between trains, there is no way of knowing if the line has become blocked by obstruction and faster than 20 mph is not really the best way to find out.

 

I often wondered what it must be like for a driver alone, in the early hours, navigating a quite lengthy piece of railway, knowing it hasn't seen a train in who knows how long, and not really the best time of the day to be the first in a long time, quite eerie I would imagine.

[Rugd1022]

Well I can tell you from experience it's not very nice on your todd in the dark going down a long forgotten branch line or siding not quite knowing what might be round the corner!

 

As far as I know my mate at Moira is rostered quite regularly in the box, I'll see if I can find out some more during the week.

 

The reason we have to go up to Mantle Lane to run round trains at Bardon is there's not enough clearance between the ground signal protecting Bardon LC and the ground frame at the exit to the sidings, most trains run to twenty or more bogie wagons and we can usually only fit eighteen in for the run round at Bardon. It only adds five or ten minutes to the move going light engine up the bank and back, but with two or possibly three trains departing within a short space of time it can get a bit sticky sometimes. There was a very busy period just a few years ago where we had four or five trains out per night all booked to leave Bardon within a time frame of about one hour forty five minutes, we really needed to be on the ball with these so's not to box each other in and stuff the job up altogether. Another point worth making is that sometimes there aren't enough empty roads at Bardon to hold loaded trains for more than a few days, so they have to be tripped up to Mantle Lane and stabled there.

 

Going down the branch at night can be a bit weird sometimes as there's a gap of about ten miles between the last signal at Bagworth Junction and the first (of three) at Saffron Lane on the approach to Knighton Junction. Being the first man down the branch on a cold and frosty Sunday night is quite spooky in Winter.

Edited August 6, 2017 by Rugd1022

[clarkea1]

Margam to Tondu on the Ogmore Vale Extension.  Still open, very rarely used.  Last workings that I am aware of were a day of freight diversions early this year when the mainline was closed between Margam and Bridgend for engineering work on a Sunday.  Freight ran Margam to Tondu, run round at Tondu in the Garw Loop, run down the passenger line Tondu to Bridgend.  The odd NR inspection train may have run since but that's about it

 

Alastair

[roythebus]

What about Folkestone harbour before it was officially closed. I think it used about 6 times a year for specials.

 

Big james.

 

Has it been officially closed yet?

[Bruce Depot]

Is Lichfield towards Bownhills still there, or has it been lifted?

[caradoc]

I posted this in the Freight Only Lines topic, but it actually fits better here;

Since the closure of Longannet Power Station there is very little traffic over the route between Alloa and Charlestown Jc (Dunfermline), so much so that Longannet Signalbox is now normally closed. The occasional on-track machine move and excursion are pretty much all that is left.

[D854_Tiger]

Is Lichfield towards Bownhills still there, or has it been lifted?

 

Since the weekly oil trains finished hat one is officially now out of use. I believe the track is still there but I doubt it is navigable and the Fossewey AHB crossing is no longer functional.

 

The track was used for a while, after closure, for testing track machines or possibly the drivers being trained on them, not sure if that is still the case.

[D854_Tiger]

Well I can tell you from experience it's not very nice on your todd in the dark going down a long forgotten branch line or siding not quite knowing what might be round the corner!

 

As far as I know my mate at Moira is rostered quite regularly in the box, I'll see if I can find out some more during the week.

 

The reason we have to go up to Mantle Lane to run round trains at Bardon is there's not enough clearance between the ground signal protecting Bardon LC and the ground frame at the exit to the sidings, most trains run to twenty or more bogie wagons and we can usually only fit eighteen in for the run round at Bardon. It only adds five or ten minutes to the move going light engine up the bank and back, but with two or possibly three trains departing within a short space of time it can get a bit sticky sometimes. There was a very busy period just a few years ago where we had four or five trains out per night all booked to leave Bardon within a time frame of about one hour forty five minutes, we really needed to be on the ball with these so's not to box each other in and stuff the job up altogether. Another point worth making is that sometimes there aren't enough empty roads at Bardon to hold loaded trains for more than a few days, so they have to be tripped up to Mantle Lane and stabled there.

 

Going down the branch at night can be a bit weird sometimes as there's a gap of about ten miles between the last signal at Bagworth Junction and the first (of three) at Saffron Lane on the approach to Knighton Junction. Being the first man down the branch on a cold and frosty Sunday night is quite spooky in Winter.

 

 

The Burton - Moira - Mantle Lane section has only seen two trains this week, each way Derby RTC trains on Tuesday morning, otherwise nothing all week.

 

Might be to do with the summer holiday period as the daily stone train is scheduled to run next week.

 

Monday looks to be particularly busy with a stone train scheduled each way, two whole trains in a day is rush hour down Moira way.

[D854_Tiger]

The Burton - Moira - Mantle Lane section has only seen two trains this week, each way Derby RTC trains on Tuesday morning, otherwise nothing all week.

 

Might be to do with the summer holiday period as the daily stone train is scheduled to run next week.

 

Monday looks to be particularly busy with a stone train scheduled each way, two whole trains in a day is rush hour down Moira way.

 

The irony of the Burton - Leicester line is that the section to the east of Mantle Lane, which sees plenty use, has been singled, whereas the section west of Mantle Lane, which sees mostly one or none trains every day, is still largely double track.

 

I had thought there are railways which see less use than that through Moira but surely not double track railways.

 

Then I checked Clitheroe - Hellifield which seems to be little better blessed by traffic - two or three trains only on most days.

[Titan]

Is Lichfield towards Bownhills still there, or has it been lifted?

 

Since the weekly oil trains finished hat one is officially now out of use. I believe the track is still there but I doubt it is navigable and the Fossewey AHB crossing is no longer functional.

 

The track was used for a while, after closure, for testing track machines or possibly the drivers being trained on them, not sure if that is still the case.

 

I can't help but think that line would make a possible home for the Electric Railway Museum....

Edited August 11, 2017 by Titan

[Eggesford box]

Carrying on from one of Big Jims earlier postings. Claydon L&NE Jc to Gavray Jct at Bicester has no booked traffic though there is an officers special booked along there tomorrow. Presumably, as and when East - West starts working on the line, engineering trains will start using it. Very rare for the waste trains to Calvert from the Aylesbury direction to go any further though apparently they have started to worry about running around under the gantry crane at Calvert when it is working so there is talk of some of the trains coming up to Claydon, running around there and going back into Calvert.

[Mark Saunders]

Norton West to Norton East only used no regular traffic after the Thrislington to Cemetary North, Steetley service ended and as Norton East is normally Locked Out then special arrangements need to be made for traffic!

 

Mark Saunders

[Not Captain Kernow]

Habrough Junction to Ulceby and also Marsh Junction into Immingham have to be up there too?

[D854_Tiger]

Margam to Tondu on the Ogmore Vale Extension.  Still open, very rarely used.  Last workings that I am aware of were a day of freight diversions early this year when the mainline was closed between Margam and Bridgend for engineering work on a Sunday.  Freight ran Margam to Tondu, run round at Tondu in the Garw Loop, run down the passenger line Tondu to Bridgend.  The odd NR inspection train may have run since but that's about it

 

Alastair

The evidence

 

 

 and indeed very rare.

[ForestPines]

Habrough Junction to Ulceby and also Marsh Junction into Immingham have to be up there too?

Doesn't Habrough Jn to Ulceby still have a passenger service every couple of hours?

 

Marsh Jn to Immingham is quiet, though!

[phil_sutters]

To return to the subject of Newhaven Marine. It appears that it is still open - open enough to have its service cancelled on the coming strike days, but not open enough to appear in the published timetables or be listed as a station you can book from! Ho hum!

 

Edited August 30, 2017 by phil_sutters