Trivia: Any completely self contained routes?

[vidal]

Are there any routes that although part of the National Rail Network are completely isolated? Isle of Wight would be a candidate, but are there any others? There have been temporary examples when routes have been severed and stock has been trapped.

James

 

[Snow1964]

Holyhead breakwater operated separately for a period
Think it was like that in 1980s but don’t know the dates

The narrow gauge Vale of Rheidal railway might have been separate (unless the tracks actually had a crossing of standard gauge) which was part of BR until end of 1980s

 

[pdeaves]

Depending on what exactly you count, branches like Sudbury may be candidates in normal service (the only track connection to the rest of the world being used to get a unit on and off the branch at each end of the day). There will be numerous other similar examples.

For 'no track connection at all', there will be very few. The Waterloo & City line was once in this category until passed to London Underground.

 

[AMD]

Historically the Far North and Kyle lines were isolated when the Ness Viaduct got washed away on 7th Feb 1989, it wasn't until 14th May 1990 that the link was restored.

 

[Cambus731]

The Stourbridge Town shuttle is pretty much self contained with its own dedicated rolling stock.

 

[DB]

The Stourbridge Town shuttle is pretty much self contained with its own dedicated rolling stock.

Still has a connection to the network though (which was used a few months ago for reballasting work - a 56 took the wagons up the branch. There are a number like this - Sudbury already mentioned. I think Looe is one as well? Apart from the IoW, I can't think of any which don't actually have a rail connection to the network though.

 

[Peregrine 4903]

Grove Park to Bromley North is another one that runs as completely self contained during the day apart from ecs's in the morning/evening coming to/from Grove Park depot.

Also they are obviously not completely self contained but the merseyrail and the c2c networks are as close to self contained as you will get on the UK national rail network.

 

[snowball]

Historically the Far North and Kyle lines were isolated when the Ness Viaduct got washed away on 7th Feb 1989, it wasn't until 14th May 1990 that the link was restored.

Similarly the railway on Anglesey was isolated between 1970 and 1972 when the Britannia bridge was damaged by fire.

 

[Ianno87]

I'm sure the St. Ives branch got severed a year or two ago due to track replacement at St. Erth; a pair of 150s were trapped shuttling between Lelant Saltings and St. Erth.


There have been light rail examples too:
-Track works in Croydon town Centre meaning East Croydon-New Addington/Beckenham Junction/Elmers End segregated from the rest of the system (trams kept at Elmers End each night)
-After the South Quay bombing in 1996 that severely damaged the station, a DLR unit was trapped at (old) Island Gardens for several weeks.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Similarly the railway on Anglesey was isolated between 1970 and 1972 when the Britannia bridge was damaged by fire.

North of Barmouth Bridge has had similar temporary isolations, either for planned repairs to the wooden bridge; or when a particularly gluttonous species of woodworm were discovered chowing down on the bridge frame!

 

[trebor79]

Cardiff Bay shuttle.

 

[swt_passenger]

Still has a connection to the network though (which was used a few months ago for reballasting work - a 56 took the wagons up the branch. There are a number like this - Sudbury already mentioned. I think Looe is one as well? Apart from the IoW, I can't think of any which don't actually have a rail connection to the network though.

I suppose Stourbridge is pretty much functionally isolated, moreso than a “Sudbury”, because in normal circumstances the specialised stock also stays in situ.

 

[SargeNpton]

Cardiff Bay shuttle.

During normal services yes. But during engineering works, some of the Valley Lines services run to/from Cardiff Bay instead of Cardiff Central.

I'd offer the Looe branch as I don't think that it has and scheduled passenger moves onto the main line. Possibly the Falmouth branch as well.

 

[BayPaul]

During normal services yes. But during engineering works, some of the Valley Lines services run to/from Cardiff Bay instead of Cardiff Central.

I'd offer the Looe branch as I don't think that it has and scheduled passenger moves onto the main line. Possibly the Falmouth branch as well.

The Falmouth branch runs along the mainline tracks for around 700m from Truro to the junction. Looe is self-contained, going as far as to have the platform at right angles to the main line platforms in Liskeard! (though obviously it does have a connection to allow stock to return to Laira.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Is the Manningtree - Harwich Town branch fairly self contained, last departure of the day is for Colchester, but that's about it.

 

[BayPaul]

Is the Manningtree - Harwich Town branch fairly self contained, last departure of the day is for Colchester, but that's about it.

I don't know if it is currently operating, but isn't there usually a twice daily boat train from Liverpool Street to Harwich International to connect with the Hook Ferries?

 

[waverley47]

It's important to differentiate between services that are self contained entirely, with no track connection to the main lines, and services which are run as self contained but share connections.

Everywhere on the network, barring certain unforseen circumstances, is connected to everywhere else. That is the virtue of a national network. Any unit could in theory be dragged everywhere else.

However, some services run as self contained shuttles. The Bromley North, Stourbridge Town, Looe and St Ives lines all run self contained during normal service, but share connection.

Other examples which theoretically could run without interference from the outside network are the Far North Line, by virtue of separate platforms at Inverness, and Merseyrail similarly with separate platforms at Ellesmere Port and Chester.

 

[bassmike]

Depending on what exactly you count, branches like Sudbury may be candidates in normal service (the only track connection to the rest of the world being used to get a unit on and off the branch at each end of the day). There will be numerous other similar examples.

For 'no track connection at all', there will be very few. The Waterloo & City line was once in this category until passed to London Underground.

W&C still has no track connection.

 

[DelW]

North of Barmouth Bridge has had similar temporary isolations, either for planned repairs to the wooden bridge; or when a particularly gluttonous species of woodworm were discovered chowing down on the bridge frame!

And again a bit further north a couple of years ago, when Pont Briwet (bridge) was rebuilt. However I don't think anything ran on the line north of the site, I think RRBs ran to Pwllheli from somewhere south of the works.

I'd offer the Looe branch as I don't think that it has and scheduled passenger moves onto the main line.

I believe the connecting line isn't passed for passenger use, so can only be used by ECS.

 

[baz962]

Romford to upminster during the day.

 

[onlinespotting]

Slough to Windsor and Eton Central - connecting line for ecs moves only

 

[Falcon1200]

Not in the UK, but the Waterford and Tramore Railway in Ireland was never connected to the rest of the network.

 

[Mordac]

Not in the UK, but the Waterford and Tramore Railway in Ireland was never connected to the rest of the network.

It was in the UK when it was built though!

 

[Kite159]

During normal services yes. But during engineering works, some of the Valley Lines services run to/from Cardiff Bay instead of Cardiff Central.

I'd offer the Looe branch as I don't think that it has and scheduled passenger moves onto the main line. Possibly the Falmouth branch as well.

Although under the current timetable, there isn't any Cardiff Bay shuttles as the units work to Pontypridd or Caerphilly

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

Would some of the permanent rail replacement bus routes, such as Wedgewood, technically count as isolated? Rail tickets can be used so it could be argued that some buses are part of the rail network.

 

[Shimbleshanks]

Stretching a few points, but what about the Alderney Railway. Not exactly part of the UK, but it is standard gauge.

 

[vic-rijrode]

The Bideford, Westward Ho! & Appledore Railway would have been a classic example of a standard gauge railway never joined to the national network gauge.

 

[Mikey C]

During normal services yes. But during engineering works, some of the Valley Lines services run to/from Cardiff Bay instead of Cardiff Central.

I'd offer the Looe branch as I don't think that it has and scheduled passenger moves onto the main line. Possibly the Falmouth branch as well.

The last time down there, I recall taking an early 150 from Plymouth to Liskeard which went around the loop to become the Looe shuttle for the day! I was half tempted to hide in the toilets so I could do that loop

 

[Ayrshire Roy]

The Glasgow subway is self contained.

 

[zwk500]

The OP asked for the national rail network:

Are there any routes that although part of the National Rail Network are completely isolated?

Stretching a few points, but what about the Alderney Railway. Not exactly part of the UK, but it is standard gauge.

I suspect this was never part of BR or the Big 4, which would presumably be the limit of the OP's definition.

The Bideford, Westward Ho! & Appledore Railway would have been a classic example of a standard gauge railway never joined to the national network gauge.

Were any of these ever part of BR or the SR? Bideford may have been.

The Glasgow subway is self contained.

Hasn't this always been independent of the national rail network?