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Trivia: Quietest Signal Box Shift

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Llandudno

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I have often wondered which is the least busy signal box or manned level crossing in Britain.

There are two ways this could be measured:

1. The fewest number of trains passing the box in a 24 hour period?

2. The fewest number of trains passing the box during a signallers shift?

What got me thinking is that since Covid, TfW are only operating 4 round trips on the Conwy Valley branch from circa 0800-1700, compared to six round trips 0600-2100.

Presumably the signal box at Llanrwst is currently only manned for one shift 0800-1700, or is it still two shifts with the signaller on the morning shift being paid for 3 hours before the first train and the signaller on the ‘late’ shift being paid until 3 hours after the last train?
 
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Watershed

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Claydon LNE Jn must be up there! Looks like roughly 3 arrivals and departures a day tend to run.
 

lyndhurst25

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Maltby Colliery on the South Yorkshire joint line, plus the boxes on the Brigg line (Saturdays excepted) must be pretty quiet.
 

43055

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Presumably the signal box at Llanrwst is currently only manned for one shift 0800-1700, or is it still two shifts with the signaller on the morning shift being paid for 3 hours before the first train and the signaller on the ‘late’ shift being paid until 3 hours after the last train?
Llanrwst could probably be one 12 hour shift at the moment as no other trains use the branch. Something like 0700-1900.

Alrewas between Burton and Lichfield could probably be a contender on some days. Normally handles the odd empty stock move to/from Birmingham and some freight. Nothing is planned to go past today and tomorrow everything is timetabled between 0808 and 1014.
 

Geeves

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The remaining bits of the Nottinghamshire coal field must be pretty dead. The line out to High Marnham and I think there's a box at Thoresby Colliery Junction but might be wrong. It might be closed now.
 

class 9

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Maltby Colliery box on the South Yorkshire joint line between Doncaster and Shireoaks, since the loss of coal traffic, regularly has days with nothing running, last week just one train traversed the line.
 

The Planner

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Llanrwst could probably be one 12 hour shift at the moment as no other trains use the branch. Something like 0700-1900.

Alrewas between Burton and Lichfield could probably be a contender on some days. Normally handles the odd empty stock move to/from Birmingham and some freight. Nothing is planned to go past today and tomorrow everything is timetabled between 0808 and 1014.
Alrewas is busier than you think now, still small numbers but it gets over 20 a day on some days from December.
 

Highlandspring

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Stranraer itself!
Stranraer Harbour box is semi-permanently closed, it only opens for periodic S&T maintenance or if there’s two trains down there or a rounding move required which is vanishingly rare these days.

Lots of signalboxes in Scotland have been having train-free Sunday shifts for months now due to the ScotRail strike.
 

lammergeier

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Alrewas is busier than you think now, still small numbers but it gets over 20 a day on some days from December.
Is that extra freight or more XC stuff using the route? We've been that way quite a lot recently during weekend diversions which makes a nice change. I think there used to be an evening passenger service that went that way but AFAIK it either doesn't run due to the Covid timetable or runs but goes main line. Be nice to have a few more trips over that way.
 
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The Planner

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Is that extra freight or more XC stuff using the route? We've been that way quite a lot recently during weekend diversions which makes a nice change. I think there used to be an evening passenger service that went that way but AFAIK it either doesn't run due to the Covid timetable or runs but goes main line. Be nice to have a few more trips over that way.
Plenty of weekend diversions due to HS2 work around Washwood Heath, should be some more over Xmas and all through Feb half term. There is more freight traffic over the route though.
 

Bill57p9

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Barhill, Glenwhilly and Dunragit on the Stranraer line could be contenders.
I strongly suspect so: 4 round trips Monday - Saturday. Today 2 of those were cancelled.
And unless a special working runs, there is only ever 1 train south of Girvan at any one time. I am therefore slightly surprised that the signalling hasn't been rationalised in someway, such as RETB, train crew operation or the ability to switch out Barrhill & Glenwhilly. Still, thanks to the use of 19th century tablet equipment it really is a living railway museum piece.
 

LSWR Cavalier

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Is there a box on a relief or bypass line somewhere that is staffed just in case, but where maybe a shift can pass with no trains going by?
 

LowLevel

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The remaining bits of the Nottinghamshire coal field must be pretty dead. The line out to High Marnham and I think there's a box at Thoresby Colliery Junction but might be wrong. It might be closed now.

Clipstone West Junction and Thoresby Colliery boxes now open as required for the test track but for a while after the last pit at Thoresby shut they were open regardless.
 

sd0733

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Not sure if it's still there but presume it is, Goonbarrow junction on the Newquay line isn't exactly busy especially outside Summer Weekends.
 

High Dyke

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Is there a box on a relief or bypass line somewhere that is staffed just in case, but where maybe a shift can pass with no trains going by?
You could do a 0600- 1400 shift at Lock Lane crossing box (now closed), near Long Eaton, most Saturday's and not see a train.
I don’t think the octagonal box at London Road is a Signal Box or even a Gate Box.
Operated by the Docks staff when movements are required to/from the docks and Sleaford Road sidings.
 

30907

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I strongly suspect so: 4 round trips Monday - Saturday. Today 2 of those were cancelled.
And unless a special working runs, there is only ever 1 train south of Girvan at any one time. I am therefore slightly surprised that the signalling hasn't been rationalised in someway, such as RETB, train crew operation or the ability to switch out Barrhill & Glenwhilly. Still, thanks to the use of 19th century tablet equipment it really is a living railway museum piece.
To be fair, Barrhill was a timetabled crossing point until the pre - Covid interval timetable. I wonder when Glenwhilly last crossed a train though.
 

Kite159

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To be fair, Barrhill was a timetabled crossing point until the pre - Covid interval timetable. I wonder when Glenwhilly last crossed a train though.

From memory only a couple services on a Sunday, most of the trains passed at Girvan from memory.
 

Bill57p9

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To be fair, Barrhill was a timetabled crossing point until the pre - Covid interval timetable. I wonder when Glenwhilly last crossed a train though.
A railtour last Saturday (11 Sep), but obviously that's exceptional.
 
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