https://www.egtre.info/w/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=Greg+Beecroft&feedformat=atomEGTRE - User contributions [en]2024-03-28T15:11:44ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.41.0https://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=United_Kingdom_-_General_Information&diff=55499United Kingdom - General Information2024-03-25T18:08:18Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Temporary Closures: */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland<br />
<br />
Nomenclature: &quot;Great Britain&quot; comprises the countries of England, Wales, and Scotland. &quot;United Kingdom&quot; (in full: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) comprises Great Britain and the Province of Northern Ireland. &quot;British Isles&quot; is a purely geographical description for the British mainland and the island of Ireland; the latter contains the Province of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are usually regarded as part of the British Isles, although independent of the UK government. All but the Republic of Ireland (which is entirely independent of the UK) are under the British Crown (monarchy).<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Most infrastructure in Great Britain is owned by [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail], a company controlled by the government's [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport Department for Transport] (DfT). Most passenger train services are provided by operators under contracts with DfT, [https://tfl.gov.uk/ Transport for London], [http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk Merseytravel], [http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/ Transport Scotland] or the [http://gov.wales/topics/transport/?lang=en Welsh Government]. Some operators are subsidiaries of major bus companies or national railways from other countries, for example Trenitalia. A UK Government subsidiary, [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/dft-olr-holdings-limited/about DfT OLR Holdings Limited], operates services if the contractor is no longer able to do so, has had the contract terminated because of default or there has been no acceptable tender for provision of the service. [https://www.railholdings.scot/ Scottish Rail Holdings Limited] is the equivalent in Scotland. Full details of passenger train operators are given by links from the [http://www.raildeliverygroup.com/about-us/uk-rail-industry/passenger-freight-track.html Rail Delivery Group] website. Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites. Passenger train operations collectively are known as 'National Rail'. <br />
<br />
A new organisation, [https://gbrtt.co.uk/ Great British Railways] is being established to take strategic control of railways, in England at least, as well as taking over most of Network Rail's functions as infrastructure owner and operator throughout Britain. <br />
<br />
Railways in Northern Ireland are owned by Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (which remains state-owned) and are operated as the [http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/ N I Railways] (NIR) division of Translink.<br />
<br />
Most operators in Great Britain had a franchise agreement, under which they took most of the commercial risk. DfT was considering changes to franchising when the Covid-19 pandemic made the system uneconomic, due to greatly reduced fares income to the operators. Franchises were replaced by Emergency Recovery Management Agreements and subsequently by National Rail Contracts under which the Government meets operating costs and receives fares and other income. The operating company is paid a management fee. Transport for Wales, ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper, LNER, Northern and Southeastern are all being operated by public sector companies. <br />
<br />
The operator of each train is indicated in the electronic National Rail Timetable and <br />
its printed derivatives by means of two-letter codes; for a de-coder and a chronology of <br />
privatisation and transfer/re-branding of Great Britain's passenger railway franchises to <br />
date go to the [http://www.railchronology.free-online.co.uk/ Rail Chronology] website. Basic customer information about and links to the websites of each TOC are available through the [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tocs_maps/tocs/TrainOperators.aspx National Rail] website. Some further information about passenger train operators and past franchisees can be found in the [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-franchise-schedule DfT] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_operating_trains_in_the_United_Kingdom Wikipedia] websites. The Wikipedia list is usually more up to date and accurate than the DfT schedule!<br />
<br />
A small number of operators provide passenger services on the national network which are not under contract to the DfT. These include [http://www.eurostar.com/ ''Eurostar''] which is a unitary undertaking (Eurostar <br />
International Ltd) managed by SNCF, which has a 55% interest in the company. Private investors acquired the UK government's 40% stake in 2015 and SNCB/NMBS owns the remaining 5%. 'Open Access' passenger operators are: <br />
<br />
* [https://www.hulltrains.co.uk/ Hull Trains] between London and Hull <br />
* [https://www.grandcentralrail.com/ Grand Central] between London, Bradford and Sunderland<br />
* [https://www.lumo.co.uk/ Lumo] between London and Edinburgh <br />
<br />
[http://www.granduniontrains.co.uk/ Grand Union Trains] intends to start services between London Paddington and Carmarthen and between London Euston and Stirling in 2025. <br />
<br />
In addition<br />
* [http://www.eurotunnel.com/ Eurotunnel] operates a shuttle service for motor vehicles through the Channel Tunnel; this does not carry foot-passengers (although cyclists can be carried by arrangement)<br />
* [http://www.nymr.co.uk/ North Yorkshire Moors Railway] operates timetabled steam trains through between Pickering/Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby during the summer.<br />
* [http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/ West Coast Railways] operates timetabled steam trains between Fort William and Mallaig during the summer, but in practice these get fully booked well in advance. Services at the start of the 2024 season have been CANCELLED, because the operator no longer has authorisation to operate heritage carriages that lack central door locking.<br />
<br />
[http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/ Swanage Railway] and West Coast Railways operated a service between Swanage and Wareham during the summer in 2017 and 2023. In 2018 and 2019 there was just a limited Saturday service by the local franchisee, South Western Railway. Swanage Railway does not plan further such services, on economic grounds.<br />
<br />
All freight trains in Great Britain are operated by competing companies under "open access" conditions. The <i>principal</i> companies are: <br />
<br />
* [http://www.rail.dbschenker.co.uk/rail-uk-en/start/ DB Cargo UK] (formerly English Welsh and Scottish Railway, now a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn of Germany) <br />
* [https://www.freightliner.co.uk/ Freightliner] (owned by US railroad Genesee & Wyoming Inc) <br />
* [http://www.colasrail.co.uk/ Colas Rail] (part of the Bouygues group); <br />
* [http://www.directrailservices.com/ Direct Rail Services] (owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority) <br />
* [http://www.gbrailfreight.com/ GB Railfreight] (owned by Infracapital, an infrastructure equity investor). <br />
<br />
DB Cargo UK, in particular, and GB Railfreight, to a lesser extent, operate charter passenger trains. GB Railfreight also operates the Caledonian Sleeper trains on behalf of Caledonian Sleeper Limited.<br />
<br />
[https://www.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Rail Operations Group] concentrates on rolling stock moves for manufacturers, leasing companies and passenger operators, but started a parcels-carrying business, trading as [https://orion.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Orion] in 2021.<br />
<br />
There are no longer any revenue freight trains in Northern Ireland.<br />
<br />
Neither the Isle of Man nor the Channel Isles (îles Anglo-Normands) is legally part of the UK but the Isle of Man's active railways and tramways are to <br />
be found at the [http://www.heritagerailways.com/Visits_Map.php UK and Irish Heritage Railways website] and under [[#Trams/LRT-Systems|Trams/LRT-Systems]] respectively.<br />
<br />
==Official Website==<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ National Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink]<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
English. In addition Welsh is spoken in most parts of Wales, <br />
and Gaelic is used to a certain extent in north-west Scotland.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Pound sterling. Banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own notes, <br />
which are valid throughout the UK and usually accepted without question. Channel <br />
Islands and Manx notes (but not coins) are technically legal tender in the UK, <br />
but are best changed at banks.<br />
<br />
==UIC code==<br />
* United Kingdom: numeric 70; alpha GB<br />
* Eurotunnel: numeric 69 (used only for accounting purposes and not shown on rolling stock).<br />
<br />
Historically, the only British rolling stock to show UIC numbers were wagons passed to work on the now defunct train ferries from Harwich and Dover or through the Channel Tunnel. The Eurostar class 374 trains, which entered service in 2015, were the first UK-registered passenger stock to have UIC numbers, otherwise known as the European Vehicle Number (EVN). Rail Industry Standard RIS-2453-RST ''Vehicle Registration, Marking and Numbering'', introduced in December 2017, requires new vehicles in Great Britain to be identified by EVN. On passenger vehicles only an abbreviated version is normally show. UIC numbering is not used by NI Railways.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland)===<br />
The official National Rail timetable is published on Network Rail's website (see below), twice yearly (in mid December and mid May). Services on Mondays to Fridays, on Saturdays (or Mondays to Saturdays) and on Sundays are usually different and laid out separately in the timetable; there may be several alternative Sunday services, to allow for engineering work, during the currency of a timetable. [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe] provides a comprehensive guide to printed and on-line public transport timetables.<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
[http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/s/planjourney/query National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner]<br />
<br />
The [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites provide a quick-reference way of checking the latest schedule (or amendment) for any particular train<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetable====<br />
PDFs of the National Railway Timetable are available from the [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/electronic-national-rail-timetable-enrt/ Network Rail] website. These are maintained for Network Rail by [https://timetables.fabdigital.uk/nrt/ Fabdigital] and the version on their website may be more up to date.<br />
<br />
====Working (Staff) Timetables====<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/working-timetable/ Network Rail Working Timetables]<br />
<br />
You can also check for the latest variations to working timetable details for specific trains on the [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites.<br />
<br />
[http://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/working-timetables London Underground working timetables]. DLR is not included.<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
Since May 2020 there has been no comprehensive printed timetable for Great Britain and there are no printed timetable leaflets for most lines.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.html National Rail's future engineering works]<br />
<br />
===Northern Ireland===<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
On the [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink home page].<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetables====<br />
[https://www.translink.co.uk/timetables?LocationId=&Name=&LocationType=&TransportMode=Bus&page=1 Translink bus and rail timetables]<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
A series of four free leaflets is available.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/nirailways-travel-updates/ NIRailways Travel Updates]<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*The ''Rail Atlas Great Britain & Ireland'' gives detailed and accurate coverage of the UK railway system, and is widely available. It is mostly at 1:350,000, but with enlargements of many urban areas; an updated edition is published every 2-3 years.<br />
*[http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps] publish a series of track diagrams (formerly Quail Track Diagrams) in five regional volumes.<br />
*Northern Ireland Railways are in a volume covering the whole of Ireland also published by [http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps]<br />
*Historic atlases have been published by various other publishers.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] (see National Rail Passenger Operators' map) and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/united_kingdom_ireland.html British Isles and Ireland Map]. Last updated December 2022<br />
*[http://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php Rail Map online].<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
There is no distance-related fare tariff in the UK, and fares are charged on a market basis. Certain fares are regulated and the amount by which train companies can increase some fares is specified by the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
Standard walk-on fares are high, but a wide range of discounted fares is available. These are subject to restrictions as to days and times when they can be used. It can be difficult to obtain accurate information as to fares and their availability, even from official enquiry offices, because the pricing structure is complicated and the different train companies are all making their own special offers. The most heavily discounted fares usually oblige the passenger to travel on specified trains (with no opportunity to alter these) - and only a limited number of tickets may be issued for each service. Train operators are increasingly introducing special offers that can only be taken up through their website. Higher fares are charged for use of domestic trains on HS1, the high-speed line to Kent, except for through tickets between Kent and destinations beyond London. <br />
<br />
Tickets for any rail journey in the UK can be purchased from most train operators' websites, but the best price may be available from the operator whose service is being used. It is often possible to obtain a lower price for a journey by splitting it and buying a different ticket for each section. In such cases it is necessary to travel on a train that stops at stations where the validity of one ticket ends and another starts. This requirement does not apply if at least one of the tickets is a season ticket, rail rover or similar. It may also be found that a ticket to a station beyond one's destination is cheaper, but conditions need to be checked carefully. A break of journey may not be permitted, requiring an excess fare to be paid if exiting at an intermediate station. Various websites act as 'consolidators' and will compare what is available in order to offer the best deal, including split ticketing options. <br />
<br />
Various Railcards are available, usually giving a fare reduction of one third. These are available nationally to groups, such as young people, families, senior citizens, two people travelling together, those with a disability and military personnel. Some cards are available to all, but only valid for travel within a particular geographic area. The cost of a Railcard may be recouped immediately if a long-distance journey is planned or if purchasing a high-price ticket such as a national rail rover. Some Railcards only give a discount for off-peak travel. Details of Railcards are available at [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/National-Railcards.aspx National Rail]. Details can be found at the unofficial [http://www.railrover.org/ Rail Rover] website.<br />
<br />
Overseas visitors should endeavour to purchase a rover ticket, such as a [http://www.britrail.net/ BritRail] or InterRail pass, before travelling to the UK. Various rail rovers are available within the UK, but they do not offer the value or wide validity of those available to foreign visitors, and many are not valid until after the morning peak period.<br />
<br />
In various areas where all stations have automatic ticket machines, including on the London Underground and most other tram and metro networks, a penalty fares system applies. Passengers found without a ticket are likely to have to pay a fine on the spot.<br />
<br />
First class seating tends now to be found only on principal routes; in Northern Ireland it is limited to principal trains on the international route between Belfast and Dublin (where NIRailways call it &quot;First plus&quot; while partner Iarnród Éireann call it &quot;Premium&quot;). Eurostar maintain three classes: Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier. On some trains, including many of those operated by Gatwick Express, Great Northern and Southern, there is no difference between first class and standard class seating. If a train including first class seats is used on a service advertised as standard class only, holders of standard class tickets may use the first class seats.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Railways Company Limited, through a subsidiary NIR Networks Limited<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/network-statement/ Network Rail]. The Sectional Appendices are available <br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ here] (scroll down to list of PDFs).<br />
<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Corporate/About-Us/Publications/network-statement/ Translink]<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
*Great Britain: Standard<br />
*Northern Ireland: 1600 mm [5 feet 3 inches]<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
*Great Britain: Mostly 25 kV 50 Hz. 750 V dc third rail is used on some lines in south east England and around Liverpool. The third rail network in south east England is by a considerable margin the most extensive such system in the world and the only place when conductor rail trains operate at up to 100 mph (160 km/hr). The line between Pelaw and Sunderland is electrified at 1500V dc overhead, to allow use by Tyne & Wear Metro. The line between Tinsley North Junction and Rotherham Parkgate is electrified at 750V dc overhead, for use by Sheffield Supertram. Most tramway systems are 750 V dc with Blackpool being 600 V dc.<br />
*Northern Ireland: no electrified lines.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Left.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
*Distances are shown on Railway Track Diagrams published by [https://www.trackmaps.co.uk/ TRACKmaps]. Distances are also available in Network Rail's [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ Sectional Appendices] (scroll down for list of available PDFs).<br />
*Distances for Northern Ireland are also available on-line on the Signalling Record Society website:<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-nc.php Derry and Larne lines]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-bd.php Bangor line]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-gd.php Dublin line]<br />
<br />
==Other railways==<br />
*Core Valley Lines (Cardiff to Rhymney, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert): Owned by the Welsh Government and managed by a lessee, Amey Keolis Infrastructure/Seilwaith Amey Keolis Limited.<br />
*Crossrail Central Operating Section is the railway under Central London from Portobello Junction (Royal Oak) to Pudding Mill Lane Junction (Bow) and Abbey Wood. It is managed by Rail for London (Infrastructure) Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London.<br />
*East London Line: Owned by Rail for London Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London. <br />
*Eurotunnel: A partnership between the Channel Tunnel Group Limited and France-Manche S.A. that operates the Channel Tunnel under a long-term concession from the UK and French governments. <br />
*Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited owns the railway between London Heathrow Airport and the junction with the Great Western Main Line near Hayes & Harlington. <br />
*HS1 Ltd: The investor with a 30 years concession from the UK government to operate the high-speed line between London and the Channel Tunnel, though most aspects of day-to-day operation and maintenance are contracted out to Network Rail. <br />
<br />
Facilities exist for special through running between the national system and some tourist lines.<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
A map of UK heritage railways can be found at the "Heritage Rail - UK & Ireland" link on the [https://www.heritagerailways.com Heritage Railway Association website].<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
London, Newcastle, Glasgow. Although part of the national railway system, the Merseyrail Electrics <br />
network in Liverpool is like a Metro. There are two separate networks in London. The Underground system is 630V dc third and fourth rail; the Docklands Light Railway is a fully-automated 750V dc third rail system. London Overground operates under a contract let by the Mayor of London and uses Transport for London branding, but operates almost entirely on Network Rail lines. The Glasgow and Merseyrail systems are third <br />
rail and Newcastle is 1500 V dc overhead. Glasgow Subway is 4 feet (1,219mm) gauge and was originally cable-worked. There are several lines where London Underground and main line trains share the same tracks. The Tyne & Wear Metro (Newcastle) operates to Sunderland over the Network Rail line from Pelaw.<br />
<br />
The Core Valley Lines from Cardiff are being converted to a form of metro system.<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Birmingham/Wolverhampton (Midland Metro), Blackpool, Croydon, Edinburgh,<br />
Llandudno (cable worked), Manchester, Nottingham, Seaton (Devon) and Sheffield. The Croydon, <br />
Manchester, Midland Metro, Nottingham and Seaton systems include extensive running over <br />
routes that were previously part of the national railway system. The Manchester and Nottingham systems have been considerably extended in recent years. On the Manchester Metrolink system a second route through Manchester city centre came into use on 26 February 2017, and the 5.5 km Trafford Park line opened on 22 March 2020. The Midland Metro in Birmingham was extended to Edgbaston on 17 July 2022 and to Wolverhampton Station on 17 September 2023. The first stage of a line to Brierley Hill is expected to open, to Dudley, in 2024. The extension of the Edinburgh line to Leith and Newhaven opened on 21 June 2023 and plans have been announced for further lines in the city. The Blackpool system Talbot Gateway extension, to Blackpool North station, is expected to be fully open in 2023. A metro system is proposed in Glasgow, but this project is at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
The Seaton and Llandudno lines are essentially tourist operations, and both are narrow gauge. <br />
There are other tourist lines of a mile or more at the National Tramway Museum <br />
(Crich, near Matlock) and at Beamish Open Air Museum (near Gateshead), plus <br />
several other shorter lines. <br />
<br />
The Isle of Man has three narrow gauge tramways, which operate on a seasonal basis: Douglas Bay Horse Tramway - along the promenade in Douglas; the Manx Electric Railway - an inter-urban line between Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey; and the Snaefell Mountain Railway - from Laxey to Snaefell Summit. <br />
After a period of uncertainty, the threat that the horse tramway line in Douglas might be shortened seems to have been seen off by a vote in Tynwald (the Manx parliament) in January 2017. <br />
<br />
The Tinsley Chord, which connects the Sheffield tram system to a freight line near Meadowhall, allows tram-trains to run between Sheffield city centre and Rotherham Parkgate over Network Rail lines. Public services commenced on Thursday 25 October 2018. Sheffield tram-trains are dual voltage vehicles that can run on the 750 V Overhead Lines (OHLE) of the tram network and the 25 kV OHLE of the national rail network; however the line to Rotherham Parkgate is initially energised at 750 V because there is no 25 kV electrification in the area.<br />
<br />
Track plans for most of the significant tram systems in the United Kingdom are available on the [http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/line/diagrams0.shtm Railway Codes site] and also on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/index-e.php Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes== <br />
Some aspects of national railway operations are privatised, but infrastructure ownership has reverted to the public sector. There continues to be debate about the fragmented, expensive and complex nature of the system that has emerged, under the general oversight of the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
===Route Closures and Service Reductions===<br />
Having undergone extensive cut backs in the 1960s, the present passenger network seems relatively secure. The closure of a passenger railway in the UK normally involves a lengthy legal process, and short-notice closures usually occur only if there is a sudden and dramatic infrastructure failure, or if the closure is deemed a &quot;minor closure&quot;. However, a number of stations have closed and all passenger services over some lines have been withdrawn without the statutory procedure having been followed. Passenger services via the Channel Tunnel, or in connection with them, do not enjoy statutory protection from closure. <br />
<br />
Some routes have been reduced to just one or two trains per day (or, in some cases, per week) in order to reduce operating costs without having to go through the closure procedure. These are included in the list of [https://www.egtre.info/wiki/United_Kingdom_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services sparse services].<br />
<br />
A newly-introduced passenger service can be designated as "experimental" for a period up to five years, during which time it may be withdrawn without the usual closure procedure needing to be followed. The only "experimental" service at present is Thanet Parkway station, until 30 July 2028.<br />
<br />
====Passenger services to be withdrawn====<br />
* The railway between Nottingham and Worksop may be diverted at Whitwell to allow expansion of a dolomite quarry. This will eliminate Whitwell Tunnel. No date is set for this, but planning permission to expand the quarry was granted in 2018.<br />
<br />
* Planned diversion of trains between Belfast and Dublin to a new terminal facility - [http://www.translink.co.uk/Translink-Footer/the-hub/ the Belfast Hub] - being constructed close to Belfast Great Victoria Street may see the end of regular passenger services between Central Junction (Adelaide) and City Junction (City Hospital).<br />
<br />
====Closures and significant service reductions in recent years are==== <br />
<br />
'''Passenger service withdrawn, line still open for other than regular passenger traffic:'''<br />
<br />
* Greenford LUL Bay Junction - Northolt Junction: The Wednesdays only train from West Ealing to West Ruislip ran for the last time on 7 December 2022.<br />
<br />
* Cowlairs East Junction - Cowlairs North Junction (Glasgow): The summer Sunday trains between Edinburgh and Oban have started and terminated at Glasgow Queen Street since 2023. Last use of the curve by the ScotRail service was on 28 August 2022. It continues to be used by the [https://www.belmond.com/trains/europe/scotland/belmond-royal-scotsman/journeys Royal Scotsman] Western Scenic Wonders tour.<br />
<br />
* Barking Station Junction - Barking platform 1: No regular passenger traffic from 18 July 2022, when the line to Barking Riverside opened, but occasional diversions may be possible.<br />
<br />
* Dalmeny - Winchburgh Junction: Service withdrawn 23 March 2020, but without the statutory closure procedure having been followed. <br />
<br />
'''Significant service reduction'''<br />
<br />
* Glenrothes with Thornton - Thornton South Junction: The frequent service via Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy became Sundays only, except for one train each way Mondays to Fridays, with effect from 15 May 2022.<br />
<br />
====Temporary Closures:==== <br />
<br />
Work to upgrade the UK rail network is increasingly leading to lines being closed for extended periods. Severe weather and the age of much railway infrastructure has resulted in more temporary closures caused by landslips and other problems with earthworks. Current and planned temporary closures of four weeks or more, in approximate order of expected re-opening, are: <br />
<br />
* Shipley (Dockfield Junction) to Guisley (Esholt Junction): From 8 February 2024 until 24 April 2024 or later, because of a major land slip. <br />
* Ayr to Stranraer and Kilmarnock to Barassie: From 25 September 2023 until 2 June 2024 or later, because of a dangerous building at Ayr.<br />
* Blackheath to Charlton: 1 June to 10 August 2024, for repairs to Blackheath Tunnel.<br />
* Ashford East Junction, connection to HS1: Eurostar ceased calling at Ashford on 19 March 2020 and will not resume before 2025/6.<br />
<br />
===Re-openings and Openings===<br />
<br />
Most projects involve upgrading existing routes, but some openings have occurred or are about to do so. <br />
<br />
====New and reinstated passenger services in recent years:==== <br />
<br />
New passenger services are: <br />
<br />
* Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) - Leven (scheduled to open on 2 June 2024)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension: The Royal - Wolverhampton Station (17 September 2023). <br />
<br />
* Westbourne Park Junction - Paddington and Stepney Green Junction - Pudding Mill Lane Junction (full opening of Elizabeth line) (6 November 2022) <br />
<br />
* Barking - Barking Riverside (18 July 2022)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension: Library - Edgbaston Village (17 July 2022) <br />
<br />
*Paddington - Abbey Wood (Elizabeth line) (24 May 2022)<br />
<br />
* Newport (Gaer Junction) - Pye Corner (Park Junction) (on introduction of trains between Newport and Crosskeys, 12 December 2021)<br />
<br />
* Crediton - Okehampton (20 November 2021; there was previously a service on summer Sundays)<br />
<br />
* Kennington - Battersea Power Station (London Underground, Northern Line extension, opened September 2021)<br />
<br />
A daily service, generally hourly, was introduced between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester via Runcorn and Frodsham on 19 May 2019. Previously the curve between Halton Junction and Frodsham Junction had been used by a single unadvertised train in one direction only on summer Saturdays.<br />
<br />
On tourist / heritage railways:<br />
<br />
* Llangollen Railway extended passenger services from Carrog to a provisional terminus at Corwen in October 2014 and to the permanent terminus in June 2023. <br />
* the Mid-Norfolk Railway ran inaugural passenger trains to Worthing level crossing (North Elmham) on 19 and 20 May 2018, but regular services continue to terminate at Dereham. The railway aspires to continue to County School. <br />
* The first (very short) section of the Aln Valley Railway officially opened in October 2013, from a new station on the edge of Alnwick, with a longer run available from December 2017. It is planned that the railway will reach the National Rail station at Alnmouth.<br />
* The first section of the re-opened Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, a narrow gauge line, is in operation between Woody Bay and Killington Lane. Extensions towards Lynton and to Blackmoor Gate are planned as the next phase of reconstruction.<br />
<br />
====Projects authorised or under construction are:==== <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the railway between Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) and Levenmouth for passenger services on 2 June 2024. Initially, all trains will run via Kirkcaldy, but it is expected that some trains will later run via Cowdenbeath, providing many more via the curve from Thornton West Junction than the current sparse service. <br />
<br />
A Transport & Works Act Order for the introduction of passenger trains over the freight line to Ashington was granted in June 2022 and the line is due to open by December 2024. The UK Government has announced plans to re-open the railway to Fleetwood, but this may become a tramway. The UK Government is also funding feasibility studies into re-opening a number of other lines, but these are at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
Work has started on construction of a high speed railway (HS2) from London to Birmingham, but the line will not be opened until 2026 at the earliest. A flythrough of the route is [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bkoGvw9kbA here]. There will be a link to the West Coast Main Line at Handsacre, near Lichfield. Plans to extend the line to Manchester and beyond have been cancelled by the UK Government. <br />
<br />
<!---Preliminary work on construction of a link between the LUL Watford branch and the former Croxley Green branch was undertaken in 2016. However, the project has stalled, because of lack of agreement as to how further cost escalation would be funded, and can only be regarded as definitively dead, though there has been no formal announcement to this effect. Should the scheme continue, which seems increasingly unlikely, it will result in the closure of Watford LUL station, but the re-opening of most of the Croxley Green branch.---><br />
Plans were being developed for a second Crossrail line, linking south west and north east London. All work on this stopped in autumn 2020, as a result of economies made to deal with the Covid pandemic. It is questionable whether the scheme will be revived, if there is the expected permanent reduction in commuter traffic. <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the derelict line between Calvert and Bletchley. A Transport & Works Act Order for this scheme was granted in February 2020 and services between Oxford and Milton Keynes are scheduled to start in December 2024. The longer-term objective is to re-introduce trains between Oxford and Cambridge. <br />
<br />
[https://heathrowrail.com/ Heathrow Southern Railway] intends to build a new railway south-west from Heathrow Airport to link with the Staines to Windsor line, together with a branch to Virginia Water or Chertsey. <br />
<br />
In the private sector:<br />
* The Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway is constructing an extension from Glengonnar to Wanlockhead.<br />
* Moorland & City Railways have a stated intention to reopen the line between Stoke-on-Trent and Leek Brook Junction, to a junction with the Churnet Valley Railway, but progress seems to be languishing.<br />
* Most ambitiously, the two Great Central Railways at Loughborough are being linked by means of a reinstated bridge over the Midland Main Line. <br />
* The Rother Valley Railway has obtained a Transport and Works Act Order to rebuild the railway between Robertsbridge and Junction Road (Bodiam).<br />
* The Royal Deeside Railway is extending its line to Crathes West Lodge.<br />
* Strathspey Railway is extending to Grantown-on-Spey and during summer 2014 and 2015 offered a limited service between its normal terminus at Broomhill and the river bridge at Dulnain. Further work depends on obtaining statutory powers under the Transport and Works Act and constructing a new bridge to carry the railway over the A95 main road. <br />
* The Helston Railway provides a short ride near Prospidnick, but plans to extend to Helston and eventually to Gwinear Road.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
<br />
Main line electrification in Great Britain came to a virtual standstill following railway privatisation, because private-sector train operators and rolling stock companies preferred the flexibility of diesel traction. The only schemes to proceed were between Crewe and Kidsgrove (near Stoke on Trent) (electrified for diversionary use), the reconstructed Larkhall branch line in Scotland and High Speed 1 (the Channel Tunnel rail link) [see below].<br />
<br />
In 2009 Department for Transport policy shifted towards extending electrification, with significant schemes proposed and a few implemented. However, greatly increased costs have resulted in projects being curtailed and delayed. Poor cost estimating, increased safety standards, over-specification and loss of practical experience of electrification appear to be among the causes. In July 2017 the UK Government announced an end to plans for further railway electrification in England and Wales, with reliance instead on bi-mode diesel/electric trains. This will included converting some electric multiple-units to bi-mode working. There have also been experiments with battery operation. In contrast, the Scottish Government required Network Rail to develop an electrification technical specification that can deliver an "efficient and affordable rolling programme of electrification". <br />
<br />
Electrification schemes recently completed in England and Wales are:<br />
<br />
* Bedford to Corby (May 2021) <br />
<br />
* London (Heathrow Airport Junction) to Cardiff, Chippenham (Christian Malford) and Newbury (Phased introduction of electric services between May 2017 and January 2020). The scheme was cut back to omit Swansea, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Oxford and the Thames Valley branch lines.<br />
<br />
* Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley (May 2019)<br />
<br />
* Manchester to Preston via Bolton (February 2019)<br />
<br />
* Gospel Oak to Woodgrange Park via South Tottenham (January 2019, but limited electric service initially, because of delayed delivery of rolling stock)<br />
<br />
Schemes under way in England:<br />
<br />
* Kettering - Market Harborough<br />
<br />
* Manchester - Huddersfield - Leeds - York <br />
<br />
* Wigan North Western - Lostock Junction (near Bolton) (announced 1 September 2021, expected completion 2024/2025) <br />
<br />
The UK Government has announced that electrification of the Midland Main Line is to be completed to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield.<br />
<br />
The Welsh Government is sponsoring electrification of the Valley Lines from Cardiff to Bargoed, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert. Light rail vehicles are to be used from Cardiff to Coryton and on routes via Radyr. Tri-mode trains will be used from Rhymney to Penarth, Barry Island and the Vale of Glamorgan line, using battery power between Rhymney and Bargoed, and diesel south of Cardiff. <br />
<br />
Following an extensive programme of electrification completed between 2012 and 2019, most lines in Central Scotland are electrified, with recent schemes comprising:<br />
<br />
*Holytown to Kirknewton (Midcalder Jn) via Shotts (Some electric services April 2019, full service May 2019) <br />
<br />
*Glasgow Central (Muirhouse Central Jn) to Barrhead (December 2023, but most trains continue to Kilmarnock or beyond, so remain diesel-worked)<br />
<br />
The line from Falkirk to Grangemouth has also been electrified for freight traffic, but there are proposals to reinstate a passenger service. <br />
<br />
Work has started on electrification to East Kilbride. The line from Haymarket (Edinburgh) to Dalmeny is being electrified as the first phase of a scheme to electrify routes through Fife. Transport Scotland's [https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/rail-services-decarbonisation-action-plan/ ''Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan''], published in July 2020, envisages most lines in Scotland being electrified. Priorities are the Kilmarnock line; Edinburgh to Tweedbank; routes in Fife; and Dunblane to Aberdeen. Later extensions will take electrification to Girvan; Gretna via Dumfries; and Inverness to Perth, Aberdeen and Tain.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of changes more than five years ago see [[United_Kingdom - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special Notes==<br />
<br />
Train numbers in Great Britain follow an alpha-numeric format, thus 1A22. The first digit indicates the type of train (passenger trains are 1, 2 or 9), in most cases the letter indicates its route or destination and the remaining digits identify the particular train. Different trains can and do use the same number, so long as they do not conflict geographically or operate several hours apart. Since December 2021 train numbers have been shown in the National Rail Timetable, but they are not normally used for passenger information purposes. It is more usual for trains to be referred to by their schedule, for example as the "10:00 London King's Cross to Aberdeen". International trains have four digit numbers where the second figure is 0 or 1, which can be treated as letters O and I in the UK.<br />
<br />
Departure sheets listing trains from a station in chronological order are rarely used. The usual format is to list destinations in alphabetic order, and provide details of all trains to each, or to provide timetable posters. Most stations have electronic displays, which indicate all departures (and often arrivals) within the next hour or so.<br />
<br />
It is unusual for information displays and announcements at stations and on trains to be in any language other than English (and Welsh in Wales), though most station name signs in Scotland appear in Gaelic as well as English. Multi-lingual information is normally restricted to dedicated airport services and those using the Channel Tunnel.<br />
<br />
No stations sell international tickets or can make international reservations, though there are facilities to make through bookings from certain stations by Eurostar. <!---International tickets and reservations are available at the We Know London Tourist Services desk in the shopping mall at St Pancras International station.---> Even the range of tickets available from Eurostar is very limited. For guidance on booking travel to and from Europe visit [http://www.seat61.com/Europe.htm#How%20do%20I%20book? The Man in Seat Sixty-One]'s website or see advice from [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/European-Train-Travel.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Selective door opening is increasingly used, particularly in London and South East England. Trains are longer than some station platforms and only doors within the platform are unlocked. Announcements and visual displays advise passengers which carriages they need to be in if wishing to alight. This also happens to a limited extent on the London Underground, but usually only affecting the rearmost pair of doors. <br />
<br />
The only long-distance overnight trains in Great Britain are:<br />
<br />
* [https://www.sleeper.scot/ Caledonian Sleeper] from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness <br />
* Great Western's [https://www.gwr.com/travelling-with-us/night-riviera-sleeper Night Riviera] from London to Penzance<br />
<br />
Sleeping cars are provided, but not couchettes, and seating may be in saloons with non-reclinable seats, where passengers have no control of the lighting. <br />
<br />
Taking bicycles, other than folding ones, by train can be difficult. Space may be limited and some operators require advance reservations for bicycles. More information can be found at [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/cyclists.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Train services at weekends, and especially Saturday evening and Sunday until mid-afternoon, can be extensively altered because of [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.aspx engineering work]. With the paucity of alternative routes and a growing aversion to temporary single line working, buses frequently substitute for trains in such circumstances. There are an increasing number of initiatives to give extended overnight possessions Mondays to Thursdays, in order to reduce the extent of weekend closures. This results in late evening trains being replaced by buses. Trials are being undertaken of mid-week line closures. Blockades of a week or more are increasingly common.<br />
<br />
No trains run in the UK on Christmas Day and very few on Boxing Day, mostly on local services in the London and Glasgow areas. No domestic services run in Scotland on New Year's Day, but there are normally trains between England, Edinburgh and Glasgow. <br />
<br />
Very few stations have left luggage facilities. Unattended luggage may be removed by the police and processes to check that it is safe can be very destructive.<br />
<br />
Railway enthusiasts are welcomed on stations - for guidance when on and about stations refer to [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/railway-enthusiasts/railway-enthusiasts-and-photography-at-stations/ Network Rail's] advice.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox United Kingdom}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=United_Kingdom_-_General_Information&diff=55498United Kingdom - General Information2024-03-25T18:07:15Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Temporary Closures: */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland<br />
<br />
Nomenclature: &quot;Great Britain&quot; comprises the countries of England, Wales, and Scotland. &quot;United Kingdom&quot; (in full: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) comprises Great Britain and the Province of Northern Ireland. &quot;British Isles&quot; is a purely geographical description for the British mainland and the island of Ireland; the latter contains the Province of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are usually regarded as part of the British Isles, although independent of the UK government. All but the Republic of Ireland (which is entirely independent of the UK) are under the British Crown (monarchy).<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Most infrastructure in Great Britain is owned by [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail], a company controlled by the government's [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport Department for Transport] (DfT). Most passenger train services are provided by operators under contracts with DfT, [https://tfl.gov.uk/ Transport for London], [http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk Merseytravel], [http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/ Transport Scotland] or the [http://gov.wales/topics/transport/?lang=en Welsh Government]. Some operators are subsidiaries of major bus companies or national railways from other countries, for example Trenitalia. A UK Government subsidiary, [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/dft-olr-holdings-limited/about DfT OLR Holdings Limited], operates services if the contractor is no longer able to do so, has had the contract terminated because of default or there has been no acceptable tender for provision of the service. [https://www.railholdings.scot/ Scottish Rail Holdings Limited] is the equivalent in Scotland. Full details of passenger train operators are given by links from the [http://www.raildeliverygroup.com/about-us/uk-rail-industry/passenger-freight-track.html Rail Delivery Group] website. Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites. Passenger train operations collectively are known as 'National Rail'. <br />
<br />
A new organisation, [https://gbrtt.co.uk/ Great British Railways] is being established to take strategic control of railways, in England at least, as well as taking over most of Network Rail's functions as infrastructure owner and operator throughout Britain. <br />
<br />
Railways in Northern Ireland are owned by Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (which remains state-owned) and are operated as the [http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/ N I Railways] (NIR) division of Translink.<br />
<br />
Most operators in Great Britain had a franchise agreement, under which they took most of the commercial risk. DfT was considering changes to franchising when the Covid-19 pandemic made the system uneconomic, due to greatly reduced fares income to the operators. Franchises were replaced by Emergency Recovery Management Agreements and subsequently by National Rail Contracts under which the Government meets operating costs and receives fares and other income. The operating company is paid a management fee. Transport for Wales, ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper, LNER, Northern and Southeastern are all being operated by public sector companies. <br />
<br />
The operator of each train is indicated in the electronic National Rail Timetable and <br />
its printed derivatives by means of two-letter codes; for a de-coder and a chronology of <br />
privatisation and transfer/re-branding of Great Britain's passenger railway franchises to <br />
date go to the [http://www.railchronology.free-online.co.uk/ Rail Chronology] website. Basic customer information about and links to the websites of each TOC are available through the [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tocs_maps/tocs/TrainOperators.aspx National Rail] website. Some further information about passenger train operators and past franchisees can be found in the [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-franchise-schedule DfT] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_operating_trains_in_the_United_Kingdom Wikipedia] websites. The Wikipedia list is usually more up to date and accurate than the DfT schedule!<br />
<br />
A small number of operators provide passenger services on the national network which are not under contract to the DfT. These include [http://www.eurostar.com/ ''Eurostar''] which is a unitary undertaking (Eurostar <br />
International Ltd) managed by SNCF, which has a 55% interest in the company. Private investors acquired the UK government's 40% stake in 2015 and SNCB/NMBS owns the remaining 5%. 'Open Access' passenger operators are: <br />
<br />
* [https://www.hulltrains.co.uk/ Hull Trains] between London and Hull <br />
* [https://www.grandcentralrail.com/ Grand Central] between London, Bradford and Sunderland<br />
* [https://www.lumo.co.uk/ Lumo] between London and Edinburgh <br />
<br />
[http://www.granduniontrains.co.uk/ Grand Union Trains] intends to start services between London Paddington and Carmarthen and between London Euston and Stirling in 2025. <br />
<br />
In addition<br />
* [http://www.eurotunnel.com/ Eurotunnel] operates a shuttle service for motor vehicles through the Channel Tunnel; this does not carry foot-passengers (although cyclists can be carried by arrangement)<br />
* [http://www.nymr.co.uk/ North Yorkshire Moors Railway] operates timetabled steam trains through between Pickering/Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby during the summer.<br />
* [http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/ West Coast Railways] operates timetabled steam trains between Fort William and Mallaig during the summer, but in practice these get fully booked well in advance. Services at the start of the 2024 season have been CANCELLED, because the operator no longer has authorisation to operate heritage carriages that lack central door locking.<br />
<br />
[http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/ Swanage Railway] and West Coast Railways operated a service between Swanage and Wareham during the summer in 2017 and 2023. In 2018 and 2019 there was just a limited Saturday service by the local franchisee, South Western Railway. Swanage Railway does not plan further such services, on economic grounds.<br />
<br />
All freight trains in Great Britain are operated by competing companies under "open access" conditions. The <i>principal</i> companies are: <br />
<br />
* [http://www.rail.dbschenker.co.uk/rail-uk-en/start/ DB Cargo UK] (formerly English Welsh and Scottish Railway, now a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn of Germany) <br />
* [https://www.freightliner.co.uk/ Freightliner] (owned by US railroad Genesee & Wyoming Inc) <br />
* [http://www.colasrail.co.uk/ Colas Rail] (part of the Bouygues group); <br />
* [http://www.directrailservices.com/ Direct Rail Services] (owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority) <br />
* [http://www.gbrailfreight.com/ GB Railfreight] (owned by Infracapital, an infrastructure equity investor). <br />
<br />
DB Cargo UK, in particular, and GB Railfreight, to a lesser extent, operate charter passenger trains. GB Railfreight also operates the Caledonian Sleeper trains on behalf of Caledonian Sleeper Limited.<br />
<br />
[https://www.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Rail Operations Group] concentrates on rolling stock moves for manufacturers, leasing companies and passenger operators, but started a parcels-carrying business, trading as [https://orion.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Orion] in 2021.<br />
<br />
There are no longer any revenue freight trains in Northern Ireland.<br />
<br />
Neither the Isle of Man nor the Channel Isles (îles Anglo-Normands) is legally part of the UK but the Isle of Man's active railways and tramways are to <br />
be found at the [http://www.heritagerailways.com/Visits_Map.php UK and Irish Heritage Railways website] and under [[#Trams/LRT-Systems|Trams/LRT-Systems]] respectively.<br />
<br />
==Official Website==<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ National Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink]<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
English. In addition Welsh is spoken in most parts of Wales, <br />
and Gaelic is used to a certain extent in north-west Scotland.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Pound sterling. Banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own notes, <br />
which are valid throughout the UK and usually accepted without question. Channel <br />
Islands and Manx notes (but not coins) are technically legal tender in the UK, <br />
but are best changed at banks.<br />
<br />
==UIC code==<br />
* United Kingdom: numeric 70; alpha GB<br />
* Eurotunnel: numeric 69 (used only for accounting purposes and not shown on rolling stock).<br />
<br />
Historically, the only British rolling stock to show UIC numbers were wagons passed to work on the now defunct train ferries from Harwich and Dover or through the Channel Tunnel. The Eurostar class 374 trains, which entered service in 2015, were the first UK-registered passenger stock to have UIC numbers, otherwise known as the European Vehicle Number (EVN). Rail Industry Standard RIS-2453-RST ''Vehicle Registration, Marking and Numbering'', introduced in December 2017, requires new vehicles in Great Britain to be identified by EVN. On passenger vehicles only an abbreviated version is normally show. UIC numbering is not used by NI Railways.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland)===<br />
The official National Rail timetable is published on Network Rail's website (see below), twice yearly (in mid December and mid May). Services on Mondays to Fridays, on Saturdays (or Mondays to Saturdays) and on Sundays are usually different and laid out separately in the timetable; there may be several alternative Sunday services, to allow for engineering work, during the currency of a timetable. [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe] provides a comprehensive guide to printed and on-line public transport timetables.<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
[http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/s/planjourney/query National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner]<br />
<br />
The [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites provide a quick-reference way of checking the latest schedule (or amendment) for any particular train<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetable====<br />
PDFs of the National Railway Timetable are available from the [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/electronic-national-rail-timetable-enrt/ Network Rail] website. These are maintained for Network Rail by [https://timetables.fabdigital.uk/nrt/ Fabdigital] and the version on their website may be more up to date.<br />
<br />
====Working (Staff) Timetables====<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/working-timetable/ Network Rail Working Timetables]<br />
<br />
You can also check for the latest variations to working timetable details for specific trains on the [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites.<br />
<br />
[http://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/working-timetables London Underground working timetables]. DLR is not included.<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
Since May 2020 there has been no comprehensive printed timetable for Great Britain and there are no printed timetable leaflets for most lines.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.html National Rail's future engineering works]<br />
<br />
===Northern Ireland===<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
On the [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink home page].<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetables====<br />
[https://www.translink.co.uk/timetables?LocationId=&Name=&LocationType=&TransportMode=Bus&page=1 Translink bus and rail timetables]<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
A series of four free leaflets is available.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/nirailways-travel-updates/ NIRailways Travel Updates]<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*The ''Rail Atlas Great Britain & Ireland'' gives detailed and accurate coverage of the UK railway system, and is widely available. It is mostly at 1:350,000, but with enlargements of many urban areas; an updated edition is published every 2-3 years.<br />
*[http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps] publish a series of track diagrams (formerly Quail Track Diagrams) in five regional volumes.<br />
*Northern Ireland Railways are in a volume covering the whole of Ireland also published by [http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps]<br />
*Historic atlases have been published by various other publishers.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] (see National Rail Passenger Operators' map) and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/united_kingdom_ireland.html British Isles and Ireland Map]. Last updated December 2022<br />
*[http://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php Rail Map online].<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
There is no distance-related fare tariff in the UK, and fares are charged on a market basis. Certain fares are regulated and the amount by which train companies can increase some fares is specified by the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
Standard walk-on fares are high, but a wide range of discounted fares is available. These are subject to restrictions as to days and times when they can be used. It can be difficult to obtain accurate information as to fares and their availability, even from official enquiry offices, because the pricing structure is complicated and the different train companies are all making their own special offers. The most heavily discounted fares usually oblige the passenger to travel on specified trains (with no opportunity to alter these) - and only a limited number of tickets may be issued for each service. Train operators are increasingly introducing special offers that can only be taken up through their website. Higher fares are charged for use of domestic trains on HS1, the high-speed line to Kent, except for through tickets between Kent and destinations beyond London. <br />
<br />
Tickets for any rail journey in the UK can be purchased from most train operators' websites, but the best price may be available from the operator whose service is being used. It is often possible to obtain a lower price for a journey by splitting it and buying a different ticket for each section. In such cases it is necessary to travel on a train that stops at stations where the validity of one ticket ends and another starts. This requirement does not apply if at least one of the tickets is a season ticket, rail rover or similar. It may also be found that a ticket to a station beyond one's destination is cheaper, but conditions need to be checked carefully. A break of journey may not be permitted, requiring an excess fare to be paid if exiting at an intermediate station. Various websites act as 'consolidators' and will compare what is available in order to offer the best deal, including split ticketing options. <br />
<br />
Various Railcards are available, usually giving a fare reduction of one third. These are available nationally to groups, such as young people, families, senior citizens, two people travelling together, those with a disability and military personnel. Some cards are available to all, but only valid for travel within a particular geographic area. The cost of a Railcard may be recouped immediately if a long-distance journey is planned or if purchasing a high-price ticket such as a national rail rover. Some Railcards only give a discount for off-peak travel. Details of Railcards are available at [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/National-Railcards.aspx National Rail]. Details can be found at the unofficial [http://www.railrover.org/ Rail Rover] website.<br />
<br />
Overseas visitors should endeavour to purchase a rover ticket, such as a [http://www.britrail.net/ BritRail] or InterRail pass, before travelling to the UK. Various rail rovers are available within the UK, but they do not offer the value or wide validity of those available to foreign visitors, and many are not valid until after the morning peak period.<br />
<br />
In various areas where all stations have automatic ticket machines, including on the London Underground and most other tram and metro networks, a penalty fares system applies. Passengers found without a ticket are likely to have to pay a fine on the spot.<br />
<br />
First class seating tends now to be found only on principal routes; in Northern Ireland it is limited to principal trains on the international route between Belfast and Dublin (where NIRailways call it &quot;First plus&quot; while partner Iarnród Éireann call it &quot;Premium&quot;). Eurostar maintain three classes: Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier. On some trains, including many of those operated by Gatwick Express, Great Northern and Southern, there is no difference between first class and standard class seating. If a train including first class seats is used on a service advertised as standard class only, holders of standard class tickets may use the first class seats.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Railways Company Limited, through a subsidiary NIR Networks Limited<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/network-statement/ Network Rail]. The Sectional Appendices are available <br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ here] (scroll down to list of PDFs).<br />
<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Corporate/About-Us/Publications/network-statement/ Translink]<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
*Great Britain: Standard<br />
*Northern Ireland: 1600 mm [5 feet 3 inches]<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
*Great Britain: Mostly 25 kV 50 Hz. 750 V dc third rail is used on some lines in south east England and around Liverpool. The third rail network in south east England is by a considerable margin the most extensive such system in the world and the only place when conductor rail trains operate at up to 100 mph (160 km/hr). The line between Pelaw and Sunderland is electrified at 1500V dc overhead, to allow use by Tyne & Wear Metro. The line between Tinsley North Junction and Rotherham Parkgate is electrified at 750V dc overhead, for use by Sheffield Supertram. Most tramway systems are 750 V dc with Blackpool being 600 V dc.<br />
*Northern Ireland: no electrified lines.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Left.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
*Distances are shown on Railway Track Diagrams published by [https://www.trackmaps.co.uk/ TRACKmaps]. Distances are also available in Network Rail's [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ Sectional Appendices] (scroll down for list of available PDFs).<br />
*Distances for Northern Ireland are also available on-line on the Signalling Record Society website:<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-nc.php Derry and Larne lines]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-bd.php Bangor line]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-gd.php Dublin line]<br />
<br />
==Other railways==<br />
*Core Valley Lines (Cardiff to Rhymney, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert): Owned by the Welsh Government and managed by a lessee, Amey Keolis Infrastructure/Seilwaith Amey Keolis Limited.<br />
*Crossrail Central Operating Section is the railway under Central London from Portobello Junction (Royal Oak) to Pudding Mill Lane Junction (Bow) and Abbey Wood. It is managed by Rail for London (Infrastructure) Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London.<br />
*East London Line: Owned by Rail for London Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London. <br />
*Eurotunnel: A partnership between the Channel Tunnel Group Limited and France-Manche S.A. that operates the Channel Tunnel under a long-term concession from the UK and French governments. <br />
*Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited owns the railway between London Heathrow Airport and the junction with the Great Western Main Line near Hayes & Harlington. <br />
*HS1 Ltd: The investor with a 30 years concession from the UK government to operate the high-speed line between London and the Channel Tunnel, though most aspects of day-to-day operation and maintenance are contracted out to Network Rail. <br />
<br />
Facilities exist for special through running between the national system and some tourist lines.<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
A map of UK heritage railways can be found at the "Heritage Rail - UK & Ireland" link on the [https://www.heritagerailways.com Heritage Railway Association website].<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
London, Newcastle, Glasgow. Although part of the national railway system, the Merseyrail Electrics <br />
network in Liverpool is like a Metro. There are two separate networks in London. The Underground system is 630V dc third and fourth rail; the Docklands Light Railway is a fully-automated 750V dc third rail system. London Overground operates under a contract let by the Mayor of London and uses Transport for London branding, but operates almost entirely on Network Rail lines. The Glasgow and Merseyrail systems are third <br />
rail and Newcastle is 1500 V dc overhead. Glasgow Subway is 4 feet (1,219mm) gauge and was originally cable-worked. There are several lines where London Underground and main line trains share the same tracks. The Tyne & Wear Metro (Newcastle) operates to Sunderland over the Network Rail line from Pelaw.<br />
<br />
The Core Valley Lines from Cardiff are being converted to a form of metro system.<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Birmingham/Wolverhampton (Midland Metro), Blackpool, Croydon, Edinburgh,<br />
Llandudno (cable worked), Manchester, Nottingham, Seaton (Devon) and Sheffield. The Croydon, <br />
Manchester, Midland Metro, Nottingham and Seaton systems include extensive running over <br />
routes that were previously part of the national railway system. The Manchester and Nottingham systems have been considerably extended in recent years. On the Manchester Metrolink system a second route through Manchester city centre came into use on 26 February 2017, and the 5.5 km Trafford Park line opened on 22 March 2020. The Midland Metro in Birmingham was extended to Edgbaston on 17 July 2022 and to Wolverhampton Station on 17 September 2023. The first stage of a line to Brierley Hill is expected to open, to Dudley, in 2024. The extension of the Edinburgh line to Leith and Newhaven opened on 21 June 2023 and plans have been announced for further lines in the city. The Blackpool system Talbot Gateway extension, to Blackpool North station, is expected to be fully open in 2023. A metro system is proposed in Glasgow, but this project is at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
The Seaton and Llandudno lines are essentially tourist operations, and both are narrow gauge. <br />
There are other tourist lines of a mile or more at the National Tramway Museum <br />
(Crich, near Matlock) and at Beamish Open Air Museum (near Gateshead), plus <br />
several other shorter lines. <br />
<br />
The Isle of Man has three narrow gauge tramways, which operate on a seasonal basis: Douglas Bay Horse Tramway - along the promenade in Douglas; the Manx Electric Railway - an inter-urban line between Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey; and the Snaefell Mountain Railway - from Laxey to Snaefell Summit. <br />
After a period of uncertainty, the threat that the horse tramway line in Douglas might be shortened seems to have been seen off by a vote in Tynwald (the Manx parliament) in January 2017. <br />
<br />
The Tinsley Chord, which connects the Sheffield tram system to a freight line near Meadowhall, allows tram-trains to run between Sheffield city centre and Rotherham Parkgate over Network Rail lines. Public services commenced on Thursday 25 October 2018. Sheffield tram-trains are dual voltage vehicles that can run on the 750 V Overhead Lines (OHLE) of the tram network and the 25 kV OHLE of the national rail network; however the line to Rotherham Parkgate is initially energised at 750 V because there is no 25 kV electrification in the area.<br />
<br />
Track plans for most of the significant tram systems in the United Kingdom are available on the [http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/line/diagrams0.shtm Railway Codes site] and also on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/index-e.php Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes== <br />
Some aspects of national railway operations are privatised, but infrastructure ownership has reverted to the public sector. There continues to be debate about the fragmented, expensive and complex nature of the system that has emerged, under the general oversight of the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
===Route Closures and Service Reductions===<br />
Having undergone extensive cut backs in the 1960s, the present passenger network seems relatively secure. The closure of a passenger railway in the UK normally involves a lengthy legal process, and short-notice closures usually occur only if there is a sudden and dramatic infrastructure failure, or if the closure is deemed a &quot;minor closure&quot;. However, a number of stations have closed and all passenger services over some lines have been withdrawn without the statutory procedure having been followed. Passenger services via the Channel Tunnel, or in connection with them, do not enjoy statutory protection from closure. <br />
<br />
Some routes have been reduced to just one or two trains per day (or, in some cases, per week) in order to reduce operating costs without having to go through the closure procedure. These are included in the list of [https://www.egtre.info/wiki/United_Kingdom_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services sparse services].<br />
<br />
A newly-introduced passenger service can be designated as "experimental" for a period up to five years, during which time it may be withdrawn without the usual closure procedure needing to be followed. The only "experimental" service at present is Thanet Parkway station, until 30 July 2028.<br />
<br />
====Passenger services to be withdrawn====<br />
* The railway between Nottingham and Worksop may be diverted at Whitwell to allow expansion of a dolomite quarry. This will eliminate Whitwell Tunnel. No date is set for this, but planning permission to expand the quarry was granted in 2018.<br />
<br />
* Planned diversion of trains between Belfast and Dublin to a new terminal facility - [http://www.translink.co.uk/Translink-Footer/the-hub/ the Belfast Hub] - being constructed close to Belfast Great Victoria Street may see the end of regular passenger services between Central Junction (Adelaide) and City Junction (City Hospital).<br />
<br />
====Closures and significant service reductions in recent years are==== <br />
<br />
'''Passenger service withdrawn, line still open for other than regular passenger traffic:'''<br />
<br />
* Greenford LUL Bay Junction - Northolt Junction: The Wednesdays only train from West Ealing to West Ruislip ran for the last time on 7 December 2022.<br />
<br />
* Cowlairs East Junction - Cowlairs North Junction (Glasgow): The summer Sunday trains between Edinburgh and Oban have started and terminated at Glasgow Queen Street since 2023. Last use of the curve by the ScotRail service was on 28 August 2022. It continues to be used by the [https://www.belmond.com/trains/europe/scotland/belmond-royal-scotsman/journeys Royal Scotsman] Western Scenic Wonders tour.<br />
<br />
* Barking Station Junction - Barking platform 1: No regular passenger traffic from 18 July 2022, when the line to Barking Riverside opened, but occasional diversions may be possible.<br />
<br />
* Dalmeny - Winchburgh Junction: Service withdrawn 23 March 2020, but without the statutory closure procedure having been followed. <br />
<br />
'''Significant service reduction'''<br />
<br />
* Glenrothes with Thornton - Thornton South Junction: The frequent service via Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy became Sundays only, except for one train each way Mondays to Fridays, with effect from 15 May 2022.<br />
<br />
====Temporary Closures:==== <br />
<br />
Work to upgrade the UK rail network is increasingly leading to lines being closed for extended periods. Severe weather and the age of much railway infrastructure has resulted in more temporary closures caused by landslips and other problems with earthworks. Current and planned temporary closures of four weeks or more, in approximate order of expected re-opening, are: <br />
<br />
* Shipley (Dockfield Junction) to Guisley (Esholt Junction): From 8 February 2024, because of a major land slip, until 24 April 2024 or later.<br />
* Ayr to Stranraer and Kilmarnock to Barassie: From 25 September 2023 until 2 June 2024 or later, because of a dangerous building at Ayr.<br />
* Blackheath to Charlton: 1 June to 10 August 2024, for repairs to Blackheath Tunnel.<br />
* Ashford East Junction, connection to HS1: Eurostar ceased calling at Ashford on 19 March 2020 and will not resume before 2025/6.<br />
<br />
===Re-openings and Openings===<br />
<br />
Most projects involve upgrading existing routes, but some openings have occurred or are about to do so. <br />
<br />
====New and reinstated passenger services in recent years:==== <br />
<br />
New passenger services are: <br />
<br />
* Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) - Leven (scheduled to open on 2 June 2024)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension: The Royal - Wolverhampton Station (17 September 2023). <br />
<br />
* Westbourne Park Junction - Paddington and Stepney Green Junction - Pudding Mill Lane Junction (full opening of Elizabeth line) (6 November 2022) <br />
<br />
* Barking - Barking Riverside (18 July 2022)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension: Library - Edgbaston Village (17 July 2022) <br />
<br />
*Paddington - Abbey Wood (Elizabeth line) (24 May 2022)<br />
<br />
* Newport (Gaer Junction) - Pye Corner (Park Junction) (on introduction of trains between Newport and Crosskeys, 12 December 2021)<br />
<br />
* Crediton - Okehampton (20 November 2021; there was previously a service on summer Sundays)<br />
<br />
* Kennington - Battersea Power Station (London Underground, Northern Line extension, opened September 2021)<br />
<br />
A daily service, generally hourly, was introduced between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester via Runcorn and Frodsham on 19 May 2019. Previously the curve between Halton Junction and Frodsham Junction had been used by a single unadvertised train in one direction only on summer Saturdays.<br />
<br />
On tourist / heritage railways:<br />
<br />
* Llangollen Railway extended passenger services from Carrog to a provisional terminus at Corwen in October 2014 and to the permanent terminus in June 2023. <br />
* the Mid-Norfolk Railway ran inaugural passenger trains to Worthing level crossing (North Elmham) on 19 and 20 May 2018, but regular services continue to terminate at Dereham. The railway aspires to continue to County School. <br />
* The first (very short) section of the Aln Valley Railway officially opened in October 2013, from a new station on the edge of Alnwick, with a longer run available from December 2017. It is planned that the railway will reach the National Rail station at Alnmouth.<br />
* The first section of the re-opened Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, a narrow gauge line, is in operation between Woody Bay and Killington Lane. Extensions towards Lynton and to Blackmoor Gate are planned as the next phase of reconstruction.<br />
<br />
====Projects authorised or under construction are:==== <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the railway between Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) and Levenmouth for passenger services on 2 June 2024. Initially, all trains will run via Kirkcaldy, but it is expected that some trains will later run via Cowdenbeath, providing many more via the curve from Thornton West Junction than the current sparse service. <br />
<br />
A Transport & Works Act Order for the introduction of passenger trains over the freight line to Ashington was granted in June 2022 and the line is due to open by December 2024. The UK Government has announced plans to re-open the railway to Fleetwood, but this may become a tramway. The UK Government is also funding feasibility studies into re-opening a number of other lines, but these are at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
Work has started on construction of a high speed railway (HS2) from London to Birmingham, but the line will not be opened until 2026 at the earliest. A flythrough of the route is [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bkoGvw9kbA here]. There will be a link to the West Coast Main Line at Handsacre, near Lichfield. Plans to extend the line to Manchester and beyond have been cancelled by the UK Government. <br />
<br />
<!---Preliminary work on construction of a link between the LUL Watford branch and the former Croxley Green branch was undertaken in 2016. However, the project has stalled, because of lack of agreement as to how further cost escalation would be funded, and can only be regarded as definitively dead, though there has been no formal announcement to this effect. Should the scheme continue, which seems increasingly unlikely, it will result in the closure of Watford LUL station, but the re-opening of most of the Croxley Green branch.---><br />
Plans were being developed for a second Crossrail line, linking south west and north east London. All work on this stopped in autumn 2020, as a result of economies made to deal with the Covid pandemic. It is questionable whether the scheme will be revived, if there is the expected permanent reduction in commuter traffic. <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the derelict line between Calvert and Bletchley. A Transport & Works Act Order for this scheme was granted in February 2020 and services between Oxford and Milton Keynes are scheduled to start in December 2024. The longer-term objective is to re-introduce trains between Oxford and Cambridge. <br />
<br />
[https://heathrowrail.com/ Heathrow Southern Railway] intends to build a new railway south-west from Heathrow Airport to link with the Staines to Windsor line, together with a branch to Virginia Water or Chertsey. <br />
<br />
In the private sector:<br />
* The Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway is constructing an extension from Glengonnar to Wanlockhead.<br />
* Moorland & City Railways have a stated intention to reopen the line between Stoke-on-Trent and Leek Brook Junction, to a junction with the Churnet Valley Railway, but progress seems to be languishing.<br />
* Most ambitiously, the two Great Central Railways at Loughborough are being linked by means of a reinstated bridge over the Midland Main Line. <br />
* The Rother Valley Railway has obtained a Transport and Works Act Order to rebuild the railway between Robertsbridge and Junction Road (Bodiam).<br />
* The Royal Deeside Railway is extending its line to Crathes West Lodge.<br />
* Strathspey Railway is extending to Grantown-on-Spey and during summer 2014 and 2015 offered a limited service between its normal terminus at Broomhill and the river bridge at Dulnain. Further work depends on obtaining statutory powers under the Transport and Works Act and constructing a new bridge to carry the railway over the A95 main road. <br />
* The Helston Railway provides a short ride near Prospidnick, but plans to extend to Helston and eventually to Gwinear Road.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
<br />
Main line electrification in Great Britain came to a virtual standstill following railway privatisation, because private-sector train operators and rolling stock companies preferred the flexibility of diesel traction. The only schemes to proceed were between Crewe and Kidsgrove (near Stoke on Trent) (electrified for diversionary use), the reconstructed Larkhall branch line in Scotland and High Speed 1 (the Channel Tunnel rail link) [see below].<br />
<br />
In 2009 Department for Transport policy shifted towards extending electrification, with significant schemes proposed and a few implemented. However, greatly increased costs have resulted in projects being curtailed and delayed. Poor cost estimating, increased safety standards, over-specification and loss of practical experience of electrification appear to be among the causes. In July 2017 the UK Government announced an end to plans for further railway electrification in England and Wales, with reliance instead on bi-mode diesel/electric trains. This will included converting some electric multiple-units to bi-mode working. There have also been experiments with battery operation. In contrast, the Scottish Government required Network Rail to develop an electrification technical specification that can deliver an "efficient and affordable rolling programme of electrification". <br />
<br />
Electrification schemes recently completed in England and Wales are:<br />
<br />
* Bedford to Corby (May 2021) <br />
<br />
* London (Heathrow Airport Junction) to Cardiff, Chippenham (Christian Malford) and Newbury (Phased introduction of electric services between May 2017 and January 2020). The scheme was cut back to omit Swansea, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Oxford and the Thames Valley branch lines.<br />
<br />
* Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley (May 2019)<br />
<br />
* Manchester to Preston via Bolton (February 2019)<br />
<br />
* Gospel Oak to Woodgrange Park via South Tottenham (January 2019, but limited electric service initially, because of delayed delivery of rolling stock)<br />
<br />
Schemes under way in England:<br />
<br />
* Kettering - Market Harborough<br />
<br />
* Manchester - Huddersfield - Leeds - York <br />
<br />
* Wigan North Western - Lostock Junction (near Bolton) (announced 1 September 2021, expected completion 2024/2025) <br />
<br />
The UK Government has announced that electrification of the Midland Main Line is to be completed to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield.<br />
<br />
The Welsh Government is sponsoring electrification of the Valley Lines from Cardiff to Bargoed, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert. Light rail vehicles are to be used from Cardiff to Coryton and on routes via Radyr. Tri-mode trains will be used from Rhymney to Penarth, Barry Island and the Vale of Glamorgan line, using battery power between Rhymney and Bargoed, and diesel south of Cardiff. <br />
<br />
Following an extensive programme of electrification completed between 2012 and 2019, most lines in Central Scotland are electrified, with recent schemes comprising:<br />
<br />
*Holytown to Kirknewton (Midcalder Jn) via Shotts (Some electric services April 2019, full service May 2019) <br />
<br />
*Glasgow Central (Muirhouse Central Jn) to Barrhead (December 2023, but most trains continue to Kilmarnock or beyond, so remain diesel-worked)<br />
<br />
The line from Falkirk to Grangemouth has also been electrified for freight traffic, but there are proposals to reinstate a passenger service. <br />
<br />
Work has started on electrification to East Kilbride. The line from Haymarket (Edinburgh) to Dalmeny is being electrified as the first phase of a scheme to electrify routes through Fife. Transport Scotland's [https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/rail-services-decarbonisation-action-plan/ ''Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan''], published in July 2020, envisages most lines in Scotland being electrified. Priorities are the Kilmarnock line; Edinburgh to Tweedbank; routes in Fife; and Dunblane to Aberdeen. Later extensions will take electrification to Girvan; Gretna via Dumfries; and Inverness to Perth, Aberdeen and Tain.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of changes more than five years ago see [[United_Kingdom - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special Notes==<br />
<br />
Train numbers in Great Britain follow an alpha-numeric format, thus 1A22. The first digit indicates the type of train (passenger trains are 1, 2 or 9), in most cases the letter indicates its route or destination and the remaining digits identify the particular train. Different trains can and do use the same number, so long as they do not conflict geographically or operate several hours apart. Since December 2021 train numbers have been shown in the National Rail Timetable, but they are not normally used for passenger information purposes. It is more usual for trains to be referred to by their schedule, for example as the "10:00 London King's Cross to Aberdeen". International trains have four digit numbers where the second figure is 0 or 1, which can be treated as letters O and I in the UK.<br />
<br />
Departure sheets listing trains from a station in chronological order are rarely used. The usual format is to list destinations in alphabetic order, and provide details of all trains to each, or to provide timetable posters. Most stations have electronic displays, which indicate all departures (and often arrivals) within the next hour or so.<br />
<br />
It is unusual for information displays and announcements at stations and on trains to be in any language other than English (and Welsh in Wales), though most station name signs in Scotland appear in Gaelic as well as English. Multi-lingual information is normally restricted to dedicated airport services and those using the Channel Tunnel.<br />
<br />
No stations sell international tickets or can make international reservations, though there are facilities to make through bookings from certain stations by Eurostar. <!---International tickets and reservations are available at the We Know London Tourist Services desk in the shopping mall at St Pancras International station.---> Even the range of tickets available from Eurostar is very limited. For guidance on booking travel to and from Europe visit [http://www.seat61.com/Europe.htm#How%20do%20I%20book? The Man in Seat Sixty-One]'s website or see advice from [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/European-Train-Travel.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Selective door opening is increasingly used, particularly in London and South East England. Trains are longer than some station platforms and only doors within the platform are unlocked. Announcements and visual displays advise passengers which carriages they need to be in if wishing to alight. This also happens to a limited extent on the London Underground, but usually only affecting the rearmost pair of doors. <br />
<br />
The only long-distance overnight trains in Great Britain are:<br />
<br />
* [https://www.sleeper.scot/ Caledonian Sleeper] from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness <br />
* Great Western's [https://www.gwr.com/travelling-with-us/night-riviera-sleeper Night Riviera] from London to Penzance<br />
<br />
Sleeping cars are provided, but not couchettes, and seating may be in saloons with non-reclinable seats, where passengers have no control of the lighting. <br />
<br />
Taking bicycles, other than folding ones, by train can be difficult. Space may be limited and some operators require advance reservations for bicycles. More information can be found at [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/cyclists.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Train services at weekends, and especially Saturday evening and Sunday until mid-afternoon, can be extensively altered because of [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.aspx engineering work]. With the paucity of alternative routes and a growing aversion to temporary single line working, buses frequently substitute for trains in such circumstances. There are an increasing number of initiatives to give extended overnight possessions Mondays to Thursdays, in order to reduce the extent of weekend closures. This results in late evening trains being replaced by buses. Trials are being undertaken of mid-week line closures. Blockades of a week or more are increasingly common.<br />
<br />
No trains run in the UK on Christmas Day and very few on Boxing Day, mostly on local services in the London and Glasgow areas. No domestic services run in Scotland on New Year's Day, but there are normally trains between England, Edinburgh and Glasgow. <br />
<br />
Very few stations have left luggage facilities. Unattended luggage may be removed by the police and processes to check that it is safe can be very destructive.<br />
<br />
Railway enthusiasts are welcomed on stations - for guidance when on and about stations refer to [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/railway-enthusiasts/railway-enthusiasts-and-photography-at-stations/ Network Rail's] advice.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox United Kingdom}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=United_Kingdom_-_General_Information&diff=55481United Kingdom - General Information2024-03-22T20:00:11Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Projects authorised or under construction are: */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland<br />
<br />
Nomenclature: &quot;Great Britain&quot; comprises the countries of England, Wales, and Scotland. &quot;United Kingdom&quot; (in full: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) comprises Great Britain and the Province of Northern Ireland. &quot;British Isles&quot; is a purely geographical description for the British mainland and the island of Ireland; the latter contains the Province of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are usually regarded as part of the British Isles, although independent of the UK government. All but the Republic of Ireland (which is entirely independent of the UK) are under the British Crown (monarchy).<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Most infrastructure in Great Britain is owned by [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail], a company controlled by the government's [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport Department for Transport] (DfT). Most passenger train services are provided by operators under contracts with DfT, [https://tfl.gov.uk/ Transport for London], [http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk Merseytravel], [http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/ Transport Scotland] or the [http://gov.wales/topics/transport/?lang=en Welsh Government]. Some operators are subsidiaries of major bus companies or national railways from other countries, for example Trenitalia. A UK Government subsidiary, [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/dft-olr-holdings-limited/about DfT OLR Holdings Limited], operates services if the contractor is no longer able to do so, has had the contract terminated because of default or there has been no acceptable tender for provision of the service. [https://www.railholdings.scot/ Scottish Rail Holdings Limited] is the equivalent in Scotland. Full details of passenger train operators are given by links from the [http://www.raildeliverygroup.com/about-us/uk-rail-industry/passenger-freight-track.html Rail Delivery Group] website. Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites. Passenger train operations collectively are known as 'National Rail'. <br />
<br />
A new organisation, [https://gbrtt.co.uk/ Great British Railways] is being established to take strategic control of railways, in England at least, as well as taking over most of Network Rail's functions as infrastructure owner and operator throughout Britain. <br />
<br />
Railways in Northern Ireland are owned by Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (which remains state-owned) and are operated as the [http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/ N I Railways] (NIR) division of Translink.<br />
<br />
Most operators in Great Britain had a franchise agreement, under which they took most of the commercial risk. DfT was considering changes to franchising when the Covid-19 pandemic made the system uneconomic, due to greatly reduced fares income to the operators. Franchises were replaced by Emergency Recovery Management Agreements and subsequently by National Rail Contracts under which the Government meets operating costs and receives fares and other income. The operating company is paid a management fee. Transport for Wales, ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper, LNER, Northern and Southeastern are all being operated by public sector companies. <br />
<br />
The operator of each train is indicated in the electronic National Rail Timetable and <br />
its printed derivatives by means of two-letter codes; for a de-coder and a chronology of <br />
privatisation and transfer/re-branding of Great Britain's passenger railway franchises to <br />
date go to the [http://www.railchronology.free-online.co.uk/ Rail Chronology] website. Basic customer information about and links to the websites of each TOC are available through the [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tocs_maps/tocs/TrainOperators.aspx National Rail] website. Some further information about passenger train operators and past franchisees can be found in the [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-franchise-schedule DfT] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_operating_trains_in_the_United_Kingdom Wikipedia] websites. The Wikipedia list is usually more up to date and accurate than the DfT schedule!<br />
<br />
A small number of operators provide passenger services on the national network which are not under contract to the DfT. These include [http://www.eurostar.com/ ''Eurostar''] which is a unitary undertaking (Eurostar <br />
International Ltd) managed by SNCF, which has a 55% interest in the company. Private investors acquired the UK government's 40% stake in 2015 and SNCB/NMBS owns the remaining 5%. 'Open Access' passenger operators are: <br />
<br />
* [https://www.hulltrains.co.uk/ Hull Trains] between London and Hull <br />
* [https://www.grandcentralrail.com/ Grand Central] between London, Bradford and Sunderland<br />
* [https://www.lumo.co.uk/ Lumo] between London and Edinburgh <br />
<br />
[http://www.granduniontrains.co.uk/ Grand Union Trains] intends to start services between London Paddington and Carmarthen and between London Euston and Stirling in 2025. <br />
<br />
In addition<br />
* [http://www.eurotunnel.com/ Eurotunnel] operates a shuttle service for motor vehicles through the Channel Tunnel; this does not carry foot-passengers (although cyclists can be carried by arrangement)<br />
* [http://www.nymr.co.uk/ North Yorkshire Moors Railway] operates timetabled steam trains through between Pickering/Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby during the summer.<br />
* [http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/ West Coast Railways] operates timetabled steam trains between Fort William and Mallaig during the summer, but in practice these get fully booked well in advance. Services at the start of the 2024 season have been CANCELLED, because the operator no longer has authorisation to operate heritage carriages that lack central door locking.<br />
<br />
[http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/ Swanage Railway] and West Coast Railways operated a service between Swanage and Wareham during the summer in 2017 and 2023. In 2018 and 2019 there was just a limited Saturday service by the local franchisee, South Western Railway. Swanage Railway does not plan further such services, on economic grounds.<br />
<br />
All freight trains in Great Britain are operated by competing companies under "open access" conditions. The <i>principal</i> companies are: <br />
<br />
* [http://www.rail.dbschenker.co.uk/rail-uk-en/start/ DB Cargo UK] (formerly English Welsh and Scottish Railway, now a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn of Germany) <br />
* [https://www.freightliner.co.uk/ Freightliner] (owned by US railroad Genesee & Wyoming Inc) <br />
* [http://www.colasrail.co.uk/ Colas Rail] (part of the Bouygues group); <br />
* [http://www.directrailservices.com/ Direct Rail Services] (owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority) <br />
* [http://www.gbrailfreight.com/ GB Railfreight] (owned by Infracapital, an infrastructure equity investor). <br />
<br />
DB Cargo UK, in particular, and GB Railfreight, to a lesser extent, operate charter passenger trains. GB Railfreight also operates the Caledonian Sleeper trains on behalf of Caledonian Sleeper Limited.<br />
<br />
[https://www.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Rail Operations Group] concentrates on rolling stock moves for manufacturers, leasing companies and passenger operators, but started a parcels-carrying business, trading as [https://orion.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Orion] in 2021.<br />
<br />
There are no longer any revenue freight trains in Northern Ireland.<br />
<br />
Neither the Isle of Man nor the Channel Isles (îles Anglo-Normands) is legally part of the UK but the Isle of Man's active railways and tramways are to <br />
be found at the [http://www.heritagerailways.com/Visits_Map.php UK and Irish Heritage Railways website] and under [[#Trams/LRT-Systems|Trams/LRT-Systems]] respectively.<br />
<br />
==Official Website==<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ National Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink]<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
English. In addition Welsh is spoken in most parts of Wales, <br />
and Gaelic is used to a certain extent in north-west Scotland.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Pound sterling. Banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own notes, <br />
which are valid throughout the UK and usually accepted without question. Channel <br />
Islands and Manx notes (but not coins) are technically legal tender in the UK, <br />
but are best changed at banks.<br />
<br />
==UIC code==<br />
* United Kingdom: numeric 70; alpha GB<br />
* Eurotunnel: numeric 69 (used only for accounting purposes and not shown on rolling stock).<br />
<br />
Historically, the only British rolling stock to show UIC numbers were wagons passed to work on the now defunct train ferries from Harwich and Dover or through the Channel Tunnel. The Eurostar class 374 trains, which entered service in 2015, were the first UK-registered passenger stock to have UIC numbers, otherwise known as the European Vehicle Number (EVN). Rail Industry Standard RIS-2453-RST ''Vehicle Registration, Marking and Numbering'', introduced in December 2017, requires new vehicles in Great Britain to be identified by EVN. On passenger vehicles only an abbreviated version is normally show. UIC numbering is not used by NI Railways.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland)===<br />
The official National Rail timetable is published on Network Rail's website (see below), twice yearly (in mid December and mid May). Services on Mondays to Fridays, on Saturdays (or Mondays to Saturdays) and on Sundays are usually different and laid out separately in the timetable; there may be several alternative Sunday services, to allow for engineering work, during the currency of a timetable. [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe] provides a comprehensive guide to printed and on-line public transport timetables.<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
[http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/s/planjourney/query National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner]<br />
<br />
The [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites provide a quick-reference way of checking the latest schedule (or amendment) for any particular train<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetable====<br />
PDFs of the National Railway Timetable are available from the [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/electronic-national-rail-timetable-enrt/ Network Rail] website. These are maintained for Network Rail by [https://timetables.fabdigital.uk/nrt/ Fabdigital] and the version on their website may be more up to date.<br />
<br />
====Working (Staff) Timetables====<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/working-timetable/ Network Rail Working Timetables]<br />
<br />
You can also check for the latest variations to working timetable details for specific trains on the [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites.<br />
<br />
[http://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/working-timetables London Underground working timetables]. DLR is not included.<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
Since May 2020 there has been no comprehensive printed timetable for Great Britain and there are no printed timetable leaflets for most lines.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.html National Rail's future engineering works]<br />
<br />
===Northern Ireland===<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
On the [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink home page].<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetables====<br />
[https://www.translink.co.uk/timetables?LocationId=&Name=&LocationType=&TransportMode=Bus&page=1 Translink bus and rail timetables]<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
A series of four free leaflets is available.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/nirailways-travel-updates/ NIRailways Travel Updates]<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*The ''Rail Atlas Great Britain & Ireland'' gives detailed and accurate coverage of the UK railway system, and is widely available. It is mostly at 1:350,000, but with enlargements of many urban areas; an updated edition is published every 2-3 years.<br />
*[http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps] publish a series of track diagrams (formerly Quail Track Diagrams) in five regional volumes.<br />
*Northern Ireland Railways are in a volume covering the whole of Ireland also published by [http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps]<br />
*Historic atlases have been published by various other publishers.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] (see National Rail Passenger Operators' map) and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/united_kingdom_ireland.html British Isles and Ireland Map]. Last updated December 2022<br />
*[http://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php Rail Map online].<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
There is no distance-related fare tariff in the UK, and fares are charged on a market basis. Certain fares are regulated and the amount by which train companies can increase some fares is specified by the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
Standard walk-on fares are high, but a wide range of discounted fares is available. These are subject to restrictions as to days and times when they can be used. It can be difficult to obtain accurate information as to fares and their availability, even from official enquiry offices, because the pricing structure is complicated and the different train companies are all making their own special offers. The most heavily discounted fares usually oblige the passenger to travel on specified trains (with no opportunity to alter these) - and only a limited number of tickets may be issued for each service. Train operators are increasingly introducing special offers that can only be taken up through their website. Higher fares are charged for use of domestic trains on HS1, the high-speed line to Kent, except for through tickets between Kent and destinations beyond London. <br />
<br />
Tickets for any rail journey in the UK can be purchased from most train operators' websites, but the best price may be available from the operator whose service is being used. It is often possible to obtain a lower price for a journey by splitting it and buying a different ticket for each section. In such cases it is necessary to travel on a train that stops at stations where the validity of one ticket ends and another starts. This requirement does not apply if at least one of the tickets is a season ticket, rail rover or similar. It may also be found that a ticket to a station beyond one's destination is cheaper, but conditions need to be checked carefully. A break of journey may not be permitted, requiring an excess fare to be paid if exiting at an intermediate station. Various websites act as 'consolidators' and will compare what is available in order to offer the best deal, including split ticketing options. <br />
<br />
Various Railcards are available, usually giving a fare reduction of one third. These are available nationally to groups, such as young people, families, senior citizens, two people travelling together, those with a disability and military personnel. Some cards are available to all, but only valid for travel within a particular geographic area. The cost of a Railcard may be recouped immediately if a long-distance journey is planned or if purchasing a high-price ticket such as a national rail rover. Some Railcards only give a discount for off-peak travel. Details of Railcards are available at [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/National-Railcards.aspx National Rail]. Details can be found at the unofficial [http://www.railrover.org/ Rail Rover] website.<br />
<br />
Overseas visitors should endeavour to purchase a rover ticket, such as a [http://www.britrail.net/ BritRail] or InterRail pass, before travelling to the UK. Various rail rovers are available within the UK, but they do not offer the value or wide validity of those available to foreign visitors, and many are not valid until after the morning peak period.<br />
<br />
In various areas where all stations have automatic ticket machines, including on the London Underground and most other tram and metro networks, a penalty fares system applies. Passengers found without a ticket are likely to have to pay a fine on the spot.<br />
<br />
First class seating tends now to be found only on principal routes; in Northern Ireland it is limited to principal trains on the international route between Belfast and Dublin (where NIRailways call it &quot;First plus&quot; while partner Iarnród Éireann call it &quot;Premium&quot;). Eurostar maintain three classes: Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier. On some trains, including many of those operated by Gatwick Express, Great Northern and Southern, there is no difference between first class and standard class seating. If a train including first class seats is used on a service advertised as standard class only, holders of standard class tickets may use the first class seats.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Railways Company Limited, through a subsidiary NIR Networks Limited<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/network-statement/ Network Rail]. The Sectional Appendices are available <br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ here] (scroll down to list of PDFs).<br />
<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Corporate/About-Us/Publications/network-statement/ Translink]<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
*Great Britain: Standard<br />
*Northern Ireland: 1600 mm [5 feet 3 inches]<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
*Great Britain: Mostly 25 kV 50 Hz. 750 V dc third rail is used on some lines in south east England and around Liverpool. The third rail network in south east England is by a considerable margin the most extensive such system in the world and the only place when conductor rail trains operate at up to 100 mph (160 km/hr). The line between Pelaw and Sunderland is electrified at 1500V dc overhead, to allow use by Tyne & Wear Metro. The line between Tinsley North Junction and Rotherham Parkgate is electrified at 750V dc overhead, for use by Sheffield Supertram. Most tramway systems are 750 V dc with Blackpool being 600 V dc.<br />
*Northern Ireland: no electrified lines.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Left.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
*Distances are shown on Railway Track Diagrams published by [https://www.trackmaps.co.uk/ TRACKmaps]. Distances are also available in Network Rail's [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ Sectional Appendices] (scroll down for list of available PDFs).<br />
*Distances for Northern Ireland are also available on-line on the Signalling Record Society website:<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-nc.php Derry and Larne lines]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-bd.php Bangor line]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-gd.php Dublin line]<br />
<br />
==Other railways==<br />
*Core Valley Lines (Cardiff to Rhymney, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert): Owned by the Welsh Government and managed by a lessee, Amey Keolis Infrastructure/Seilwaith Amey Keolis Limited.<br />
*Crossrail Central Operating Section is the railway under Central London from Portobello Junction (Royal Oak) to Pudding Mill Lane Junction (Bow) and Abbey Wood. It is managed by Rail for London (Infrastructure) Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London.<br />
*East London Line: Owned by Rail for London Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London. <br />
*Eurotunnel: A partnership between the Channel Tunnel Group Limited and France-Manche S.A. that operates the Channel Tunnel under a long-term concession from the UK and French governments. <br />
*Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited owns the railway between London Heathrow Airport and the junction with the Great Western Main Line near Hayes & Harlington. <br />
*HS1 Ltd: The investor with a 30 years concession from the UK government to operate the high-speed line between London and the Channel Tunnel, though most aspects of day-to-day operation and maintenance are contracted out to Network Rail. <br />
<br />
Facilities exist for special through running between the national system and some tourist lines.<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
A map of UK heritage railways can be found at the "Heritage Rail - UK & Ireland" link on the [https://www.heritagerailways.com Heritage Railway Association website].<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
London, Newcastle, Glasgow. Although part of the national railway system, the Merseyrail Electrics <br />
network in Liverpool is like a Metro. There are two separate networks in London. The Underground system is 630V dc third and fourth rail; the Docklands Light Railway is a fully-automated 750V dc third rail system. London Overground operates under a contract let by the Mayor of London and uses Transport for London branding, but operates almost entirely on Network Rail lines. The Glasgow and Merseyrail systems are third <br />
rail and Newcastle is 1500 V dc overhead. Glasgow Subway is 4 feet (1,219mm) gauge and was originally cable-worked. There are several lines where London Underground and main line trains share the same tracks. The Tyne & Wear Metro (Newcastle) operates to Sunderland over the Network Rail line from Pelaw.<br />
<br />
The Core Valley Lines from Cardiff are being converted to a form of metro system.<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Birmingham/Wolverhampton (Midland Metro), Blackpool, Croydon, Edinburgh,<br />
Llandudno (cable worked), Manchester, Nottingham, Seaton (Devon) and Sheffield. The Croydon, <br />
Manchester, Midland Metro, Nottingham and Seaton systems include extensive running over <br />
routes that were previously part of the national railway system. The Manchester and Nottingham systems have been considerably extended in recent years. On the Manchester Metrolink system a second route through Manchester city centre came into use on 26 February 2017, and the 5.5 km Trafford Park line opened on 22 March 2020. The Midland Metro in Birmingham was extended to Edgbaston on 17 July 2022 and to Wolverhampton Station on 17 September 2023. The first stage of a line to Brierley Hill is expected to open, to Dudley, in 2024. The extension of the Edinburgh line to Leith and Newhaven opened on 21 June 2023 and plans have been announced for further lines in the city. The Blackpool system Talbot Gateway extension, to Blackpool North station, is expected to be fully open in 2023. A metro system is proposed in Glasgow, but this project is at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
The Seaton and Llandudno lines are essentially tourist operations, and both are narrow gauge. <br />
There are other tourist lines of a mile or more at the National Tramway Museum <br />
(Crich, near Matlock) and at Beamish Open Air Museum (near Gateshead), plus <br />
several other shorter lines. <br />
<br />
The Isle of Man has three narrow gauge tramways, which operate on a seasonal basis: Douglas Bay Horse Tramway - along the promenade in Douglas; the Manx Electric Railway - an inter-urban line between Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey; and the Snaefell Mountain Railway - from Laxey to Snaefell Summit. <br />
After a period of uncertainty, the threat that the horse tramway line in Douglas might be shortened seems to have been seen off by a vote in Tynwald (the Manx parliament) in January 2017. <br />
<br />
The Tinsley Chord, which connects the Sheffield tram system to a freight line near Meadowhall, allows tram-trains to run between Sheffield city centre and Rotherham Parkgate over Network Rail lines. Public services commenced on Thursday 25 October 2018. Sheffield tram-trains are dual voltage vehicles that can run on the 750 V Overhead Lines (OHLE) of the tram network and the 25 kV OHLE of the national rail network; however the line to Rotherham Parkgate is initially energised at 750 V because there is no 25 kV electrification in the area.<br />
<br />
Track plans for most of the significant tram systems in the United Kingdom are available on the [http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/line/diagrams0.shtm Railway Codes site] and also on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/index-e.php Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes== <br />
Some aspects of national railway operations are privatised, but infrastructure ownership has reverted to the public sector. There continues to be debate about the fragmented, expensive and complex nature of the system that has emerged, under the general oversight of the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
===Route Closures and Service Reductions===<br />
Having undergone extensive cut backs in the 1960s, the present passenger network seems relatively secure. The closure of a passenger railway in the UK normally involves a lengthy legal process, and short-notice closures usually occur only if there is a sudden and dramatic infrastructure failure, or if the closure is deemed a &quot;minor closure&quot;. However, a number of stations have closed and all passenger services over some lines have been withdrawn without the statutory procedure having been followed. Passenger services via the Channel Tunnel, or in connection with them, do not enjoy statutory protection from closure. <br />
<br />
Some routes have been reduced to just one or two trains per day (or, in some cases, per week) in order to reduce operating costs without having to go through the closure procedure. These are included in the list of [https://www.egtre.info/wiki/United_Kingdom_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services sparse services].<br />
<br />
A newly-introduced passenger service can be designated as "experimental" for a period up to five years, during which time it may be withdrawn without the usual closure procedure needing to be followed. The only "experimental" service at present is Thanet Parkway station, until 30 July 2028.<br />
<br />
====Passenger services to be withdrawn====<br />
* The railway between Nottingham and Worksop may be diverted at Whitwell to allow expansion of a dolomite quarry. This will eliminate Whitwell Tunnel. No date is set for this, but planning permission to expand the quarry was granted in 2018.<br />
<br />
* Planned diversion of trains between Belfast and Dublin to a new terminal facility - [http://www.translink.co.uk/Translink-Footer/the-hub/ the Belfast Hub] - being constructed close to Belfast Great Victoria Street may see the end of regular passenger services between Central Junction (Adelaide) and City Junction (City Hospital).<br />
<br />
====Closures and significant service reductions in recent years are==== <br />
<br />
'''Passenger service withdrawn, line still open for other than regular passenger traffic:'''<br />
<br />
* Greenford LUL Bay Junction - Northolt Junction: The Wednesdays only train from West Ealing to West Ruislip ran for the last time on 7 December 2022.<br />
<br />
* Cowlairs East Junction - Cowlairs North Junction (Glasgow): The summer Sunday trains between Edinburgh and Oban have started and terminated at Glasgow Queen Street since 2023. Last use of the curve by the ScotRail service was on 28 August 2022. It continues to be used by the [https://www.belmond.com/trains/europe/scotland/belmond-royal-scotsman/journeys Royal Scotsman] Western Scenic Wonders tour.<br />
<br />
* Barking Station Junction - Barking platform 1: No regular passenger traffic from 18 July 2022, when the line to Barking Riverside opened, but occasional diversions may be possible.<br />
<br />
* Dalmeny - Winchburgh Junction: Service withdrawn 23 March 2020, but without the statutory closure procedure having been followed. <br />
<br />
'''Significant service reduction'''<br />
<br />
* Glenrothes with Thornton - Thornton South Junction: The frequent service via Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy became Sundays only, except for one train each way Mondays to Fridays, with effect from 15 May 2022.<br />
<br />
====Temporary Closures:==== <br />
<br />
Work to upgrade the UK rail network is increasingly leading to lines being closed for extended periods. Severe weather and the age of much railway infrastructure has resulted in more temporary closures caused by landslips and other problems with earthworks. Current and planned temporary closures of four weeks or more, in approximate order of expected re-opening, are: <br />
<br />
* Carlisle to Workington: From 29 February 2024, because of a problem with a viaduct, possibly until mid-April 2024.<br />
* Shipley (Dockfield Junction) to Guisley (Esholt Junction): From 8 February 2024, because of a major land slip, until 24 April 2024 or later.<br />
* Ayr to Stranraer and Kilmarnock to Barassie: From 25 September 2023, probably until spring/summer 2024, because of a dangerous building at Ayr.<br />
* Blackheath to Charlton: 1 June to 10 August 2024, for repairs to Blackheath Tunnel.<br />
* Ashford East Junction, connection to HS1: Eurostar ceased calling at Ashford on 19 March 2020 and will not resume before 2025/6.<br />
<br />
===Re-openings and Openings===<br />
<br />
Most projects involve upgrading existing routes, but some openings have occurred or are about to do so. <br />
<br />
====New and reinstated passenger services in recent years:==== <br />
<br />
New passenger services are: <br />
<br />
* Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) - Leven (scheduled to open on 2 June 2024)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension: The Royal - Wolverhampton Station (17 September 2023). <br />
<br />
* Westbourne Park Junction - Paddington and Stepney Green Junction - Pudding Mill Lane Junction (full opening of Elizabeth line) (6 November 2022) <br />
<br />
* Barking - Barking Riverside (18 July 2022)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension: Library - Edgbaston Village (17 July 2022) <br />
<br />
*Paddington - Abbey Wood (Elizabeth line) (24 May 2022)<br />
<br />
* Newport (Gaer Junction) - Pye Corner (Park Junction) (on introduction of trains between Newport and Crosskeys, 12 December 2021)<br />
<br />
* Crediton - Okehampton (20 November 2021; there was previously a service on summer Sundays)<br />
<br />
* Kennington - Battersea Power Station (London Underground, Northern Line extension, opened September 2021)<br />
<br />
A daily service, generally hourly, was introduced between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester via Runcorn and Frodsham on 19 May 2019. Previously the curve between Halton Junction and Frodsham Junction had been used by a single unadvertised train in one direction only on summer Saturdays.<br />
<br />
On tourist / heritage railways:<br />
<br />
* Llangollen Railway extended passenger services from Carrog to a provisional terminus at Corwen in October 2014 and to the permanent terminus in June 2023. <br />
* the Mid-Norfolk Railway ran inaugural passenger trains to Worthing level crossing (North Elmham) on 19 and 20 May 2018, but regular services continue to terminate at Dereham. The railway aspires to continue to County School. <br />
* The first (very short) section of the Aln Valley Railway officially opened in October 2013, from a new station on the edge of Alnwick, with a longer run available from December 2017. It is planned that the railway will reach the National Rail station at Alnmouth.<br />
* The first section of the re-opened Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, a narrow gauge line, is in operation between Woody Bay and Killington Lane. Extensions towards Lynton and to Blackmoor Gate are planned as the next phase of reconstruction.<br />
<br />
====Projects authorised or under construction are:==== <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the railway between Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) and Levenmouth for passenger services on 2 June 2024. Initially, all trains will run via Kirkcaldy, but it is expected that some trains will later run via Cowdenbeath, providing many more via the curve from Thornton West Junction than the current sparse service. <br />
<br />
A Transport & Works Act Order for the introduction of passenger trains over the freight line to Ashington was granted in June 2022 and the line is due to open by December 2024. The UK Government has announced plans to re-open the railway to Fleetwood, but this may become a tramway. The UK Government is also funding feasibility studies into re-opening a number of other lines, but these are at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
Work has started on construction of a high speed railway (HS2) from London to Birmingham, but the line will not be opened until 2026 at the earliest. A flythrough of the route is [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bkoGvw9kbA here]. There will be a link to the West Coast Main Line at Handsacre, near Lichfield. Plans to extend the line to Manchester and beyond have been cancelled by the UK Government. <br />
<br />
<!---Preliminary work on construction of a link between the LUL Watford branch and the former Croxley Green branch was undertaken in 2016. However, the project has stalled, because of lack of agreement as to how further cost escalation would be funded, and can only be regarded as definitively dead, though there has been no formal announcement to this effect. Should the scheme continue, which seems increasingly unlikely, it will result in the closure of Watford LUL station, but the re-opening of most of the Croxley Green branch.---><br />
Plans were being developed for a second Crossrail line, linking south west and north east London. All work on this stopped in autumn 2020, as a result of economies made to deal with the Covid pandemic. It is questionable whether the scheme will be revived, if there is the expected permanent reduction in commuter traffic. <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the derelict line between Calvert and Bletchley. A Transport & Works Act Order for this scheme was granted in February 2020 and services between Oxford and Milton Keynes are scheduled to start in December 2024. The longer-term objective is to re-introduce trains between Oxford and Cambridge. <br />
<br />
[https://heathrowrail.com/ Heathrow Southern Railway] intends to build a new railway south-west from Heathrow Airport to link with the Staines to Windsor line, together with a branch to Virginia Water or Chertsey. <br />
<br />
In the private sector:<br />
* The Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway is constructing an extension from Glengonnar to Wanlockhead.<br />
* Moorland & City Railways have a stated intention to reopen the line between Stoke-on-Trent and Leek Brook Junction, to a junction with the Churnet Valley Railway, but progress seems to be languishing.<br />
* Most ambitiously, the two Great Central Railways at Loughborough are being linked by means of a reinstated bridge over the Midland Main Line. <br />
* The Rother Valley Railway has obtained a Transport and Works Act Order to rebuild the railway between Robertsbridge and Junction Road (Bodiam).<br />
* The Royal Deeside Railway is extending its line to Crathes West Lodge.<br />
* Strathspey Railway is extending to Grantown-on-Spey and during summer 2014 and 2015 offered a limited service between its normal terminus at Broomhill and the river bridge at Dulnain. Further work depends on obtaining statutory powers under the Transport and Works Act and constructing a new bridge to carry the railway over the A95 main road. <br />
* The Helston Railway provides a short ride near Prospidnick, but plans to extend to Helston and eventually to Gwinear Road.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
<br />
Main line electrification in Great Britain came to a virtual standstill following railway privatisation, because private-sector train operators and rolling stock companies preferred the flexibility of diesel traction. The only schemes to proceed were between Crewe and Kidsgrove (near Stoke on Trent) (electrified for diversionary use), the reconstructed Larkhall branch line in Scotland and High Speed 1 (the Channel Tunnel rail link) [see below].<br />
<br />
In 2009 Department for Transport policy shifted towards extending electrification, with significant schemes proposed and a few implemented. However, greatly increased costs have resulted in projects being curtailed and delayed. Poor cost estimating, increased safety standards, over-specification and loss of practical experience of electrification appear to be among the causes. In July 2017 the UK Government announced an end to plans for further railway electrification in England and Wales, with reliance instead on bi-mode diesel/electric trains. This will included converting some electric multiple-units to bi-mode working. There have also been experiments with battery operation. In contrast, the Scottish Government required Network Rail to develop an electrification technical specification that can deliver an "efficient and affordable rolling programme of electrification". <br />
<br />
Electrification schemes recently completed in England and Wales are:<br />
<br />
* Bedford to Corby (May 2021) <br />
<br />
* London (Heathrow Airport Junction) to Cardiff, Chippenham (Christian Malford) and Newbury (Phased introduction of electric services between May 2017 and January 2020). The scheme was cut back to omit Swansea, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Oxford and the Thames Valley branch lines.<br />
<br />
* Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley (May 2019)<br />
<br />
* Manchester to Preston via Bolton (February 2019)<br />
<br />
* Gospel Oak to Woodgrange Park via South Tottenham (January 2019, but limited electric service initially, because of delayed delivery of rolling stock)<br />
<br />
Schemes under way in England:<br />
<br />
* Kettering - Market Harborough<br />
<br />
* Manchester - Huddersfield - Leeds - York <br />
<br />
* Wigan North Western - Lostock Junction (near Bolton) (announced 1 September 2021, expected completion 2024/2025) <br />
<br />
The UK Government has announced that electrification of the Midland Main Line is to be completed to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield.<br />
<br />
The Welsh Government is sponsoring electrification of the Valley Lines from Cardiff to Bargoed, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert. Light rail vehicles are to be used from Cardiff to Coryton and on routes via Radyr. Tri-mode trains will be used from Rhymney to Penarth, Barry Island and the Vale of Glamorgan line, using battery power between Rhymney and Bargoed, and diesel south of Cardiff. <br />
<br />
Following an extensive programme of electrification completed between 2012 and 2019, most lines in Central Scotland are electrified, with recent schemes comprising:<br />
<br />
*Holytown to Kirknewton (Midcalder Jn) via Shotts (Some electric services April 2019, full service May 2019) <br />
<br />
*Glasgow Central (Muirhouse Central Jn) to Barrhead (December 2023, but most trains continue to Kilmarnock or beyond, so remain diesel-worked)<br />
<br />
The line from Falkirk to Grangemouth has also been electrified for freight traffic, but there are proposals to reinstate a passenger service. <br />
<br />
Work has started on electrification to East Kilbride. The line from Haymarket (Edinburgh) to Dalmeny is being electrified as the first phase of a scheme to electrify routes through Fife. Transport Scotland's [https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/rail-services-decarbonisation-action-plan/ ''Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan''], published in July 2020, envisages most lines in Scotland being electrified. Priorities are the Kilmarnock line; Edinburgh to Tweedbank; routes in Fife; and Dunblane to Aberdeen. Later extensions will take electrification to Girvan; Gretna via Dumfries; and Inverness to Perth, Aberdeen and Tain.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of changes more than five years ago see [[United_Kingdom - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special Notes==<br />
<br />
Train numbers in Great Britain follow an alpha-numeric format, thus 1A22. The first digit indicates the type of train (passenger trains are 1, 2 or 9), in most cases the letter indicates its route or destination and the remaining digits identify the particular train. Different trains can and do use the same number, so long as they do not conflict geographically or operate several hours apart. Since December 2021 train numbers have been shown in the National Rail Timetable, but they are not normally used for passenger information purposes. It is more usual for trains to be referred to by their schedule, for example as the "10:00 London King's Cross to Aberdeen". International trains have four digit numbers where the second figure is 0 or 1, which can be treated as letters O and I in the UK.<br />
<br />
Departure sheets listing trains from a station in chronological order are rarely used. The usual format is to list destinations in alphabetic order, and provide details of all trains to each, or to provide timetable posters. Most stations have electronic displays, which indicate all departures (and often arrivals) within the next hour or so.<br />
<br />
It is unusual for information displays and announcements at stations and on trains to be in any language other than English (and Welsh in Wales), though most station name signs in Scotland appear in Gaelic as well as English. Multi-lingual information is normally restricted to dedicated airport services and those using the Channel Tunnel.<br />
<br />
No stations sell international tickets or can make international reservations, though there are facilities to make through bookings from certain stations by Eurostar. <!---International tickets and reservations are available at the We Know London Tourist Services desk in the shopping mall at St Pancras International station.---> Even the range of tickets available from Eurostar is very limited. For guidance on booking travel to and from Europe visit [http://www.seat61.com/Europe.htm#How%20do%20I%20book? The Man in Seat Sixty-One]'s website or see advice from [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/European-Train-Travel.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Selective door opening is increasingly used, particularly in London and South East England. Trains are longer than some station platforms and only doors within the platform are unlocked. Announcements and visual displays advise passengers which carriages they need to be in if wishing to alight. This also happens to a limited extent on the London Underground, but usually only affecting the rearmost pair of doors. <br />
<br />
The only long-distance overnight trains in Great Britain are:<br />
<br />
* [https://www.sleeper.scot/ Caledonian Sleeper] from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness <br />
* Great Western's [https://www.gwr.com/travelling-with-us/night-riviera-sleeper Night Riviera] from London to Penzance<br />
<br />
Sleeping cars are provided, but not couchettes, and seating may be in saloons with non-reclinable seats, where passengers have no control of the lighting. <br />
<br />
Taking bicycles, other than folding ones, by train can be difficult. Space may be limited and some operators require advance reservations for bicycles. More information can be found at [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/cyclists.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Train services at weekends, and especially Saturday evening and Sunday until mid-afternoon, can be extensively altered because of [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.aspx engineering work]. With the paucity of alternative routes and a growing aversion to temporary single line working, buses frequently substitute for trains in such circumstances. There are an increasing number of initiatives to give extended overnight possessions Mondays to Thursdays, in order to reduce the extent of weekend closures. This results in late evening trains being replaced by buses. Trials are being undertaken of mid-week line closures. Blockades of a week or more are increasingly common.<br />
<br />
No trains run in the UK on Christmas Day and very few on Boxing Day, mostly on local services in the London and Glasgow areas. No domestic services run in Scotland on New Year's Day, but there are normally trains between England, Edinburgh and Glasgow. <br />
<br />
Very few stations have left luggage facilities. Unattended luggage may be removed by the police and processes to check that it is safe can be very destructive.<br />
<br />
Railway enthusiasts are welcomed on stations - for guidance when on and about stations refer to [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/railway-enthusiasts/railway-enthusiasts-and-photography-at-stations/ Network Rail's] advice.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox United Kingdom}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=United_Kingdom_-_General_Information&diff=55480United Kingdom - General Information2024-03-22T19:57:37Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Closures and significant service reductions in recent years are */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland<br />
<br />
Nomenclature: &quot;Great Britain&quot; comprises the countries of England, Wales, and Scotland. &quot;United Kingdom&quot; (in full: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) comprises Great Britain and the Province of Northern Ireland. &quot;British Isles&quot; is a purely geographical description for the British mainland and the island of Ireland; the latter contains the Province of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are usually regarded as part of the British Isles, although independent of the UK government. All but the Republic of Ireland (which is entirely independent of the UK) are under the British Crown (monarchy).<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Most infrastructure in Great Britain is owned by [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail], a company controlled by the government's [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport Department for Transport] (DfT). Most passenger train services are provided by operators under contracts with DfT, [https://tfl.gov.uk/ Transport for London], [http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk Merseytravel], [http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/ Transport Scotland] or the [http://gov.wales/topics/transport/?lang=en Welsh Government]. Some operators are subsidiaries of major bus companies or national railways from other countries, for example Trenitalia. A UK Government subsidiary, [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/dft-olr-holdings-limited/about DfT OLR Holdings Limited], operates services if the contractor is no longer able to do so, has had the contract terminated because of default or there has been no acceptable tender for provision of the service. [https://www.railholdings.scot/ Scottish Rail Holdings Limited] is the equivalent in Scotland. Full details of passenger train operators are given by links from the [http://www.raildeliverygroup.com/about-us/uk-rail-industry/passenger-freight-track.html Rail Delivery Group] website. Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites. Passenger train operations collectively are known as 'National Rail'. <br />
<br />
A new organisation, [https://gbrtt.co.uk/ Great British Railways] is being established to take strategic control of railways, in England at least, as well as taking over most of Network Rail's functions as infrastructure owner and operator throughout Britain. <br />
<br />
Railways in Northern Ireland are owned by Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (which remains state-owned) and are operated as the [http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/ N I Railways] (NIR) division of Translink.<br />
<br />
Most operators in Great Britain had a franchise agreement, under which they took most of the commercial risk. DfT was considering changes to franchising when the Covid-19 pandemic made the system uneconomic, due to greatly reduced fares income to the operators. Franchises were replaced by Emergency Recovery Management Agreements and subsequently by National Rail Contracts under which the Government meets operating costs and receives fares and other income. The operating company is paid a management fee. Transport for Wales, ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper, LNER, Northern and Southeastern are all being operated by public sector companies. <br />
<br />
The operator of each train is indicated in the electronic National Rail Timetable and <br />
its printed derivatives by means of two-letter codes; for a de-coder and a chronology of <br />
privatisation and transfer/re-branding of Great Britain's passenger railway franchises to <br />
date go to the [http://www.railchronology.free-online.co.uk/ Rail Chronology] website. Basic customer information about and links to the websites of each TOC are available through the [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tocs_maps/tocs/TrainOperators.aspx National Rail] website. Some further information about passenger train operators and past franchisees can be found in the [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-franchise-schedule DfT] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_operating_trains_in_the_United_Kingdom Wikipedia] websites. The Wikipedia list is usually more up to date and accurate than the DfT schedule!<br />
<br />
A small number of operators provide passenger services on the national network which are not under contract to the DfT. These include [http://www.eurostar.com/ ''Eurostar''] which is a unitary undertaking (Eurostar <br />
International Ltd) managed by SNCF, which has a 55% interest in the company. Private investors acquired the UK government's 40% stake in 2015 and SNCB/NMBS owns the remaining 5%. 'Open Access' passenger operators are: <br />
<br />
* [https://www.hulltrains.co.uk/ Hull Trains] between London and Hull <br />
* [https://www.grandcentralrail.com/ Grand Central] between London, Bradford and Sunderland<br />
* [https://www.lumo.co.uk/ Lumo] between London and Edinburgh <br />
<br />
[http://www.granduniontrains.co.uk/ Grand Union Trains] intends to start services between London Paddington and Carmarthen and between London Euston and Stirling in 2025. <br />
<br />
In addition<br />
* [http://www.eurotunnel.com/ Eurotunnel] operates a shuttle service for motor vehicles through the Channel Tunnel; this does not carry foot-passengers (although cyclists can be carried by arrangement)<br />
* [http://www.nymr.co.uk/ North Yorkshire Moors Railway] operates timetabled steam trains through between Pickering/Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby during the summer.<br />
* [http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/ West Coast Railways] operates timetabled steam trains between Fort William and Mallaig during the summer, but in practice these get fully booked well in advance. Services at the start of the 2024 season have been CANCELLED, because the operator no longer has authorisation to operate heritage carriages that lack central door locking.<br />
<br />
[http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/ Swanage Railway] and West Coast Railways operated a service between Swanage and Wareham during the summer in 2017 and 2023. In 2018 and 2019 there was just a limited Saturday service by the local franchisee, South Western Railway. Swanage Railway does not plan further such services, on economic grounds.<br />
<br />
All freight trains in Great Britain are operated by competing companies under "open access" conditions. The <i>principal</i> companies are: <br />
<br />
* [http://www.rail.dbschenker.co.uk/rail-uk-en/start/ DB Cargo UK] (formerly English Welsh and Scottish Railway, now a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn of Germany) <br />
* [https://www.freightliner.co.uk/ Freightliner] (owned by US railroad Genesee & Wyoming Inc) <br />
* [http://www.colasrail.co.uk/ Colas Rail] (part of the Bouygues group); <br />
* [http://www.directrailservices.com/ Direct Rail Services] (owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority) <br />
* [http://www.gbrailfreight.com/ GB Railfreight] (owned by Infracapital, an infrastructure equity investor). <br />
<br />
DB Cargo UK, in particular, and GB Railfreight, to a lesser extent, operate charter passenger trains. GB Railfreight also operates the Caledonian Sleeper trains on behalf of Caledonian Sleeper Limited.<br />
<br />
[https://www.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Rail Operations Group] concentrates on rolling stock moves for manufacturers, leasing companies and passenger operators, but started a parcels-carrying business, trading as [https://orion.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Orion] in 2021.<br />
<br />
There are no longer any revenue freight trains in Northern Ireland.<br />
<br />
Neither the Isle of Man nor the Channel Isles (îles Anglo-Normands) is legally part of the UK but the Isle of Man's active railways and tramways are to <br />
be found at the [http://www.heritagerailways.com/Visits_Map.php UK and Irish Heritage Railways website] and under [[#Trams/LRT-Systems|Trams/LRT-Systems]] respectively.<br />
<br />
==Official Website==<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ National Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink]<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
English. In addition Welsh is spoken in most parts of Wales, <br />
and Gaelic is used to a certain extent in north-west Scotland.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Pound sterling. Banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own notes, <br />
which are valid throughout the UK and usually accepted without question. Channel <br />
Islands and Manx notes (but not coins) are technically legal tender in the UK, <br />
but are best changed at banks.<br />
<br />
==UIC code==<br />
* United Kingdom: numeric 70; alpha GB<br />
* Eurotunnel: numeric 69 (used only for accounting purposes and not shown on rolling stock).<br />
<br />
Historically, the only British rolling stock to show UIC numbers were wagons passed to work on the now defunct train ferries from Harwich and Dover or through the Channel Tunnel. The Eurostar class 374 trains, which entered service in 2015, were the first UK-registered passenger stock to have UIC numbers, otherwise known as the European Vehicle Number (EVN). Rail Industry Standard RIS-2453-RST ''Vehicle Registration, Marking and Numbering'', introduced in December 2017, requires new vehicles in Great Britain to be identified by EVN. On passenger vehicles only an abbreviated version is normally show. UIC numbering is not used by NI Railways.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland)===<br />
The official National Rail timetable is published on Network Rail's website (see below), twice yearly (in mid December and mid May). Services on Mondays to Fridays, on Saturdays (or Mondays to Saturdays) and on Sundays are usually different and laid out separately in the timetable; there may be several alternative Sunday services, to allow for engineering work, during the currency of a timetable. [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe] provides a comprehensive guide to printed and on-line public transport timetables.<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
[http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/s/planjourney/query National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner]<br />
<br />
The [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites provide a quick-reference way of checking the latest schedule (or amendment) for any particular train<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetable====<br />
PDFs of the National Railway Timetable are available from the [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/electronic-national-rail-timetable-enrt/ Network Rail] website. These are maintained for Network Rail by [https://timetables.fabdigital.uk/nrt/ Fabdigital] and the version on their website may be more up to date.<br />
<br />
====Working (Staff) Timetables====<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/working-timetable/ Network Rail Working Timetables]<br />
<br />
You can also check for the latest variations to working timetable details for specific trains on the [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites.<br />
<br />
[http://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/working-timetables London Underground working timetables]. DLR is not included.<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
Since May 2020 there has been no comprehensive printed timetable for Great Britain and there are no printed timetable leaflets for most lines.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.html National Rail's future engineering works]<br />
<br />
===Northern Ireland===<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
On the [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink home page].<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetables====<br />
[https://www.translink.co.uk/timetables?LocationId=&Name=&LocationType=&TransportMode=Bus&page=1 Translink bus and rail timetables]<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
A series of four free leaflets is available.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/nirailways-travel-updates/ NIRailways Travel Updates]<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*The ''Rail Atlas Great Britain & Ireland'' gives detailed and accurate coverage of the UK railway system, and is widely available. It is mostly at 1:350,000, but with enlargements of many urban areas; an updated edition is published every 2-3 years.<br />
*[http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps] publish a series of track diagrams (formerly Quail Track Diagrams) in five regional volumes.<br />
*Northern Ireland Railways are in a volume covering the whole of Ireland also published by [http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps]<br />
*Historic atlases have been published by various other publishers.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] (see National Rail Passenger Operators' map) and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/united_kingdom_ireland.html British Isles and Ireland Map]. Last updated December 2022<br />
*[http://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php Rail Map online].<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
There is no distance-related fare tariff in the UK, and fares are charged on a market basis. Certain fares are regulated and the amount by which train companies can increase some fares is specified by the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
Standard walk-on fares are high, but a wide range of discounted fares is available. These are subject to restrictions as to days and times when they can be used. It can be difficult to obtain accurate information as to fares and their availability, even from official enquiry offices, because the pricing structure is complicated and the different train companies are all making their own special offers. The most heavily discounted fares usually oblige the passenger to travel on specified trains (with no opportunity to alter these) - and only a limited number of tickets may be issued for each service. Train operators are increasingly introducing special offers that can only be taken up through their website. Higher fares are charged for use of domestic trains on HS1, the high-speed line to Kent, except for through tickets between Kent and destinations beyond London. <br />
<br />
Tickets for any rail journey in the UK can be purchased from most train operators' websites, but the best price may be available from the operator whose service is being used. It is often possible to obtain a lower price for a journey by splitting it and buying a different ticket for each section. In such cases it is necessary to travel on a train that stops at stations where the validity of one ticket ends and another starts. This requirement does not apply if at least one of the tickets is a season ticket, rail rover or similar. It may also be found that a ticket to a station beyond one's destination is cheaper, but conditions need to be checked carefully. A break of journey may not be permitted, requiring an excess fare to be paid if exiting at an intermediate station. Various websites act as 'consolidators' and will compare what is available in order to offer the best deal, including split ticketing options. <br />
<br />
Various Railcards are available, usually giving a fare reduction of one third. These are available nationally to groups, such as young people, families, senior citizens, two people travelling together, those with a disability and military personnel. Some cards are available to all, but only valid for travel within a particular geographic area. The cost of a Railcard may be recouped immediately if a long-distance journey is planned or if purchasing a high-price ticket such as a national rail rover. Some Railcards only give a discount for off-peak travel. Details of Railcards are available at [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/National-Railcards.aspx National Rail]. Details can be found at the unofficial [http://www.railrover.org/ Rail Rover] website.<br />
<br />
Overseas visitors should endeavour to purchase a rover ticket, such as a [http://www.britrail.net/ BritRail] or InterRail pass, before travelling to the UK. Various rail rovers are available within the UK, but they do not offer the value or wide validity of those available to foreign visitors, and many are not valid until after the morning peak period.<br />
<br />
In various areas where all stations have automatic ticket machines, including on the London Underground and most other tram and metro networks, a penalty fares system applies. Passengers found without a ticket are likely to have to pay a fine on the spot.<br />
<br />
First class seating tends now to be found only on principal routes; in Northern Ireland it is limited to principal trains on the international route between Belfast and Dublin (where NIRailways call it &quot;First plus&quot; while partner Iarnród Éireann call it &quot;Premium&quot;). Eurostar maintain three classes: Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier. On some trains, including many of those operated by Gatwick Express, Great Northern and Southern, there is no difference between first class and standard class seating. If a train including first class seats is used on a service advertised as standard class only, holders of standard class tickets may use the first class seats.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Railways Company Limited, through a subsidiary NIR Networks Limited<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/network-statement/ Network Rail]. The Sectional Appendices are available <br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ here] (scroll down to list of PDFs).<br />
<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Corporate/About-Us/Publications/network-statement/ Translink]<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
*Great Britain: Standard<br />
*Northern Ireland: 1600 mm [5 feet 3 inches]<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
*Great Britain: Mostly 25 kV 50 Hz. 750 V dc third rail is used on some lines in south east England and around Liverpool. The third rail network in south east England is by a considerable margin the most extensive such system in the world and the only place when conductor rail trains operate at up to 100 mph (160 km/hr). The line between Pelaw and Sunderland is electrified at 1500V dc overhead, to allow use by Tyne & Wear Metro. The line between Tinsley North Junction and Rotherham Parkgate is electrified at 750V dc overhead, for use by Sheffield Supertram. Most tramway systems are 750 V dc with Blackpool being 600 V dc.<br />
*Northern Ireland: no electrified lines.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Left.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
*Distances are shown on Railway Track Diagrams published by [https://www.trackmaps.co.uk/ TRACKmaps]. Distances are also available in Network Rail's [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ Sectional Appendices] (scroll down for list of available PDFs).<br />
*Distances for Northern Ireland are also available on-line on the Signalling Record Society website:<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-nc.php Derry and Larne lines]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-bd.php Bangor line]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-gd.php Dublin line]<br />
<br />
==Other railways==<br />
*Core Valley Lines (Cardiff to Rhymney, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert): Owned by the Welsh Government and managed by a lessee, Amey Keolis Infrastructure/Seilwaith Amey Keolis Limited.<br />
*Crossrail Central Operating Section is the railway under Central London from Portobello Junction (Royal Oak) to Pudding Mill Lane Junction (Bow) and Abbey Wood. It is managed by Rail for London (Infrastructure) Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London.<br />
*East London Line: Owned by Rail for London Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London. <br />
*Eurotunnel: A partnership between the Channel Tunnel Group Limited and France-Manche S.A. that operates the Channel Tunnel under a long-term concession from the UK and French governments. <br />
*Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited owns the railway between London Heathrow Airport and the junction with the Great Western Main Line near Hayes & Harlington. <br />
*HS1 Ltd: The investor with a 30 years concession from the UK government to operate the high-speed line between London and the Channel Tunnel, though most aspects of day-to-day operation and maintenance are contracted out to Network Rail. <br />
<br />
Facilities exist for special through running between the national system and some tourist lines.<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
A map of UK heritage railways can be found at the "Heritage Rail - UK & Ireland" link on the [https://www.heritagerailways.com Heritage Railway Association website].<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
London, Newcastle, Glasgow. Although part of the national railway system, the Merseyrail Electrics <br />
network in Liverpool is like a Metro. There are two separate networks in London. The Underground system is 630V dc third and fourth rail; the Docklands Light Railway is a fully-automated 750V dc third rail system. London Overground operates under a contract let by the Mayor of London and uses Transport for London branding, but operates almost entirely on Network Rail lines. The Glasgow and Merseyrail systems are third <br />
rail and Newcastle is 1500 V dc overhead. Glasgow Subway is 4 feet (1,219mm) gauge and was originally cable-worked. There are several lines where London Underground and main line trains share the same tracks. The Tyne & Wear Metro (Newcastle) operates to Sunderland over the Network Rail line from Pelaw.<br />
<br />
The Core Valley Lines from Cardiff are being converted to a form of metro system.<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Birmingham/Wolverhampton (Midland Metro), Blackpool, Croydon, Edinburgh,<br />
Llandudno (cable worked), Manchester, Nottingham, Seaton (Devon) and Sheffield. The Croydon, <br />
Manchester, Midland Metro, Nottingham and Seaton systems include extensive running over <br />
routes that were previously part of the national railway system. The Manchester and Nottingham systems have been considerably extended in recent years. On the Manchester Metrolink system a second route through Manchester city centre came into use on 26 February 2017, and the 5.5 km Trafford Park line opened on 22 March 2020. The Midland Metro in Birmingham was extended to Edgbaston on 17 July 2022 and to Wolverhampton Station on 17 September 2023. The first stage of a line to Brierley Hill is expected to open, to Dudley, in 2024. The extension of the Edinburgh line to Leith and Newhaven opened on 21 June 2023 and plans have been announced for further lines in the city. The Blackpool system Talbot Gateway extension, to Blackpool North station, is expected to be fully open in 2023. A metro system is proposed in Glasgow, but this project is at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
The Seaton and Llandudno lines are essentially tourist operations, and both are narrow gauge. <br />
There are other tourist lines of a mile or more at the National Tramway Museum <br />
(Crich, near Matlock) and at Beamish Open Air Museum (near Gateshead), plus <br />
several other shorter lines. <br />
<br />
The Isle of Man has three narrow gauge tramways, which operate on a seasonal basis: Douglas Bay Horse Tramway - along the promenade in Douglas; the Manx Electric Railway - an inter-urban line between Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey; and the Snaefell Mountain Railway - from Laxey to Snaefell Summit. <br />
After a period of uncertainty, the threat that the horse tramway line in Douglas might be shortened seems to have been seen off by a vote in Tynwald (the Manx parliament) in January 2017. <br />
<br />
The Tinsley Chord, which connects the Sheffield tram system to a freight line near Meadowhall, allows tram-trains to run between Sheffield city centre and Rotherham Parkgate over Network Rail lines. Public services commenced on Thursday 25 October 2018. Sheffield tram-trains are dual voltage vehicles that can run on the 750 V Overhead Lines (OHLE) of the tram network and the 25 kV OHLE of the national rail network; however the line to Rotherham Parkgate is initially energised at 750 V because there is no 25 kV electrification in the area.<br />
<br />
Track plans for most of the significant tram systems in the United Kingdom are available on the [http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/line/diagrams0.shtm Railway Codes site] and also on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/index-e.php Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes== <br />
Some aspects of national railway operations are privatised, but infrastructure ownership has reverted to the public sector. There continues to be debate about the fragmented, expensive and complex nature of the system that has emerged, under the general oversight of the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
===Route Closures and Service Reductions===<br />
Having undergone extensive cut backs in the 1960s, the present passenger network seems relatively secure. The closure of a passenger railway in the UK normally involves a lengthy legal process, and short-notice closures usually occur only if there is a sudden and dramatic infrastructure failure, or if the closure is deemed a &quot;minor closure&quot;. However, a number of stations have closed and all passenger services over some lines have been withdrawn without the statutory procedure having been followed. Passenger services via the Channel Tunnel, or in connection with them, do not enjoy statutory protection from closure. <br />
<br />
Some routes have been reduced to just one or two trains per day (or, in some cases, per week) in order to reduce operating costs without having to go through the closure procedure. These are included in the list of [https://www.egtre.info/wiki/United_Kingdom_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services sparse services].<br />
<br />
A newly-introduced passenger service can be designated as "experimental" for a period up to five years, during which time it may be withdrawn without the usual closure procedure needing to be followed. The only "experimental" service at present is Thanet Parkway station, until 30 July 2028.<br />
<br />
====Passenger services to be withdrawn====<br />
* The railway between Nottingham and Worksop may be diverted at Whitwell to allow expansion of a dolomite quarry. This will eliminate Whitwell Tunnel. No date is set for this, but planning permission to expand the quarry was granted in 2018.<br />
<br />
* Planned diversion of trains between Belfast and Dublin to a new terminal facility - [http://www.translink.co.uk/Translink-Footer/the-hub/ the Belfast Hub] - being constructed close to Belfast Great Victoria Street may see the end of regular passenger services between Central Junction (Adelaide) and City Junction (City Hospital).<br />
<br />
====Closures and significant service reductions in recent years are==== <br />
<br />
'''Passenger service withdrawn, line still open for other than regular passenger traffic:'''<br />
<br />
* Greenford LUL Bay Junction - Northolt Junction: The Wednesdays only train from West Ealing to West Ruislip ran for the last time on 7 December 2022.<br />
<br />
* Cowlairs East Junction - Cowlairs North Junction (Glasgow): The summer Sunday trains between Edinburgh and Oban have started and terminated at Glasgow Queen Street since 2023. Last use of the curve by the ScotRail service was on 28 August 2022. It continues to be used by the [https://www.belmond.com/trains/europe/scotland/belmond-royal-scotsman/journeys Royal Scotsman] Western Scenic Wonders tour.<br />
<br />
* Barking Station Junction - Barking platform 1: No regular passenger traffic from 18 July 2022, when the line to Barking Riverside opened, but occasional diversions may be possible.<br />
<br />
* Dalmeny - Winchburgh Junction: Service withdrawn 23 March 2020, but without the statutory closure procedure having been followed. <br />
<br />
'''Significant service reduction'''<br />
<br />
* Glenrothes with Thornton - Thornton South Junction: The frequent service via Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy became Sundays only, except for one train each way Mondays to Fridays, with effect from 15 May 2022.<br />
<br />
====Temporary Closures:==== <br />
<br />
Work to upgrade the UK rail network is increasingly leading to lines being closed for extended periods. Severe weather and the age of much railway infrastructure has resulted in more temporary closures caused by landslips and other problems with earthworks. Current and planned temporary closures of four weeks or more, in approximate order of expected re-opening, are: <br />
<br />
* Carlisle to Workington: From 29 February 2024, because of a problem with a viaduct, possibly until mid-April 2024.<br />
* Shipley (Dockfield Junction) to Guisley (Esholt Junction): From 8 February 2024, because of a major land slip, until 24 April 2024 or later.<br />
* Ayr to Stranraer and Kilmarnock to Barassie: From 25 September 2023, probably until spring/summer 2024, because of a dangerous building at Ayr.<br />
* Blackheath to Charlton: 1 June to 10 August 2024, for repairs to Blackheath Tunnel.<br />
* Ashford East Junction, connection to HS1: Eurostar ceased calling at Ashford on 19 March 2020 and will not resume before 2025/6.<br />
<br />
===Re-openings and Openings===<br />
<br />
Most projects involve upgrading existing routes, but some openings have occurred or are about to do so. <br />
<br />
====New and reinstated passenger services in recent years:==== <br />
<br />
New passenger services are: <br />
<br />
* Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) - Leven (scheduled to open on 2 June 2024)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension: The Royal - Wolverhampton Station (17 September 2023). <br />
<br />
* Westbourne Park Junction - Paddington and Stepney Green Junction - Pudding Mill Lane Junction (full opening of Elizabeth line) (6 November 2022) <br />
<br />
* Barking - Barking Riverside (18 July 2022)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension: Library - Edgbaston Village (17 July 2022) <br />
<br />
*Paddington - Abbey Wood (Elizabeth line) (24 May 2022)<br />
<br />
* Newport (Gaer Junction) - Pye Corner (Park Junction) (on introduction of trains between Newport and Crosskeys, 12 December 2021)<br />
<br />
* Crediton - Okehampton (20 November 2021; there was previously a service on summer Sundays)<br />
<br />
* Kennington - Battersea Power Station (London Underground, Northern Line extension, opened September 2021)<br />
<br />
A daily service, generally hourly, was introduced between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester via Runcorn and Frodsham on 19 May 2019. Previously the curve between Halton Junction and Frodsham Junction had been used by a single unadvertised train in one direction only on summer Saturdays.<br />
<br />
On tourist / heritage railways:<br />
<br />
* Llangollen Railway extended passenger services from Carrog to a provisional terminus at Corwen in October 2014 and to the permanent terminus in June 2023. <br />
* the Mid-Norfolk Railway ran inaugural passenger trains to Worthing level crossing (North Elmham) on 19 and 20 May 2018, but regular services continue to terminate at Dereham. The railway aspires to continue to County School. <br />
* The first (very short) section of the Aln Valley Railway officially opened in October 2013, from a new station on the edge of Alnwick, with a longer run available from December 2017. It is planned that the railway will reach the National Rail station at Alnmouth.<br />
* The first section of the re-opened Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, a narrow gauge line, is in operation between Woody Bay and Killington Lane. Extensions towards Lynton and to Blackmoor Gate are planned as the next phase of reconstruction.<br />
<br />
====Projects authorised or under construction are:==== <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the railway between Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) and Levenmouth for passenger services on 2 June 2024. Initially, all trains will run via Kirkcaldy, but it is expected that some trains will later run via Cowdenbeath, providing many more via the curve from Thornton West Junction than the current sparse service. <br />
<br />
A Transport & Works Act Order for the introduction of passenger trains over the freight line to Ashington was granted in June 2022 and the line is due to open by December 2024. The UK Government has announced plans to re-open the railway to Fleetwood, but this may become a tramway. The UK Government is also funding feasibility studies into re-opening a number of other lines, but these are at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
Work has started on construction of a high speed railway (HS2) from London to Birmingham, but the line will not be opened until 2026 at the earliest. A flythrough of the route is [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bkoGvw9kbA here]. It is to be followed by Phase 2a as far as Crewe. It is intended that the line will subsequently be extended to Manchester with completion in the mid-2030s. It was originally planned that there would be a branch to Leeds, but this has been cut back to East Midlands Parkway (near Nottingham). The UK Government has also announced that it intends to proceed with a high-speed line from Warrington to Marsden (for Huddersfield) via Manchester. <br />
<br />
<!---Preliminary work on construction of a link between the LUL Watford branch and the former Croxley Green branch was undertaken in 2016. However, the project has stalled, because of lack of agreement as to how further cost escalation would be funded, and can only be regarded as definitively dead, though there has been no formal announcement to this effect. Should the scheme continue, which seems increasingly unlikely, it will result in the closure of Watford LUL station, but the re-opening of most of the Croxley Green branch.---><br />
Plans were being developed for a second Crossrail line, linking south west and north east London. All work on this stopped in autumn 2020, as a result of economies made to deal with the Covid pandemic. It is questionable whether the scheme will be revived, if there is the expected permanent reduction in commuter traffic. <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the derelict line between Calvert and Bletchley. A Transport & Works Act Order for this scheme was granted in February 2020 and services between Oxford and Milton Keynes are scheduled to start in December 2024. The longer-term objective is to re-introduce trains between Oxford and Cambridge. <br />
<br />
[https://heathrowrail.com/ Heathrow Southern Railway] intends to build a new railway south-west from Heathrow Airport to link with the Staines to Windsor line, together with a branch to Virginia Water or Chertsey. <br />
<br />
In the private sector:<br />
* The Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway is constructing an extension from Glengonnar to Wanlockhead.<br />
* Moorland & City Railways have a stated intention to reopen the line between Stoke-on-Trent and Leek Brook Junction, to a junction with the Churnet Valley Railway, but progress seems to be languishing.<br />
* Most ambitiously, the two Great Central Railways at Loughborough are being linked by means of a reinstated bridge over the Midland Main Line. <br />
* The Rother Valley Railway has obtained a Transport and Works Act Order to rebuild the railway between Robertsbridge and Junction Road (Bodiam).<br />
* The Royal Deeside Railway is extending its line to Crathes West Lodge.<br />
* Strathspey Railway is extending to Grantown-on-Spey and during summer 2014 and 2015 offered a limited service between its normal terminus at Broomhill and the river bridge at Dulnain. Further work depends on obtaining statutory powers under the Transport and Works Act and constructing a new bridge to carry the railway over the A95 main road. <br />
* The Helston Railway provides a short ride near Prospidnick, but plans to extend to Helston and eventually to Gwinear Road.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
<br />
Main line electrification in Great Britain came to a virtual standstill following railway privatisation, because private-sector train operators and rolling stock companies preferred the flexibility of diesel traction. The only schemes to proceed were between Crewe and Kidsgrove (near Stoke on Trent) (electrified for diversionary use), the reconstructed Larkhall branch line in Scotland and High Speed 1 (the Channel Tunnel rail link) [see below].<br />
<br />
In 2009 Department for Transport policy shifted towards extending electrification, with significant schemes proposed and a few implemented. However, greatly increased costs have resulted in projects being curtailed and delayed. Poor cost estimating, increased safety standards, over-specification and loss of practical experience of electrification appear to be among the causes. In July 2017 the UK Government announced an end to plans for further railway electrification in England and Wales, with reliance instead on bi-mode diesel/electric trains. This will included converting some electric multiple-units to bi-mode working. There have also been experiments with battery operation. In contrast, the Scottish Government required Network Rail to develop an electrification technical specification that can deliver an "efficient and affordable rolling programme of electrification". <br />
<br />
Electrification schemes recently completed in England and Wales are:<br />
<br />
* Bedford to Corby (May 2021) <br />
<br />
* London (Heathrow Airport Junction) to Cardiff, Chippenham (Christian Malford) and Newbury (Phased introduction of electric services between May 2017 and January 2020). The scheme was cut back to omit Swansea, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Oxford and the Thames Valley branch lines.<br />
<br />
* Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley (May 2019)<br />
<br />
* Manchester to Preston via Bolton (February 2019)<br />
<br />
* Gospel Oak to Woodgrange Park via South Tottenham (January 2019, but limited electric service initially, because of delayed delivery of rolling stock)<br />
<br />
Schemes under way in England:<br />
<br />
* Kettering - Market Harborough<br />
<br />
* Manchester - Huddersfield - Leeds - York <br />
<br />
* Wigan North Western - Lostock Junction (near Bolton) (announced 1 September 2021, expected completion 2024/2025) <br />
<br />
The UK Government has announced that electrification of the Midland Main Line is to be completed to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield.<br />
<br />
The Welsh Government is sponsoring electrification of the Valley Lines from Cardiff to Bargoed, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert. Light rail vehicles are to be used from Cardiff to Coryton and on routes via Radyr. Tri-mode trains will be used from Rhymney to Penarth, Barry Island and the Vale of Glamorgan line, using battery power between Rhymney and Bargoed, and diesel south of Cardiff. <br />
<br />
Following an extensive programme of electrification completed between 2012 and 2019, most lines in Central Scotland are electrified, with recent schemes comprising:<br />
<br />
*Holytown to Kirknewton (Midcalder Jn) via Shotts (Some electric services April 2019, full service May 2019) <br />
<br />
*Glasgow Central (Muirhouse Central Jn) to Barrhead (December 2023, but most trains continue to Kilmarnock or beyond, so remain diesel-worked)<br />
<br />
The line from Falkirk to Grangemouth has also been electrified for freight traffic, but there are proposals to reinstate a passenger service. <br />
<br />
Work has started on electrification to East Kilbride. The line from Haymarket (Edinburgh) to Dalmeny is being electrified as the first phase of a scheme to electrify routes through Fife. Transport Scotland's [https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/rail-services-decarbonisation-action-plan/ ''Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan''], published in July 2020, envisages most lines in Scotland being electrified. Priorities are the Kilmarnock line; Edinburgh to Tweedbank; routes in Fife; and Dunblane to Aberdeen. Later extensions will take electrification to Girvan; Gretna via Dumfries; and Inverness to Perth, Aberdeen and Tain.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of changes more than five years ago see [[United_Kingdom - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special Notes==<br />
<br />
Train numbers in Great Britain follow an alpha-numeric format, thus 1A22. The first digit indicates the type of train (passenger trains are 1, 2 or 9), in most cases the letter indicates its route or destination and the remaining digits identify the particular train. Different trains can and do use the same number, so long as they do not conflict geographically or operate several hours apart. Since December 2021 train numbers have been shown in the National Rail Timetable, but they are not normally used for passenger information purposes. It is more usual for trains to be referred to by their schedule, for example as the "10:00 London King's Cross to Aberdeen". International trains have four digit numbers where the second figure is 0 or 1, which can be treated as letters O and I in the UK.<br />
<br />
Departure sheets listing trains from a station in chronological order are rarely used. The usual format is to list destinations in alphabetic order, and provide details of all trains to each, or to provide timetable posters. Most stations have electronic displays, which indicate all departures (and often arrivals) within the next hour or so.<br />
<br />
It is unusual for information displays and announcements at stations and on trains to be in any language other than English (and Welsh in Wales), though most station name signs in Scotland appear in Gaelic as well as English. Multi-lingual information is normally restricted to dedicated airport services and those using the Channel Tunnel.<br />
<br />
No stations sell international tickets or can make international reservations, though there are facilities to make through bookings from certain stations by Eurostar. <!---International tickets and reservations are available at the We Know London Tourist Services desk in the shopping mall at St Pancras International station.---> Even the range of tickets available from Eurostar is very limited. For guidance on booking travel to and from Europe visit [http://www.seat61.com/Europe.htm#How%20do%20I%20book? The Man in Seat Sixty-One]'s website or see advice from [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/European-Train-Travel.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Selective door opening is increasingly used, particularly in London and South East England. Trains are longer than some station platforms and only doors within the platform are unlocked. Announcements and visual displays advise passengers which carriages they need to be in if wishing to alight. This also happens to a limited extent on the London Underground, but usually only affecting the rearmost pair of doors. <br />
<br />
The only long-distance overnight trains in Great Britain are:<br />
<br />
* [https://www.sleeper.scot/ Caledonian Sleeper] from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness <br />
* Great Western's [https://www.gwr.com/travelling-with-us/night-riviera-sleeper Night Riviera] from London to Penzance<br />
<br />
Sleeping cars are provided, but not couchettes, and seating may be in saloons with non-reclinable seats, where passengers have no control of the lighting. <br />
<br />
Taking bicycles, other than folding ones, by train can be difficult. Space may be limited and some operators require advance reservations for bicycles. More information can be found at [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/cyclists.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Train services at weekends, and especially Saturday evening and Sunday until mid-afternoon, can be extensively altered because of [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.aspx engineering work]. With the paucity of alternative routes and a growing aversion to temporary single line working, buses frequently substitute for trains in such circumstances. There are an increasing number of initiatives to give extended overnight possessions Mondays to Thursdays, in order to reduce the extent of weekend closures. This results in late evening trains being replaced by buses. Trials are being undertaken of mid-week line closures. Blockades of a week or more are increasingly common.<br />
<br />
No trains run in the UK on Christmas Day and very few on Boxing Day, mostly on local services in the London and Glasgow areas. No domestic services run in Scotland on New Year's Day, but there are normally trains between England, Edinburgh and Glasgow. <br />
<br />
Very few stations have left luggage facilities. Unattended luggage may be removed by the police and processes to check that it is safe can be very destructive.<br />
<br />
Railway enthusiasts are welcomed on stations - for guidance when on and about stations refer to [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/railway-enthusiasts/railway-enthusiasts-and-photography-at-stations/ Network Rail's] advice.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox United Kingdom}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=United_Kingdom_-_General_Information&diff=55479United Kingdom - General Information2024-03-22T19:43:31Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* National Railway System */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland<br />
<br />
Nomenclature: &quot;Great Britain&quot; comprises the countries of England, Wales, and Scotland. &quot;United Kingdom&quot; (in full: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) comprises Great Britain and the Province of Northern Ireland. &quot;British Isles&quot; is a purely geographical description for the British mainland and the island of Ireland; the latter contains the Province of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are usually regarded as part of the British Isles, although independent of the UK government. All but the Republic of Ireland (which is entirely independent of the UK) are under the British Crown (monarchy).<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Most infrastructure in Great Britain is owned by [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail], a company controlled by the government's [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport Department for Transport] (DfT). Most passenger train services are provided by operators under contracts with DfT, [https://tfl.gov.uk/ Transport for London], [http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk Merseytravel], [http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/ Transport Scotland] or the [http://gov.wales/topics/transport/?lang=en Welsh Government]. Some operators are subsidiaries of major bus companies or national railways from other countries, for example Trenitalia. A UK Government subsidiary, [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/dft-olr-holdings-limited/about DfT OLR Holdings Limited], operates services if the contractor is no longer able to do so, has had the contract terminated because of default or there has been no acceptable tender for provision of the service. [https://www.railholdings.scot/ Scottish Rail Holdings Limited] is the equivalent in Scotland. Full details of passenger train operators are given by links from the [http://www.raildeliverygroup.com/about-us/uk-rail-industry/passenger-freight-track.html Rail Delivery Group] website. Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites. Passenger train operations collectively are known as 'National Rail'. <br />
<br />
A new organisation, [https://gbrtt.co.uk/ Great British Railways] is being established to take strategic control of railways, in England at least, as well as taking over most of Network Rail's functions as infrastructure owner and operator throughout Britain. <br />
<br />
Railways in Northern Ireland are owned by Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (which remains state-owned) and are operated as the [http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/ N I Railways] (NIR) division of Translink.<br />
<br />
Most operators in Great Britain had a franchise agreement, under which they took most of the commercial risk. DfT was considering changes to franchising when the Covid-19 pandemic made the system uneconomic, due to greatly reduced fares income to the operators. Franchises were replaced by Emergency Recovery Management Agreements and subsequently by National Rail Contracts under which the Government meets operating costs and receives fares and other income. The operating company is paid a management fee. Transport for Wales, ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper, LNER, Northern and Southeastern are all being operated by public sector companies. <br />
<br />
The operator of each train is indicated in the electronic National Rail Timetable and <br />
its printed derivatives by means of two-letter codes; for a de-coder and a chronology of <br />
privatisation and transfer/re-branding of Great Britain's passenger railway franchises to <br />
date go to the [http://www.railchronology.free-online.co.uk/ Rail Chronology] website. Basic customer information about and links to the websites of each TOC are available through the [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tocs_maps/tocs/TrainOperators.aspx National Rail] website. Some further information about passenger train operators and past franchisees can be found in the [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-franchise-schedule DfT] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_operating_trains_in_the_United_Kingdom Wikipedia] websites. The Wikipedia list is usually more up to date and accurate than the DfT schedule!<br />
<br />
A small number of operators provide passenger services on the national network which are not under contract to the DfT. These include [http://www.eurostar.com/ ''Eurostar''] which is a unitary undertaking (Eurostar <br />
International Ltd) managed by SNCF, which has a 55% interest in the company. Private investors acquired the UK government's 40% stake in 2015 and SNCB/NMBS owns the remaining 5%. 'Open Access' passenger operators are: <br />
<br />
* [https://www.hulltrains.co.uk/ Hull Trains] between London and Hull <br />
* [https://www.grandcentralrail.com/ Grand Central] between London, Bradford and Sunderland<br />
* [https://www.lumo.co.uk/ Lumo] between London and Edinburgh <br />
<br />
[http://www.granduniontrains.co.uk/ Grand Union Trains] intends to start services between London Paddington and Carmarthen and between London Euston and Stirling in 2025. <br />
<br />
In addition<br />
* [http://www.eurotunnel.com/ Eurotunnel] operates a shuttle service for motor vehicles through the Channel Tunnel; this does not carry foot-passengers (although cyclists can be carried by arrangement)<br />
* [http://www.nymr.co.uk/ North Yorkshire Moors Railway] operates timetabled steam trains through between Pickering/Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby during the summer.<br />
* [http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/ West Coast Railways] operates timetabled steam trains between Fort William and Mallaig during the summer, but in practice these get fully booked well in advance. Services at the start of the 2024 season have been CANCELLED, because the operator no longer has authorisation to operate heritage carriages that lack central door locking.<br />
<br />
[http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/ Swanage Railway] and West Coast Railways operated a service between Swanage and Wareham during the summer in 2017 and 2023. In 2018 and 2019 there was just a limited Saturday service by the local franchisee, South Western Railway. Swanage Railway does not plan further such services, on economic grounds.<br />
<br />
All freight trains in Great Britain are operated by competing companies under "open access" conditions. The <i>principal</i> companies are: <br />
<br />
* [http://www.rail.dbschenker.co.uk/rail-uk-en/start/ DB Cargo UK] (formerly English Welsh and Scottish Railway, now a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn of Germany) <br />
* [https://www.freightliner.co.uk/ Freightliner] (owned by US railroad Genesee & Wyoming Inc) <br />
* [http://www.colasrail.co.uk/ Colas Rail] (part of the Bouygues group); <br />
* [http://www.directrailservices.com/ Direct Rail Services] (owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority) <br />
* [http://www.gbrailfreight.com/ GB Railfreight] (owned by Infracapital, an infrastructure equity investor). <br />
<br />
DB Cargo UK, in particular, and GB Railfreight, to a lesser extent, operate charter passenger trains. GB Railfreight also operates the Caledonian Sleeper trains on behalf of Caledonian Sleeper Limited.<br />
<br />
[https://www.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Rail Operations Group] concentrates on rolling stock moves for manufacturers, leasing companies and passenger operators, but started a parcels-carrying business, trading as [https://orion.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Orion] in 2021.<br />
<br />
There are no longer any revenue freight trains in Northern Ireland.<br />
<br />
Neither the Isle of Man nor the Channel Isles (îles Anglo-Normands) is legally part of the UK but the Isle of Man's active railways and tramways are to <br />
be found at the [http://www.heritagerailways.com/Visits_Map.php UK and Irish Heritage Railways website] and under [[#Trams/LRT-Systems|Trams/LRT-Systems]] respectively.<br />
<br />
==Official Website==<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ National Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink]<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
English. In addition Welsh is spoken in most parts of Wales, <br />
and Gaelic is used to a certain extent in north-west Scotland.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Pound sterling. Banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own notes, <br />
which are valid throughout the UK and usually accepted without question. Channel <br />
Islands and Manx notes (but not coins) are technically legal tender in the UK, <br />
but are best changed at banks.<br />
<br />
==UIC code==<br />
* United Kingdom: numeric 70; alpha GB<br />
* Eurotunnel: numeric 69 (used only for accounting purposes and not shown on rolling stock).<br />
<br />
Historically, the only British rolling stock to show UIC numbers were wagons passed to work on the now defunct train ferries from Harwich and Dover or through the Channel Tunnel. The Eurostar class 374 trains, which entered service in 2015, were the first UK-registered passenger stock to have UIC numbers, otherwise known as the European Vehicle Number (EVN). Rail Industry Standard RIS-2453-RST ''Vehicle Registration, Marking and Numbering'', introduced in December 2017, requires new vehicles in Great Britain to be identified by EVN. On passenger vehicles only an abbreviated version is normally show. UIC numbering is not used by NI Railways.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland)===<br />
The official National Rail timetable is published on Network Rail's website (see below), twice yearly (in mid December and mid May). Services on Mondays to Fridays, on Saturdays (or Mondays to Saturdays) and on Sundays are usually different and laid out separately in the timetable; there may be several alternative Sunday services, to allow for engineering work, during the currency of a timetable. [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe] provides a comprehensive guide to printed and on-line public transport timetables.<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
[http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/s/planjourney/query National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner]<br />
<br />
The [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites provide a quick-reference way of checking the latest schedule (or amendment) for any particular train<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetable====<br />
PDFs of the National Railway Timetable are available from the [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/electronic-national-rail-timetable-enrt/ Network Rail] website. These are maintained for Network Rail by [https://timetables.fabdigital.uk/nrt/ Fabdigital] and the version on their website may be more up to date.<br />
<br />
====Working (Staff) Timetables====<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/working-timetable/ Network Rail Working Timetables]<br />
<br />
You can also check for the latest variations to working timetable details for specific trains on the [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites.<br />
<br />
[http://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/working-timetables London Underground working timetables]. DLR is not included.<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
Since May 2020 there has been no comprehensive printed timetable for Great Britain and there are no printed timetable leaflets for most lines.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.html National Rail's future engineering works]<br />
<br />
===Northern Ireland===<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
On the [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink home page].<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetables====<br />
[https://www.translink.co.uk/timetables?LocationId=&Name=&LocationType=&TransportMode=Bus&page=1 Translink bus and rail timetables]<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
A series of four free leaflets is available.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/nirailways-travel-updates/ NIRailways Travel Updates]<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*The ''Rail Atlas Great Britain & Ireland'' gives detailed and accurate coverage of the UK railway system, and is widely available. It is mostly at 1:350,000, but with enlargements of many urban areas; an updated edition is published every 2-3 years.<br />
*[http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps] publish a series of track diagrams (formerly Quail Track Diagrams) in five regional volumes.<br />
*Northern Ireland Railways are in a volume covering the whole of Ireland also published by [http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps]<br />
*Historic atlases have been published by various other publishers.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] (see National Rail Passenger Operators' map) and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/united_kingdom_ireland.html British Isles and Ireland Map]. Last updated December 2022<br />
*[http://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php Rail Map online].<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
There is no distance-related fare tariff in the UK, and fares are charged on a market basis. Certain fares are regulated and the amount by which train companies can increase some fares is specified by the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
Standard walk-on fares are high, but a wide range of discounted fares is available. These are subject to restrictions as to days and times when they can be used. It can be difficult to obtain accurate information as to fares and their availability, even from official enquiry offices, because the pricing structure is complicated and the different train companies are all making their own special offers. The most heavily discounted fares usually oblige the passenger to travel on specified trains (with no opportunity to alter these) - and only a limited number of tickets may be issued for each service. Train operators are increasingly introducing special offers that can only be taken up through their website. Higher fares are charged for use of domestic trains on HS1, the high-speed line to Kent, except for through tickets between Kent and destinations beyond London. <br />
<br />
Tickets for any rail journey in the UK can be purchased from most train operators' websites, but the best price may be available from the operator whose service is being used. It is often possible to obtain a lower price for a journey by splitting it and buying a different ticket for each section. In such cases it is necessary to travel on a train that stops at stations where the validity of one ticket ends and another starts. This requirement does not apply if at least one of the tickets is a season ticket, rail rover or similar. It may also be found that a ticket to a station beyond one's destination is cheaper, but conditions need to be checked carefully. A break of journey may not be permitted, requiring an excess fare to be paid if exiting at an intermediate station. Various websites act as 'consolidators' and will compare what is available in order to offer the best deal, including split ticketing options. <br />
<br />
Various Railcards are available, usually giving a fare reduction of one third. These are available nationally to groups, such as young people, families, senior citizens, two people travelling together, those with a disability and military personnel. Some cards are available to all, but only valid for travel within a particular geographic area. The cost of a Railcard may be recouped immediately if a long-distance journey is planned or if purchasing a high-price ticket such as a national rail rover. Some Railcards only give a discount for off-peak travel. Details of Railcards are available at [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/National-Railcards.aspx National Rail]. Details can be found at the unofficial [http://www.railrover.org/ Rail Rover] website.<br />
<br />
Overseas visitors should endeavour to purchase a rover ticket, such as a [http://www.britrail.net/ BritRail] or InterRail pass, before travelling to the UK. Various rail rovers are available within the UK, but they do not offer the value or wide validity of those available to foreign visitors, and many are not valid until after the morning peak period.<br />
<br />
In various areas where all stations have automatic ticket machines, including on the London Underground and most other tram and metro networks, a penalty fares system applies. Passengers found without a ticket are likely to have to pay a fine on the spot.<br />
<br />
First class seating tends now to be found only on principal routes; in Northern Ireland it is limited to principal trains on the international route between Belfast and Dublin (where NIRailways call it &quot;First plus&quot; while partner Iarnród Éireann call it &quot;Premium&quot;). Eurostar maintain three classes: Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier. On some trains, including many of those operated by Gatwick Express, Great Northern and Southern, there is no difference between first class and standard class seating. If a train including first class seats is used on a service advertised as standard class only, holders of standard class tickets may use the first class seats.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Railways Company Limited, through a subsidiary NIR Networks Limited<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/network-statement/ Network Rail]. The Sectional Appendices are available <br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ here] (scroll down to list of PDFs).<br />
<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Corporate/About-Us/Publications/network-statement/ Translink]<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
*Great Britain: Standard<br />
*Northern Ireland: 1600 mm [5 feet 3 inches]<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
*Great Britain: Mostly 25 kV 50 Hz. 750 V dc third rail is used on some lines in south east England and around Liverpool. The third rail network in south east England is by a considerable margin the most extensive such system in the world and the only place when conductor rail trains operate at up to 100 mph (160 km/hr). The line between Pelaw and Sunderland is electrified at 1500V dc overhead, to allow use by Tyne & Wear Metro. The line between Tinsley North Junction and Rotherham Parkgate is electrified at 750V dc overhead, for use by Sheffield Supertram. Most tramway systems are 750 V dc with Blackpool being 600 V dc.<br />
*Northern Ireland: no electrified lines.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Left.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
*Distances are shown on Railway Track Diagrams published by [https://www.trackmaps.co.uk/ TRACKmaps]. Distances are also available in Network Rail's [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ Sectional Appendices] (scroll down for list of available PDFs).<br />
*Distances for Northern Ireland are also available on-line on the Signalling Record Society website:<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-nc.php Derry and Larne lines]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-bd.php Bangor line]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-gd.php Dublin line]<br />
<br />
==Other railways==<br />
*Core Valley Lines (Cardiff to Rhymney, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert): Owned by the Welsh Government and managed by a lessee, Amey Keolis Infrastructure/Seilwaith Amey Keolis Limited.<br />
*Crossrail Central Operating Section is the railway under Central London from Portobello Junction (Royal Oak) to Pudding Mill Lane Junction (Bow) and Abbey Wood. It is managed by Rail for London (Infrastructure) Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London.<br />
*East London Line: Owned by Rail for London Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London. <br />
*Eurotunnel: A partnership between the Channel Tunnel Group Limited and France-Manche S.A. that operates the Channel Tunnel under a long-term concession from the UK and French governments. <br />
*Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited owns the railway between London Heathrow Airport and the junction with the Great Western Main Line near Hayes & Harlington. <br />
*HS1 Ltd: The investor with a 30 years concession from the UK government to operate the high-speed line between London and the Channel Tunnel, though most aspects of day-to-day operation and maintenance are contracted out to Network Rail. <br />
<br />
Facilities exist for special through running between the national system and some tourist lines.<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
A map of UK heritage railways can be found at the "Heritage Rail - UK & Ireland" link on the [https://www.heritagerailways.com Heritage Railway Association website].<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
London, Newcastle, Glasgow. Although part of the national railway system, the Merseyrail Electrics <br />
network in Liverpool is like a Metro. There are two separate networks in London. The Underground system is 630V dc third and fourth rail; the Docklands Light Railway is a fully-automated 750V dc third rail system. London Overground operates under a contract let by the Mayor of London and uses Transport for London branding, but operates almost entirely on Network Rail lines. The Glasgow and Merseyrail systems are third <br />
rail and Newcastle is 1500 V dc overhead. Glasgow Subway is 4 feet (1,219mm) gauge and was originally cable-worked. There are several lines where London Underground and main line trains share the same tracks. The Tyne & Wear Metro (Newcastle) operates to Sunderland over the Network Rail line from Pelaw.<br />
<br />
The Core Valley Lines from Cardiff are being converted to a form of metro system.<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Birmingham/Wolverhampton (Midland Metro), Blackpool, Croydon, Edinburgh,<br />
Llandudno (cable worked), Manchester, Nottingham, Seaton (Devon) and Sheffield. The Croydon, <br />
Manchester, Midland Metro, Nottingham and Seaton systems include extensive running over <br />
routes that were previously part of the national railway system. The Manchester and Nottingham systems have been considerably extended in recent years. On the Manchester Metrolink system a second route through Manchester city centre came into use on 26 February 2017, and the 5.5 km Trafford Park line opened on 22 March 2020. The Midland Metro in Birmingham was extended to Edgbaston on 17 July 2022 and to Wolverhampton Station on 17 September 2023. The first stage of a line to Brierley Hill is expected to open, to Dudley, in 2024. The extension of the Edinburgh line to Leith and Newhaven opened on 21 June 2023 and plans have been announced for further lines in the city. The Blackpool system Talbot Gateway extension, to Blackpool North station, is expected to be fully open in 2023. A metro system is proposed in Glasgow, but this project is at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
The Seaton and Llandudno lines are essentially tourist operations, and both are narrow gauge. <br />
There are other tourist lines of a mile or more at the National Tramway Museum <br />
(Crich, near Matlock) and at Beamish Open Air Museum (near Gateshead), plus <br />
several other shorter lines. <br />
<br />
The Isle of Man has three narrow gauge tramways, which operate on a seasonal basis: Douglas Bay Horse Tramway - along the promenade in Douglas; the Manx Electric Railway - an inter-urban line between Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey; and the Snaefell Mountain Railway - from Laxey to Snaefell Summit. <br />
After a period of uncertainty, the threat that the horse tramway line in Douglas might be shortened seems to have been seen off by a vote in Tynwald (the Manx parliament) in January 2017. <br />
<br />
The Tinsley Chord, which connects the Sheffield tram system to a freight line near Meadowhall, allows tram-trains to run between Sheffield city centre and Rotherham Parkgate over Network Rail lines. Public services commenced on Thursday 25 October 2018. Sheffield tram-trains are dual voltage vehicles that can run on the 750 V Overhead Lines (OHLE) of the tram network and the 25 kV OHLE of the national rail network; however the line to Rotherham Parkgate is initially energised at 750 V because there is no 25 kV electrification in the area.<br />
<br />
Track plans for most of the significant tram systems in the United Kingdom are available on the [http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/line/diagrams0.shtm Railway Codes site] and also on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/index-e.php Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes== <br />
Some aspects of national railway operations are privatised, but infrastructure ownership has reverted to the public sector. There continues to be debate about the fragmented, expensive and complex nature of the system that has emerged, under the general oversight of the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
===Route Closures and Service Reductions===<br />
Having undergone extensive cut backs in the 1960s, the present passenger network seems relatively secure. The closure of a passenger railway in the UK normally involves a lengthy legal process, and short-notice closures usually occur only if there is a sudden and dramatic infrastructure failure, or if the closure is deemed a &quot;minor closure&quot;. However, a number of stations have closed and all passenger services over some lines have been withdrawn without the statutory procedure having been followed. Passenger services via the Channel Tunnel, or in connection with them, do not enjoy statutory protection from closure. <br />
<br />
Some routes have been reduced to just one or two trains per day (or, in some cases, per week) in order to reduce operating costs without having to go through the closure procedure. These are included in the list of [https://www.egtre.info/wiki/United_Kingdom_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services sparse services].<br />
<br />
A newly-introduced passenger service can be designated as "experimental" for a period up to five years, during which time it may be withdrawn without the usual closure procedure needing to be followed. The only "experimental" service at present is Thanet Parkway station, until 30 July 2028.<br />
<br />
====Passenger services to be withdrawn====<br />
* The railway between Nottingham and Worksop may be diverted at Whitwell to allow expansion of a dolomite quarry. This will eliminate Whitwell Tunnel. No date is set for this, but planning permission to expand the quarry was granted in 2018.<br />
<br />
* Planned diversion of trains between Belfast and Dublin to a new terminal facility - [http://www.translink.co.uk/Translink-Footer/the-hub/ the Belfast Hub] - being constructed close to Belfast Great Victoria Street may see the end of regular passenger services between Central Junction (Adelaide) and City Junction (City Hospital).<br />
<br />
====Closures and significant service reductions in recent years are==== <br />
<br />
'''Passenger service withdrawn, line still open for other than regular passenger traffic:'''<br />
<br />
* Greenford LUL Bay Junction - Northolt Junction: The Wednesdays only train from West Ealing to West Ruislip ran for the last time on 7 December 2022.<br />
<br />
* Cowlairs East Junction - Cowlairs North Junction (Glasgow): The summer Sunday trains between Edinburgh and Oban start and terminate at Glasgow Queen Street in 2023. Last use of the curve by the ScotRail service was on 28 August 2022. It continues to be used by the [https://www.belmond.com/trains/europe/scotland/belmond-royal-scotsman/journeys Royal Scotsman] Western Scenic Wonders tour, but prices start at £5,800.<br />
<br />
* Barking Station Junction - Barking platform 1: No regular passenger traffic from 18 July 2022, when the line to Barking Riverside opened, but occasional diversions may be possible.<br />
<br />
* Dalmeny - Winchburgh Junction: Service withdrawn 23 March 2020, but without the statutory closure procedure having been followed. From 11 Dec 2022 the 22:31 FSSuX Dundee to Edinburgh and 22.58 SuO Glenrothes with Thornton to Edinburgh are scheduled to run this way with reversal at Linlithgow, but are likely to run direct via Edinburgh Gateway if there is no engineering work on that route.<br />
<br />
'''Significant service reduction'''<br />
<br />
* Glenrothes with Thornton - Thornton South Junction: The frequent service via Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy became Sundays only, except for one train each way Mondays to Fridays, with effect from 15 May 2022.<br />
<br />
====Temporary Closures:==== <br />
<br />
Work to upgrade the UK rail network is increasingly leading to lines being closed for extended periods. Severe weather and the age of much railway infrastructure has resulted in more temporary closures caused by landslips and other problems with earthworks. Current and planned temporary closures of four weeks or more, in approximate order of expected re-opening, are: <br />
<br />
* Carlisle to Workington: From 29 February 2024, because of a problem with a viaduct, possibly until mid-April 2024.<br />
* Shipley (Dockfield Junction) to Guisley (Esholt Junction): From 8 February 2024, because of a major land slip, until 24 April 2024 or later.<br />
* Ayr to Stranraer and Kilmarnock to Barassie: From 25 September 2023, probably until spring/summer 2024, because of a dangerous building at Ayr.<br />
* Blackheath to Charlton: 1 June to 10 August 2024, for repairs to Blackheath Tunnel.<br />
* Ashford East Junction, connection to HS1: Eurostar ceased calling at Ashford on 19 March 2020 and will not resume before 2025/6.<br />
<br />
===Re-openings and Openings===<br />
<br />
Most projects involve upgrading existing routes, but some openings have occurred or are about to do so. <br />
<br />
====New and reinstated passenger services in recent years:==== <br />
<br />
New passenger services are: <br />
<br />
* Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) - Leven (scheduled to open on 2 June 2024)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension: The Royal - Wolverhampton Station (17 September 2023). <br />
<br />
* Westbourne Park Junction - Paddington and Stepney Green Junction - Pudding Mill Lane Junction (full opening of Elizabeth line) (6 November 2022) <br />
<br />
* Barking - Barking Riverside (18 July 2022)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension: Library - Edgbaston Village (17 July 2022) <br />
<br />
*Paddington - Abbey Wood (Elizabeth line) (24 May 2022)<br />
<br />
* Newport (Gaer Junction) - Pye Corner (Park Junction) (on introduction of trains between Newport and Crosskeys, 12 December 2021)<br />
<br />
* Crediton - Okehampton (20 November 2021; there was previously a service on summer Sundays)<br />
<br />
* Kennington - Battersea Power Station (London Underground, Northern Line extension, opened September 2021)<br />
<br />
A daily service, generally hourly, was introduced between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester via Runcorn and Frodsham on 19 May 2019. Previously the curve between Halton Junction and Frodsham Junction had been used by a single unadvertised train in one direction only on summer Saturdays.<br />
<br />
On tourist / heritage railways:<br />
<br />
* Llangollen Railway extended passenger services from Carrog to a provisional terminus at Corwen in October 2014 and to the permanent terminus in June 2023. <br />
* the Mid-Norfolk Railway ran inaugural passenger trains to Worthing level crossing (North Elmham) on 19 and 20 May 2018, but regular services continue to terminate at Dereham. The railway aspires to continue to County School. <br />
* The first (very short) section of the Aln Valley Railway officially opened in October 2013, from a new station on the edge of Alnwick, with a longer run available from December 2017. It is planned that the railway will reach the National Rail station at Alnmouth.<br />
* The first section of the re-opened Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, a narrow gauge line, is in operation between Woody Bay and Killington Lane. Extensions towards Lynton and to Blackmoor Gate are planned as the next phase of reconstruction.<br />
<br />
====Projects authorised or under construction are:==== <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the railway between Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) and Levenmouth for passenger services on 2 June 2024. Initially, all trains will run via Kirkcaldy, but it is expected that some trains will later run via Cowdenbeath, providing many more via the curve from Thornton West Junction than the current sparse service. <br />
<br />
A Transport & Works Act Order for the introduction of passenger trains over the freight line to Ashington was granted in June 2022 and the line is due to open by December 2024. The UK Government has announced plans to re-open the railway to Fleetwood, but this may become a tramway. The UK Government is also funding feasibility studies into re-opening a number of other lines, but these are at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
Work has started on construction of a high speed railway (HS2) from London to Birmingham, but the line will not be opened until 2026 at the earliest. A flythrough of the route is [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bkoGvw9kbA here]. It is to be followed by Phase 2a as far as Crewe. It is intended that the line will subsequently be extended to Manchester with completion in the mid-2030s. It was originally planned that there would be a branch to Leeds, but this has been cut back to East Midlands Parkway (near Nottingham). The UK Government has also announced that it intends to proceed with a high-speed line from Warrington to Marsden (for Huddersfield) via Manchester. <br />
<br />
<!---Preliminary work on construction of a link between the LUL Watford branch and the former Croxley Green branch was undertaken in 2016. However, the project has stalled, because of lack of agreement as to how further cost escalation would be funded, and can only be regarded as definitively dead, though there has been no formal announcement to this effect. Should the scheme continue, which seems increasingly unlikely, it will result in the closure of Watford LUL station, but the re-opening of most of the Croxley Green branch.---><br />
Plans were being developed for a second Crossrail line, linking south west and north east London. All work on this stopped in autumn 2020, as a result of economies made to deal with the Covid pandemic. It is questionable whether the scheme will be revived, if there is the expected permanent reduction in commuter traffic. <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the derelict line between Calvert and Bletchley. A Transport & Works Act Order for this scheme was granted in February 2020 and services between Oxford and Milton Keynes are scheduled to start in December 2024. The longer-term objective is to re-introduce trains between Oxford and Cambridge. <br />
<br />
[https://heathrowrail.com/ Heathrow Southern Railway] intends to build a new railway south-west from Heathrow Airport to link with the Staines to Windsor line, together with a branch to Virginia Water or Chertsey. <br />
<br />
In the private sector:<br />
* The Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway is constructing an extension from Glengonnar to Wanlockhead.<br />
* Moorland & City Railways have a stated intention to reopen the line between Stoke-on-Trent and Leek Brook Junction, to a junction with the Churnet Valley Railway, but progress seems to be languishing.<br />
* Most ambitiously, the two Great Central Railways at Loughborough are being linked by means of a reinstated bridge over the Midland Main Line. <br />
* The Rother Valley Railway has obtained a Transport and Works Act Order to rebuild the railway between Robertsbridge and Junction Road (Bodiam).<br />
* The Royal Deeside Railway is extending its line to Crathes West Lodge.<br />
* Strathspey Railway is extending to Grantown-on-Spey and during summer 2014 and 2015 offered a limited service between its normal terminus at Broomhill and the river bridge at Dulnain. Further work depends on obtaining statutory powers under the Transport and Works Act and constructing a new bridge to carry the railway over the A95 main road. <br />
* The Helston Railway provides a short ride near Prospidnick, but plans to extend to Helston and eventually to Gwinear Road.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
<br />
Main line electrification in Great Britain came to a virtual standstill following railway privatisation, because private-sector train operators and rolling stock companies preferred the flexibility of diesel traction. The only schemes to proceed were between Crewe and Kidsgrove (near Stoke on Trent) (electrified for diversionary use), the reconstructed Larkhall branch line in Scotland and High Speed 1 (the Channel Tunnel rail link) [see below].<br />
<br />
In 2009 Department for Transport policy shifted towards extending electrification, with significant schemes proposed and a few implemented. However, greatly increased costs have resulted in projects being curtailed and delayed. Poor cost estimating, increased safety standards, over-specification and loss of practical experience of electrification appear to be among the causes. In July 2017 the UK Government announced an end to plans for further railway electrification in England and Wales, with reliance instead on bi-mode diesel/electric trains. This will included converting some electric multiple-units to bi-mode working. There have also been experiments with battery operation. In contrast, the Scottish Government required Network Rail to develop an electrification technical specification that can deliver an "efficient and affordable rolling programme of electrification". <br />
<br />
Electrification schemes recently completed in England and Wales are:<br />
<br />
* Bedford to Corby (May 2021) <br />
<br />
* London (Heathrow Airport Junction) to Cardiff, Chippenham (Christian Malford) and Newbury (Phased introduction of electric services between May 2017 and January 2020). The scheme was cut back to omit Swansea, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Oxford and the Thames Valley branch lines.<br />
<br />
* Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley (May 2019)<br />
<br />
* Manchester to Preston via Bolton (February 2019)<br />
<br />
* Gospel Oak to Woodgrange Park via South Tottenham (January 2019, but limited electric service initially, because of delayed delivery of rolling stock)<br />
<br />
Schemes under way in England:<br />
<br />
* Kettering - Market Harborough<br />
<br />
* Manchester - Huddersfield - Leeds - York <br />
<br />
* Wigan North Western - Lostock Junction (near Bolton) (announced 1 September 2021, expected completion 2024/2025) <br />
<br />
The UK Government has announced that electrification of the Midland Main Line is to be completed to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield.<br />
<br />
The Welsh Government is sponsoring electrification of the Valley Lines from Cardiff to Bargoed, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert. Light rail vehicles are to be used from Cardiff to Coryton and on routes via Radyr. Tri-mode trains will be used from Rhymney to Penarth, Barry Island and the Vale of Glamorgan line, using battery power between Rhymney and Bargoed, and diesel south of Cardiff. <br />
<br />
Following an extensive programme of electrification completed between 2012 and 2019, most lines in Central Scotland are electrified, with recent schemes comprising:<br />
<br />
*Holytown to Kirknewton (Midcalder Jn) via Shotts (Some electric services April 2019, full service May 2019) <br />
<br />
*Glasgow Central (Muirhouse Central Jn) to Barrhead (December 2023, but most trains continue to Kilmarnock or beyond, so remain diesel-worked)<br />
<br />
The line from Falkirk to Grangemouth has also been electrified for freight traffic, but there are proposals to reinstate a passenger service. <br />
<br />
Work has started on electrification to East Kilbride. The line from Haymarket (Edinburgh) to Dalmeny is being electrified as the first phase of a scheme to electrify routes through Fife. Transport Scotland's [https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/rail-services-decarbonisation-action-plan/ ''Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan''], published in July 2020, envisages most lines in Scotland being electrified. Priorities are the Kilmarnock line; Edinburgh to Tweedbank; routes in Fife; and Dunblane to Aberdeen. Later extensions will take electrification to Girvan; Gretna via Dumfries; and Inverness to Perth, Aberdeen and Tain.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of changes more than five years ago see [[United_Kingdom - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special Notes==<br />
<br />
Train numbers in Great Britain follow an alpha-numeric format, thus 1A22. The first digit indicates the type of train (passenger trains are 1, 2 or 9), in most cases the letter indicates its route or destination and the remaining digits identify the particular train. Different trains can and do use the same number, so long as they do not conflict geographically or operate several hours apart. Since December 2021 train numbers have been shown in the National Rail Timetable, but they are not normally used for passenger information purposes. It is more usual for trains to be referred to by their schedule, for example as the "10:00 London King's Cross to Aberdeen". International trains have four digit numbers where the second figure is 0 or 1, which can be treated as letters O and I in the UK.<br />
<br />
Departure sheets listing trains from a station in chronological order are rarely used. The usual format is to list destinations in alphabetic order, and provide details of all trains to each, or to provide timetable posters. Most stations have electronic displays, which indicate all departures (and often arrivals) within the next hour or so.<br />
<br />
It is unusual for information displays and announcements at stations and on trains to be in any language other than English (and Welsh in Wales), though most station name signs in Scotland appear in Gaelic as well as English. Multi-lingual information is normally restricted to dedicated airport services and those using the Channel Tunnel.<br />
<br />
No stations sell international tickets or can make international reservations, though there are facilities to make through bookings from certain stations by Eurostar. <!---International tickets and reservations are available at the We Know London Tourist Services desk in the shopping mall at St Pancras International station.---> Even the range of tickets available from Eurostar is very limited. For guidance on booking travel to and from Europe visit [http://www.seat61.com/Europe.htm#How%20do%20I%20book? The Man in Seat Sixty-One]'s website or see advice from [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/European-Train-Travel.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Selective door opening is increasingly used, particularly in London and South East England. Trains are longer than some station platforms and only doors within the platform are unlocked. Announcements and visual displays advise passengers which carriages they need to be in if wishing to alight. This also happens to a limited extent on the London Underground, but usually only affecting the rearmost pair of doors. <br />
<br />
The only long-distance overnight trains in Great Britain are:<br />
<br />
* [https://www.sleeper.scot/ Caledonian Sleeper] from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness <br />
* Great Western's [https://www.gwr.com/travelling-with-us/night-riviera-sleeper Night Riviera] from London to Penzance<br />
<br />
Sleeping cars are provided, but not couchettes, and seating may be in saloons with non-reclinable seats, where passengers have no control of the lighting. <br />
<br />
Taking bicycles, other than folding ones, by train can be difficult. Space may be limited and some operators require advance reservations for bicycles. More information can be found at [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/cyclists.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Train services at weekends, and especially Saturday evening and Sunday until mid-afternoon, can be extensively altered because of [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.aspx engineering work]. With the paucity of alternative routes and a growing aversion to temporary single line working, buses frequently substitute for trains in such circumstances. There are an increasing number of initiatives to give extended overnight possessions Mondays to Thursdays, in order to reduce the extent of weekend closures. This results in late evening trains being replaced by buses. Trials are being undertaken of mid-week line closures. Blockades of a week or more are increasingly common.<br />
<br />
No trains run in the UK on Christmas Day and very few on Boxing Day, mostly on local services in the London and Glasgow areas. No domestic services run in Scotland on New Year's Day, but there are normally trains between England, Edinburgh and Glasgow. <br />
<br />
Very few stations have left luggage facilities. Unattended luggage may be removed by the police and processes to check that it is safe can be very destructive.<br />
<br />
Railway enthusiasts are welcomed on stations - for guidance when on and about stations refer to [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/railway-enthusiasts/railway-enthusiasts-and-photography-at-stations/ Network Rail's] advice.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox United Kingdom}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=United_Kingdom_-_General_Information&diff=55478United Kingdom - General Information2024-03-22T19:38:58Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* National Railway System */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland<br />
<br />
Nomenclature: &quot;Great Britain&quot; comprises the countries of England, Wales, and Scotland. &quot;United Kingdom&quot; (in full: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) comprises Great Britain and the Province of Northern Ireland. &quot;British Isles&quot; is a purely geographical description for the British mainland and the island of Ireland; the latter contains the Province of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are usually regarded as part of the British Isles, although independent of the UK government. All but the Republic of Ireland (which is entirely independent of the UK) are under the British Crown (monarchy).<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Most infrastructure in Great Britain is owned by [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail], a company controlled by the government's [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport Department for Transport] (DfT). Most passenger train services are provided by operators under contracts with DfT, [https://tfl.gov.uk/ Transport for London], [http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk Merseytravel], [http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/ Transport Scotland] or the [http://gov.wales/topics/transport/?lang=en Welsh Government]. Some operators are subsidiaries of major bus companies or national railways from other countries, for example Trenitalia. A UK Government subsidiary, [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/dft-olr-holdings-limited/about DfT OLR Holdings Limited], operates services if the contractor is no longer able to do so, has had the contract terminated because of default or there has been no acceptable tender for provision of the service. [https://www.railholdings.scot/ Scottish Rail Holdings Limited] is the equivalent in Scotland. Full details of passenger train operators are given by links from the [http://www.raildeliverygroup.com/about-us/uk-rail-industry/passenger-freight-track.html Rail Delivery Group] website. Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites. Passenger train operations collectively are known as 'National Rail'. <br />
<br />
A new organisation, [https://gbrtt.co.uk/ Great British Railways] is being established to take strategic control of railways, in England at least, as well as taking over most of Network Rail's functions as infrastructure owner and operator throughout Britain. <br />
<br />
Railways in Northern Ireland are owned by Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (which remains state-owned) and are operated as the [http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/ N I Railways] (NIR) division of Translink.<br />
<br />
Most operators in Great Britain had a franchise agreement, under which they took most of the commercial risk. DfT was considering changes to franchising when the Covid-19 pandemic made the system uneconomic, due to greatly reduced fares income to the operators. Franchises were replaced by Emergency Recovery Management Agreements and subsequently by National Rail Contracts under which the Government meets operating costs and receives fares and other income. The operating company is paid a management fee. Transport for Wales, ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper, LNER, Northern and Southeastern are all being operated by public sector companies. <br />
<br />
The operator of each train is indicated in the electronic National Rail Timetable and <br />
its printed derivatives by means of two-letter codes; for a de-coder and a chronology of <br />
privatisation and transfer/re-branding of Great Britain's passenger railway franchises to <br />
date go to the [http://www.railchronology.free-online.co.uk/ Rail Chronology] website. Basic customer information about and links to the websites of each TOC are available through the [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tocs_maps/tocs/TrainOperators.aspx National Rail] website. Some further information about passenger train operators and past franchisees can be found in the [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-franchise-schedule DfT] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_operating_trains_in_the_United_Kingdom Wikipedia] websites. The Wikipedia list is usually more up to date and accurate than the DfT schedule!<br />
<br />
A small number of operators provide passenger services on the national network which are not under contract to the DfT. These include [http://www.eurostar.com/ ''Eurostar''] which is a unitary undertaking (Eurostar <br />
International Ltd) managed by SNCF, which has a 55% interest in the company. Private investors acquired the UK government's 40% stake in 2015 and SNCB/NMBS owns the remaining 5%. 'Open Access' passenger operators are: <br />
<br />
* [https://www.hulltrains.co.uk/ Hull Trains] between London and Hull <br />
* [https://www.grandcentralrail.com/ Grand Central] between London, Bradford and Sunderland<br />
* [https://www.lumo.co.uk/ Lumo] between London and Edinburgh <br />
<br />
[http://www.granduniontrains.co.uk/ Grand Union Trains] intends to start services between London Paddington and Carmarthen and between London Euston and Stirling in 2025. <br />
<br />
In addition<br />
* [http://www.eurotunnel.com/ Eurotunnel] operates a shuttle service for motor vehicles through the Channel Tunnel; this does not carry foot-passengers (although cyclists can be carried by arrangement)<br />
* [http://www.nymr.co.uk/ North Yorkshire Moors Railway] operates timetabled steam trains through between Pickering/Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby during the summer.<br />
* [http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/ Swanage Railway] and West Coast Railways operated a service between Swanage and Wareham during the summer in 2017, but in 2018 and 2019 there was just a limited Saturday service by the local franchisee, South Western Railway. West Coast Railways again operates trains between Swanage and Wareham on behalf of Swanage Railway between April and September 2023. <br />
* [http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/ West Coast Railways] operates timetabled steam trains between Fort William and Mallaig during the summer, but in practice these get fully booked well in advance. <br />
<br />
All freight trains in Great Britain are operated by competing companies under "open access" conditions. The <i>principal</i> companies are: <br />
<br />
* [http://www.rail.dbschenker.co.uk/rail-uk-en/start/ DB Cargo UK] (formerly English Welsh and Scottish Railway, now a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn of Germany) <br />
* [https://www.freightliner.co.uk/ Freightliner] (owned by US railroad Genesee & Wyoming Inc) <br />
* [http://www.colasrail.co.uk/ Colas Rail] (part of the Bouygues group); <br />
* [http://www.directrailservices.com/ Direct Rail Services] (owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority) <br />
* [http://www.gbrailfreight.com/ GB Railfreight] (owned by Infracapital, an infrastructure equity investor). <br />
<br />
DB Cargo UK, in particular, and GB Railfreight, to a lesser extent, operate charter passenger trains. GB Railfreight also operates the Caledonian Sleeper trains on behalf of Caledonian Sleeper Limited.<br />
<br />
[https://www.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Rail Operations Group] concentrates on rolling stock moves for manufacturers, leasing companies and passenger operators, but started a parcels-carrying business, trading as [https://orion.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Orion] in 2021.<br />
<br />
There are no longer any revenue freight trains in Northern Ireland.<br />
<br />
Neither the Isle of Man nor the Channel Isles (îles Anglo-Normands) is legally part of the UK but the Isle of Man's active railways and tramways are to <br />
be found at the [http://www.heritagerailways.com/Visits_Map.php UK and Irish Heritage Railways website] and under [[#Trams/LRT-Systems|Trams/LRT-Systems]] respectively.<br />
<br />
==Official Website==<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ National Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink]<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
English. In addition Welsh is spoken in most parts of Wales, <br />
and Gaelic is used to a certain extent in north-west Scotland.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Pound sterling. Banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own notes, <br />
which are valid throughout the UK and usually accepted without question. Channel <br />
Islands and Manx notes (but not coins) are technically legal tender in the UK, <br />
but are best changed at banks.<br />
<br />
==UIC code==<br />
* United Kingdom: numeric 70; alpha GB<br />
* Eurotunnel: numeric 69 (used only for accounting purposes and not shown on rolling stock).<br />
<br />
Historically, the only British rolling stock to show UIC numbers were wagons passed to work on the now defunct train ferries from Harwich and Dover or through the Channel Tunnel. The Eurostar class 374 trains, which entered service in 2015, were the first UK-registered passenger stock to have UIC numbers, otherwise known as the European Vehicle Number (EVN). Rail Industry Standard RIS-2453-RST ''Vehicle Registration, Marking and Numbering'', introduced in December 2017, requires new vehicles in Great Britain to be identified by EVN. On passenger vehicles only an abbreviated version is normally show. UIC numbering is not used by NI Railways.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland)===<br />
The official National Rail timetable is published on Network Rail's website (see below), twice yearly (in mid December and mid May). Services on Mondays to Fridays, on Saturdays (or Mondays to Saturdays) and on Sundays are usually different and laid out separately in the timetable; there may be several alternative Sunday services, to allow for engineering work, during the currency of a timetable. [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe] provides a comprehensive guide to printed and on-line public transport timetables.<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
[http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/s/planjourney/query National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner]<br />
<br />
The [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites provide a quick-reference way of checking the latest schedule (or amendment) for any particular train<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetable====<br />
PDFs of the National Railway Timetable are available from the [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/electronic-national-rail-timetable-enrt/ Network Rail] website. These are maintained for Network Rail by [https://timetables.fabdigital.uk/nrt/ Fabdigital] and the version on their website may be more up to date.<br />
<br />
====Working (Staff) Timetables====<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/working-timetable/ Network Rail Working Timetables]<br />
<br />
You can also check for the latest variations to working timetable details for specific trains on the [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites.<br />
<br />
[http://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/working-timetables London Underground working timetables]. DLR is not included.<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
Since May 2020 there has been no comprehensive printed timetable for Great Britain and there are no printed timetable leaflets for most lines.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.html National Rail's future engineering works]<br />
<br />
===Northern Ireland===<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
On the [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink home page].<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetables====<br />
[https://www.translink.co.uk/timetables?LocationId=&Name=&LocationType=&TransportMode=Bus&page=1 Translink bus and rail timetables]<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
A series of four free leaflets is available.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/nirailways-travel-updates/ NIRailways Travel Updates]<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*The ''Rail Atlas Great Britain & Ireland'' gives detailed and accurate coverage of the UK railway system, and is widely available. It is mostly at 1:350,000, but with enlargements of many urban areas; an updated edition is published every 2-3 years.<br />
*[http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps] publish a series of track diagrams (formerly Quail Track Diagrams) in five regional volumes.<br />
*Northern Ireland Railways are in a volume covering the whole of Ireland also published by [http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps]<br />
*Historic atlases have been published by various other publishers.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] (see National Rail Passenger Operators' map) and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/united_kingdom_ireland.html British Isles and Ireland Map]. Last updated December 2022<br />
*[http://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php Rail Map online].<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
There is no distance-related fare tariff in the UK, and fares are charged on a market basis. Certain fares are regulated and the amount by which train companies can increase some fares is specified by the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
Standard walk-on fares are high, but a wide range of discounted fares is available. These are subject to restrictions as to days and times when they can be used. It can be difficult to obtain accurate information as to fares and their availability, even from official enquiry offices, because the pricing structure is complicated and the different train companies are all making their own special offers. The most heavily discounted fares usually oblige the passenger to travel on specified trains (with no opportunity to alter these) - and only a limited number of tickets may be issued for each service. Train operators are increasingly introducing special offers that can only be taken up through their website. Higher fares are charged for use of domestic trains on HS1, the high-speed line to Kent, except for through tickets between Kent and destinations beyond London. <br />
<br />
Tickets for any rail journey in the UK can be purchased from most train operators' websites, but the best price may be available from the operator whose service is being used. It is often possible to obtain a lower price for a journey by splitting it and buying a different ticket for each section. In such cases it is necessary to travel on a train that stops at stations where the validity of one ticket ends and another starts. This requirement does not apply if at least one of the tickets is a season ticket, rail rover or similar. It may also be found that a ticket to a station beyond one's destination is cheaper, but conditions need to be checked carefully. A break of journey may not be permitted, requiring an excess fare to be paid if exiting at an intermediate station. Various websites act as 'consolidators' and will compare what is available in order to offer the best deal, including split ticketing options. <br />
<br />
Various Railcards are available, usually giving a fare reduction of one third. These are available nationally to groups, such as young people, families, senior citizens, two people travelling together, those with a disability and military personnel. Some cards are available to all, but only valid for travel within a particular geographic area. The cost of a Railcard may be recouped immediately if a long-distance journey is planned or if purchasing a high-price ticket such as a national rail rover. Some Railcards only give a discount for off-peak travel. Details of Railcards are available at [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/National-Railcards.aspx National Rail]. Details can be found at the unofficial [http://www.railrover.org/ Rail Rover] website.<br />
<br />
Overseas visitors should endeavour to purchase a rover ticket, such as a [http://www.britrail.net/ BritRail] or InterRail pass, before travelling to the UK. Various rail rovers are available within the UK, but they do not offer the value or wide validity of those available to foreign visitors, and many are not valid until after the morning peak period.<br />
<br />
In various areas where all stations have automatic ticket machines, including on the London Underground and most other tram and metro networks, a penalty fares system applies. Passengers found without a ticket are likely to have to pay a fine on the spot.<br />
<br />
First class seating tends now to be found only on principal routes; in Northern Ireland it is limited to principal trains on the international route between Belfast and Dublin (where NIRailways call it &quot;First plus&quot; while partner Iarnród Éireann call it &quot;Premium&quot;). Eurostar maintain three classes: Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier. On some trains, including many of those operated by Gatwick Express, Great Northern and Southern, there is no difference between first class and standard class seating. If a train including first class seats is used on a service advertised as standard class only, holders of standard class tickets may use the first class seats.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Railways Company Limited, through a subsidiary NIR Networks Limited<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/network-statement/ Network Rail]. The Sectional Appendices are available <br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ here] (scroll down to list of PDFs).<br />
<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Corporate/About-Us/Publications/network-statement/ Translink]<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
*Great Britain: Standard<br />
*Northern Ireland: 1600 mm [5 feet 3 inches]<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
*Great Britain: Mostly 25 kV 50 Hz. 750 V dc third rail is used on some lines in south east England and around Liverpool. The third rail network in south east England is by a considerable margin the most extensive such system in the world and the only place when conductor rail trains operate at up to 100 mph (160 km/hr). The line between Pelaw and Sunderland is electrified at 1500V dc overhead, to allow use by Tyne & Wear Metro. The line between Tinsley North Junction and Rotherham Parkgate is electrified at 750V dc overhead, for use by Sheffield Supertram. Most tramway systems are 750 V dc with Blackpool being 600 V dc.<br />
*Northern Ireland: no electrified lines.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Left.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
*Distances are shown on Railway Track Diagrams published by [https://www.trackmaps.co.uk/ TRACKmaps]. Distances are also available in Network Rail's [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ Sectional Appendices] (scroll down for list of available PDFs).<br />
*Distances for Northern Ireland are also available on-line on the Signalling Record Society website:<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-nc.php Derry and Larne lines]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-bd.php Bangor line]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-gd.php Dublin line]<br />
<br />
==Other railways==<br />
*Core Valley Lines (Cardiff to Rhymney, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert): Owned by the Welsh Government and managed by a lessee, Amey Keolis Infrastructure/Seilwaith Amey Keolis Limited.<br />
*Crossrail Central Operating Section is the railway under Central London from Portobello Junction (Royal Oak) to Pudding Mill Lane Junction (Bow) and Abbey Wood. It is managed by Rail for London (Infrastructure) Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London.<br />
*East London Line: Owned by Rail for London Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London. <br />
*Eurotunnel: A partnership between the Channel Tunnel Group Limited and France-Manche S.A. that operates the Channel Tunnel under a long-term concession from the UK and French governments. <br />
*Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited owns the railway between London Heathrow Airport and the junction with the Great Western Main Line near Hayes & Harlington. <br />
*HS1 Ltd: The investor with a 30 years concession from the UK government to operate the high-speed line between London and the Channel Tunnel, though most aspects of day-to-day operation and maintenance are contracted out to Network Rail. <br />
<br />
Facilities exist for special through running between the national system and some tourist lines.<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
A map of UK heritage railways can be found at the "Heritage Rail - UK & Ireland" link on the [https://www.heritagerailways.com Heritage Railway Association website].<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
London, Newcastle, Glasgow. Although part of the national railway system, the Merseyrail Electrics <br />
network in Liverpool is like a Metro. There are two separate networks in London. The Underground system is 630V dc third and fourth rail; the Docklands Light Railway is a fully-automated 750V dc third rail system. London Overground operates under a contract let by the Mayor of London and uses Transport for London branding, but operates almost entirely on Network Rail lines. The Glasgow and Merseyrail systems are third <br />
rail and Newcastle is 1500 V dc overhead. Glasgow Subway is 4 feet (1,219mm) gauge and was originally cable-worked. There are several lines where London Underground and main line trains share the same tracks. The Tyne & Wear Metro (Newcastle) operates to Sunderland over the Network Rail line from Pelaw.<br />
<br />
The Core Valley Lines from Cardiff are being converted to a form of metro system.<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Birmingham/Wolverhampton (Midland Metro), Blackpool, Croydon, Edinburgh,<br />
Llandudno (cable worked), Manchester, Nottingham, Seaton (Devon) and Sheffield. The Croydon, <br />
Manchester, Midland Metro, Nottingham and Seaton systems include extensive running over <br />
routes that were previously part of the national railway system. The Manchester and Nottingham systems have been considerably extended in recent years. On the Manchester Metrolink system a second route through Manchester city centre came into use on 26 February 2017, and the 5.5 km Trafford Park line opened on 22 March 2020. The Midland Metro in Birmingham was extended to Edgbaston on 17 July 2022 and to Wolverhampton Station on 17 September 2023. The first stage of a line to Brierley Hill is expected to open, to Dudley, in 2024. The extension of the Edinburgh line to Leith and Newhaven opened on 21 June 2023 and plans have been announced for further lines in the city. The Blackpool system Talbot Gateway extension, to Blackpool North station, is expected to be fully open in 2023. A metro system is proposed in Glasgow, but this project is at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
The Seaton and Llandudno lines are essentially tourist operations, and both are narrow gauge. <br />
There are other tourist lines of a mile or more at the National Tramway Museum <br />
(Crich, near Matlock) and at Beamish Open Air Museum (near Gateshead), plus <br />
several other shorter lines. <br />
<br />
The Isle of Man has three narrow gauge tramways, which operate on a seasonal basis: Douglas Bay Horse Tramway - along the promenade in Douglas; the Manx Electric Railway - an inter-urban line between Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey; and the Snaefell Mountain Railway - from Laxey to Snaefell Summit. <br />
After a period of uncertainty, the threat that the horse tramway line in Douglas might be shortened seems to have been seen off by a vote in Tynwald (the Manx parliament) in January 2017. <br />
<br />
The Tinsley Chord, which connects the Sheffield tram system to a freight line near Meadowhall, allows tram-trains to run between Sheffield city centre and Rotherham Parkgate over Network Rail lines. Public services commenced on Thursday 25 October 2018. Sheffield tram-trains are dual voltage vehicles that can run on the 750 V Overhead Lines (OHLE) of the tram network and the 25 kV OHLE of the national rail network; however the line to Rotherham Parkgate is initially energised at 750 V because there is no 25 kV electrification in the area.<br />
<br />
Track plans for most of the significant tram systems in the United Kingdom are available on the [http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/line/diagrams0.shtm Railway Codes site] and also on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/index-e.php Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes== <br />
Some aspects of national railway operations are privatised, but infrastructure ownership has reverted to the public sector. There continues to be debate about the fragmented, expensive and complex nature of the system that has emerged, under the general oversight of the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
===Route Closures and Service Reductions===<br />
Having undergone extensive cut backs in the 1960s, the present passenger network seems relatively secure. The closure of a passenger railway in the UK normally involves a lengthy legal process, and short-notice closures usually occur only if there is a sudden and dramatic infrastructure failure, or if the closure is deemed a &quot;minor closure&quot;. However, a number of stations have closed and all passenger services over some lines have been withdrawn without the statutory procedure having been followed. Passenger services via the Channel Tunnel, or in connection with them, do not enjoy statutory protection from closure. <br />
<br />
Some routes have been reduced to just one or two trains per day (or, in some cases, per week) in order to reduce operating costs without having to go through the closure procedure. These are included in the list of [https://www.egtre.info/wiki/United_Kingdom_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services sparse services].<br />
<br />
A newly-introduced passenger service can be designated as "experimental" for a period up to five years, during which time it may be withdrawn without the usual closure procedure needing to be followed. The only "experimental" service at present is Thanet Parkway station, until 30 July 2028.<br />
<br />
====Passenger services to be withdrawn====<br />
* The railway between Nottingham and Worksop may be diverted at Whitwell to allow expansion of a dolomite quarry. This will eliminate Whitwell Tunnel. No date is set for this, but planning permission to expand the quarry was granted in 2018.<br />
<br />
* Planned diversion of trains between Belfast and Dublin to a new terminal facility - [http://www.translink.co.uk/Translink-Footer/the-hub/ the Belfast Hub] - being constructed close to Belfast Great Victoria Street may see the end of regular passenger services between Central Junction (Adelaide) and City Junction (City Hospital).<br />
<br />
====Closures and significant service reductions in recent years are==== <br />
<br />
'''Passenger service withdrawn, line still open for other than regular passenger traffic:'''<br />
<br />
* Greenford LUL Bay Junction - Northolt Junction: The Wednesdays only train from West Ealing to West Ruislip ran for the last time on 7 December 2022.<br />
<br />
* Cowlairs East Junction - Cowlairs North Junction (Glasgow): The summer Sunday trains between Edinburgh and Oban start and terminate at Glasgow Queen Street in 2023. Last use of the curve by the ScotRail service was on 28 August 2022. It continues to be used by the [https://www.belmond.com/trains/europe/scotland/belmond-royal-scotsman/journeys Royal Scotsman] Western Scenic Wonders tour, but prices start at £5,800.<br />
<br />
* Barking Station Junction - Barking platform 1: No regular passenger traffic from 18 July 2022, when the line to Barking Riverside opened, but occasional diversions may be possible.<br />
<br />
* Dalmeny - Winchburgh Junction: Service withdrawn 23 March 2020, but without the statutory closure procedure having been followed. From 11 Dec 2022 the 22:31 FSSuX Dundee to Edinburgh and 22.58 SuO Glenrothes with Thornton to Edinburgh are scheduled to run this way with reversal at Linlithgow, but are likely to run direct via Edinburgh Gateway if there is no engineering work on that route.<br />
<br />
'''Significant service reduction'''<br />
<br />
* Glenrothes with Thornton - Thornton South Junction: The frequent service via Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy became Sundays only, except for one train each way Mondays to Fridays, with effect from 15 May 2022.<br />
<br />
====Temporary Closures:==== <br />
<br />
Work to upgrade the UK rail network is increasingly leading to lines being closed for extended periods. Severe weather and the age of much railway infrastructure has resulted in more temporary closures caused by landslips and other problems with earthworks. Current and planned temporary closures of four weeks or more, in approximate order of expected re-opening, are: <br />
<br />
* Carlisle to Workington: From 29 February 2024, because of a problem with a viaduct, possibly until mid-April 2024.<br />
* Shipley (Dockfield Junction) to Guisley (Esholt Junction): From 8 February 2024, because of a major land slip, until 24 April 2024 or later.<br />
* Ayr to Stranraer and Kilmarnock to Barassie: From 25 September 2023, probably until spring/summer 2024, because of a dangerous building at Ayr.<br />
* Blackheath to Charlton: 1 June to 10 August 2024, for repairs to Blackheath Tunnel.<br />
* Ashford East Junction, connection to HS1: Eurostar ceased calling at Ashford on 19 March 2020 and will not resume before 2025/6.<br />
<br />
===Re-openings and Openings===<br />
<br />
Most projects involve upgrading existing routes, but some openings have occurred or are about to do so. <br />
<br />
====New and reinstated passenger services in recent years:==== <br />
<br />
New passenger services are: <br />
<br />
* Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) - Leven (scheduled to open on 2 June 2024)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension: The Royal - Wolverhampton Station (17 September 2023). <br />
<br />
* Westbourne Park Junction - Paddington and Stepney Green Junction - Pudding Mill Lane Junction (full opening of Elizabeth line) (6 November 2022) <br />
<br />
* Barking - Barking Riverside (18 July 2022)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension: Library - Edgbaston Village (17 July 2022) <br />
<br />
*Paddington - Abbey Wood (Elizabeth line) (24 May 2022)<br />
<br />
* Newport (Gaer Junction) - Pye Corner (Park Junction) (on introduction of trains between Newport and Crosskeys, 12 December 2021)<br />
<br />
* Crediton - Okehampton (20 November 2021; there was previously a service on summer Sundays)<br />
<br />
* Kennington - Battersea Power Station (London Underground, Northern Line extension, opened September 2021)<br />
<br />
A daily service, generally hourly, was introduced between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester via Runcorn and Frodsham on 19 May 2019. Previously the curve between Halton Junction and Frodsham Junction had been used by a single unadvertised train in one direction only on summer Saturdays.<br />
<br />
On tourist / heritage railways:<br />
<br />
* Llangollen Railway extended passenger services from Carrog to a provisional terminus at Corwen in October 2014 and to the permanent terminus in June 2023. <br />
* the Mid-Norfolk Railway ran inaugural passenger trains to Worthing level crossing (North Elmham) on 19 and 20 May 2018, but regular services continue to terminate at Dereham. The railway aspires to continue to County School. <br />
* The first (very short) section of the Aln Valley Railway officially opened in October 2013, from a new station on the edge of Alnwick, with a longer run available from December 2017. It is planned that the railway will reach the National Rail station at Alnmouth.<br />
* The first section of the re-opened Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, a narrow gauge line, is in operation between Woody Bay and Killington Lane. Extensions towards Lynton and to Blackmoor Gate are planned as the next phase of reconstruction.<br />
<br />
====Projects authorised or under construction are:==== <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the railway between Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) and Levenmouth for passenger services on 2 June 2024. Initially, all trains will run via Kirkcaldy, but it is expected that some trains will later run via Cowdenbeath, providing many more via the curve from Thornton West Junction than the current sparse service. <br />
<br />
A Transport & Works Act Order for the introduction of passenger trains over the freight line to Ashington was granted in June 2022 and the line is due to open by December 2024. The UK Government has announced plans to re-open the railway to Fleetwood, but this may become a tramway. The UK Government is also funding feasibility studies into re-opening a number of other lines, but these are at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
Work has started on construction of a high speed railway (HS2) from London to Birmingham, but the line will not be opened until 2026 at the earliest. A flythrough of the route is [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bkoGvw9kbA here]. It is to be followed by Phase 2a as far as Crewe. It is intended that the line will subsequently be extended to Manchester with completion in the mid-2030s. It was originally planned that there would be a branch to Leeds, but this has been cut back to East Midlands Parkway (near Nottingham). The UK Government has also announced that it intends to proceed with a high-speed line from Warrington to Marsden (for Huddersfield) via Manchester. <br />
<br />
<!---Preliminary work on construction of a link between the LUL Watford branch and the former Croxley Green branch was undertaken in 2016. However, the project has stalled, because of lack of agreement as to how further cost escalation would be funded, and can only be regarded as definitively dead, though there has been no formal announcement to this effect. Should the scheme continue, which seems increasingly unlikely, it will result in the closure of Watford LUL station, but the re-opening of most of the Croxley Green branch.---><br />
Plans were being developed for a second Crossrail line, linking south west and north east London. All work on this stopped in autumn 2020, as a result of economies made to deal with the Covid pandemic. It is questionable whether the scheme will be revived, if there is the expected permanent reduction in commuter traffic. <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the derelict line between Calvert and Bletchley. A Transport & Works Act Order for this scheme was granted in February 2020 and services between Oxford and Milton Keynes are scheduled to start in December 2024. The longer-term objective is to re-introduce trains between Oxford and Cambridge. <br />
<br />
[https://heathrowrail.com/ Heathrow Southern Railway] intends to build a new railway south-west from Heathrow Airport to link with the Staines to Windsor line, together with a branch to Virginia Water or Chertsey. <br />
<br />
In the private sector:<br />
* The Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway is constructing an extension from Glengonnar to Wanlockhead.<br />
* Moorland & City Railways have a stated intention to reopen the line between Stoke-on-Trent and Leek Brook Junction, to a junction with the Churnet Valley Railway, but progress seems to be languishing.<br />
* Most ambitiously, the two Great Central Railways at Loughborough are being linked by means of a reinstated bridge over the Midland Main Line. <br />
* The Rother Valley Railway has obtained a Transport and Works Act Order to rebuild the railway between Robertsbridge and Junction Road (Bodiam).<br />
* The Royal Deeside Railway is extending its line to Crathes West Lodge.<br />
* Strathspey Railway is extending to Grantown-on-Spey and during summer 2014 and 2015 offered a limited service between its normal terminus at Broomhill and the river bridge at Dulnain. Further work depends on obtaining statutory powers under the Transport and Works Act and constructing a new bridge to carry the railway over the A95 main road. <br />
* The Helston Railway provides a short ride near Prospidnick, but plans to extend to Helston and eventually to Gwinear Road.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
<br />
Main line electrification in Great Britain came to a virtual standstill following railway privatisation, because private-sector train operators and rolling stock companies preferred the flexibility of diesel traction. The only schemes to proceed were between Crewe and Kidsgrove (near Stoke on Trent) (electrified for diversionary use), the reconstructed Larkhall branch line in Scotland and High Speed 1 (the Channel Tunnel rail link) [see below].<br />
<br />
In 2009 Department for Transport policy shifted towards extending electrification, with significant schemes proposed and a few implemented. However, greatly increased costs have resulted in projects being curtailed and delayed. Poor cost estimating, increased safety standards, over-specification and loss of practical experience of electrification appear to be among the causes. In July 2017 the UK Government announced an end to plans for further railway electrification in England and Wales, with reliance instead on bi-mode diesel/electric trains. This will included converting some electric multiple-units to bi-mode working. There have also been experiments with battery operation. In contrast, the Scottish Government required Network Rail to develop an electrification technical specification that can deliver an "efficient and affordable rolling programme of electrification". <br />
<br />
Electrification schemes recently completed in England and Wales are:<br />
<br />
* Bedford to Corby (May 2021) <br />
<br />
* London (Heathrow Airport Junction) to Cardiff, Chippenham (Christian Malford) and Newbury (Phased introduction of electric services between May 2017 and January 2020). The scheme was cut back to omit Swansea, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Oxford and the Thames Valley branch lines.<br />
<br />
* Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley (May 2019)<br />
<br />
* Manchester to Preston via Bolton (February 2019)<br />
<br />
* Gospel Oak to Woodgrange Park via South Tottenham (January 2019, but limited electric service initially, because of delayed delivery of rolling stock)<br />
<br />
Schemes under way in England:<br />
<br />
* Kettering - Market Harborough<br />
<br />
* Manchester - Huddersfield - Leeds - York <br />
<br />
* Wigan North Western - Lostock Junction (near Bolton) (announced 1 September 2021, expected completion 2024/2025) <br />
<br />
The UK Government has announced that electrification of the Midland Main Line is to be completed to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield.<br />
<br />
The Welsh Government is sponsoring electrification of the Valley Lines from Cardiff to Bargoed, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert. Light rail vehicles are to be used from Cardiff to Coryton and on routes via Radyr. Tri-mode trains will be used from Rhymney to Penarth, Barry Island and the Vale of Glamorgan line, using battery power between Rhymney and Bargoed, and diesel south of Cardiff. <br />
<br />
Following an extensive programme of electrification completed between 2012 and 2019, most lines in Central Scotland are electrified, with recent schemes comprising:<br />
<br />
*Holytown to Kirknewton (Midcalder Jn) via Shotts (Some electric services April 2019, full service May 2019) <br />
<br />
*Glasgow Central (Muirhouse Central Jn) to Barrhead (December 2023, but most trains continue to Kilmarnock or beyond, so remain diesel-worked)<br />
<br />
The line from Falkirk to Grangemouth has also been electrified for freight traffic, but there are proposals to reinstate a passenger service. <br />
<br />
Work has started on electrification to East Kilbride. The line from Haymarket (Edinburgh) to Dalmeny is being electrified as the first phase of a scheme to electrify routes through Fife. Transport Scotland's [https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/rail-services-decarbonisation-action-plan/ ''Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan''], published in July 2020, envisages most lines in Scotland being electrified. Priorities are the Kilmarnock line; Edinburgh to Tweedbank; routes in Fife; and Dunblane to Aberdeen. Later extensions will take electrification to Girvan; Gretna via Dumfries; and Inverness to Perth, Aberdeen and Tain.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of changes more than five years ago see [[United_Kingdom - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special Notes==<br />
<br />
Train numbers in Great Britain follow an alpha-numeric format, thus 1A22. The first digit indicates the type of train (passenger trains are 1, 2 or 9), in most cases the letter indicates its route or destination and the remaining digits identify the particular train. Different trains can and do use the same number, so long as they do not conflict geographically or operate several hours apart. Since December 2021 train numbers have been shown in the National Rail Timetable, but they are not normally used for passenger information purposes. It is more usual for trains to be referred to by their schedule, for example as the "10:00 London King's Cross to Aberdeen". International trains have four digit numbers where the second figure is 0 or 1, which can be treated as letters O and I in the UK.<br />
<br />
Departure sheets listing trains from a station in chronological order are rarely used. The usual format is to list destinations in alphabetic order, and provide details of all trains to each, or to provide timetable posters. Most stations have electronic displays, which indicate all departures (and often arrivals) within the next hour or so.<br />
<br />
It is unusual for information displays and announcements at stations and on trains to be in any language other than English (and Welsh in Wales), though most station name signs in Scotland appear in Gaelic as well as English. Multi-lingual information is normally restricted to dedicated airport services and those using the Channel Tunnel.<br />
<br />
No stations sell international tickets or can make international reservations, though there are facilities to make through bookings from certain stations by Eurostar. <!---International tickets and reservations are available at the We Know London Tourist Services desk in the shopping mall at St Pancras International station.---> Even the range of tickets available from Eurostar is very limited. For guidance on booking travel to and from Europe visit [http://www.seat61.com/Europe.htm#How%20do%20I%20book? The Man in Seat Sixty-One]'s website or see advice from [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/European-Train-Travel.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Selective door opening is increasingly used, particularly in London and South East England. Trains are longer than some station platforms and only doors within the platform are unlocked. Announcements and visual displays advise passengers which carriages they need to be in if wishing to alight. This also happens to a limited extent on the London Underground, but usually only affecting the rearmost pair of doors. <br />
<br />
The only long-distance overnight trains in Great Britain are:<br />
<br />
* [https://www.sleeper.scot/ Caledonian Sleeper] from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness <br />
* Great Western's [https://www.gwr.com/travelling-with-us/night-riviera-sleeper Night Riviera] from London to Penzance<br />
<br />
Sleeping cars are provided, but not couchettes, and seating may be in saloons with non-reclinable seats, where passengers have no control of the lighting. <br />
<br />
Taking bicycles, other than folding ones, by train can be difficult. Space may be limited and some operators require advance reservations for bicycles. More information can be found at [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/cyclists.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Train services at weekends, and especially Saturday evening and Sunday until mid-afternoon, can be extensively altered because of [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.aspx engineering work]. With the paucity of alternative routes and a growing aversion to temporary single line working, buses frequently substitute for trains in such circumstances. There are an increasing number of initiatives to give extended overnight possessions Mondays to Thursdays, in order to reduce the extent of weekend closures. This results in late evening trains being replaced by buses. Trials are being undertaken of mid-week line closures. Blockades of a week or more are increasingly common.<br />
<br />
No trains run in the UK on Christmas Day and very few on Boxing Day, mostly on local services in the London and Glasgow areas. No domestic services run in Scotland on New Year's Day, but there are normally trains between England, Edinburgh and Glasgow. <br />
<br />
Very few stations have left luggage facilities. Unattended luggage may be removed by the police and processes to check that it is safe can be very destructive.<br />
<br />
Railway enthusiasts are welcomed on stations - for guidance when on and about stations refer to [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/railway-enthusiasts/railway-enthusiasts-and-photography-at-stations/ Network Rail's] advice.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox United Kingdom}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=United_Kingdom_-_General_Information&diff=55477United Kingdom - General Information2024-03-22T19:37:27Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Projects authorised or under construction are: */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland<br />
<br />
Nomenclature: &quot;Great Britain&quot; comprises the countries of England, Wales, and Scotland. &quot;United Kingdom&quot; (in full: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) comprises Great Britain and the Province of Northern Ireland. &quot;British Isles&quot; is a purely geographical description for the British mainland and the island of Ireland; the latter contains the Province of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are usually regarded as part of the British Isles, although independent of the UK government. All but the Republic of Ireland (which is entirely independent of the UK) are under the British Crown (monarchy).<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Most infrastructure in Great Britain is owned by [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail], a company controlled by the government's [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport Department for Transport] (DfT). Most passenger train services are provided by operators under contracts with DfT, [https://tfl.gov.uk/ Transport for London], [http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk Merseytravel], [http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/ Transport Scotland] or the [http://gov.wales/topics/transport/?lang=en Welsh Government]. Some operators are subsidiaries of major bus companies or national railways from other countries, for example Trenitalia. A UK Government subsidiary, [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/dft-olr-holdings-limited/about DfT OLR Holdings Limited], operates services if the contractor is no longer able to do so, has had the contract terminated because of default or there has been no acceptable tender for provision of the service. [https://www.railholdings.scot/ Scottish Rail Holdings Limited] is the equivalent in Scotland. Full details of passenger train operators are given by links from the [http://www.raildeliverygroup.com/about-us/uk-rail-industry/passenger-freight-track.html Rail Delivery Group] website. Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites. Passenger train operations collectively are known as 'National Rail'. <br />
<br />
A new organisation, [https://gbrtt.co.uk/ Great British Railways] is being established to take strategic control of railways, in England at least, as well as taking over most of Network Rail's functions as infrastructure owner and operator throughout Britain. <br />
<br />
Railways in Northern Ireland are owned by Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (which remains state-owned) and are operated as the [http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/ N I Railways] (NIR) division of Translink.<br />
<br />
Most operators in Great Britain had a franchise agreement, under which they took most of the commercial risk. DfT was considering changes to franchising when the Covid-19 pandemic made the system uneconomic, due to greatly reduced fares income to the operators. Franchises were replaced by Emergency Recovery Management Agreements and subsequently by National Rail Contracts under which the Government meets operating costs and receives fares and other income. The operating company is paid a management fee. Transport for Wales, ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper, LNER, Northern and Southeastern are all being operated by public sector companies. <br />
<br />
The operator of each train is indicated in the electronic National Rail Timetable and <br />
its printed derivatives by means of two-letter codes; for a de-coder and a chronology of <br />
privatisation and transfer/re-branding of Great Britain's passenger railway franchises to <br />
date go to the [http://www.railchronology.free-online.co.uk/ Rail Chronology] website. Basic customer information about and links to the websites of each TOC are available through the [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tocs_maps/tocs/TrainOperators.aspx National Rail] website. Some further information about passenger train operators and past franchisees can be found in the [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-franchise-schedule DfT] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_operating_trains_in_the_United_Kingdom Wikipedia] websites. The Wikipedia list is usually more up to date and accurate than the DfT schedule!<br />
<br />
A small number of operators provide passenger services on the national network which are not under contract to the DfT. These include [http://www.eurostar.com/ ''Eurostar''] which is a unitary undertaking (Eurostar <br />
International Ltd) managed by SNCF, which has a 55% interest in the company. Private investors acquired the UK government's 40% stake in 2015 and SNCB/NMBS owns the remaining 5%. 'Open Access' passenger operators are: <br />
<br />
* [https://www.hulltrains.co.uk/ Hull Trains] between London and Hull <br />
* [https://www.grandcentralrail.com/ Grand Central] between London, Bradford and Sunderland<br />
* [https://www.lumo.co.uk/ Lumo] between London and Edinburgh <br />
<br />
[http://www.granduniontrains.co.uk/ Grand Union Trains] intends to start services between London and Carmarthen in 2025. <br />
<br />
In addition<br />
* [http://www.eurotunnel.com/ Eurotunnel] operates a shuttle service for motor vehicles through the Channel Tunnel; this does not carry foot-passengers (although cyclists can be carried by arrangement)<br />
* [http://www.nymr.co.uk/ North Yorkshire Moors Railway] operates timetabled steam trains through between Pickering/Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby during the summer.<br />
* [http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/ Swanage Railway] and West Coast Railways operated a service between Swanage and Wareham during the summer in 2017, but in 2018 and 2019 there was just a limited Saturday service by the local franchisee, South Western Railway. West Coast Railways again operates trains between Swanage and Wareham on behalf of Swanage Railway between April and September 2023. <br />
* [http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/ West Coast Railways] operates timetabled steam trains between Fort William and Mallaig during the summer, but in practice these get fully booked well in advance. <br />
<br />
All freight trains in Great Britain are operated by competing companies under "open access" conditions. The <i>principal</i> companies are: <br />
<br />
* [http://www.rail.dbschenker.co.uk/rail-uk-en/start/ DB Cargo UK] (formerly English Welsh and Scottish Railway, now a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn of Germany) <br />
* [https://www.freightliner.co.uk/ Freightliner] (owned by US railroad Genesee & Wyoming Inc) <br />
* [http://www.colasrail.co.uk/ Colas Rail] (part of the Bouygues group); <br />
* [http://www.directrailservices.com/ Direct Rail Services] (owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority) <br />
* [http://www.gbrailfreight.com/ GB Railfreight] (owned by Infracapital, an infrastructure equity investor). <br />
<br />
DB Cargo UK, in particular, and GB Railfreight, to a lesser extent, operate charter passenger trains. GB Railfreight also operates the Caledonian Sleeper trains on behalf of Caledonian Sleeper Limited.<br />
<br />
[https://www.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Rail Operations Group] concentrates on rolling stock moves for manufacturers, leasing companies and passenger operators, but started a parcels-carrying business, trading as [https://orion.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Orion] in 2021.<br />
<br />
There are no longer any revenue freight trains in Northern Ireland.<br />
<br />
Neither the Isle of Man nor the Channel Isles (îles Anglo-Normands) is legally part of the UK but the Isle of Man's active railways and tramways are to <br />
be found at the [http://www.heritagerailways.com/Visits_Map.php UK and Irish Heritage Railways website] and under [[#Trams/LRT-Systems|Trams/LRT-Systems]] respectively.<br />
<br />
==Official Website==<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ National Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink]<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
English. In addition Welsh is spoken in most parts of Wales, <br />
and Gaelic is used to a certain extent in north-west Scotland.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Pound sterling. Banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own notes, <br />
which are valid throughout the UK and usually accepted without question. Channel <br />
Islands and Manx notes (but not coins) are technically legal tender in the UK, <br />
but are best changed at banks.<br />
<br />
==UIC code==<br />
* United Kingdom: numeric 70; alpha GB<br />
* Eurotunnel: numeric 69 (used only for accounting purposes and not shown on rolling stock).<br />
<br />
Historically, the only British rolling stock to show UIC numbers were wagons passed to work on the now defunct train ferries from Harwich and Dover or through the Channel Tunnel. The Eurostar class 374 trains, which entered service in 2015, were the first UK-registered passenger stock to have UIC numbers, otherwise known as the European Vehicle Number (EVN). Rail Industry Standard RIS-2453-RST ''Vehicle Registration, Marking and Numbering'', introduced in December 2017, requires new vehicles in Great Britain to be identified by EVN. On passenger vehicles only an abbreviated version is normally show. UIC numbering is not used by NI Railways.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland)===<br />
The official National Rail timetable is published on Network Rail's website (see below), twice yearly (in mid December and mid May). Services on Mondays to Fridays, on Saturdays (or Mondays to Saturdays) and on Sundays are usually different and laid out separately in the timetable; there may be several alternative Sunday services, to allow for engineering work, during the currency of a timetable. [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe] provides a comprehensive guide to printed and on-line public transport timetables.<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
[http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/s/planjourney/query National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner]<br />
<br />
The [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites provide a quick-reference way of checking the latest schedule (or amendment) for any particular train<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetable====<br />
PDFs of the National Railway Timetable are available from the [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/electronic-national-rail-timetable-enrt/ Network Rail] website. These are maintained for Network Rail by [https://timetables.fabdigital.uk/nrt/ Fabdigital] and the version on their website may be more up to date.<br />
<br />
====Working (Staff) Timetables====<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/working-timetable/ Network Rail Working Timetables]<br />
<br />
You can also check for the latest variations to working timetable details for specific trains on the [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites.<br />
<br />
[http://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/working-timetables London Underground working timetables]. DLR is not included.<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
Since May 2020 there has been no comprehensive printed timetable for Great Britain and there are no printed timetable leaflets for most lines.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.html National Rail's future engineering works]<br />
<br />
===Northern Ireland===<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
On the [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink home page].<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetables====<br />
[https://www.translink.co.uk/timetables?LocationId=&Name=&LocationType=&TransportMode=Bus&page=1 Translink bus and rail timetables]<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
A series of four free leaflets is available.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/nirailways-travel-updates/ NIRailways Travel Updates]<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*The ''Rail Atlas Great Britain & Ireland'' gives detailed and accurate coverage of the UK railway system, and is widely available. It is mostly at 1:350,000, but with enlargements of many urban areas; an updated edition is published every 2-3 years.<br />
*[http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps] publish a series of track diagrams (formerly Quail Track Diagrams) in five regional volumes.<br />
*Northern Ireland Railways are in a volume covering the whole of Ireland also published by [http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps]<br />
*Historic atlases have been published by various other publishers.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] (see National Rail Passenger Operators' map) and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/united_kingdom_ireland.html British Isles and Ireland Map]. Last updated December 2022<br />
*[http://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php Rail Map online].<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
There is no distance-related fare tariff in the UK, and fares are charged on a market basis. Certain fares are regulated and the amount by which train companies can increase some fares is specified by the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
Standard walk-on fares are high, but a wide range of discounted fares is available. These are subject to restrictions as to days and times when they can be used. It can be difficult to obtain accurate information as to fares and their availability, even from official enquiry offices, because the pricing structure is complicated and the different train companies are all making their own special offers. The most heavily discounted fares usually oblige the passenger to travel on specified trains (with no opportunity to alter these) - and only a limited number of tickets may be issued for each service. Train operators are increasingly introducing special offers that can only be taken up through their website. Higher fares are charged for use of domestic trains on HS1, the high-speed line to Kent, except for through tickets between Kent and destinations beyond London. <br />
<br />
Tickets for any rail journey in the UK can be purchased from most train operators' websites, but the best price may be available from the operator whose service is being used. It is often possible to obtain a lower price for a journey by splitting it and buying a different ticket for each section. In such cases it is necessary to travel on a train that stops at stations where the validity of one ticket ends and another starts. This requirement does not apply if at least one of the tickets is a season ticket, rail rover or similar. It may also be found that a ticket to a station beyond one's destination is cheaper, but conditions need to be checked carefully. A break of journey may not be permitted, requiring an excess fare to be paid if exiting at an intermediate station. Various websites act as 'consolidators' and will compare what is available in order to offer the best deal, including split ticketing options. <br />
<br />
Various Railcards are available, usually giving a fare reduction of one third. These are available nationally to groups, such as young people, families, senior citizens, two people travelling together, those with a disability and military personnel. Some cards are available to all, but only valid for travel within a particular geographic area. The cost of a Railcard may be recouped immediately if a long-distance journey is planned or if purchasing a high-price ticket such as a national rail rover. Some Railcards only give a discount for off-peak travel. Details of Railcards are available at [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/National-Railcards.aspx National Rail]. Details can be found at the unofficial [http://www.railrover.org/ Rail Rover] website.<br />
<br />
Overseas visitors should endeavour to purchase a rover ticket, such as a [http://www.britrail.net/ BritRail] or InterRail pass, before travelling to the UK. Various rail rovers are available within the UK, but they do not offer the value or wide validity of those available to foreign visitors, and many are not valid until after the morning peak period.<br />
<br />
In various areas where all stations have automatic ticket machines, including on the London Underground and most other tram and metro networks, a penalty fares system applies. Passengers found without a ticket are likely to have to pay a fine on the spot.<br />
<br />
First class seating tends now to be found only on principal routes; in Northern Ireland it is limited to principal trains on the international route between Belfast and Dublin (where NIRailways call it &quot;First plus&quot; while partner Iarnród Éireann call it &quot;Premium&quot;). Eurostar maintain three classes: Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier. On some trains, including many of those operated by Gatwick Express, Great Northern and Southern, there is no difference between first class and standard class seating. If a train including first class seats is used on a service advertised as standard class only, holders of standard class tickets may use the first class seats.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Railways Company Limited, through a subsidiary NIR Networks Limited<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/network-statement/ Network Rail]. The Sectional Appendices are available <br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ here] (scroll down to list of PDFs).<br />
<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Corporate/About-Us/Publications/network-statement/ Translink]<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
*Great Britain: Standard<br />
*Northern Ireland: 1600 mm [5 feet 3 inches]<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
*Great Britain: Mostly 25 kV 50 Hz. 750 V dc third rail is used on some lines in south east England and around Liverpool. The third rail network in south east England is by a considerable margin the most extensive such system in the world and the only place when conductor rail trains operate at up to 100 mph (160 km/hr). The line between Pelaw and Sunderland is electrified at 1500V dc overhead, to allow use by Tyne & Wear Metro. The line between Tinsley North Junction and Rotherham Parkgate is electrified at 750V dc overhead, for use by Sheffield Supertram. Most tramway systems are 750 V dc with Blackpool being 600 V dc.<br />
*Northern Ireland: no electrified lines.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Left.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
*Distances are shown on Railway Track Diagrams published by [https://www.trackmaps.co.uk/ TRACKmaps]. Distances are also available in Network Rail's [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ Sectional Appendices] (scroll down for list of available PDFs).<br />
*Distances for Northern Ireland are also available on-line on the Signalling Record Society website:<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-nc.php Derry and Larne lines]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-bd.php Bangor line]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-gd.php Dublin line]<br />
<br />
==Other railways==<br />
*Core Valley Lines (Cardiff to Rhymney, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert): Owned by the Welsh Government and managed by a lessee, Amey Keolis Infrastructure/Seilwaith Amey Keolis Limited.<br />
*Crossrail Central Operating Section is the railway under Central London from Portobello Junction (Royal Oak) to Pudding Mill Lane Junction (Bow) and Abbey Wood. It is managed by Rail for London (Infrastructure) Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London.<br />
*East London Line: Owned by Rail for London Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London. <br />
*Eurotunnel: A partnership between the Channel Tunnel Group Limited and France-Manche S.A. that operates the Channel Tunnel under a long-term concession from the UK and French governments. <br />
*Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited owns the railway between London Heathrow Airport and the junction with the Great Western Main Line near Hayes & Harlington. <br />
*HS1 Ltd: The investor with a 30 years concession from the UK government to operate the high-speed line between London and the Channel Tunnel, though most aspects of day-to-day operation and maintenance are contracted out to Network Rail. <br />
<br />
Facilities exist for special through running between the national system and some tourist lines.<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
A map of UK heritage railways can be found at the "Heritage Rail - UK & Ireland" link on the [https://www.heritagerailways.com Heritage Railway Association website].<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
London, Newcastle, Glasgow. Although part of the national railway system, the Merseyrail Electrics <br />
network in Liverpool is like a Metro. There are two separate networks in London. The Underground system is 630V dc third and fourth rail; the Docklands Light Railway is a fully-automated 750V dc third rail system. London Overground operates under a contract let by the Mayor of London and uses Transport for London branding, but operates almost entirely on Network Rail lines. The Glasgow and Merseyrail systems are third <br />
rail and Newcastle is 1500 V dc overhead. Glasgow Subway is 4 feet (1,219mm) gauge and was originally cable-worked. There are several lines where London Underground and main line trains share the same tracks. The Tyne & Wear Metro (Newcastle) operates to Sunderland over the Network Rail line from Pelaw.<br />
<br />
The Core Valley Lines from Cardiff are being converted to a form of metro system.<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Birmingham/Wolverhampton (Midland Metro), Blackpool, Croydon, Edinburgh,<br />
Llandudno (cable worked), Manchester, Nottingham, Seaton (Devon) and Sheffield. The Croydon, <br />
Manchester, Midland Metro, Nottingham and Seaton systems include extensive running over <br />
routes that were previously part of the national railway system. The Manchester and Nottingham systems have been considerably extended in recent years. On the Manchester Metrolink system a second route through Manchester city centre came into use on 26 February 2017, and the 5.5 km Trafford Park line opened on 22 March 2020. The Midland Metro in Birmingham was extended to Edgbaston on 17 July 2022 and to Wolverhampton Station on 17 September 2023. The first stage of a line to Brierley Hill is expected to open, to Dudley, in 2024. The extension of the Edinburgh line to Leith and Newhaven opened on 21 June 2023 and plans have been announced for further lines in the city. The Blackpool system Talbot Gateway extension, to Blackpool North station, is expected to be fully open in 2023. A metro system is proposed in Glasgow, but this project is at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
The Seaton and Llandudno lines are essentially tourist operations, and both are narrow gauge. <br />
There are other tourist lines of a mile or more at the National Tramway Museum <br />
(Crich, near Matlock) and at Beamish Open Air Museum (near Gateshead), plus <br />
several other shorter lines. <br />
<br />
The Isle of Man has three narrow gauge tramways, which operate on a seasonal basis: Douglas Bay Horse Tramway - along the promenade in Douglas; the Manx Electric Railway - an inter-urban line between Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey; and the Snaefell Mountain Railway - from Laxey to Snaefell Summit. <br />
After a period of uncertainty, the threat that the horse tramway line in Douglas might be shortened seems to have been seen off by a vote in Tynwald (the Manx parliament) in January 2017. <br />
<br />
The Tinsley Chord, which connects the Sheffield tram system to a freight line near Meadowhall, allows tram-trains to run between Sheffield city centre and Rotherham Parkgate over Network Rail lines. Public services commenced on Thursday 25 October 2018. Sheffield tram-trains are dual voltage vehicles that can run on the 750 V Overhead Lines (OHLE) of the tram network and the 25 kV OHLE of the national rail network; however the line to Rotherham Parkgate is initially energised at 750 V because there is no 25 kV electrification in the area.<br />
<br />
Track plans for most of the significant tram systems in the United Kingdom are available on the [http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/line/diagrams0.shtm Railway Codes site] and also on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/index-e.php Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes== <br />
Some aspects of national railway operations are privatised, but infrastructure ownership has reverted to the public sector. There continues to be debate about the fragmented, expensive and complex nature of the system that has emerged, under the general oversight of the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
===Route Closures and Service Reductions===<br />
Having undergone extensive cut backs in the 1960s, the present passenger network seems relatively secure. The closure of a passenger railway in the UK normally involves a lengthy legal process, and short-notice closures usually occur only if there is a sudden and dramatic infrastructure failure, or if the closure is deemed a &quot;minor closure&quot;. However, a number of stations have closed and all passenger services over some lines have been withdrawn without the statutory procedure having been followed. Passenger services via the Channel Tunnel, or in connection with them, do not enjoy statutory protection from closure. <br />
<br />
Some routes have been reduced to just one or two trains per day (or, in some cases, per week) in order to reduce operating costs without having to go through the closure procedure. These are included in the list of [https://www.egtre.info/wiki/United_Kingdom_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services sparse services].<br />
<br />
A newly-introduced passenger service can be designated as "experimental" for a period up to five years, during which time it may be withdrawn without the usual closure procedure needing to be followed. The only "experimental" service at present is Thanet Parkway station, until 30 July 2028.<br />
<br />
====Passenger services to be withdrawn====<br />
* The railway between Nottingham and Worksop may be diverted at Whitwell to allow expansion of a dolomite quarry. This will eliminate Whitwell Tunnel. No date is set for this, but planning permission to expand the quarry was granted in 2018.<br />
<br />
* Planned diversion of trains between Belfast and Dublin to a new terminal facility - [http://www.translink.co.uk/Translink-Footer/the-hub/ the Belfast Hub] - being constructed close to Belfast Great Victoria Street may see the end of regular passenger services between Central Junction (Adelaide) and City Junction (City Hospital).<br />
<br />
====Closures and significant service reductions in recent years are==== <br />
<br />
'''Passenger service withdrawn, line still open for other than regular passenger traffic:'''<br />
<br />
* Greenford LUL Bay Junction - Northolt Junction: The Wednesdays only train from West Ealing to West Ruislip ran for the last time on 7 December 2022.<br />
<br />
* Cowlairs East Junction - Cowlairs North Junction (Glasgow): The summer Sunday trains between Edinburgh and Oban start and terminate at Glasgow Queen Street in 2023. Last use of the curve by the ScotRail service was on 28 August 2022. It continues to be used by the [https://www.belmond.com/trains/europe/scotland/belmond-royal-scotsman/journeys Royal Scotsman] Western Scenic Wonders tour, but prices start at £5,800.<br />
<br />
* Barking Station Junction - Barking platform 1: No regular passenger traffic from 18 July 2022, when the line to Barking Riverside opened, but occasional diversions may be possible.<br />
<br />
* Dalmeny - Winchburgh Junction: Service withdrawn 23 March 2020, but without the statutory closure procedure having been followed. From 11 Dec 2022 the 22:31 FSSuX Dundee to Edinburgh and 22.58 SuO Glenrothes with Thornton to Edinburgh are scheduled to run this way with reversal at Linlithgow, but are likely to run direct via Edinburgh Gateway if there is no engineering work on that route.<br />
<br />
'''Significant service reduction'''<br />
<br />
* Glenrothes with Thornton - Thornton South Junction: The frequent service via Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy became Sundays only, except for one train each way Mondays to Fridays, with effect from 15 May 2022.<br />
<br />
====Temporary Closures:==== <br />
<br />
Work to upgrade the UK rail network is increasingly leading to lines being closed for extended periods. Severe weather and the age of much railway infrastructure has resulted in more temporary closures caused by landslips and other problems with earthworks. Current and planned temporary closures of four weeks or more, in approximate order of expected re-opening, are: <br />
<br />
* Carlisle to Workington: From 29 February 2024, because of a problem with a viaduct, possibly until mid-April 2024.<br />
* Shipley (Dockfield Junction) to Guisley (Esholt Junction): From 8 February 2024, because of a major land slip, until 24 April 2024 or later.<br />
* Ayr to Stranraer and Kilmarnock to Barassie: From 25 September 2023, probably until spring/summer 2024, because of a dangerous building at Ayr.<br />
* Blackheath to Charlton: 1 June to 10 August 2024, for repairs to Blackheath Tunnel.<br />
* Ashford East Junction, connection to HS1: Eurostar ceased calling at Ashford on 19 March 2020 and will not resume before 2025/6.<br />
<br />
===Re-openings and Openings===<br />
<br />
Most projects involve upgrading existing routes, but some openings have occurred or are about to do so. <br />
<br />
====New and reinstated passenger services in recent years:==== <br />
<br />
New passenger services are: <br />
<br />
* Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) - Leven (scheduled to open on 2 June 2024)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension: The Royal - Wolverhampton Station (17 September 2023). <br />
<br />
* Westbourne Park Junction - Paddington and Stepney Green Junction - Pudding Mill Lane Junction (full opening of Elizabeth line) (6 November 2022) <br />
<br />
* Barking - Barking Riverside (18 July 2022)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension: Library - Edgbaston Village (17 July 2022) <br />
<br />
*Paddington - Abbey Wood (Elizabeth line) (24 May 2022)<br />
<br />
* Newport (Gaer Junction) - Pye Corner (Park Junction) (on introduction of trains between Newport and Crosskeys, 12 December 2021)<br />
<br />
* Crediton - Okehampton (20 November 2021; there was previously a service on summer Sundays)<br />
<br />
* Kennington - Battersea Power Station (London Underground, Northern Line extension, opened September 2021)<br />
<br />
A daily service, generally hourly, was introduced between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester via Runcorn and Frodsham on 19 May 2019. Previously the curve between Halton Junction and Frodsham Junction had been used by a single unadvertised train in one direction only on summer Saturdays.<br />
<br />
On tourist / heritage railways:<br />
<br />
* Llangollen Railway extended passenger services from Carrog to a provisional terminus at Corwen in October 2014 and to the permanent terminus in June 2023. <br />
* the Mid-Norfolk Railway ran inaugural passenger trains to Worthing level crossing (North Elmham) on 19 and 20 May 2018, but regular services continue to terminate at Dereham. The railway aspires to continue to County School. <br />
* The first (very short) section of the Aln Valley Railway officially opened in October 2013, from a new station on the edge of Alnwick, with a longer run available from December 2017. It is planned that the railway will reach the National Rail station at Alnmouth.<br />
* The first section of the re-opened Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, a narrow gauge line, is in operation between Woody Bay and Killington Lane. Extensions towards Lynton and to Blackmoor Gate are planned as the next phase of reconstruction.<br />
<br />
====Projects authorised or under construction are:==== <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the railway between Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) and Levenmouth for passenger services on 2 June 2024. Initially, all trains will run via Kirkcaldy, but it is expected that some trains will later run via Cowdenbeath, providing many more via the curve from Thornton West Junction than the current sparse service. <br />
<br />
A Transport & Works Act Order for the introduction of passenger trains over the freight line to Ashington was granted in June 2022 and the line is due to open by December 2024. The UK Government has announced plans to re-open the railway to Fleetwood, but this may become a tramway. The UK Government is also funding feasibility studies into re-opening a number of other lines, but these are at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
Work has started on construction of a high speed railway (HS2) from London to Birmingham, but the line will not be opened until 2026 at the earliest. A flythrough of the route is [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bkoGvw9kbA here]. It is to be followed by Phase 2a as far as Crewe. It is intended that the line will subsequently be extended to Manchester with completion in the mid-2030s. It was originally planned that there would be a branch to Leeds, but this has been cut back to East Midlands Parkway (near Nottingham). The UK Government has also announced that it intends to proceed with a high-speed line from Warrington to Marsden (for Huddersfield) via Manchester. <br />
<br />
<!---Preliminary work on construction of a link between the LUL Watford branch and the former Croxley Green branch was undertaken in 2016. However, the project has stalled, because of lack of agreement as to how further cost escalation would be funded, and can only be regarded as definitively dead, though there has been no formal announcement to this effect. Should the scheme continue, which seems increasingly unlikely, it will result in the closure of Watford LUL station, but the re-opening of most of the Croxley Green branch.---><br />
Plans were being developed for a second Crossrail line, linking south west and north east London. All work on this stopped in autumn 2020, as a result of economies made to deal with the Covid pandemic. It is questionable whether the scheme will be revived, if there is the expected permanent reduction in commuter traffic. <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the derelict line between Calvert and Bletchley. A Transport & Works Act Order for this scheme was granted in February 2020 and services between Oxford and Milton Keynes are scheduled to start in December 2024. The longer-term objective is to re-introduce trains between Oxford and Cambridge. <br />
<br />
[https://heathrowrail.com/ Heathrow Southern Railway] intends to build a new railway south-west from Heathrow Airport to link with the Staines to Windsor line, together with a branch to Virginia Water or Chertsey. <br />
<br />
In the private sector:<br />
* The Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway is constructing an extension from Glengonnar to Wanlockhead.<br />
* Moorland & City Railways have a stated intention to reopen the line between Stoke-on-Trent and Leek Brook Junction, to a junction with the Churnet Valley Railway, but progress seems to be languishing.<br />
* Most ambitiously, the two Great Central Railways at Loughborough are being linked by means of a reinstated bridge over the Midland Main Line. <br />
* The Rother Valley Railway has obtained a Transport and Works Act Order to rebuild the railway between Robertsbridge and Junction Road (Bodiam).<br />
* The Royal Deeside Railway is extending its line to Crathes West Lodge.<br />
* Strathspey Railway is extending to Grantown-on-Spey and during summer 2014 and 2015 offered a limited service between its normal terminus at Broomhill and the river bridge at Dulnain. Further work depends on obtaining statutory powers under the Transport and Works Act and constructing a new bridge to carry the railway over the A95 main road. <br />
* The Helston Railway provides a short ride near Prospidnick, but plans to extend to Helston and eventually to Gwinear Road.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
<br />
Main line electrification in Great Britain came to a virtual standstill following railway privatisation, because private-sector train operators and rolling stock companies preferred the flexibility of diesel traction. The only schemes to proceed were between Crewe and Kidsgrove (near Stoke on Trent) (electrified for diversionary use), the reconstructed Larkhall branch line in Scotland and High Speed 1 (the Channel Tunnel rail link) [see below].<br />
<br />
In 2009 Department for Transport policy shifted towards extending electrification, with significant schemes proposed and a few implemented. However, greatly increased costs have resulted in projects being curtailed and delayed. Poor cost estimating, increased safety standards, over-specification and loss of practical experience of electrification appear to be among the causes. In July 2017 the UK Government announced an end to plans for further railway electrification in England and Wales, with reliance instead on bi-mode diesel/electric trains. This will included converting some electric multiple-units to bi-mode working. There have also been experiments with battery operation. In contrast, the Scottish Government required Network Rail to develop an electrification technical specification that can deliver an "efficient and affordable rolling programme of electrification". <br />
<br />
Electrification schemes recently completed in England and Wales are:<br />
<br />
* Bedford to Corby (May 2021) <br />
<br />
* London (Heathrow Airport Junction) to Cardiff, Chippenham (Christian Malford) and Newbury (Phased introduction of electric services between May 2017 and January 2020). The scheme was cut back to omit Swansea, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Oxford and the Thames Valley branch lines.<br />
<br />
* Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley (May 2019)<br />
<br />
* Manchester to Preston via Bolton (February 2019)<br />
<br />
* Gospel Oak to Woodgrange Park via South Tottenham (January 2019, but limited electric service initially, because of delayed delivery of rolling stock)<br />
<br />
Schemes under way in England:<br />
<br />
* Kettering - Market Harborough<br />
<br />
* Manchester - Huddersfield - Leeds - York <br />
<br />
* Wigan North Western - Lostock Junction (near Bolton) (announced 1 September 2021, expected completion 2024/2025) <br />
<br />
The UK Government has announced that electrification of the Midland Main Line is to be completed to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield.<br />
<br />
The Welsh Government is sponsoring electrification of the Valley Lines from Cardiff to Bargoed, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert. Light rail vehicles are to be used from Cardiff to Coryton and on routes via Radyr. Tri-mode trains will be used from Rhymney to Penarth, Barry Island and the Vale of Glamorgan line, using battery power between Rhymney and Bargoed, and diesel south of Cardiff. <br />
<br />
Following an extensive programme of electrification completed between 2012 and 2019, most lines in Central Scotland are electrified, with recent schemes comprising:<br />
<br />
*Holytown to Kirknewton (Midcalder Jn) via Shotts (Some electric services April 2019, full service May 2019) <br />
<br />
*Glasgow Central (Muirhouse Central Jn) to Barrhead (December 2023, but most trains continue to Kilmarnock or beyond, so remain diesel-worked)<br />
<br />
The line from Falkirk to Grangemouth has also been electrified for freight traffic, but there are proposals to reinstate a passenger service. <br />
<br />
Work has started on electrification to East Kilbride. The line from Haymarket (Edinburgh) to Dalmeny is being electrified as the first phase of a scheme to electrify routes through Fife. Transport Scotland's [https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/rail-services-decarbonisation-action-plan/ ''Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan''], published in July 2020, envisages most lines in Scotland being electrified. Priorities are the Kilmarnock line; Edinburgh to Tweedbank; routes in Fife; and Dunblane to Aberdeen. Later extensions will take electrification to Girvan; Gretna via Dumfries; and Inverness to Perth, Aberdeen and Tain.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of changes more than five years ago see [[United_Kingdom - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special Notes==<br />
<br />
Train numbers in Great Britain follow an alpha-numeric format, thus 1A22. The first digit indicates the type of train (passenger trains are 1, 2 or 9), in most cases the letter indicates its route or destination and the remaining digits identify the particular train. Different trains can and do use the same number, so long as they do not conflict geographically or operate several hours apart. Since December 2021 train numbers have been shown in the National Rail Timetable, but they are not normally used for passenger information purposes. It is more usual for trains to be referred to by their schedule, for example as the "10:00 London King's Cross to Aberdeen". International trains have four digit numbers where the second figure is 0 or 1, which can be treated as letters O and I in the UK.<br />
<br />
Departure sheets listing trains from a station in chronological order are rarely used. The usual format is to list destinations in alphabetic order, and provide details of all trains to each, or to provide timetable posters. Most stations have electronic displays, which indicate all departures (and often arrivals) within the next hour or so.<br />
<br />
It is unusual for information displays and announcements at stations and on trains to be in any language other than English (and Welsh in Wales), though most station name signs in Scotland appear in Gaelic as well as English. Multi-lingual information is normally restricted to dedicated airport services and those using the Channel Tunnel.<br />
<br />
No stations sell international tickets or can make international reservations, though there are facilities to make through bookings from certain stations by Eurostar. <!---International tickets and reservations are available at the We Know London Tourist Services desk in the shopping mall at St Pancras International station.---> Even the range of tickets available from Eurostar is very limited. For guidance on booking travel to and from Europe visit [http://www.seat61.com/Europe.htm#How%20do%20I%20book? The Man in Seat Sixty-One]'s website or see advice from [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/European-Train-Travel.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Selective door opening is increasingly used, particularly in London and South East England. Trains are longer than some station platforms and only doors within the platform are unlocked. Announcements and visual displays advise passengers which carriages they need to be in if wishing to alight. This also happens to a limited extent on the London Underground, but usually only affecting the rearmost pair of doors. <br />
<br />
The only long-distance overnight trains in Great Britain are:<br />
<br />
* [https://www.sleeper.scot/ Caledonian Sleeper] from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness <br />
* Great Western's [https://www.gwr.com/travelling-with-us/night-riviera-sleeper Night Riviera] from London to Penzance<br />
<br />
Sleeping cars are provided, but not couchettes, and seating may be in saloons with non-reclinable seats, where passengers have no control of the lighting. <br />
<br />
Taking bicycles, other than folding ones, by train can be difficult. Space may be limited and some operators require advance reservations for bicycles. More information can be found at [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/cyclists.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Train services at weekends, and especially Saturday evening and Sunday until mid-afternoon, can be extensively altered because of [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.aspx engineering work]. With the paucity of alternative routes and a growing aversion to temporary single line working, buses frequently substitute for trains in such circumstances. There are an increasing number of initiatives to give extended overnight possessions Mondays to Thursdays, in order to reduce the extent of weekend closures. This results in late evening trains being replaced by buses. Trials are being undertaken of mid-week line closures. Blockades of a week or more are increasingly common.<br />
<br />
No trains run in the UK on Christmas Day and very few on Boxing Day, mostly on local services in the London and Glasgow areas. No domestic services run in Scotland on New Year's Day, but there are normally trains between England, Edinburgh and Glasgow. <br />
<br />
Very few stations have left luggage facilities. Unattended luggage may be removed by the police and processes to check that it is safe can be very destructive.<br />
<br />
Railway enthusiasts are welcomed on stations - for guidance when on and about stations refer to [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/railway-enthusiasts/railway-enthusiasts-and-photography-at-stations/ Network Rail's] advice.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox United Kingdom}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=United_Kingdom_-_General_Information&diff=55476United Kingdom - General Information2024-03-22T19:35:26Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* New and reinstated passenger services in recent years: */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland<br />
<br />
Nomenclature: &quot;Great Britain&quot; comprises the countries of England, Wales, and Scotland. &quot;United Kingdom&quot; (in full: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) comprises Great Britain and the Province of Northern Ireland. &quot;British Isles&quot; is a purely geographical description for the British mainland and the island of Ireland; the latter contains the Province of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are usually regarded as part of the British Isles, although independent of the UK government. All but the Republic of Ireland (which is entirely independent of the UK) are under the British Crown (monarchy).<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Most infrastructure in Great Britain is owned by [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail], a company controlled by the government's [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport Department for Transport] (DfT). Most passenger train services are provided by operators under contracts with DfT, [https://tfl.gov.uk/ Transport for London], [http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk Merseytravel], [http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/ Transport Scotland] or the [http://gov.wales/topics/transport/?lang=en Welsh Government]. Some operators are subsidiaries of major bus companies or national railways from other countries, for example Trenitalia. A UK Government subsidiary, [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/dft-olr-holdings-limited/about DfT OLR Holdings Limited], operates services if the contractor is no longer able to do so, has had the contract terminated because of default or there has been no acceptable tender for provision of the service. [https://www.railholdings.scot/ Scottish Rail Holdings Limited] is the equivalent in Scotland. Full details of passenger train operators are given by links from the [http://www.raildeliverygroup.com/about-us/uk-rail-industry/passenger-freight-track.html Rail Delivery Group] website. Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites. Passenger train operations collectively are known as 'National Rail'. <br />
<br />
A new organisation, [https://gbrtt.co.uk/ Great British Railways] is being established to take strategic control of railways, in England at least, as well as taking over most of Network Rail's functions as infrastructure owner and operator throughout Britain. <br />
<br />
Railways in Northern Ireland are owned by Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (which remains state-owned) and are operated as the [http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/ N I Railways] (NIR) division of Translink.<br />
<br />
Most operators in Great Britain had a franchise agreement, under which they took most of the commercial risk. DfT was considering changes to franchising when the Covid-19 pandemic made the system uneconomic, due to greatly reduced fares income to the operators. Franchises were replaced by Emergency Recovery Management Agreements and subsequently by National Rail Contracts under which the Government meets operating costs and receives fares and other income. The operating company is paid a management fee. Transport for Wales, ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper, LNER, Northern and Southeastern are all being operated by public sector companies. <br />
<br />
The operator of each train is indicated in the electronic National Rail Timetable and <br />
its printed derivatives by means of two-letter codes; for a de-coder and a chronology of <br />
privatisation and transfer/re-branding of Great Britain's passenger railway franchises to <br />
date go to the [http://www.railchronology.free-online.co.uk/ Rail Chronology] website. Basic customer information about and links to the websites of each TOC are available through the [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tocs_maps/tocs/TrainOperators.aspx National Rail] website. Some further information about passenger train operators and past franchisees can be found in the [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-franchise-schedule DfT] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_operating_trains_in_the_United_Kingdom Wikipedia] websites. The Wikipedia list is usually more up to date and accurate than the DfT schedule!<br />
<br />
A small number of operators provide passenger services on the national network which are not under contract to the DfT. These include [http://www.eurostar.com/ ''Eurostar''] which is a unitary undertaking (Eurostar <br />
International Ltd) managed by SNCF, which has a 55% interest in the company. Private investors acquired the UK government's 40% stake in 2015 and SNCB/NMBS owns the remaining 5%. 'Open Access' passenger operators are: <br />
<br />
* [https://www.hulltrains.co.uk/ Hull Trains] between London and Hull <br />
* [https://www.grandcentralrail.com/ Grand Central] between London, Bradford and Sunderland<br />
* [https://www.lumo.co.uk/ Lumo] between London and Edinburgh <br />
<br />
[http://www.granduniontrains.co.uk/ Grand Union Trains] intends to start services between London and Carmarthen in 2025. <br />
<br />
In addition<br />
* [http://www.eurotunnel.com/ Eurotunnel] operates a shuttle service for motor vehicles through the Channel Tunnel; this does not carry foot-passengers (although cyclists can be carried by arrangement)<br />
* [http://www.nymr.co.uk/ North Yorkshire Moors Railway] operates timetabled steam trains through between Pickering/Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby during the summer.<br />
* [http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/ Swanage Railway] and West Coast Railways operated a service between Swanage and Wareham during the summer in 2017, but in 2018 and 2019 there was just a limited Saturday service by the local franchisee, South Western Railway. West Coast Railways again operates trains between Swanage and Wareham on behalf of Swanage Railway between April and September 2023. <br />
* [http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/ West Coast Railways] operates timetabled steam trains between Fort William and Mallaig during the summer, but in practice these get fully booked well in advance. <br />
<br />
All freight trains in Great Britain are operated by competing companies under "open access" conditions. The <i>principal</i> companies are: <br />
<br />
* [http://www.rail.dbschenker.co.uk/rail-uk-en/start/ DB Cargo UK] (formerly English Welsh and Scottish Railway, now a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn of Germany) <br />
* [https://www.freightliner.co.uk/ Freightliner] (owned by US railroad Genesee & Wyoming Inc) <br />
* [http://www.colasrail.co.uk/ Colas Rail] (part of the Bouygues group); <br />
* [http://www.directrailservices.com/ Direct Rail Services] (owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority) <br />
* [http://www.gbrailfreight.com/ GB Railfreight] (owned by Infracapital, an infrastructure equity investor). <br />
<br />
DB Cargo UK, in particular, and GB Railfreight, to a lesser extent, operate charter passenger trains. GB Railfreight also operates the Caledonian Sleeper trains on behalf of Caledonian Sleeper Limited.<br />
<br />
[https://www.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Rail Operations Group] concentrates on rolling stock moves for manufacturers, leasing companies and passenger operators, but started a parcels-carrying business, trading as [https://orion.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Orion] in 2021.<br />
<br />
There are no longer any revenue freight trains in Northern Ireland.<br />
<br />
Neither the Isle of Man nor the Channel Isles (îles Anglo-Normands) is legally part of the UK but the Isle of Man's active railways and tramways are to <br />
be found at the [http://www.heritagerailways.com/Visits_Map.php UK and Irish Heritage Railways website] and under [[#Trams/LRT-Systems|Trams/LRT-Systems]] respectively.<br />
<br />
==Official Website==<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ National Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink]<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
English. In addition Welsh is spoken in most parts of Wales, <br />
and Gaelic is used to a certain extent in north-west Scotland.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Pound sterling. Banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own notes, <br />
which are valid throughout the UK and usually accepted without question. Channel <br />
Islands and Manx notes (but not coins) are technically legal tender in the UK, <br />
but are best changed at banks.<br />
<br />
==UIC code==<br />
* United Kingdom: numeric 70; alpha GB<br />
* Eurotunnel: numeric 69 (used only for accounting purposes and not shown on rolling stock).<br />
<br />
Historically, the only British rolling stock to show UIC numbers were wagons passed to work on the now defunct train ferries from Harwich and Dover or through the Channel Tunnel. The Eurostar class 374 trains, which entered service in 2015, were the first UK-registered passenger stock to have UIC numbers, otherwise known as the European Vehicle Number (EVN). Rail Industry Standard RIS-2453-RST ''Vehicle Registration, Marking and Numbering'', introduced in December 2017, requires new vehicles in Great Britain to be identified by EVN. On passenger vehicles only an abbreviated version is normally show. UIC numbering is not used by NI Railways.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland)===<br />
The official National Rail timetable is published on Network Rail's website (see below), twice yearly (in mid December and mid May). Services on Mondays to Fridays, on Saturdays (or Mondays to Saturdays) and on Sundays are usually different and laid out separately in the timetable; there may be several alternative Sunday services, to allow for engineering work, during the currency of a timetable. [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe] provides a comprehensive guide to printed and on-line public transport timetables.<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
[http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/s/planjourney/query National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner]<br />
<br />
The [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites provide a quick-reference way of checking the latest schedule (or amendment) for any particular train<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetable====<br />
PDFs of the National Railway Timetable are available from the [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/electronic-national-rail-timetable-enrt/ Network Rail] website. These are maintained for Network Rail by [https://timetables.fabdigital.uk/nrt/ Fabdigital] and the version on their website may be more up to date.<br />
<br />
====Working (Staff) Timetables====<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/working-timetable/ Network Rail Working Timetables]<br />
<br />
You can also check for the latest variations to working timetable details for specific trains on the [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites.<br />
<br />
[http://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/working-timetables London Underground working timetables]. DLR is not included.<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
Since May 2020 there has been no comprehensive printed timetable for Great Britain and there are no printed timetable leaflets for most lines.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.html National Rail's future engineering works]<br />
<br />
===Northern Ireland===<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
On the [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink home page].<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetables====<br />
[https://www.translink.co.uk/timetables?LocationId=&Name=&LocationType=&TransportMode=Bus&page=1 Translink bus and rail timetables]<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
A series of four free leaflets is available.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/nirailways-travel-updates/ NIRailways Travel Updates]<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*The ''Rail Atlas Great Britain & Ireland'' gives detailed and accurate coverage of the UK railway system, and is widely available. It is mostly at 1:350,000, but with enlargements of many urban areas; an updated edition is published every 2-3 years.<br />
*[http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps] publish a series of track diagrams (formerly Quail Track Diagrams) in five regional volumes.<br />
*Northern Ireland Railways are in a volume covering the whole of Ireland also published by [http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps]<br />
*Historic atlases have been published by various other publishers.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] (see National Rail Passenger Operators' map) and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/united_kingdom_ireland.html British Isles and Ireland Map]. Last updated December 2022<br />
*[http://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php Rail Map online].<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
There is no distance-related fare tariff in the UK, and fares are charged on a market basis. Certain fares are regulated and the amount by which train companies can increase some fares is specified by the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
Standard walk-on fares are high, but a wide range of discounted fares is available. These are subject to restrictions as to days and times when they can be used. It can be difficult to obtain accurate information as to fares and their availability, even from official enquiry offices, because the pricing structure is complicated and the different train companies are all making their own special offers. The most heavily discounted fares usually oblige the passenger to travel on specified trains (with no opportunity to alter these) - and only a limited number of tickets may be issued for each service. Train operators are increasingly introducing special offers that can only be taken up through their website. Higher fares are charged for use of domestic trains on HS1, the high-speed line to Kent, except for through tickets between Kent and destinations beyond London. <br />
<br />
Tickets for any rail journey in the UK can be purchased from most train operators' websites, but the best price may be available from the operator whose service is being used. It is often possible to obtain a lower price for a journey by splitting it and buying a different ticket for each section. In such cases it is necessary to travel on a train that stops at stations where the validity of one ticket ends and another starts. This requirement does not apply if at least one of the tickets is a season ticket, rail rover or similar. It may also be found that a ticket to a station beyond one's destination is cheaper, but conditions need to be checked carefully. A break of journey may not be permitted, requiring an excess fare to be paid if exiting at an intermediate station. Various websites act as 'consolidators' and will compare what is available in order to offer the best deal, including split ticketing options. <br />
<br />
Various Railcards are available, usually giving a fare reduction of one third. These are available nationally to groups, such as young people, families, senior citizens, two people travelling together, those with a disability and military personnel. Some cards are available to all, but only valid for travel within a particular geographic area. The cost of a Railcard may be recouped immediately if a long-distance journey is planned or if purchasing a high-price ticket such as a national rail rover. Some Railcards only give a discount for off-peak travel. Details of Railcards are available at [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/National-Railcards.aspx National Rail]. Details can be found at the unofficial [http://www.railrover.org/ Rail Rover] website.<br />
<br />
Overseas visitors should endeavour to purchase a rover ticket, such as a [http://www.britrail.net/ BritRail] or InterRail pass, before travelling to the UK. Various rail rovers are available within the UK, but they do not offer the value or wide validity of those available to foreign visitors, and many are not valid until after the morning peak period.<br />
<br />
In various areas where all stations have automatic ticket machines, including on the London Underground and most other tram and metro networks, a penalty fares system applies. Passengers found without a ticket are likely to have to pay a fine on the spot.<br />
<br />
First class seating tends now to be found only on principal routes; in Northern Ireland it is limited to principal trains on the international route between Belfast and Dublin (where NIRailways call it &quot;First plus&quot; while partner Iarnród Éireann call it &quot;Premium&quot;). Eurostar maintain three classes: Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier. On some trains, including many of those operated by Gatwick Express, Great Northern and Southern, there is no difference between first class and standard class seating. If a train including first class seats is used on a service advertised as standard class only, holders of standard class tickets may use the first class seats.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Railways Company Limited, through a subsidiary NIR Networks Limited<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/network-statement/ Network Rail]. The Sectional Appendices are available <br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ here] (scroll down to list of PDFs).<br />
<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Corporate/About-Us/Publications/network-statement/ Translink]<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
*Great Britain: Standard<br />
*Northern Ireland: 1600 mm [5 feet 3 inches]<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
*Great Britain: Mostly 25 kV 50 Hz. 750 V dc third rail is used on some lines in south east England and around Liverpool. The third rail network in south east England is by a considerable margin the most extensive such system in the world and the only place when conductor rail trains operate at up to 100 mph (160 km/hr). The line between Pelaw and Sunderland is electrified at 1500V dc overhead, to allow use by Tyne & Wear Metro. The line between Tinsley North Junction and Rotherham Parkgate is electrified at 750V dc overhead, for use by Sheffield Supertram. Most tramway systems are 750 V dc with Blackpool being 600 V dc.<br />
*Northern Ireland: no electrified lines.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Left.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
*Distances are shown on Railway Track Diagrams published by [https://www.trackmaps.co.uk/ TRACKmaps]. Distances are also available in Network Rail's [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ Sectional Appendices] (scroll down for list of available PDFs).<br />
*Distances for Northern Ireland are also available on-line on the Signalling Record Society website:<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-nc.php Derry and Larne lines]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-bd.php Bangor line]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-gd.php Dublin line]<br />
<br />
==Other railways==<br />
*Core Valley Lines (Cardiff to Rhymney, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert): Owned by the Welsh Government and managed by a lessee, Amey Keolis Infrastructure/Seilwaith Amey Keolis Limited.<br />
*Crossrail Central Operating Section is the railway under Central London from Portobello Junction (Royal Oak) to Pudding Mill Lane Junction (Bow) and Abbey Wood. It is managed by Rail for London (Infrastructure) Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London.<br />
*East London Line: Owned by Rail for London Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London. <br />
*Eurotunnel: A partnership between the Channel Tunnel Group Limited and France-Manche S.A. that operates the Channel Tunnel under a long-term concession from the UK and French governments. <br />
*Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited owns the railway between London Heathrow Airport and the junction with the Great Western Main Line near Hayes & Harlington. <br />
*HS1 Ltd: The investor with a 30 years concession from the UK government to operate the high-speed line between London and the Channel Tunnel, though most aspects of day-to-day operation and maintenance are contracted out to Network Rail. <br />
<br />
Facilities exist for special through running between the national system and some tourist lines.<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
A map of UK heritage railways can be found at the "Heritage Rail - UK & Ireland" link on the [https://www.heritagerailways.com Heritage Railway Association website].<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
London, Newcastle, Glasgow. Although part of the national railway system, the Merseyrail Electrics <br />
network in Liverpool is like a Metro. There are two separate networks in London. The Underground system is 630V dc third and fourth rail; the Docklands Light Railway is a fully-automated 750V dc third rail system. London Overground operates under a contract let by the Mayor of London and uses Transport for London branding, but operates almost entirely on Network Rail lines. The Glasgow and Merseyrail systems are third <br />
rail and Newcastle is 1500 V dc overhead. Glasgow Subway is 4 feet (1,219mm) gauge and was originally cable-worked. There are several lines where London Underground and main line trains share the same tracks. The Tyne & Wear Metro (Newcastle) operates to Sunderland over the Network Rail line from Pelaw.<br />
<br />
The Core Valley Lines from Cardiff are being converted to a form of metro system.<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Birmingham/Wolverhampton (Midland Metro), Blackpool, Croydon, Edinburgh,<br />
Llandudno (cable worked), Manchester, Nottingham, Seaton (Devon) and Sheffield. The Croydon, <br />
Manchester, Midland Metro, Nottingham and Seaton systems include extensive running over <br />
routes that were previously part of the national railway system. The Manchester and Nottingham systems have been considerably extended in recent years. On the Manchester Metrolink system a second route through Manchester city centre came into use on 26 February 2017, and the 5.5 km Trafford Park line opened on 22 March 2020. The Midland Metro in Birmingham was extended to Edgbaston on 17 July 2022 and to Wolverhampton Station on 17 September 2023. The first stage of a line to Brierley Hill is expected to open, to Dudley, in 2024. The extension of the Edinburgh line to Leith and Newhaven opened on 21 June 2023 and plans have been announced for further lines in the city. The Blackpool system Talbot Gateway extension, to Blackpool North station, is expected to be fully open in 2023. A metro system is proposed in Glasgow, but this project is at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
The Seaton and Llandudno lines are essentially tourist operations, and both are narrow gauge. <br />
There are other tourist lines of a mile or more at the National Tramway Museum <br />
(Crich, near Matlock) and at Beamish Open Air Museum (near Gateshead), plus <br />
several other shorter lines. <br />
<br />
The Isle of Man has three narrow gauge tramways, which operate on a seasonal basis: Douglas Bay Horse Tramway - along the promenade in Douglas; the Manx Electric Railway - an inter-urban line between Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey; and the Snaefell Mountain Railway - from Laxey to Snaefell Summit. <br />
After a period of uncertainty, the threat that the horse tramway line in Douglas might be shortened seems to have been seen off by a vote in Tynwald (the Manx parliament) in January 2017. <br />
<br />
The Tinsley Chord, which connects the Sheffield tram system to a freight line near Meadowhall, allows tram-trains to run between Sheffield city centre and Rotherham Parkgate over Network Rail lines. Public services commenced on Thursday 25 October 2018. Sheffield tram-trains are dual voltage vehicles that can run on the 750 V Overhead Lines (OHLE) of the tram network and the 25 kV OHLE of the national rail network; however the line to Rotherham Parkgate is initially energised at 750 V because there is no 25 kV electrification in the area.<br />
<br />
Track plans for most of the significant tram systems in the United Kingdom are available on the [http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/line/diagrams0.shtm Railway Codes site] and also on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/index-e.php Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes== <br />
Some aspects of national railway operations are privatised, but infrastructure ownership has reverted to the public sector. There continues to be debate about the fragmented, expensive and complex nature of the system that has emerged, under the general oversight of the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
===Route Closures and Service Reductions===<br />
Having undergone extensive cut backs in the 1960s, the present passenger network seems relatively secure. The closure of a passenger railway in the UK normally involves a lengthy legal process, and short-notice closures usually occur only if there is a sudden and dramatic infrastructure failure, or if the closure is deemed a &quot;minor closure&quot;. However, a number of stations have closed and all passenger services over some lines have been withdrawn without the statutory procedure having been followed. Passenger services via the Channel Tunnel, or in connection with them, do not enjoy statutory protection from closure. <br />
<br />
Some routes have been reduced to just one or two trains per day (or, in some cases, per week) in order to reduce operating costs without having to go through the closure procedure. These are included in the list of [https://www.egtre.info/wiki/United_Kingdom_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services sparse services].<br />
<br />
A newly-introduced passenger service can be designated as "experimental" for a period up to five years, during which time it may be withdrawn without the usual closure procedure needing to be followed. The only "experimental" service at present is Thanet Parkway station, until 30 July 2028.<br />
<br />
====Passenger services to be withdrawn====<br />
* The railway between Nottingham and Worksop may be diverted at Whitwell to allow expansion of a dolomite quarry. This will eliminate Whitwell Tunnel. No date is set for this, but planning permission to expand the quarry was granted in 2018.<br />
<br />
* Planned diversion of trains between Belfast and Dublin to a new terminal facility - [http://www.translink.co.uk/Translink-Footer/the-hub/ the Belfast Hub] - being constructed close to Belfast Great Victoria Street may see the end of regular passenger services between Central Junction (Adelaide) and City Junction (City Hospital).<br />
<br />
====Closures and significant service reductions in recent years are==== <br />
<br />
'''Passenger service withdrawn, line still open for other than regular passenger traffic:'''<br />
<br />
* Greenford LUL Bay Junction - Northolt Junction: The Wednesdays only train from West Ealing to West Ruislip ran for the last time on 7 December 2022.<br />
<br />
* Cowlairs East Junction - Cowlairs North Junction (Glasgow): The summer Sunday trains between Edinburgh and Oban start and terminate at Glasgow Queen Street in 2023. Last use of the curve by the ScotRail service was on 28 August 2022. It continues to be used by the [https://www.belmond.com/trains/europe/scotland/belmond-royal-scotsman/journeys Royal Scotsman] Western Scenic Wonders tour, but prices start at £5,800.<br />
<br />
* Barking Station Junction - Barking platform 1: No regular passenger traffic from 18 July 2022, when the line to Barking Riverside opened, but occasional diversions may be possible.<br />
<br />
* Dalmeny - Winchburgh Junction: Service withdrawn 23 March 2020, but without the statutory closure procedure having been followed. From 11 Dec 2022 the 22:31 FSSuX Dundee to Edinburgh and 22.58 SuO Glenrothes with Thornton to Edinburgh are scheduled to run this way with reversal at Linlithgow, but are likely to run direct via Edinburgh Gateway if there is no engineering work on that route.<br />
<br />
'''Significant service reduction'''<br />
<br />
* Glenrothes with Thornton - Thornton South Junction: The frequent service via Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy became Sundays only, except for one train each way Mondays to Fridays, with effect from 15 May 2022.<br />
<br />
====Temporary Closures:==== <br />
<br />
Work to upgrade the UK rail network is increasingly leading to lines being closed for extended periods. Severe weather and the age of much railway infrastructure has resulted in more temporary closures caused by landslips and other problems with earthworks. Current and planned temporary closures of four weeks or more, in approximate order of expected re-opening, are: <br />
<br />
* Carlisle to Workington: From 29 February 2024, because of a problem with a viaduct, possibly until mid-April 2024.<br />
* Shipley (Dockfield Junction) to Guisley (Esholt Junction): From 8 February 2024, because of a major land slip, until 24 April 2024 or later.<br />
* Ayr to Stranraer and Kilmarnock to Barassie: From 25 September 2023, probably until spring/summer 2024, because of a dangerous building at Ayr.<br />
* Blackheath to Charlton: 1 June to 10 August 2024, for repairs to Blackheath Tunnel.<br />
* Ashford East Junction, connection to HS1: Eurostar ceased calling at Ashford on 19 March 2020 and will not resume before 2025/6.<br />
<br />
===Re-openings and Openings===<br />
<br />
Most projects involve upgrading existing routes, but some openings have occurred or are about to do so. <br />
<br />
====New and reinstated passenger services in recent years:==== <br />
<br />
New passenger services are: <br />
<br />
* Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) - Leven (scheduled to open on 2 June 2024)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension: The Royal - Wolverhampton Station (17 September 2023). <br />
<br />
* Westbourne Park Junction - Paddington and Stepney Green Junction - Pudding Mill Lane Junction (full opening of Elizabeth line) (6 November 2022) <br />
<br />
* Barking - Barking Riverside (18 July 2022)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension: Library - Edgbaston Village (17 July 2022) <br />
<br />
*Paddington - Abbey Wood (Elizabeth line) (24 May 2022)<br />
<br />
* Newport (Gaer Junction) - Pye Corner (Park Junction) (on introduction of trains between Newport and Crosskeys, 12 December 2021)<br />
<br />
* Crediton - Okehampton (20 November 2021; there was previously a service on summer Sundays)<br />
<br />
* Kennington - Battersea Power Station (London Underground, Northern Line extension, opened September 2021)<br />
<br />
A daily service, generally hourly, was introduced between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester via Runcorn and Frodsham on 19 May 2019. Previously the curve between Halton Junction and Frodsham Junction had been used by a single unadvertised train in one direction only on summer Saturdays.<br />
<br />
On tourist / heritage railways:<br />
<br />
* Llangollen Railway extended passenger services from Carrog to a provisional terminus at Corwen in October 2014 and to the permanent terminus in June 2023. <br />
* the Mid-Norfolk Railway ran inaugural passenger trains to Worthing level crossing (North Elmham) on 19 and 20 May 2018, but regular services continue to terminate at Dereham. The railway aspires to continue to County School. <br />
* The first (very short) section of the Aln Valley Railway officially opened in October 2013, from a new station on the edge of Alnwick, with a longer run available from December 2017. It is planned that the railway will reach the National Rail station at Alnmouth.<br />
* The first section of the re-opened Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, a narrow gauge line, is in operation between Woody Bay and Killington Lane. Extensions towards Lynton and to Blackmoor Gate are planned as the next phase of reconstruction.<br />
<br />
====Projects authorised or under construction are:==== <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the railway between Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) and Levenmouth for passenger services in 2024. It is expected that some trains will run via Cowdenbeath, providing many more via the curve from Thornton West Junction than the current sparse service. <br />
<br />
A Transport & Works Act Order for the introduction of passenger trains over the freight line to Ashington was granted in June 2022 and the line is due to open by December 2024. The UK Government has announced plans to re-open the railway to Fleetwood, but this may become a tramway. The UK Government is also funding feasibility studies into re-opening a number of other lines, but these are at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
Work has started on construction of a high speed railway (HS2) from London to Birmingham, but the line will not be opened until 2026 at the earliest. A flythrough of the route is [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bkoGvw9kbA here]. It is to be followed by Phase 2a as far as Crewe. It is intended that the line will subsequently be extended to Manchester with completion in the mid-2030s. It was originally planned that there would be a branch to Leeds, but this has been cut back to East Midlands Parkway (near Nottingham). The UK Government has also announced that it intends to proceed with a high-speed line from Warrington to Marsden (for Huddersfield) via Manchester. <br />
<br />
<!---Preliminary work on construction of a link between the LUL Watford branch and the former Croxley Green branch was undertaken in 2016. However, the project has stalled, because of lack of agreement as to how further cost escalation would be funded, and can only be regarded as definitively dead, though there has been no formal announcement to this effect. Should the scheme continue, which seems increasingly unlikely, it will result in the closure of Watford LUL station, but the re-opening of most of the Croxley Green branch.---><br />
Plans were being developed for a second Crossrail line, linking south west and north east London. All work on this stopped in autumn 2020, as a result of economies made to deal with the Covid pandemic. It is questionable whether the scheme will be revived, if there is the expected permanent reduction in commuter traffic. <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the derelict line between Calvert and Bletchley. A Transport & Works Act Order for this scheme was granted in February 2020 and services between Oxford and Milton Keynes are scheduled to start in December 2024. The longer-term objective is to re-introduce trains between Oxford and Cambridge. <br />
<br />
[https://heathrowrail.com/ Heathrow Southern Railway] intends to build a new railway south-west from Heathrow Airport to link with the Staines to Windsor line, together with a branch to Virginia Water or Chertsey. <br />
<br />
In the private sector:<br />
* The Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway is constructing an extension from Glengonnar to Wanlockhead.<br />
* Moorland & City Railways have a stated intention to reopen the line between Stoke-on-Trent and Leek Brook Junction, to a junction with the Churnet Valley Railway, but progress seems to be languishing.<br />
* Most ambitiously, the two Great Central Railways at Loughborough are being linked by means of a reinstated bridge over the Midland Main Line. <br />
* The Rother Valley Railway has obtained a Transport and Works Act Order to rebuild the railway between Robertsbridge and Junction Road (Bodiam).<br />
* The Royal Deeside Railway is extending its line to Crathes West Lodge.<br />
* Strathspey Railway is extending to Grantown-on-Spey and during summer 2014 and 2015 offered a limited service between its normal terminus at Broomhill and the river bridge at Dulnain. Further work depends on obtaining statutory powers under the Transport and Works Act and constructing a new bridge to carry the railway over the A95 main road. <br />
* The Helston Railway provides a short ride near Prospidnick, but plans to extend to Helston and eventually to Gwinear Road.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
<br />
Main line electrification in Great Britain came to a virtual standstill following railway privatisation, because private-sector train operators and rolling stock companies preferred the flexibility of diesel traction. The only schemes to proceed were between Crewe and Kidsgrove (near Stoke on Trent) (electrified for diversionary use), the reconstructed Larkhall branch line in Scotland and High Speed 1 (the Channel Tunnel rail link) [see below].<br />
<br />
In 2009 Department for Transport policy shifted towards extending electrification, with significant schemes proposed and a few implemented. However, greatly increased costs have resulted in projects being curtailed and delayed. Poor cost estimating, increased safety standards, over-specification and loss of practical experience of electrification appear to be among the causes. In July 2017 the UK Government announced an end to plans for further railway electrification in England and Wales, with reliance instead on bi-mode diesel/electric trains. This will included converting some electric multiple-units to bi-mode working. There have also been experiments with battery operation. In contrast, the Scottish Government required Network Rail to develop an electrification technical specification that can deliver an "efficient and affordable rolling programme of electrification". <br />
<br />
Electrification schemes recently completed in England and Wales are:<br />
<br />
* Bedford to Corby (May 2021) <br />
<br />
* London (Heathrow Airport Junction) to Cardiff, Chippenham (Christian Malford) and Newbury (Phased introduction of electric services between May 2017 and January 2020). The scheme was cut back to omit Swansea, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Oxford and the Thames Valley branch lines.<br />
<br />
* Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley (May 2019)<br />
<br />
* Manchester to Preston via Bolton (February 2019)<br />
<br />
* Gospel Oak to Woodgrange Park via South Tottenham (January 2019, but limited electric service initially, because of delayed delivery of rolling stock)<br />
<br />
Schemes under way in England:<br />
<br />
* Kettering - Market Harborough<br />
<br />
* Manchester - Huddersfield - Leeds - York <br />
<br />
* Wigan North Western - Lostock Junction (near Bolton) (announced 1 September 2021, expected completion 2024/2025) <br />
<br />
The UK Government has announced that electrification of the Midland Main Line is to be completed to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield.<br />
<br />
The Welsh Government is sponsoring electrification of the Valley Lines from Cardiff to Bargoed, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert. Light rail vehicles are to be used from Cardiff to Coryton and on routes via Radyr. Tri-mode trains will be used from Rhymney to Penarth, Barry Island and the Vale of Glamorgan line, using battery power between Rhymney and Bargoed, and diesel south of Cardiff. <br />
<br />
Following an extensive programme of electrification completed between 2012 and 2019, most lines in Central Scotland are electrified, with recent schemes comprising:<br />
<br />
*Holytown to Kirknewton (Midcalder Jn) via Shotts (Some electric services April 2019, full service May 2019) <br />
<br />
*Glasgow Central (Muirhouse Central Jn) to Barrhead (December 2023, but most trains continue to Kilmarnock or beyond, so remain diesel-worked)<br />
<br />
The line from Falkirk to Grangemouth has also been electrified for freight traffic, but there are proposals to reinstate a passenger service. <br />
<br />
Work has started on electrification to East Kilbride. The line from Haymarket (Edinburgh) to Dalmeny is being electrified as the first phase of a scheme to electrify routes through Fife. Transport Scotland's [https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/rail-services-decarbonisation-action-plan/ ''Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan''], published in July 2020, envisages most lines in Scotland being electrified. Priorities are the Kilmarnock line; Edinburgh to Tweedbank; routes in Fife; and Dunblane to Aberdeen. Later extensions will take electrification to Girvan; Gretna via Dumfries; and Inverness to Perth, Aberdeen and Tain.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of changes more than five years ago see [[United_Kingdom - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special Notes==<br />
<br />
Train numbers in Great Britain follow an alpha-numeric format, thus 1A22. The first digit indicates the type of train (passenger trains are 1, 2 or 9), in most cases the letter indicates its route or destination and the remaining digits identify the particular train. Different trains can and do use the same number, so long as they do not conflict geographically or operate several hours apart. Since December 2021 train numbers have been shown in the National Rail Timetable, but they are not normally used for passenger information purposes. It is more usual for trains to be referred to by their schedule, for example as the "10:00 London King's Cross to Aberdeen". International trains have four digit numbers where the second figure is 0 or 1, which can be treated as letters O and I in the UK.<br />
<br />
Departure sheets listing trains from a station in chronological order are rarely used. The usual format is to list destinations in alphabetic order, and provide details of all trains to each, or to provide timetable posters. Most stations have electronic displays, which indicate all departures (and often arrivals) within the next hour or so.<br />
<br />
It is unusual for information displays and announcements at stations and on trains to be in any language other than English (and Welsh in Wales), though most station name signs in Scotland appear in Gaelic as well as English. Multi-lingual information is normally restricted to dedicated airport services and those using the Channel Tunnel.<br />
<br />
No stations sell international tickets or can make international reservations, though there are facilities to make through bookings from certain stations by Eurostar. <!---International tickets and reservations are available at the We Know London Tourist Services desk in the shopping mall at St Pancras International station.---> Even the range of tickets available from Eurostar is very limited. For guidance on booking travel to and from Europe visit [http://www.seat61.com/Europe.htm#How%20do%20I%20book? The Man in Seat Sixty-One]'s website or see advice from [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/European-Train-Travel.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Selective door opening is increasingly used, particularly in London and South East England. Trains are longer than some station platforms and only doors within the platform are unlocked. Announcements and visual displays advise passengers which carriages they need to be in if wishing to alight. This also happens to a limited extent on the London Underground, but usually only affecting the rearmost pair of doors. <br />
<br />
The only long-distance overnight trains in Great Britain are:<br />
<br />
* [https://www.sleeper.scot/ Caledonian Sleeper] from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness <br />
* Great Western's [https://www.gwr.com/travelling-with-us/night-riviera-sleeper Night Riviera] from London to Penzance<br />
<br />
Sleeping cars are provided, but not couchettes, and seating may be in saloons with non-reclinable seats, where passengers have no control of the lighting. <br />
<br />
Taking bicycles, other than folding ones, by train can be difficult. Space may be limited and some operators require advance reservations for bicycles. More information can be found at [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/cyclists.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Train services at weekends, and especially Saturday evening and Sunday until mid-afternoon, can be extensively altered because of [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.aspx engineering work]. With the paucity of alternative routes and a growing aversion to temporary single line working, buses frequently substitute for trains in such circumstances. There are an increasing number of initiatives to give extended overnight possessions Mondays to Thursdays, in order to reduce the extent of weekend closures. This results in late evening trains being replaced by buses. Trials are being undertaken of mid-week line closures. Blockades of a week or more are increasingly common.<br />
<br />
No trains run in the UK on Christmas Day and very few on Boxing Day, mostly on local services in the London and Glasgow areas. No domestic services run in Scotland on New Year's Day, but there are normally trains between England, Edinburgh and Glasgow. <br />
<br />
Very few stations have left luggage facilities. Unattended luggage may be removed by the police and processes to check that it is safe can be very destructive.<br />
<br />
Railway enthusiasts are welcomed on stations - for guidance when on and about stations refer to [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/railway-enthusiasts/railway-enthusiasts-and-photography-at-stations/ Network Rail's] advice.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox United Kingdom}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=United_Kingdom_-_General_Information&diff=55475United Kingdom - General Information2024-03-22T19:32:55Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* New and reinstated passenger services in recent years: */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland<br />
<br />
Nomenclature: &quot;Great Britain&quot; comprises the countries of England, Wales, and Scotland. &quot;United Kingdom&quot; (in full: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) comprises Great Britain and the Province of Northern Ireland. &quot;British Isles&quot; is a purely geographical description for the British mainland and the island of Ireland; the latter contains the Province of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are usually regarded as part of the British Isles, although independent of the UK government. All but the Republic of Ireland (which is entirely independent of the UK) are under the British Crown (monarchy).<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Most infrastructure in Great Britain is owned by [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail], a company controlled by the government's [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport Department for Transport] (DfT). Most passenger train services are provided by operators under contracts with DfT, [https://tfl.gov.uk/ Transport for London], [http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk Merseytravel], [http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/ Transport Scotland] or the [http://gov.wales/topics/transport/?lang=en Welsh Government]. Some operators are subsidiaries of major bus companies or national railways from other countries, for example Trenitalia. A UK Government subsidiary, [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/dft-olr-holdings-limited/about DfT OLR Holdings Limited], operates services if the contractor is no longer able to do so, has had the contract terminated because of default or there has been no acceptable tender for provision of the service. [https://www.railholdings.scot/ Scottish Rail Holdings Limited] is the equivalent in Scotland. Full details of passenger train operators are given by links from the [http://www.raildeliverygroup.com/about-us/uk-rail-industry/passenger-freight-track.html Rail Delivery Group] website. Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites. Passenger train operations collectively are known as 'National Rail'. <br />
<br />
A new organisation, [https://gbrtt.co.uk/ Great British Railways] is being established to take strategic control of railways, in England at least, as well as taking over most of Network Rail's functions as infrastructure owner and operator throughout Britain. <br />
<br />
Railways in Northern Ireland are owned by Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (which remains state-owned) and are operated as the [http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/ N I Railways] (NIR) division of Translink.<br />
<br />
Most operators in Great Britain had a franchise agreement, under which they took most of the commercial risk. DfT was considering changes to franchising when the Covid-19 pandemic made the system uneconomic, due to greatly reduced fares income to the operators. Franchises were replaced by Emergency Recovery Management Agreements and subsequently by National Rail Contracts under which the Government meets operating costs and receives fares and other income. The operating company is paid a management fee. Transport for Wales, ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper, LNER, Northern and Southeastern are all being operated by public sector companies. <br />
<br />
The operator of each train is indicated in the electronic National Rail Timetable and <br />
its printed derivatives by means of two-letter codes; for a de-coder and a chronology of <br />
privatisation and transfer/re-branding of Great Britain's passenger railway franchises to <br />
date go to the [http://www.railchronology.free-online.co.uk/ Rail Chronology] website. Basic customer information about and links to the websites of each TOC are available through the [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tocs_maps/tocs/TrainOperators.aspx National Rail] website. Some further information about passenger train operators and past franchisees can be found in the [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-franchise-schedule DfT] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_operating_trains_in_the_United_Kingdom Wikipedia] websites. The Wikipedia list is usually more up to date and accurate than the DfT schedule!<br />
<br />
A small number of operators provide passenger services on the national network which are not under contract to the DfT. These include [http://www.eurostar.com/ ''Eurostar''] which is a unitary undertaking (Eurostar <br />
International Ltd) managed by SNCF, which has a 55% interest in the company. Private investors acquired the UK government's 40% stake in 2015 and SNCB/NMBS owns the remaining 5%. 'Open Access' passenger operators are: <br />
<br />
* [https://www.hulltrains.co.uk/ Hull Trains] between London and Hull <br />
* [https://www.grandcentralrail.com/ Grand Central] between London, Bradford and Sunderland<br />
* [https://www.lumo.co.uk/ Lumo] between London and Edinburgh <br />
<br />
[http://www.granduniontrains.co.uk/ Grand Union Trains] intends to start services between London and Carmarthen in 2025. <br />
<br />
In addition<br />
* [http://www.eurotunnel.com/ Eurotunnel] operates a shuttle service for motor vehicles through the Channel Tunnel; this does not carry foot-passengers (although cyclists can be carried by arrangement)<br />
* [http://www.nymr.co.uk/ North Yorkshire Moors Railway] operates timetabled steam trains through between Pickering/Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby during the summer.<br />
* [http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/ Swanage Railway] and West Coast Railways operated a service between Swanage and Wareham during the summer in 2017, but in 2018 and 2019 there was just a limited Saturday service by the local franchisee, South Western Railway. West Coast Railways again operates trains between Swanage and Wareham on behalf of Swanage Railway between April and September 2023. <br />
* [http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/ West Coast Railways] operates timetabled steam trains between Fort William and Mallaig during the summer, but in practice these get fully booked well in advance. <br />
<br />
All freight trains in Great Britain are operated by competing companies under "open access" conditions. The <i>principal</i> companies are: <br />
<br />
* [http://www.rail.dbschenker.co.uk/rail-uk-en/start/ DB Cargo UK] (formerly English Welsh and Scottish Railway, now a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn of Germany) <br />
* [https://www.freightliner.co.uk/ Freightliner] (owned by US railroad Genesee & Wyoming Inc) <br />
* [http://www.colasrail.co.uk/ Colas Rail] (part of the Bouygues group); <br />
* [http://www.directrailservices.com/ Direct Rail Services] (owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority) <br />
* [http://www.gbrailfreight.com/ GB Railfreight] (owned by Infracapital, an infrastructure equity investor). <br />
<br />
DB Cargo UK, in particular, and GB Railfreight, to a lesser extent, operate charter passenger trains. GB Railfreight also operates the Caledonian Sleeper trains on behalf of Caledonian Sleeper Limited.<br />
<br />
[https://www.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Rail Operations Group] concentrates on rolling stock moves for manufacturers, leasing companies and passenger operators, but started a parcels-carrying business, trading as [https://orion.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Orion] in 2021.<br />
<br />
There are no longer any revenue freight trains in Northern Ireland.<br />
<br />
Neither the Isle of Man nor the Channel Isles (îles Anglo-Normands) is legally part of the UK but the Isle of Man's active railways and tramways are to <br />
be found at the [http://www.heritagerailways.com/Visits_Map.php UK and Irish Heritage Railways website] and under [[#Trams/LRT-Systems|Trams/LRT-Systems]] respectively.<br />
<br />
==Official Website==<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ National Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink]<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
English. In addition Welsh is spoken in most parts of Wales, <br />
and Gaelic is used to a certain extent in north-west Scotland.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Pound sterling. Banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own notes, <br />
which are valid throughout the UK and usually accepted without question. Channel <br />
Islands and Manx notes (but not coins) are technically legal tender in the UK, <br />
but are best changed at banks.<br />
<br />
==UIC code==<br />
* United Kingdom: numeric 70; alpha GB<br />
* Eurotunnel: numeric 69 (used only for accounting purposes and not shown on rolling stock).<br />
<br />
Historically, the only British rolling stock to show UIC numbers were wagons passed to work on the now defunct train ferries from Harwich and Dover or through the Channel Tunnel. The Eurostar class 374 trains, which entered service in 2015, were the first UK-registered passenger stock to have UIC numbers, otherwise known as the European Vehicle Number (EVN). Rail Industry Standard RIS-2453-RST ''Vehicle Registration, Marking and Numbering'', introduced in December 2017, requires new vehicles in Great Britain to be identified by EVN. On passenger vehicles only an abbreviated version is normally show. UIC numbering is not used by NI Railways.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland)===<br />
The official National Rail timetable is published on Network Rail's website (see below), twice yearly (in mid December and mid May). Services on Mondays to Fridays, on Saturdays (or Mondays to Saturdays) and on Sundays are usually different and laid out separately in the timetable; there may be several alternative Sunday services, to allow for engineering work, during the currency of a timetable. [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe] provides a comprehensive guide to printed and on-line public transport timetables.<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
[http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/s/planjourney/query National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner]<br />
<br />
The [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites provide a quick-reference way of checking the latest schedule (or amendment) for any particular train<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetable====<br />
PDFs of the National Railway Timetable are available from the [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/electronic-national-rail-timetable-enrt/ Network Rail] website. These are maintained for Network Rail by [https://timetables.fabdigital.uk/nrt/ Fabdigital] and the version on their website may be more up to date.<br />
<br />
====Working (Staff) Timetables====<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/working-timetable/ Network Rail Working Timetables]<br />
<br />
You can also check for the latest variations to working timetable details for specific trains on the [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites.<br />
<br />
[http://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/working-timetables London Underground working timetables]. DLR is not included.<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
Since May 2020 there has been no comprehensive printed timetable for Great Britain and there are no printed timetable leaflets for most lines.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.html National Rail's future engineering works]<br />
<br />
===Northern Ireland===<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
On the [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink home page].<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetables====<br />
[https://www.translink.co.uk/timetables?LocationId=&Name=&LocationType=&TransportMode=Bus&page=1 Translink bus and rail timetables]<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
A series of four free leaflets is available.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/nirailways-travel-updates/ NIRailways Travel Updates]<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*The ''Rail Atlas Great Britain & Ireland'' gives detailed and accurate coverage of the UK railway system, and is widely available. It is mostly at 1:350,000, but with enlargements of many urban areas; an updated edition is published every 2-3 years.<br />
*[http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps] publish a series of track diagrams (formerly Quail Track Diagrams) in five regional volumes.<br />
*Northern Ireland Railways are in a volume covering the whole of Ireland also published by [http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps]<br />
*Historic atlases have been published by various other publishers.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] (see National Rail Passenger Operators' map) and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/united_kingdom_ireland.html British Isles and Ireland Map]. Last updated December 2022<br />
*[http://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php Rail Map online].<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
There is no distance-related fare tariff in the UK, and fares are charged on a market basis. Certain fares are regulated and the amount by which train companies can increase some fares is specified by the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
Standard walk-on fares are high, but a wide range of discounted fares is available. These are subject to restrictions as to days and times when they can be used. It can be difficult to obtain accurate information as to fares and their availability, even from official enquiry offices, because the pricing structure is complicated and the different train companies are all making their own special offers. The most heavily discounted fares usually oblige the passenger to travel on specified trains (with no opportunity to alter these) - and only a limited number of tickets may be issued for each service. Train operators are increasingly introducing special offers that can only be taken up through their website. Higher fares are charged for use of domestic trains on HS1, the high-speed line to Kent, except for through tickets between Kent and destinations beyond London. <br />
<br />
Tickets for any rail journey in the UK can be purchased from most train operators' websites, but the best price may be available from the operator whose service is being used. It is often possible to obtain a lower price for a journey by splitting it and buying a different ticket for each section. In such cases it is necessary to travel on a train that stops at stations where the validity of one ticket ends and another starts. This requirement does not apply if at least one of the tickets is a season ticket, rail rover or similar. It may also be found that a ticket to a station beyond one's destination is cheaper, but conditions need to be checked carefully. A break of journey may not be permitted, requiring an excess fare to be paid if exiting at an intermediate station. Various websites act as 'consolidators' and will compare what is available in order to offer the best deal, including split ticketing options. <br />
<br />
Various Railcards are available, usually giving a fare reduction of one third. These are available nationally to groups, such as young people, families, senior citizens, two people travelling together, those with a disability and military personnel. Some cards are available to all, but only valid for travel within a particular geographic area. The cost of a Railcard may be recouped immediately if a long-distance journey is planned or if purchasing a high-price ticket such as a national rail rover. Some Railcards only give a discount for off-peak travel. Details of Railcards are available at [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/National-Railcards.aspx National Rail]. Details can be found at the unofficial [http://www.railrover.org/ Rail Rover] website.<br />
<br />
Overseas visitors should endeavour to purchase a rover ticket, such as a [http://www.britrail.net/ BritRail] or InterRail pass, before travelling to the UK. Various rail rovers are available within the UK, but they do not offer the value or wide validity of those available to foreign visitors, and many are not valid until after the morning peak period.<br />
<br />
In various areas where all stations have automatic ticket machines, including on the London Underground and most other tram and metro networks, a penalty fares system applies. Passengers found without a ticket are likely to have to pay a fine on the spot.<br />
<br />
First class seating tends now to be found only on principal routes; in Northern Ireland it is limited to principal trains on the international route between Belfast and Dublin (where NIRailways call it &quot;First plus&quot; while partner Iarnród Éireann call it &quot;Premium&quot;). Eurostar maintain three classes: Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier. On some trains, including many of those operated by Gatwick Express, Great Northern and Southern, there is no difference between first class and standard class seating. If a train including first class seats is used on a service advertised as standard class only, holders of standard class tickets may use the first class seats.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Railways Company Limited, through a subsidiary NIR Networks Limited<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/network-statement/ Network Rail]. The Sectional Appendices are available <br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ here] (scroll down to list of PDFs).<br />
<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Corporate/About-Us/Publications/network-statement/ Translink]<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
*Great Britain: Standard<br />
*Northern Ireland: 1600 mm [5 feet 3 inches]<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
*Great Britain: Mostly 25 kV 50 Hz. 750 V dc third rail is used on some lines in south east England and around Liverpool. The third rail network in south east England is by a considerable margin the most extensive such system in the world and the only place when conductor rail trains operate at up to 100 mph (160 km/hr). The line between Pelaw and Sunderland is electrified at 1500V dc overhead, to allow use by Tyne & Wear Metro. The line between Tinsley North Junction and Rotherham Parkgate is electrified at 750V dc overhead, for use by Sheffield Supertram. Most tramway systems are 750 V dc with Blackpool being 600 V dc.<br />
*Northern Ireland: no electrified lines.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Left.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
*Distances are shown on Railway Track Diagrams published by [https://www.trackmaps.co.uk/ TRACKmaps]. Distances are also available in Network Rail's [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ Sectional Appendices] (scroll down for list of available PDFs).<br />
*Distances for Northern Ireland are also available on-line on the Signalling Record Society website:<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-nc.php Derry and Larne lines]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-bd.php Bangor line]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-gd.php Dublin line]<br />
<br />
==Other railways==<br />
*Core Valley Lines (Cardiff to Rhymney, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert): Owned by the Welsh Government and managed by a lessee, Amey Keolis Infrastructure/Seilwaith Amey Keolis Limited.<br />
*Crossrail Central Operating Section is the railway under Central London from Portobello Junction (Royal Oak) to Pudding Mill Lane Junction (Bow) and Abbey Wood. It is managed by Rail for London (Infrastructure) Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London.<br />
*East London Line: Owned by Rail for London Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London. <br />
*Eurotunnel: A partnership between the Channel Tunnel Group Limited and France-Manche S.A. that operates the Channel Tunnel under a long-term concession from the UK and French governments. <br />
*Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited owns the railway between London Heathrow Airport and the junction with the Great Western Main Line near Hayes & Harlington. <br />
*HS1 Ltd: The investor with a 30 years concession from the UK government to operate the high-speed line between London and the Channel Tunnel, though most aspects of day-to-day operation and maintenance are contracted out to Network Rail. <br />
<br />
Facilities exist for special through running between the national system and some tourist lines.<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
A map of UK heritage railways can be found at the "Heritage Rail - UK & Ireland" link on the [https://www.heritagerailways.com Heritage Railway Association website].<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
London, Newcastle, Glasgow. Although part of the national railway system, the Merseyrail Electrics <br />
network in Liverpool is like a Metro. There are two separate networks in London. The Underground system is 630V dc third and fourth rail; the Docklands Light Railway is a fully-automated 750V dc third rail system. London Overground operates under a contract let by the Mayor of London and uses Transport for London branding, but operates almost entirely on Network Rail lines. The Glasgow and Merseyrail systems are third <br />
rail and Newcastle is 1500 V dc overhead. Glasgow Subway is 4 feet (1,219mm) gauge and was originally cable-worked. There are several lines where London Underground and main line trains share the same tracks. The Tyne & Wear Metro (Newcastle) operates to Sunderland over the Network Rail line from Pelaw.<br />
<br />
The Core Valley Lines from Cardiff are being converted to a form of metro system.<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Birmingham/Wolverhampton (Midland Metro), Blackpool, Croydon, Edinburgh,<br />
Llandudno (cable worked), Manchester, Nottingham, Seaton (Devon) and Sheffield. The Croydon, <br />
Manchester, Midland Metro, Nottingham and Seaton systems include extensive running over <br />
routes that were previously part of the national railway system. The Manchester and Nottingham systems have been considerably extended in recent years. On the Manchester Metrolink system a second route through Manchester city centre came into use on 26 February 2017, and the 5.5 km Trafford Park line opened on 22 March 2020. The Midland Metro in Birmingham was extended to Edgbaston on 17 July 2022 and to Wolverhampton Station on 17 September 2023. The first stage of a line to Brierley Hill is expected to open, to Dudley, in 2024. The extension of the Edinburgh line to Leith and Newhaven opened on 21 June 2023 and plans have been announced for further lines in the city. The Blackpool system Talbot Gateway extension, to Blackpool North station, is expected to be fully open in 2023. A metro system is proposed in Glasgow, but this project is at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
The Seaton and Llandudno lines are essentially tourist operations, and both are narrow gauge. <br />
There are other tourist lines of a mile or more at the National Tramway Museum <br />
(Crich, near Matlock) and at Beamish Open Air Museum (near Gateshead), plus <br />
several other shorter lines. <br />
<br />
The Isle of Man has three narrow gauge tramways, which operate on a seasonal basis: Douglas Bay Horse Tramway - along the promenade in Douglas; the Manx Electric Railway - an inter-urban line between Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey; and the Snaefell Mountain Railway - from Laxey to Snaefell Summit. <br />
After a period of uncertainty, the threat that the horse tramway line in Douglas might be shortened seems to have been seen off by a vote in Tynwald (the Manx parliament) in January 2017. <br />
<br />
The Tinsley Chord, which connects the Sheffield tram system to a freight line near Meadowhall, allows tram-trains to run between Sheffield city centre and Rotherham Parkgate over Network Rail lines. Public services commenced on Thursday 25 October 2018. Sheffield tram-trains are dual voltage vehicles that can run on the 750 V Overhead Lines (OHLE) of the tram network and the 25 kV OHLE of the national rail network; however the line to Rotherham Parkgate is initially energised at 750 V because there is no 25 kV electrification in the area.<br />
<br />
Track plans for most of the significant tram systems in the United Kingdom are available on the [http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/line/diagrams0.shtm Railway Codes site] and also on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/index-e.php Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes== <br />
Some aspects of national railway operations are privatised, but infrastructure ownership has reverted to the public sector. There continues to be debate about the fragmented, expensive and complex nature of the system that has emerged, under the general oversight of the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
===Route Closures and Service Reductions===<br />
Having undergone extensive cut backs in the 1960s, the present passenger network seems relatively secure. The closure of a passenger railway in the UK normally involves a lengthy legal process, and short-notice closures usually occur only if there is a sudden and dramatic infrastructure failure, or if the closure is deemed a &quot;minor closure&quot;. However, a number of stations have closed and all passenger services over some lines have been withdrawn without the statutory procedure having been followed. Passenger services via the Channel Tunnel, or in connection with them, do not enjoy statutory protection from closure. <br />
<br />
Some routes have been reduced to just one or two trains per day (or, in some cases, per week) in order to reduce operating costs without having to go through the closure procedure. These are included in the list of [https://www.egtre.info/wiki/United_Kingdom_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services sparse services].<br />
<br />
A newly-introduced passenger service can be designated as "experimental" for a period up to five years, during which time it may be withdrawn without the usual closure procedure needing to be followed. The only "experimental" service at present is Thanet Parkway station, until 30 July 2028.<br />
<br />
====Passenger services to be withdrawn====<br />
* The railway between Nottingham and Worksop may be diverted at Whitwell to allow expansion of a dolomite quarry. This will eliminate Whitwell Tunnel. No date is set for this, but planning permission to expand the quarry was granted in 2018.<br />
<br />
* Planned diversion of trains between Belfast and Dublin to a new terminal facility - [http://www.translink.co.uk/Translink-Footer/the-hub/ the Belfast Hub] - being constructed close to Belfast Great Victoria Street may see the end of regular passenger services between Central Junction (Adelaide) and City Junction (City Hospital).<br />
<br />
====Closures and significant service reductions in recent years are==== <br />
<br />
'''Passenger service withdrawn, line still open for other than regular passenger traffic:'''<br />
<br />
* Greenford LUL Bay Junction - Northolt Junction: The Wednesdays only train from West Ealing to West Ruislip ran for the last time on 7 December 2022.<br />
<br />
* Cowlairs East Junction - Cowlairs North Junction (Glasgow): The summer Sunday trains between Edinburgh and Oban start and terminate at Glasgow Queen Street in 2023. Last use of the curve by the ScotRail service was on 28 August 2022. It continues to be used by the [https://www.belmond.com/trains/europe/scotland/belmond-royal-scotsman/journeys Royal Scotsman] Western Scenic Wonders tour, but prices start at £5,800.<br />
<br />
* Barking Station Junction - Barking platform 1: No regular passenger traffic from 18 July 2022, when the line to Barking Riverside opened, but occasional diversions may be possible.<br />
<br />
* Dalmeny - Winchburgh Junction: Service withdrawn 23 March 2020, but without the statutory closure procedure having been followed. From 11 Dec 2022 the 22:31 FSSuX Dundee to Edinburgh and 22.58 SuO Glenrothes with Thornton to Edinburgh are scheduled to run this way with reversal at Linlithgow, but are likely to run direct via Edinburgh Gateway if there is no engineering work on that route.<br />
<br />
'''Significant service reduction'''<br />
<br />
* Glenrothes with Thornton - Thornton South Junction: The frequent service via Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy became Sundays only, except for one train each way Mondays to Fridays, with effect from 15 May 2022.<br />
<br />
====Temporary Closures:==== <br />
<br />
Work to upgrade the UK rail network is increasingly leading to lines being closed for extended periods. Severe weather and the age of much railway infrastructure has resulted in more temporary closures caused by landslips and other problems with earthworks. Current and planned temporary closures of four weeks or more, in approximate order of expected re-opening, are: <br />
<br />
* Carlisle to Workington: From 29 February 2024, because of a problem with a viaduct, possibly until mid-April 2024.<br />
* Shipley (Dockfield Junction) to Guisley (Esholt Junction): From 8 February 2024, because of a major land slip, until 24 April 2024 or later.<br />
* Ayr to Stranraer and Kilmarnock to Barassie: From 25 September 2023, probably until spring/summer 2024, because of a dangerous building at Ayr.<br />
* Blackheath to Charlton: 1 June to 10 August 2024, for repairs to Blackheath Tunnel.<br />
* Ashford East Junction, connection to HS1: Eurostar ceased calling at Ashford on 19 March 2020 and will not resume before 2025/6.<br />
<br />
===Re-openings and Openings===<br />
<br />
Most projects involve upgrading existing routes, but some openings have occurred or are about to do so. <br />
<br />
====New and reinstated passenger services in recent years:==== <br />
<br />
New passenger services are: <br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension: The Royal - Wolverhampton Station (17 September 2023). <br />
<br />
* Westbourne Park Junction - Paddington and Stepney Green Junction - Pudding Mill Lane Junction (full opening of Elizabeth line) (6 November 2022) <br />
<br />
* Barking - Barking Riverside (18 July 2022)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension: Library - Edgbaston Village (17 July 2022) <br />
<br />
*Paddington - Abbey Wood (Elizabeth line) (24 May 2022)<br />
<br />
* Newport (Gaer Junction) - Pye Corner (Park Junction) (on introduction of trains between Newport and Crosskeys, 12 December 2021)<br />
<br />
* Crediton - Okehampton (20 November 2021; there was previously a service on summer Sundays)<br />
<br />
* Kennington - Battersea Power Station (London Underground, Northern Line extension, opened September 2021)<br />
<br />
A daily service, generally hourly, was introduced between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester via Runcorn and Frodsham on 19 May 2019. Previously the curve between Halton Junction and Frodsham Junction had been used by a single unadvertised train in one direction only on summer Saturdays.<br />
<br />
On tourist / heritage railways:<br />
<br />
* Llangollen Railway extended passenger services from Carrog to a provisional terminus at Corwen in October 2014 and to the permanent terminus in June 2023. <br />
* the Mid-Norfolk Railway ran inaugural passenger trains to Worthing level crossing (North Elmham) on 19 and 20 May 2018, but regular services continue to terminate at Dereham. The railway aspires to continue to County School. <br />
* The first (very short) section of the Aln Valley Railway officially opened in October 2013, from a new station on the edge of Alnwick, with a longer run available from December 2017. It is planned that the railway will reach the National Rail station at Alnmouth.<br />
* The first section of the re-opened Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, a narrow gauge line, is in operation between Woody Bay and Killington Lane. Extensions towards Lynton and to Blackmoor Gate are planned as the next phase of reconstruction.<br />
<br />
====Projects authorised or under construction are:==== <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the railway between Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) and Levenmouth for passenger services in 2024. It is expected that some trains will run via Cowdenbeath, providing many more via the curve from Thornton West Junction than the current sparse service. <br />
<br />
A Transport & Works Act Order for the introduction of passenger trains over the freight line to Ashington was granted in June 2022 and the line is due to open by December 2024. The UK Government has announced plans to re-open the railway to Fleetwood, but this may become a tramway. The UK Government is also funding feasibility studies into re-opening a number of other lines, but these are at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
Work has started on construction of a high speed railway (HS2) from London to Birmingham, but the line will not be opened until 2026 at the earliest. A flythrough of the route is [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bkoGvw9kbA here]. It is to be followed by Phase 2a as far as Crewe. It is intended that the line will subsequently be extended to Manchester with completion in the mid-2030s. It was originally planned that there would be a branch to Leeds, but this has been cut back to East Midlands Parkway (near Nottingham). The UK Government has also announced that it intends to proceed with a high-speed line from Warrington to Marsden (for Huddersfield) via Manchester. <br />
<br />
<!---Preliminary work on construction of a link between the LUL Watford branch and the former Croxley Green branch was undertaken in 2016. However, the project has stalled, because of lack of agreement as to how further cost escalation would be funded, and can only be regarded as definitively dead, though there has been no formal announcement to this effect. Should the scheme continue, which seems increasingly unlikely, it will result in the closure of Watford LUL station, but the re-opening of most of the Croxley Green branch.---><br />
Plans were being developed for a second Crossrail line, linking south west and north east London. All work on this stopped in autumn 2020, as a result of economies made to deal with the Covid pandemic. It is questionable whether the scheme will be revived, if there is the expected permanent reduction in commuter traffic. <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the derelict line between Calvert and Bletchley. A Transport & Works Act Order for this scheme was granted in February 2020 and services between Oxford and Milton Keynes are scheduled to start in December 2024. The longer-term objective is to re-introduce trains between Oxford and Cambridge. <br />
<br />
[https://heathrowrail.com/ Heathrow Southern Railway] intends to build a new railway south-west from Heathrow Airport to link with the Staines to Windsor line, together with a branch to Virginia Water or Chertsey. <br />
<br />
In the private sector:<br />
* The Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway is constructing an extension from Glengonnar to Wanlockhead.<br />
* Moorland & City Railways have a stated intention to reopen the line between Stoke-on-Trent and Leek Brook Junction, to a junction with the Churnet Valley Railway, but progress seems to be languishing.<br />
* Most ambitiously, the two Great Central Railways at Loughborough are being linked by means of a reinstated bridge over the Midland Main Line. <br />
* The Rother Valley Railway has obtained a Transport and Works Act Order to rebuild the railway between Robertsbridge and Junction Road (Bodiam).<br />
* The Royal Deeside Railway is extending its line to Crathes West Lodge.<br />
* Strathspey Railway is extending to Grantown-on-Spey and during summer 2014 and 2015 offered a limited service between its normal terminus at Broomhill and the river bridge at Dulnain. Further work depends on obtaining statutory powers under the Transport and Works Act and constructing a new bridge to carry the railway over the A95 main road. <br />
* The Helston Railway provides a short ride near Prospidnick, but plans to extend to Helston and eventually to Gwinear Road.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
<br />
Main line electrification in Great Britain came to a virtual standstill following railway privatisation, because private-sector train operators and rolling stock companies preferred the flexibility of diesel traction. The only schemes to proceed were between Crewe and Kidsgrove (near Stoke on Trent) (electrified for diversionary use), the reconstructed Larkhall branch line in Scotland and High Speed 1 (the Channel Tunnel rail link) [see below].<br />
<br />
In 2009 Department for Transport policy shifted towards extending electrification, with significant schemes proposed and a few implemented. However, greatly increased costs have resulted in projects being curtailed and delayed. Poor cost estimating, increased safety standards, over-specification and loss of practical experience of electrification appear to be among the causes. In July 2017 the UK Government announced an end to plans for further railway electrification in England and Wales, with reliance instead on bi-mode diesel/electric trains. This will included converting some electric multiple-units to bi-mode working. There have also been experiments with battery operation. In contrast, the Scottish Government required Network Rail to develop an electrification technical specification that can deliver an "efficient and affordable rolling programme of electrification". <br />
<br />
Electrification schemes recently completed in England and Wales are:<br />
<br />
* Bedford to Corby (May 2021) <br />
<br />
* London (Heathrow Airport Junction) to Cardiff, Chippenham (Christian Malford) and Newbury (Phased introduction of electric services between May 2017 and January 2020). The scheme was cut back to omit Swansea, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Oxford and the Thames Valley branch lines.<br />
<br />
* Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley (May 2019)<br />
<br />
* Manchester to Preston via Bolton (February 2019)<br />
<br />
* Gospel Oak to Woodgrange Park via South Tottenham (January 2019, but limited electric service initially, because of delayed delivery of rolling stock)<br />
<br />
Schemes under way in England:<br />
<br />
* Kettering - Market Harborough<br />
<br />
* Manchester - Huddersfield - Leeds - York <br />
<br />
* Wigan North Western - Lostock Junction (near Bolton) (announced 1 September 2021, expected completion 2024/2025) <br />
<br />
The UK Government has announced that electrification of the Midland Main Line is to be completed to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield.<br />
<br />
The Welsh Government is sponsoring electrification of the Valley Lines from Cardiff to Bargoed, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert. Light rail vehicles are to be used from Cardiff to Coryton and on routes via Radyr. Tri-mode trains will be used from Rhymney to Penarth, Barry Island and the Vale of Glamorgan line, using battery power between Rhymney and Bargoed, and diesel south of Cardiff. <br />
<br />
Following an extensive programme of electrification completed between 2012 and 2019, most lines in Central Scotland are electrified, with recent schemes comprising:<br />
<br />
*Holytown to Kirknewton (Midcalder Jn) via Shotts (Some electric services April 2019, full service May 2019) <br />
<br />
*Glasgow Central (Muirhouse Central Jn) to Barrhead (December 2023, but most trains continue to Kilmarnock or beyond, so remain diesel-worked)<br />
<br />
The line from Falkirk to Grangemouth has also been electrified for freight traffic, but there are proposals to reinstate a passenger service. <br />
<br />
Work has started on electrification to East Kilbride. The line from Haymarket (Edinburgh) to Dalmeny is being electrified as the first phase of a scheme to electrify routes through Fife. Transport Scotland's [https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/rail-services-decarbonisation-action-plan/ ''Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan''], published in July 2020, envisages most lines in Scotland being electrified. Priorities are the Kilmarnock line; Edinburgh to Tweedbank; routes in Fife; and Dunblane to Aberdeen. Later extensions will take electrification to Girvan; Gretna via Dumfries; and Inverness to Perth, Aberdeen and Tain.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of changes more than five years ago see [[United_Kingdom - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special Notes==<br />
<br />
Train numbers in Great Britain follow an alpha-numeric format, thus 1A22. The first digit indicates the type of train (passenger trains are 1, 2 or 9), in most cases the letter indicates its route or destination and the remaining digits identify the particular train. Different trains can and do use the same number, so long as they do not conflict geographically or operate several hours apart. Since December 2021 train numbers have been shown in the National Rail Timetable, but they are not normally used for passenger information purposes. It is more usual for trains to be referred to by their schedule, for example as the "10:00 London King's Cross to Aberdeen". International trains have four digit numbers where the second figure is 0 or 1, which can be treated as letters O and I in the UK.<br />
<br />
Departure sheets listing trains from a station in chronological order are rarely used. The usual format is to list destinations in alphabetic order, and provide details of all trains to each, or to provide timetable posters. Most stations have electronic displays, which indicate all departures (and often arrivals) within the next hour or so.<br />
<br />
It is unusual for information displays and announcements at stations and on trains to be in any language other than English (and Welsh in Wales), though most station name signs in Scotland appear in Gaelic as well as English. Multi-lingual information is normally restricted to dedicated airport services and those using the Channel Tunnel.<br />
<br />
No stations sell international tickets or can make international reservations, though there are facilities to make through bookings from certain stations by Eurostar. <!---International tickets and reservations are available at the We Know London Tourist Services desk in the shopping mall at St Pancras International station.---> Even the range of tickets available from Eurostar is very limited. For guidance on booking travel to and from Europe visit [http://www.seat61.com/Europe.htm#How%20do%20I%20book? The Man in Seat Sixty-One]'s website or see advice from [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/European-Train-Travel.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Selective door opening is increasingly used, particularly in London and South East England. Trains are longer than some station platforms and only doors within the platform are unlocked. Announcements and visual displays advise passengers which carriages they need to be in if wishing to alight. This also happens to a limited extent on the London Underground, but usually only affecting the rearmost pair of doors. <br />
<br />
The only long-distance overnight trains in Great Britain are:<br />
<br />
* [https://www.sleeper.scot/ Caledonian Sleeper] from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness <br />
* Great Western's [https://www.gwr.com/travelling-with-us/night-riviera-sleeper Night Riviera] from London to Penzance<br />
<br />
Sleeping cars are provided, but not couchettes, and seating may be in saloons with non-reclinable seats, where passengers have no control of the lighting. <br />
<br />
Taking bicycles, other than folding ones, by train can be difficult. Space may be limited and some operators require advance reservations for bicycles. More information can be found at [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/cyclists.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Train services at weekends, and especially Saturday evening and Sunday until mid-afternoon, can be extensively altered because of [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.aspx engineering work]. With the paucity of alternative routes and a growing aversion to temporary single line working, buses frequently substitute for trains in such circumstances. There are an increasing number of initiatives to give extended overnight possessions Mondays to Thursdays, in order to reduce the extent of weekend closures. This results in late evening trains being replaced by buses. Trials are being undertaken of mid-week line closures. Blockades of a week or more are increasingly common.<br />
<br />
No trains run in the UK on Christmas Day and very few on Boxing Day, mostly on local services in the London and Glasgow areas. No domestic services run in Scotland on New Year's Day, but there are normally trains between England, Edinburgh and Glasgow. <br />
<br />
Very few stations have left luggage facilities. Unattended luggage may be removed by the police and processes to check that it is safe can be very destructive.<br />
<br />
Railway enthusiasts are welcomed on stations - for guidance when on and about stations refer to [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/railway-enthusiasts/railway-enthusiasts-and-photography-at-stations/ Network Rail's] advice.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox United Kingdom}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=United_Kingdom_-_General_Information&diff=55474United Kingdom - General Information2024-03-22T19:32:08Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Temporary Closures: */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland<br />
<br />
Nomenclature: &quot;Great Britain&quot; comprises the countries of England, Wales, and Scotland. &quot;United Kingdom&quot; (in full: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) comprises Great Britain and the Province of Northern Ireland. &quot;British Isles&quot; is a purely geographical description for the British mainland and the island of Ireland; the latter contains the Province of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are usually regarded as part of the British Isles, although independent of the UK government. All but the Republic of Ireland (which is entirely independent of the UK) are under the British Crown (monarchy).<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Most infrastructure in Great Britain is owned by [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail], a company controlled by the government's [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport Department for Transport] (DfT). Most passenger train services are provided by operators under contracts with DfT, [https://tfl.gov.uk/ Transport for London], [http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk Merseytravel], [http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/ Transport Scotland] or the [http://gov.wales/topics/transport/?lang=en Welsh Government]. Some operators are subsidiaries of major bus companies or national railways from other countries, for example Trenitalia. A UK Government subsidiary, [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/dft-olr-holdings-limited/about DfT OLR Holdings Limited], operates services if the contractor is no longer able to do so, has had the contract terminated because of default or there has been no acceptable tender for provision of the service. [https://www.railholdings.scot/ Scottish Rail Holdings Limited] is the equivalent in Scotland. Full details of passenger train operators are given by links from the [http://www.raildeliverygroup.com/about-us/uk-rail-industry/passenger-freight-track.html Rail Delivery Group] website. Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites. Passenger train operations collectively are known as 'National Rail'. <br />
<br />
A new organisation, [https://gbrtt.co.uk/ Great British Railways] is being established to take strategic control of railways, in England at least, as well as taking over most of Network Rail's functions as infrastructure owner and operator throughout Britain. <br />
<br />
Railways in Northern Ireland are owned by Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (which remains state-owned) and are operated as the [http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/ N I Railways] (NIR) division of Translink.<br />
<br />
Most operators in Great Britain had a franchise agreement, under which they took most of the commercial risk. DfT was considering changes to franchising when the Covid-19 pandemic made the system uneconomic, due to greatly reduced fares income to the operators. Franchises were replaced by Emergency Recovery Management Agreements and subsequently by National Rail Contracts under which the Government meets operating costs and receives fares and other income. The operating company is paid a management fee. Transport for Wales, ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper, LNER, Northern and Southeastern are all being operated by public sector companies. <br />
<br />
The operator of each train is indicated in the electronic National Rail Timetable and <br />
its printed derivatives by means of two-letter codes; for a de-coder and a chronology of <br />
privatisation and transfer/re-branding of Great Britain's passenger railway franchises to <br />
date go to the [http://www.railchronology.free-online.co.uk/ Rail Chronology] website. Basic customer information about and links to the websites of each TOC are available through the [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tocs_maps/tocs/TrainOperators.aspx National Rail] website. Some further information about passenger train operators and past franchisees can be found in the [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-franchise-schedule DfT] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_operating_trains_in_the_United_Kingdom Wikipedia] websites. The Wikipedia list is usually more up to date and accurate than the DfT schedule!<br />
<br />
A small number of operators provide passenger services on the national network which are not under contract to the DfT. These include [http://www.eurostar.com/ ''Eurostar''] which is a unitary undertaking (Eurostar <br />
International Ltd) managed by SNCF, which has a 55% interest in the company. Private investors acquired the UK government's 40% stake in 2015 and SNCB/NMBS owns the remaining 5%. 'Open Access' passenger operators are: <br />
<br />
* [https://www.hulltrains.co.uk/ Hull Trains] between London and Hull <br />
* [https://www.grandcentralrail.com/ Grand Central] between London, Bradford and Sunderland<br />
* [https://www.lumo.co.uk/ Lumo] between London and Edinburgh <br />
<br />
[http://www.granduniontrains.co.uk/ Grand Union Trains] intends to start services between London and Carmarthen in 2025. <br />
<br />
In addition<br />
* [http://www.eurotunnel.com/ Eurotunnel] operates a shuttle service for motor vehicles through the Channel Tunnel; this does not carry foot-passengers (although cyclists can be carried by arrangement)<br />
* [http://www.nymr.co.uk/ North Yorkshire Moors Railway] operates timetabled steam trains through between Pickering/Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby during the summer.<br />
* [http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/ Swanage Railway] and West Coast Railways operated a service between Swanage and Wareham during the summer in 2017, but in 2018 and 2019 there was just a limited Saturday service by the local franchisee, South Western Railway. West Coast Railways again operates trains between Swanage and Wareham on behalf of Swanage Railway between April and September 2023. <br />
* [http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/ West Coast Railways] operates timetabled steam trains between Fort William and Mallaig during the summer, but in practice these get fully booked well in advance. <br />
<br />
All freight trains in Great Britain are operated by competing companies under "open access" conditions. The <i>principal</i> companies are: <br />
<br />
* [http://www.rail.dbschenker.co.uk/rail-uk-en/start/ DB Cargo UK] (formerly English Welsh and Scottish Railway, now a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn of Germany) <br />
* [https://www.freightliner.co.uk/ Freightliner] (owned by US railroad Genesee & Wyoming Inc) <br />
* [http://www.colasrail.co.uk/ Colas Rail] (part of the Bouygues group); <br />
* [http://www.directrailservices.com/ Direct Rail Services] (owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority) <br />
* [http://www.gbrailfreight.com/ GB Railfreight] (owned by Infracapital, an infrastructure equity investor). <br />
<br />
DB Cargo UK, in particular, and GB Railfreight, to a lesser extent, operate charter passenger trains. GB Railfreight also operates the Caledonian Sleeper trains on behalf of Caledonian Sleeper Limited.<br />
<br />
[https://www.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Rail Operations Group] concentrates on rolling stock moves for manufacturers, leasing companies and passenger operators, but started a parcels-carrying business, trading as [https://orion.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Orion] in 2021.<br />
<br />
There are no longer any revenue freight trains in Northern Ireland.<br />
<br />
Neither the Isle of Man nor the Channel Isles (îles Anglo-Normands) is legally part of the UK but the Isle of Man's active railways and tramways are to <br />
be found at the [http://www.heritagerailways.com/Visits_Map.php UK and Irish Heritage Railways website] and under [[#Trams/LRT-Systems|Trams/LRT-Systems]] respectively.<br />
<br />
==Official Website==<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ National Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink]<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
English. In addition Welsh is spoken in most parts of Wales, <br />
and Gaelic is used to a certain extent in north-west Scotland.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Pound sterling. Banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own notes, <br />
which are valid throughout the UK and usually accepted without question. Channel <br />
Islands and Manx notes (but not coins) are technically legal tender in the UK, <br />
but are best changed at banks.<br />
<br />
==UIC code==<br />
* United Kingdom: numeric 70; alpha GB<br />
* Eurotunnel: numeric 69 (used only for accounting purposes and not shown on rolling stock).<br />
<br />
Historically, the only British rolling stock to show UIC numbers were wagons passed to work on the now defunct train ferries from Harwich and Dover or through the Channel Tunnel. The Eurostar class 374 trains, which entered service in 2015, were the first UK-registered passenger stock to have UIC numbers, otherwise known as the European Vehicle Number (EVN). Rail Industry Standard RIS-2453-RST ''Vehicle Registration, Marking and Numbering'', introduced in December 2017, requires new vehicles in Great Britain to be identified by EVN. On passenger vehicles only an abbreviated version is normally show. UIC numbering is not used by NI Railways.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland)===<br />
The official National Rail timetable is published on Network Rail's website (see below), twice yearly (in mid December and mid May). Services on Mondays to Fridays, on Saturdays (or Mondays to Saturdays) and on Sundays are usually different and laid out separately in the timetable; there may be several alternative Sunday services, to allow for engineering work, during the currency of a timetable. [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe] provides a comprehensive guide to printed and on-line public transport timetables.<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
[http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/s/planjourney/query National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner]<br />
<br />
The [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites provide a quick-reference way of checking the latest schedule (or amendment) for any particular train<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetable====<br />
PDFs of the National Railway Timetable are available from the [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/electronic-national-rail-timetable-enrt/ Network Rail] website. These are maintained for Network Rail by [https://timetables.fabdigital.uk/nrt/ Fabdigital] and the version on their website may be more up to date.<br />
<br />
====Working (Staff) Timetables====<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/working-timetable/ Network Rail Working Timetables]<br />
<br />
You can also check for the latest variations to working timetable details for specific trains on the [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites.<br />
<br />
[http://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/working-timetables London Underground working timetables]. DLR is not included.<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
Since May 2020 there has been no comprehensive printed timetable for Great Britain and there are no printed timetable leaflets for most lines.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.html National Rail's future engineering works]<br />
<br />
===Northern Ireland===<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
On the [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink home page].<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetables====<br />
[https://www.translink.co.uk/timetables?LocationId=&Name=&LocationType=&TransportMode=Bus&page=1 Translink bus and rail timetables]<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
A series of four free leaflets is available.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/nirailways-travel-updates/ NIRailways Travel Updates]<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*The ''Rail Atlas Great Britain & Ireland'' gives detailed and accurate coverage of the UK railway system, and is widely available. It is mostly at 1:350,000, but with enlargements of many urban areas; an updated edition is published every 2-3 years.<br />
*[http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps] publish a series of track diagrams (formerly Quail Track Diagrams) in five regional volumes.<br />
*Northern Ireland Railways are in a volume covering the whole of Ireland also published by [http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps]<br />
*Historic atlases have been published by various other publishers.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] (see National Rail Passenger Operators' map) and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/united_kingdom_ireland.html British Isles and Ireland Map]. Last updated December 2022<br />
*[http://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php Rail Map online].<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
There is no distance-related fare tariff in the UK, and fares are charged on a market basis. Certain fares are regulated and the amount by which train companies can increase some fares is specified by the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
Standard walk-on fares are high, but a wide range of discounted fares is available. These are subject to restrictions as to days and times when they can be used. It can be difficult to obtain accurate information as to fares and their availability, even from official enquiry offices, because the pricing structure is complicated and the different train companies are all making their own special offers. The most heavily discounted fares usually oblige the passenger to travel on specified trains (with no opportunity to alter these) - and only a limited number of tickets may be issued for each service. Train operators are increasingly introducing special offers that can only be taken up through their website. Higher fares are charged for use of domestic trains on HS1, the high-speed line to Kent, except for through tickets between Kent and destinations beyond London. <br />
<br />
Tickets for any rail journey in the UK can be purchased from most train operators' websites, but the best price may be available from the operator whose service is being used. It is often possible to obtain a lower price for a journey by splitting it and buying a different ticket for each section. In such cases it is necessary to travel on a train that stops at stations where the validity of one ticket ends and another starts. This requirement does not apply if at least one of the tickets is a season ticket, rail rover or similar. It may also be found that a ticket to a station beyond one's destination is cheaper, but conditions need to be checked carefully. A break of journey may not be permitted, requiring an excess fare to be paid if exiting at an intermediate station. Various websites act as 'consolidators' and will compare what is available in order to offer the best deal, including split ticketing options. <br />
<br />
Various Railcards are available, usually giving a fare reduction of one third. These are available nationally to groups, such as young people, families, senior citizens, two people travelling together, those with a disability and military personnel. Some cards are available to all, but only valid for travel within a particular geographic area. The cost of a Railcard may be recouped immediately if a long-distance journey is planned or if purchasing a high-price ticket such as a national rail rover. Some Railcards only give a discount for off-peak travel. Details of Railcards are available at [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/National-Railcards.aspx National Rail]. Details can be found at the unofficial [http://www.railrover.org/ Rail Rover] website.<br />
<br />
Overseas visitors should endeavour to purchase a rover ticket, such as a [http://www.britrail.net/ BritRail] or InterRail pass, before travelling to the UK. Various rail rovers are available within the UK, but they do not offer the value or wide validity of those available to foreign visitors, and many are not valid until after the morning peak period.<br />
<br />
In various areas where all stations have automatic ticket machines, including on the London Underground and most other tram and metro networks, a penalty fares system applies. Passengers found without a ticket are likely to have to pay a fine on the spot.<br />
<br />
First class seating tends now to be found only on principal routes; in Northern Ireland it is limited to principal trains on the international route between Belfast and Dublin (where NIRailways call it &quot;First plus&quot; while partner Iarnród Éireann call it &quot;Premium&quot;). Eurostar maintain three classes: Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier. On some trains, including many of those operated by Gatwick Express, Great Northern and Southern, there is no difference between first class and standard class seating. If a train including first class seats is used on a service advertised as standard class only, holders of standard class tickets may use the first class seats.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Railways Company Limited, through a subsidiary NIR Networks Limited<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/network-statement/ Network Rail]. The Sectional Appendices are available <br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ here] (scroll down to list of PDFs).<br />
<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Corporate/About-Us/Publications/network-statement/ Translink]<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
*Great Britain: Standard<br />
*Northern Ireland: 1600 mm [5 feet 3 inches]<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
*Great Britain: Mostly 25 kV 50 Hz. 750 V dc third rail is used on some lines in south east England and around Liverpool. The third rail network in south east England is by a considerable margin the most extensive such system in the world and the only place when conductor rail trains operate at up to 100 mph (160 km/hr). The line between Pelaw and Sunderland is electrified at 1500V dc overhead, to allow use by Tyne & Wear Metro. The line between Tinsley North Junction and Rotherham Parkgate is electrified at 750V dc overhead, for use by Sheffield Supertram. Most tramway systems are 750 V dc with Blackpool being 600 V dc.<br />
*Northern Ireland: no electrified lines.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Left.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
*Distances are shown on Railway Track Diagrams published by [https://www.trackmaps.co.uk/ TRACKmaps]. Distances are also available in Network Rail's [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ Sectional Appendices] (scroll down for list of available PDFs).<br />
*Distances for Northern Ireland are also available on-line on the Signalling Record Society website:<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-nc.php Derry and Larne lines]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-bd.php Bangor line]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-gd.php Dublin line]<br />
<br />
==Other railways==<br />
*Core Valley Lines (Cardiff to Rhymney, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert): Owned by the Welsh Government and managed by a lessee, Amey Keolis Infrastructure/Seilwaith Amey Keolis Limited.<br />
*Crossrail Central Operating Section is the railway under Central London from Portobello Junction (Royal Oak) to Pudding Mill Lane Junction (Bow) and Abbey Wood. It is managed by Rail for London (Infrastructure) Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London.<br />
*East London Line: Owned by Rail for London Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London. <br />
*Eurotunnel: A partnership between the Channel Tunnel Group Limited and France-Manche S.A. that operates the Channel Tunnel under a long-term concession from the UK and French governments. <br />
*Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited owns the railway between London Heathrow Airport and the junction with the Great Western Main Line near Hayes & Harlington. <br />
*HS1 Ltd: The investor with a 30 years concession from the UK government to operate the high-speed line between London and the Channel Tunnel, though most aspects of day-to-day operation and maintenance are contracted out to Network Rail. <br />
<br />
Facilities exist for special through running between the national system and some tourist lines.<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
A map of UK heritage railways can be found at the "Heritage Rail - UK & Ireland" link on the [https://www.heritagerailways.com Heritage Railway Association website].<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
London, Newcastle, Glasgow. Although part of the national railway system, the Merseyrail Electrics <br />
network in Liverpool is like a Metro. There are two separate networks in London. The Underground system is 630V dc third and fourth rail; the Docklands Light Railway is a fully-automated 750V dc third rail system. London Overground operates under a contract let by the Mayor of London and uses Transport for London branding, but operates almost entirely on Network Rail lines. The Glasgow and Merseyrail systems are third <br />
rail and Newcastle is 1500 V dc overhead. Glasgow Subway is 4 feet (1,219mm) gauge and was originally cable-worked. There are several lines where London Underground and main line trains share the same tracks. The Tyne & Wear Metro (Newcastle) operates to Sunderland over the Network Rail line from Pelaw.<br />
<br />
The Core Valley Lines from Cardiff are being converted to a form of metro system.<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Birmingham/Wolverhampton (Midland Metro), Blackpool, Croydon, Edinburgh,<br />
Llandudno (cable worked), Manchester, Nottingham, Seaton (Devon) and Sheffield. The Croydon, <br />
Manchester, Midland Metro, Nottingham and Seaton systems include extensive running over <br />
routes that were previously part of the national railway system. The Manchester and Nottingham systems have been considerably extended in recent years. On the Manchester Metrolink system a second route through Manchester city centre came into use on 26 February 2017, and the 5.5 km Trafford Park line opened on 22 March 2020. The Midland Metro in Birmingham was extended to Edgbaston on 17 July 2022 and to Wolverhampton Station on 17 September 2023. The first stage of a line to Brierley Hill is expected to open, to Dudley, in 2024. The extension of the Edinburgh line to Leith and Newhaven opened on 21 June 2023 and plans have been announced for further lines in the city. The Blackpool system Talbot Gateway extension, to Blackpool North station, is expected to be fully open in 2023. A metro system is proposed in Glasgow, but this project is at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
The Seaton and Llandudno lines are essentially tourist operations, and both are narrow gauge. <br />
There are other tourist lines of a mile or more at the National Tramway Museum <br />
(Crich, near Matlock) and at Beamish Open Air Museum (near Gateshead), plus <br />
several other shorter lines. <br />
<br />
The Isle of Man has three narrow gauge tramways, which operate on a seasonal basis: Douglas Bay Horse Tramway - along the promenade in Douglas; the Manx Electric Railway - an inter-urban line between Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey; and the Snaefell Mountain Railway - from Laxey to Snaefell Summit. <br />
After a period of uncertainty, the threat that the horse tramway line in Douglas might be shortened seems to have been seen off by a vote in Tynwald (the Manx parliament) in January 2017. <br />
<br />
The Tinsley Chord, which connects the Sheffield tram system to a freight line near Meadowhall, allows tram-trains to run between Sheffield city centre and Rotherham Parkgate over Network Rail lines. Public services commenced on Thursday 25 October 2018. Sheffield tram-trains are dual voltage vehicles that can run on the 750 V Overhead Lines (OHLE) of the tram network and the 25 kV OHLE of the national rail network; however the line to Rotherham Parkgate is initially energised at 750 V because there is no 25 kV electrification in the area.<br />
<br />
Track plans for most of the significant tram systems in the United Kingdom are available on the [http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/line/diagrams0.shtm Railway Codes site] and also on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/index-e.php Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes== <br />
Some aspects of national railway operations are privatised, but infrastructure ownership has reverted to the public sector. There continues to be debate about the fragmented, expensive and complex nature of the system that has emerged, under the general oversight of the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
===Route Closures and Service Reductions===<br />
Having undergone extensive cut backs in the 1960s, the present passenger network seems relatively secure. The closure of a passenger railway in the UK normally involves a lengthy legal process, and short-notice closures usually occur only if there is a sudden and dramatic infrastructure failure, or if the closure is deemed a &quot;minor closure&quot;. However, a number of stations have closed and all passenger services over some lines have been withdrawn without the statutory procedure having been followed. Passenger services via the Channel Tunnel, or in connection with them, do not enjoy statutory protection from closure. <br />
<br />
Some routes have been reduced to just one or two trains per day (or, in some cases, per week) in order to reduce operating costs without having to go through the closure procedure. These are included in the list of [https://www.egtre.info/wiki/United_Kingdom_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services sparse services].<br />
<br />
A newly-introduced passenger service can be designated as "experimental" for a period up to five years, during which time it may be withdrawn without the usual closure procedure needing to be followed. The only "experimental" service at present is Thanet Parkway station, until 30 July 2028.<br />
<br />
====Passenger services to be withdrawn====<br />
* The railway between Nottingham and Worksop may be diverted at Whitwell to allow expansion of a dolomite quarry. This will eliminate Whitwell Tunnel. No date is set for this, but planning permission to expand the quarry was granted in 2018.<br />
<br />
* Planned diversion of trains between Belfast and Dublin to a new terminal facility - [http://www.translink.co.uk/Translink-Footer/the-hub/ the Belfast Hub] - being constructed close to Belfast Great Victoria Street may see the end of regular passenger services between Central Junction (Adelaide) and City Junction (City Hospital).<br />
<br />
====Closures and significant service reductions in recent years are==== <br />
<br />
'''Passenger service withdrawn, line still open for other than regular passenger traffic:'''<br />
<br />
* Greenford LUL Bay Junction - Northolt Junction: The Wednesdays only train from West Ealing to West Ruislip ran for the last time on 7 December 2022.<br />
<br />
* Cowlairs East Junction - Cowlairs North Junction (Glasgow): The summer Sunday trains between Edinburgh and Oban start and terminate at Glasgow Queen Street in 2023. Last use of the curve by the ScotRail service was on 28 August 2022. It continues to be used by the [https://www.belmond.com/trains/europe/scotland/belmond-royal-scotsman/journeys Royal Scotsman] Western Scenic Wonders tour, but prices start at £5,800.<br />
<br />
* Barking Station Junction - Barking platform 1: No regular passenger traffic from 18 July 2022, when the line to Barking Riverside opened, but occasional diversions may be possible.<br />
<br />
* Dalmeny - Winchburgh Junction: Service withdrawn 23 March 2020, but without the statutory closure procedure having been followed. From 11 Dec 2022 the 22:31 FSSuX Dundee to Edinburgh and 22.58 SuO Glenrothes with Thornton to Edinburgh are scheduled to run this way with reversal at Linlithgow, but are likely to run direct via Edinburgh Gateway if there is no engineering work on that route.<br />
<br />
'''Significant service reduction'''<br />
<br />
* Glenrothes with Thornton - Thornton South Junction: The frequent service via Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy became Sundays only, except for one train each way Mondays to Fridays, with effect from 15 May 2022.<br />
<br />
====Temporary Closures:==== <br />
<br />
Work to upgrade the UK rail network is increasingly leading to lines being closed for extended periods. Severe weather and the age of much railway infrastructure has resulted in more temporary closures caused by landslips and other problems with earthworks. Current and planned temporary closures of four weeks or more, in approximate order of expected re-opening, are: <br />
<br />
* Carlisle to Workington: From 29 February 2024, because of a problem with a viaduct, possibly until mid-April 2024.<br />
* Shipley (Dockfield Junction) to Guisley (Esholt Junction): From 8 February 2024, because of a major land slip, until 24 April 2024 or later.<br />
* Ayr to Stranraer and Kilmarnock to Barassie: From 25 September 2023, probably until spring/summer 2024, because of a dangerous building at Ayr.<br />
* Blackheath to Charlton: 1 June to 10 August 2024, for repairs to Blackheath Tunnel.<br />
* Ashford East Junction, connection to HS1: Eurostar ceased calling at Ashford on 19 March 2020 and will not resume before 2025/6.<br />
<br />
===Re-openings and Openings===<br />
<br />
Most projects involve upgrading existing routes, but some openings have occurred or are about to do so. <br />
<br />
====New and reinstated passenger services in recent years:==== <br />
<br />
New passenger services are: <br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension - The Royal - Wolverhampton Station (17 September 2023). <br />
<br />
* Westbourne Park Junction - Paddington and Stepney Green Junction - Pudding Mill Lane Junction (full opening of Elizabeth line) (6 November 2022) <br />
<br />
* Barking - Barking Riverside (18 July 2022)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension - Library - Edgbaston Village (17 July 2022) <br />
<br />
*Paddington - Abbey Wood (Elizabeth line) (24 May 2022)<br />
<br />
* Newport (Gaer Junction) - Pye Corner (Park Junction) (on introduction of trains between Newport and Crosskeys, 12 December 2021)<br />
<br />
* Crediton - Okehampton (20 November 2021; there was previously a service on summer Sundays)<br />
<br />
* Kennington - Battersea Power Station (London Underground, Northern Line extension, opened September 2021)<br />
<br />
A daily service, generally hourly, was introduced between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester via Runcorn and Frodsham on 19 May 2019. Previously the curve between Halton Junction and Frodsham Junction had been used by a single unadvertised train in one direction only on summer Saturdays.<br />
<br />
On tourist / heritage railways:<br />
<br />
* Llangollen Railway extended passenger services from Carrog to a provisional terminus at Corwen in October 2014 and to the permanent terminus in June 2023. <br />
* the Mid-Norfolk Railway ran inaugural passenger trains to Worthing level crossing (North Elmham) on 19 and 20 May 2018, but regular services continue to terminate at Dereham. The railway aspires to continue to County School. <br />
* The first (very short) section of the Aln Valley Railway officially opened in October 2013, from a new station on the edge of Alnwick, with a longer run available from December 2017. It is planned that the railway will reach the National Rail station at Alnmouth.<br />
* The first section of the re-opened Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, a narrow gauge line, is in operation between Woody Bay and Killington Lane. Extensions towards Lynton and to Blackmoor Gate are planned as the next phase of reconstruction.<br />
<br />
====Projects authorised or under construction are:==== <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the railway between Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) and Levenmouth for passenger services in 2024. It is expected that some trains will run via Cowdenbeath, providing many more via the curve from Thornton West Junction than the current sparse service. <br />
<br />
A Transport & Works Act Order for the introduction of passenger trains over the freight line to Ashington was granted in June 2022 and the line is due to open by December 2024. The UK Government has announced plans to re-open the railway to Fleetwood, but this may become a tramway. The UK Government is also funding feasibility studies into re-opening a number of other lines, but these are at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
Work has started on construction of a high speed railway (HS2) from London to Birmingham, but the line will not be opened until 2026 at the earliest. A flythrough of the route is [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bkoGvw9kbA here]. It is to be followed by Phase 2a as far as Crewe. It is intended that the line will subsequently be extended to Manchester with completion in the mid-2030s. It was originally planned that there would be a branch to Leeds, but this has been cut back to East Midlands Parkway (near Nottingham). The UK Government has also announced that it intends to proceed with a high-speed line from Warrington to Marsden (for Huddersfield) via Manchester. <br />
<br />
<!---Preliminary work on construction of a link between the LUL Watford branch and the former Croxley Green branch was undertaken in 2016. However, the project has stalled, because of lack of agreement as to how further cost escalation would be funded, and can only be regarded as definitively dead, though there has been no formal announcement to this effect. Should the scheme continue, which seems increasingly unlikely, it will result in the closure of Watford LUL station, but the re-opening of most of the Croxley Green branch.---><br />
Plans were being developed for a second Crossrail line, linking south west and north east London. All work on this stopped in autumn 2020, as a result of economies made to deal with the Covid pandemic. It is questionable whether the scheme will be revived, if there is the expected permanent reduction in commuter traffic. <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the derelict line between Calvert and Bletchley. A Transport & Works Act Order for this scheme was granted in February 2020 and services between Oxford and Milton Keynes are scheduled to start in December 2024. The longer-term objective is to re-introduce trains between Oxford and Cambridge. <br />
<br />
[https://heathrowrail.com/ Heathrow Southern Railway] intends to build a new railway south-west from Heathrow Airport to link with the Staines to Windsor line, together with a branch to Virginia Water or Chertsey. <br />
<br />
In the private sector:<br />
* The Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway is constructing an extension from Glengonnar to Wanlockhead.<br />
* Moorland & City Railways have a stated intention to reopen the line between Stoke-on-Trent and Leek Brook Junction, to a junction with the Churnet Valley Railway, but progress seems to be languishing.<br />
* Most ambitiously, the two Great Central Railways at Loughborough are being linked by means of a reinstated bridge over the Midland Main Line. <br />
* The Rother Valley Railway has obtained a Transport and Works Act Order to rebuild the railway between Robertsbridge and Junction Road (Bodiam).<br />
* The Royal Deeside Railway is extending its line to Crathes West Lodge.<br />
* Strathspey Railway is extending to Grantown-on-Spey and during summer 2014 and 2015 offered a limited service between its normal terminus at Broomhill and the river bridge at Dulnain. Further work depends on obtaining statutory powers under the Transport and Works Act and constructing a new bridge to carry the railway over the A95 main road. <br />
* The Helston Railway provides a short ride near Prospidnick, but plans to extend to Helston and eventually to Gwinear Road.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
<br />
Main line electrification in Great Britain came to a virtual standstill following railway privatisation, because private-sector train operators and rolling stock companies preferred the flexibility of diesel traction. The only schemes to proceed were between Crewe and Kidsgrove (near Stoke on Trent) (electrified for diversionary use), the reconstructed Larkhall branch line in Scotland and High Speed 1 (the Channel Tunnel rail link) [see below].<br />
<br />
In 2009 Department for Transport policy shifted towards extending electrification, with significant schemes proposed and a few implemented. However, greatly increased costs have resulted in projects being curtailed and delayed. Poor cost estimating, increased safety standards, over-specification and loss of practical experience of electrification appear to be among the causes. In July 2017 the UK Government announced an end to plans for further railway electrification in England and Wales, with reliance instead on bi-mode diesel/electric trains. This will included converting some electric multiple-units to bi-mode working. There have also been experiments with battery operation. In contrast, the Scottish Government required Network Rail to develop an electrification technical specification that can deliver an "efficient and affordable rolling programme of electrification". <br />
<br />
Electrification schemes recently completed in England and Wales are:<br />
<br />
* Bedford to Corby (May 2021) <br />
<br />
* London (Heathrow Airport Junction) to Cardiff, Chippenham (Christian Malford) and Newbury (Phased introduction of electric services between May 2017 and January 2020). The scheme was cut back to omit Swansea, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Oxford and the Thames Valley branch lines.<br />
<br />
* Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley (May 2019)<br />
<br />
* Manchester to Preston via Bolton (February 2019)<br />
<br />
* Gospel Oak to Woodgrange Park via South Tottenham (January 2019, but limited electric service initially, because of delayed delivery of rolling stock)<br />
<br />
Schemes under way in England:<br />
<br />
* Kettering - Market Harborough<br />
<br />
* Manchester - Huddersfield - Leeds - York <br />
<br />
* Wigan North Western - Lostock Junction (near Bolton) (announced 1 September 2021, expected completion 2024/2025) <br />
<br />
The UK Government has announced that electrification of the Midland Main Line is to be completed to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield.<br />
<br />
The Welsh Government is sponsoring electrification of the Valley Lines from Cardiff to Bargoed, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert. Light rail vehicles are to be used from Cardiff to Coryton and on routes via Radyr. Tri-mode trains will be used from Rhymney to Penarth, Barry Island and the Vale of Glamorgan line, using battery power between Rhymney and Bargoed, and diesel south of Cardiff. <br />
<br />
Following an extensive programme of electrification completed between 2012 and 2019, most lines in Central Scotland are electrified, with recent schemes comprising:<br />
<br />
*Holytown to Kirknewton (Midcalder Jn) via Shotts (Some electric services April 2019, full service May 2019) <br />
<br />
*Glasgow Central (Muirhouse Central Jn) to Barrhead (December 2023, but most trains continue to Kilmarnock or beyond, so remain diesel-worked)<br />
<br />
The line from Falkirk to Grangemouth has also been electrified for freight traffic, but there are proposals to reinstate a passenger service. <br />
<br />
Work has started on electrification to East Kilbride. The line from Haymarket (Edinburgh) to Dalmeny is being electrified as the first phase of a scheme to electrify routes through Fife. Transport Scotland's [https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/rail-services-decarbonisation-action-plan/ ''Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan''], published in July 2020, envisages most lines in Scotland being electrified. Priorities are the Kilmarnock line; Edinburgh to Tweedbank; routes in Fife; and Dunblane to Aberdeen. Later extensions will take electrification to Girvan; Gretna via Dumfries; and Inverness to Perth, Aberdeen and Tain.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of changes more than five years ago see [[United_Kingdom - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special Notes==<br />
<br />
Train numbers in Great Britain follow an alpha-numeric format, thus 1A22. The first digit indicates the type of train (passenger trains are 1, 2 or 9), in most cases the letter indicates its route or destination and the remaining digits identify the particular train. Different trains can and do use the same number, so long as they do not conflict geographically or operate several hours apart. Since December 2021 train numbers have been shown in the National Rail Timetable, but they are not normally used for passenger information purposes. It is more usual for trains to be referred to by their schedule, for example as the "10:00 London King's Cross to Aberdeen". International trains have four digit numbers where the second figure is 0 or 1, which can be treated as letters O and I in the UK.<br />
<br />
Departure sheets listing trains from a station in chronological order are rarely used. The usual format is to list destinations in alphabetic order, and provide details of all trains to each, or to provide timetable posters. Most stations have electronic displays, which indicate all departures (and often arrivals) within the next hour or so.<br />
<br />
It is unusual for information displays and announcements at stations and on trains to be in any language other than English (and Welsh in Wales), though most station name signs in Scotland appear in Gaelic as well as English. Multi-lingual information is normally restricted to dedicated airport services and those using the Channel Tunnel.<br />
<br />
No stations sell international tickets or can make international reservations, though there are facilities to make through bookings from certain stations by Eurostar. <!---International tickets and reservations are available at the We Know London Tourist Services desk in the shopping mall at St Pancras International station.---> Even the range of tickets available from Eurostar is very limited. For guidance on booking travel to and from Europe visit [http://www.seat61.com/Europe.htm#How%20do%20I%20book? The Man in Seat Sixty-One]'s website or see advice from [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/European-Train-Travel.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Selective door opening is increasingly used, particularly in London and South East England. Trains are longer than some station platforms and only doors within the platform are unlocked. Announcements and visual displays advise passengers which carriages they need to be in if wishing to alight. This also happens to a limited extent on the London Underground, but usually only affecting the rearmost pair of doors. <br />
<br />
The only long-distance overnight trains in Great Britain are:<br />
<br />
* [https://www.sleeper.scot/ Caledonian Sleeper] from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness <br />
* Great Western's [https://www.gwr.com/travelling-with-us/night-riviera-sleeper Night Riviera] from London to Penzance<br />
<br />
Sleeping cars are provided, but not couchettes, and seating may be in saloons with non-reclinable seats, where passengers have no control of the lighting. <br />
<br />
Taking bicycles, other than folding ones, by train can be difficult. Space may be limited and some operators require advance reservations for bicycles. More information can be found at [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/cyclists.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Train services at weekends, and especially Saturday evening and Sunday until mid-afternoon, can be extensively altered because of [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.aspx engineering work]. With the paucity of alternative routes and a growing aversion to temporary single line working, buses frequently substitute for trains in such circumstances. There are an increasing number of initiatives to give extended overnight possessions Mondays to Thursdays, in order to reduce the extent of weekend closures. This results in late evening trains being replaced by buses. Trials are being undertaken of mid-week line closures. Blockades of a week or more are increasingly common.<br />
<br />
No trains run in the UK on Christmas Day and very few on Boxing Day, mostly on local services in the London and Glasgow areas. No domestic services run in Scotland on New Year's Day, but there are normally trains between England, Edinburgh and Glasgow. <br />
<br />
Very few stations have left luggage facilities. Unattended luggage may be removed by the police and processes to check that it is safe can be very destructive.<br />
<br />
Railway enthusiasts are welcomed on stations - for guidance when on and about stations refer to [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/railway-enthusiasts/railway-enthusiasts-and-photography-at-stations/ Network Rail's] advice.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox United Kingdom}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=United_Kingdom_-_General_Information&diff=55473United Kingdom - General Information2024-03-22T19:31:45Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Temporary Closures: */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland<br />
<br />
Nomenclature: &quot;Great Britain&quot; comprises the countries of England, Wales, and Scotland. &quot;United Kingdom&quot; (in full: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) comprises Great Britain and the Province of Northern Ireland. &quot;British Isles&quot; is a purely geographical description for the British mainland and the island of Ireland; the latter contains the Province of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are usually regarded as part of the British Isles, although independent of the UK government. All but the Republic of Ireland (which is entirely independent of the UK) are under the British Crown (monarchy).<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Most infrastructure in Great Britain is owned by [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail], a company controlled by the government's [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport Department for Transport] (DfT). Most passenger train services are provided by operators under contracts with DfT, [https://tfl.gov.uk/ Transport for London], [http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk Merseytravel], [http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/ Transport Scotland] or the [http://gov.wales/topics/transport/?lang=en Welsh Government]. Some operators are subsidiaries of major bus companies or national railways from other countries, for example Trenitalia. A UK Government subsidiary, [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/dft-olr-holdings-limited/about DfT OLR Holdings Limited], operates services if the contractor is no longer able to do so, has had the contract terminated because of default or there has been no acceptable tender for provision of the service. [https://www.railholdings.scot/ Scottish Rail Holdings Limited] is the equivalent in Scotland. Full details of passenger train operators are given by links from the [http://www.raildeliverygroup.com/about-us/uk-rail-industry/passenger-freight-track.html Rail Delivery Group] website. Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites. Passenger train operations collectively are known as 'National Rail'. <br />
<br />
A new organisation, [https://gbrtt.co.uk/ Great British Railways] is being established to take strategic control of railways, in England at least, as well as taking over most of Network Rail's functions as infrastructure owner and operator throughout Britain. <br />
<br />
Railways in Northern Ireland are owned by Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (which remains state-owned) and are operated as the [http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/ N I Railways] (NIR) division of Translink.<br />
<br />
Most operators in Great Britain had a franchise agreement, under which they took most of the commercial risk. DfT was considering changes to franchising when the Covid-19 pandemic made the system uneconomic, due to greatly reduced fares income to the operators. Franchises were replaced by Emergency Recovery Management Agreements and subsequently by National Rail Contracts under which the Government meets operating costs and receives fares and other income. The operating company is paid a management fee. Transport for Wales, ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper, LNER, Northern and Southeastern are all being operated by public sector companies. <br />
<br />
The operator of each train is indicated in the electronic National Rail Timetable and <br />
its printed derivatives by means of two-letter codes; for a de-coder and a chronology of <br />
privatisation and transfer/re-branding of Great Britain's passenger railway franchises to <br />
date go to the [http://www.railchronology.free-online.co.uk/ Rail Chronology] website. Basic customer information about and links to the websites of each TOC are available through the [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tocs_maps/tocs/TrainOperators.aspx National Rail] website. Some further information about passenger train operators and past franchisees can be found in the [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-franchise-schedule DfT] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_operating_trains_in_the_United_Kingdom Wikipedia] websites. The Wikipedia list is usually more up to date and accurate than the DfT schedule!<br />
<br />
A small number of operators provide passenger services on the national network which are not under contract to the DfT. These include [http://www.eurostar.com/ ''Eurostar''] which is a unitary undertaking (Eurostar <br />
International Ltd) managed by SNCF, which has a 55% interest in the company. Private investors acquired the UK government's 40% stake in 2015 and SNCB/NMBS owns the remaining 5%. 'Open Access' passenger operators are: <br />
<br />
* [https://www.hulltrains.co.uk/ Hull Trains] between London and Hull <br />
* [https://www.grandcentralrail.com/ Grand Central] between London, Bradford and Sunderland<br />
* [https://www.lumo.co.uk/ Lumo] between London and Edinburgh <br />
<br />
[http://www.granduniontrains.co.uk/ Grand Union Trains] intends to start services between London and Carmarthen in 2025. <br />
<br />
In addition<br />
* [http://www.eurotunnel.com/ Eurotunnel] operates a shuttle service for motor vehicles through the Channel Tunnel; this does not carry foot-passengers (although cyclists can be carried by arrangement)<br />
* [http://www.nymr.co.uk/ North Yorkshire Moors Railway] operates timetabled steam trains through between Pickering/Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby during the summer.<br />
* [http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/ Swanage Railway] and West Coast Railways operated a service between Swanage and Wareham during the summer in 2017, but in 2018 and 2019 there was just a limited Saturday service by the local franchisee, South Western Railway. West Coast Railways again operates trains between Swanage and Wareham on behalf of Swanage Railway between April and September 2023. <br />
* [http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/ West Coast Railways] operates timetabled steam trains between Fort William and Mallaig during the summer, but in practice these get fully booked well in advance. <br />
<br />
All freight trains in Great Britain are operated by competing companies under "open access" conditions. The <i>principal</i> companies are: <br />
<br />
* [http://www.rail.dbschenker.co.uk/rail-uk-en/start/ DB Cargo UK] (formerly English Welsh and Scottish Railway, now a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn of Germany) <br />
* [https://www.freightliner.co.uk/ Freightliner] (owned by US railroad Genesee & Wyoming Inc) <br />
* [http://www.colasrail.co.uk/ Colas Rail] (part of the Bouygues group); <br />
* [http://www.directrailservices.com/ Direct Rail Services] (owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority) <br />
* [http://www.gbrailfreight.com/ GB Railfreight] (owned by Infracapital, an infrastructure equity investor). <br />
<br />
DB Cargo UK, in particular, and GB Railfreight, to a lesser extent, operate charter passenger trains. GB Railfreight also operates the Caledonian Sleeper trains on behalf of Caledonian Sleeper Limited.<br />
<br />
[https://www.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Rail Operations Group] concentrates on rolling stock moves for manufacturers, leasing companies and passenger operators, but started a parcels-carrying business, trading as [https://orion.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Orion] in 2021.<br />
<br />
There are no longer any revenue freight trains in Northern Ireland.<br />
<br />
Neither the Isle of Man nor the Channel Isles (îles Anglo-Normands) is legally part of the UK but the Isle of Man's active railways and tramways are to <br />
be found at the [http://www.heritagerailways.com/Visits_Map.php UK and Irish Heritage Railways website] and under [[#Trams/LRT-Systems|Trams/LRT-Systems]] respectively.<br />
<br />
==Official Website==<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ National Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink]<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
English. In addition Welsh is spoken in most parts of Wales, <br />
and Gaelic is used to a certain extent in north-west Scotland.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Pound sterling. Banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own notes, <br />
which are valid throughout the UK and usually accepted without question. Channel <br />
Islands and Manx notes (but not coins) are technically legal tender in the UK, <br />
but are best changed at banks.<br />
<br />
==UIC code==<br />
* United Kingdom: numeric 70; alpha GB<br />
* Eurotunnel: numeric 69 (used only for accounting purposes and not shown on rolling stock).<br />
<br />
Historically, the only British rolling stock to show UIC numbers were wagons passed to work on the now defunct train ferries from Harwich and Dover or through the Channel Tunnel. The Eurostar class 374 trains, which entered service in 2015, were the first UK-registered passenger stock to have UIC numbers, otherwise known as the European Vehicle Number (EVN). Rail Industry Standard RIS-2453-RST ''Vehicle Registration, Marking and Numbering'', introduced in December 2017, requires new vehicles in Great Britain to be identified by EVN. On passenger vehicles only an abbreviated version is normally show. UIC numbering is not used by NI Railways.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland)===<br />
The official National Rail timetable is published on Network Rail's website (see below), twice yearly (in mid December and mid May). Services on Mondays to Fridays, on Saturdays (or Mondays to Saturdays) and on Sundays are usually different and laid out separately in the timetable; there may be several alternative Sunday services, to allow for engineering work, during the currency of a timetable. [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe] provides a comprehensive guide to printed and on-line public transport timetables.<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
[http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/s/planjourney/query National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner]<br />
<br />
The [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites provide a quick-reference way of checking the latest schedule (or amendment) for any particular train<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetable====<br />
PDFs of the National Railway Timetable are available from the [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/electronic-national-rail-timetable-enrt/ Network Rail] website. These are maintained for Network Rail by [https://timetables.fabdigital.uk/nrt/ Fabdigital] and the version on their website may be more up to date.<br />
<br />
====Working (Staff) Timetables====<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/working-timetable/ Network Rail Working Timetables]<br />
<br />
You can also check for the latest variations to working timetable details for specific trains on the [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites.<br />
<br />
[http://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/working-timetables London Underground working timetables]. DLR is not included.<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
Since May 2020 there has been no comprehensive printed timetable for Great Britain and there are no printed timetable leaflets for most lines.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.html National Rail's future engineering works]<br />
<br />
===Northern Ireland===<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
On the [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink home page].<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetables====<br />
[https://www.translink.co.uk/timetables?LocationId=&Name=&LocationType=&TransportMode=Bus&page=1 Translink bus and rail timetables]<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
A series of four free leaflets is available.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/nirailways-travel-updates/ NIRailways Travel Updates]<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*The ''Rail Atlas Great Britain & Ireland'' gives detailed and accurate coverage of the UK railway system, and is widely available. It is mostly at 1:350,000, but with enlargements of many urban areas; an updated edition is published every 2-3 years.<br />
*[http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps] publish a series of track diagrams (formerly Quail Track Diagrams) in five regional volumes.<br />
*Northern Ireland Railways are in a volume covering the whole of Ireland also published by [http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps]<br />
*Historic atlases have been published by various other publishers.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] (see National Rail Passenger Operators' map) and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/united_kingdom_ireland.html British Isles and Ireland Map]. Last updated December 2022<br />
*[http://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php Rail Map online].<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
There is no distance-related fare tariff in the UK, and fares are charged on a market basis. Certain fares are regulated and the amount by which train companies can increase some fares is specified by the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
Standard walk-on fares are high, but a wide range of discounted fares is available. These are subject to restrictions as to days and times when they can be used. It can be difficult to obtain accurate information as to fares and their availability, even from official enquiry offices, because the pricing structure is complicated and the different train companies are all making their own special offers. The most heavily discounted fares usually oblige the passenger to travel on specified trains (with no opportunity to alter these) - and only a limited number of tickets may be issued for each service. Train operators are increasingly introducing special offers that can only be taken up through their website. Higher fares are charged for use of domestic trains on HS1, the high-speed line to Kent, except for through tickets between Kent and destinations beyond London. <br />
<br />
Tickets for any rail journey in the UK can be purchased from most train operators' websites, but the best price may be available from the operator whose service is being used. It is often possible to obtain a lower price for a journey by splitting it and buying a different ticket for each section. In such cases it is necessary to travel on a train that stops at stations where the validity of one ticket ends and another starts. This requirement does not apply if at least one of the tickets is a season ticket, rail rover or similar. It may also be found that a ticket to a station beyond one's destination is cheaper, but conditions need to be checked carefully. A break of journey may not be permitted, requiring an excess fare to be paid if exiting at an intermediate station. Various websites act as 'consolidators' and will compare what is available in order to offer the best deal, including split ticketing options. <br />
<br />
Various Railcards are available, usually giving a fare reduction of one third. These are available nationally to groups, such as young people, families, senior citizens, two people travelling together, those with a disability and military personnel. Some cards are available to all, but only valid for travel within a particular geographic area. The cost of a Railcard may be recouped immediately if a long-distance journey is planned or if purchasing a high-price ticket such as a national rail rover. Some Railcards only give a discount for off-peak travel. Details of Railcards are available at [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/National-Railcards.aspx National Rail]. Details can be found at the unofficial [http://www.railrover.org/ Rail Rover] website.<br />
<br />
Overseas visitors should endeavour to purchase a rover ticket, such as a [http://www.britrail.net/ BritRail] or InterRail pass, before travelling to the UK. Various rail rovers are available within the UK, but they do not offer the value or wide validity of those available to foreign visitors, and many are not valid until after the morning peak period.<br />
<br />
In various areas where all stations have automatic ticket machines, including on the London Underground and most other tram and metro networks, a penalty fares system applies. Passengers found without a ticket are likely to have to pay a fine on the spot.<br />
<br />
First class seating tends now to be found only on principal routes; in Northern Ireland it is limited to principal trains on the international route between Belfast and Dublin (where NIRailways call it &quot;First plus&quot; while partner Iarnród Éireann call it &quot;Premium&quot;). Eurostar maintain three classes: Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier. On some trains, including many of those operated by Gatwick Express, Great Northern and Southern, there is no difference between first class and standard class seating. If a train including first class seats is used on a service advertised as standard class only, holders of standard class tickets may use the first class seats.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Railways Company Limited, through a subsidiary NIR Networks Limited<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/network-statement/ Network Rail]. The Sectional Appendices are available <br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ here] (scroll down to list of PDFs).<br />
<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Corporate/About-Us/Publications/network-statement/ Translink]<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
*Great Britain: Standard<br />
*Northern Ireland: 1600 mm [5 feet 3 inches]<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
*Great Britain: Mostly 25 kV 50 Hz. 750 V dc third rail is used on some lines in south east England and around Liverpool. The third rail network in south east England is by a considerable margin the most extensive such system in the world and the only place when conductor rail trains operate at up to 100 mph (160 km/hr). The line between Pelaw and Sunderland is electrified at 1500V dc overhead, to allow use by Tyne & Wear Metro. The line between Tinsley North Junction and Rotherham Parkgate is electrified at 750V dc overhead, for use by Sheffield Supertram. Most tramway systems are 750 V dc with Blackpool being 600 V dc.<br />
*Northern Ireland: no electrified lines.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Left.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
*Distances are shown on Railway Track Diagrams published by [https://www.trackmaps.co.uk/ TRACKmaps]. Distances are also available in Network Rail's [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ Sectional Appendices] (scroll down for list of available PDFs).<br />
*Distances for Northern Ireland are also available on-line on the Signalling Record Society website:<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-nc.php Derry and Larne lines]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-bd.php Bangor line]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-gd.php Dublin line]<br />
<br />
==Other railways==<br />
*Core Valley Lines (Cardiff to Rhymney, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert): Owned by the Welsh Government and managed by a lessee, Amey Keolis Infrastructure/Seilwaith Amey Keolis Limited.<br />
*Crossrail Central Operating Section is the railway under Central London from Portobello Junction (Royal Oak) to Pudding Mill Lane Junction (Bow) and Abbey Wood. It is managed by Rail for London (Infrastructure) Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London.<br />
*East London Line: Owned by Rail for London Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London. <br />
*Eurotunnel: A partnership between the Channel Tunnel Group Limited and France-Manche S.A. that operates the Channel Tunnel under a long-term concession from the UK and French governments. <br />
*Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited owns the railway between London Heathrow Airport and the junction with the Great Western Main Line near Hayes & Harlington. <br />
*HS1 Ltd: The investor with a 30 years concession from the UK government to operate the high-speed line between London and the Channel Tunnel, though most aspects of day-to-day operation and maintenance are contracted out to Network Rail. <br />
<br />
Facilities exist for special through running between the national system and some tourist lines.<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
A map of UK heritage railways can be found at the "Heritage Rail - UK & Ireland" link on the [https://www.heritagerailways.com Heritage Railway Association website].<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
London, Newcastle, Glasgow. Although part of the national railway system, the Merseyrail Electrics <br />
network in Liverpool is like a Metro. There are two separate networks in London. The Underground system is 630V dc third and fourth rail; the Docklands Light Railway is a fully-automated 750V dc third rail system. London Overground operates under a contract let by the Mayor of London and uses Transport for London branding, but operates almost entirely on Network Rail lines. The Glasgow and Merseyrail systems are third <br />
rail and Newcastle is 1500 V dc overhead. Glasgow Subway is 4 feet (1,219mm) gauge and was originally cable-worked. There are several lines where London Underground and main line trains share the same tracks. The Tyne & Wear Metro (Newcastle) operates to Sunderland over the Network Rail line from Pelaw.<br />
<br />
The Core Valley Lines from Cardiff are being converted to a form of metro system.<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Birmingham/Wolverhampton (Midland Metro), Blackpool, Croydon, Edinburgh,<br />
Llandudno (cable worked), Manchester, Nottingham, Seaton (Devon) and Sheffield. The Croydon, <br />
Manchester, Midland Metro, Nottingham and Seaton systems include extensive running over <br />
routes that were previously part of the national railway system. The Manchester and Nottingham systems have been considerably extended in recent years. On the Manchester Metrolink system a second route through Manchester city centre came into use on 26 February 2017, and the 5.5 km Trafford Park line opened on 22 March 2020. The Midland Metro in Birmingham was extended to Edgbaston on 17 July 2022 and to Wolverhampton Station on 17 September 2023. The first stage of a line to Brierley Hill is expected to open, to Dudley, in 2024. The extension of the Edinburgh line to Leith and Newhaven opened on 21 June 2023 and plans have been announced for further lines in the city. The Blackpool system Talbot Gateway extension, to Blackpool North station, is expected to be fully open in 2023. A metro system is proposed in Glasgow, but this project is at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
The Seaton and Llandudno lines are essentially tourist operations, and both are narrow gauge. <br />
There are other tourist lines of a mile or more at the National Tramway Museum <br />
(Crich, near Matlock) and at Beamish Open Air Museum (near Gateshead), plus <br />
several other shorter lines. <br />
<br />
The Isle of Man has three narrow gauge tramways, which operate on a seasonal basis: Douglas Bay Horse Tramway - along the promenade in Douglas; the Manx Electric Railway - an inter-urban line between Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey; and the Snaefell Mountain Railway - from Laxey to Snaefell Summit. <br />
After a period of uncertainty, the threat that the horse tramway line in Douglas might be shortened seems to have been seen off by a vote in Tynwald (the Manx parliament) in January 2017. <br />
<br />
The Tinsley Chord, which connects the Sheffield tram system to a freight line near Meadowhall, allows tram-trains to run between Sheffield city centre and Rotherham Parkgate over Network Rail lines. Public services commenced on Thursday 25 October 2018. Sheffield tram-trains are dual voltage vehicles that can run on the 750 V Overhead Lines (OHLE) of the tram network and the 25 kV OHLE of the national rail network; however the line to Rotherham Parkgate is initially energised at 750 V because there is no 25 kV electrification in the area.<br />
<br />
Track plans for most of the significant tram systems in the United Kingdom are available on the [http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/line/diagrams0.shtm Railway Codes site] and also on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/index-e.php Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes== <br />
Some aspects of national railway operations are privatised, but infrastructure ownership has reverted to the public sector. There continues to be debate about the fragmented, expensive and complex nature of the system that has emerged, under the general oversight of the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
===Route Closures and Service Reductions===<br />
Having undergone extensive cut backs in the 1960s, the present passenger network seems relatively secure. The closure of a passenger railway in the UK normally involves a lengthy legal process, and short-notice closures usually occur only if there is a sudden and dramatic infrastructure failure, or if the closure is deemed a &quot;minor closure&quot;. However, a number of stations have closed and all passenger services over some lines have been withdrawn without the statutory procedure having been followed. Passenger services via the Channel Tunnel, or in connection with them, do not enjoy statutory protection from closure. <br />
<br />
Some routes have been reduced to just one or two trains per day (or, in some cases, per week) in order to reduce operating costs without having to go through the closure procedure. These are included in the list of [https://www.egtre.info/wiki/United_Kingdom_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services sparse services].<br />
<br />
A newly-introduced passenger service can be designated as "experimental" for a period up to five years, during which time it may be withdrawn without the usual closure procedure needing to be followed. The only "experimental" service at present is Thanet Parkway station, until 30 July 2028.<br />
<br />
====Passenger services to be withdrawn====<br />
* The railway between Nottingham and Worksop may be diverted at Whitwell to allow expansion of a dolomite quarry. This will eliminate Whitwell Tunnel. No date is set for this, but planning permission to expand the quarry was granted in 2018.<br />
<br />
* Planned diversion of trains between Belfast and Dublin to a new terminal facility - [http://www.translink.co.uk/Translink-Footer/the-hub/ the Belfast Hub] - being constructed close to Belfast Great Victoria Street may see the end of regular passenger services between Central Junction (Adelaide) and City Junction (City Hospital).<br />
<br />
====Closures and significant service reductions in recent years are==== <br />
<br />
'''Passenger service withdrawn, line still open for other than regular passenger traffic:'''<br />
<br />
* Greenford LUL Bay Junction - Northolt Junction: The Wednesdays only train from West Ealing to West Ruislip ran for the last time on 7 December 2022.<br />
<br />
* Cowlairs East Junction - Cowlairs North Junction (Glasgow): The summer Sunday trains between Edinburgh and Oban start and terminate at Glasgow Queen Street in 2023. Last use of the curve by the ScotRail service was on 28 August 2022. It continues to be used by the [https://www.belmond.com/trains/europe/scotland/belmond-royal-scotsman/journeys Royal Scotsman] Western Scenic Wonders tour, but prices start at £5,800.<br />
<br />
* Barking Station Junction - Barking platform 1: No regular passenger traffic from 18 July 2022, when the line to Barking Riverside opened, but occasional diversions may be possible.<br />
<br />
* Dalmeny - Winchburgh Junction: Service withdrawn 23 March 2020, but without the statutory closure procedure having been followed. From 11 Dec 2022 the 22:31 FSSuX Dundee to Edinburgh and 22.58 SuO Glenrothes with Thornton to Edinburgh are scheduled to run this way with reversal at Linlithgow, but are likely to run direct via Edinburgh Gateway if there is no engineering work on that route.<br />
<br />
'''Significant service reduction'''<br />
<br />
* Glenrothes with Thornton - Thornton South Junction: The frequent service via Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy became Sundays only, except for one train each way Mondays to Fridays, with effect from 15 May 2022.<br />
<br />
====Temporary Closures:==== <br />
<br />
Work to upgrade the UK rail network is increasingly leading to lines being closed for extended periods. Severe weather and the age of much railway infrastructure has resulted in more temporary closures caused by landslips and other problems with earthworks. Current and planned temporary closures of four weeks or more, in approximate order of expected re-opening, are: <br />
<br />
* Carlisle to Workington: From 29 February 2024, because of a problem with a viaduct, possibly until mid-April 2024.<br />
* Shipley (Dockfield Junction) to Guisley (Esholt Junction): From 8 February 2024, because of a major land slip, until 24 April 2024 or later.<br />
* Ayr to Stranraer and Kilmarnock to Barassie: From 25 September 2023, probably until spring/summer 2024, because of a dangerous building at Ayr.<br />
* Blackheath to Charlton: 1 June to 10 August 2024, for repairs to Blackheath Tunnel.<br />
* Ashford East Junction, connection to HS1: Eurostar ceased calling at Ashford on 19 March 2020 and will not resume before 2025/6.<br />
<br />
There are also extended closures of sections of the Valley Lines, north of Cardiff, at least until February 2024, for electrification work.<br />
<br />
===Re-openings and Openings===<br />
<br />
Most projects involve upgrading existing routes, but some openings have occurred or are about to do so. <br />
<br />
====New and reinstated passenger services in recent years:==== <br />
<br />
New passenger services are: <br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension - The Royal - Wolverhampton Station (17 September 2023). <br />
<br />
* Westbourne Park Junction - Paddington and Stepney Green Junction - Pudding Mill Lane Junction (full opening of Elizabeth line) (6 November 2022) <br />
<br />
* Barking - Barking Riverside (18 July 2022)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension - Library - Edgbaston Village (17 July 2022) <br />
<br />
*Paddington - Abbey Wood (Elizabeth line) (24 May 2022)<br />
<br />
* Newport (Gaer Junction) - Pye Corner (Park Junction) (on introduction of trains between Newport and Crosskeys, 12 December 2021)<br />
<br />
* Crediton - Okehampton (20 November 2021; there was previously a service on summer Sundays)<br />
<br />
* Kennington - Battersea Power Station (London Underground, Northern Line extension, opened September 2021)<br />
<br />
A daily service, generally hourly, was introduced between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester via Runcorn and Frodsham on 19 May 2019. Previously the curve between Halton Junction and Frodsham Junction had been used by a single unadvertised train in one direction only on summer Saturdays.<br />
<br />
On tourist / heritage railways:<br />
<br />
* Llangollen Railway extended passenger services from Carrog to a provisional terminus at Corwen in October 2014 and to the permanent terminus in June 2023. <br />
* the Mid-Norfolk Railway ran inaugural passenger trains to Worthing level crossing (North Elmham) on 19 and 20 May 2018, but regular services continue to terminate at Dereham. The railway aspires to continue to County School. <br />
* The first (very short) section of the Aln Valley Railway officially opened in October 2013, from a new station on the edge of Alnwick, with a longer run available from December 2017. It is planned that the railway will reach the National Rail station at Alnmouth.<br />
* The first section of the re-opened Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, a narrow gauge line, is in operation between Woody Bay and Killington Lane. Extensions towards Lynton and to Blackmoor Gate are planned as the next phase of reconstruction.<br />
<br />
====Projects authorised or under construction are:==== <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the railway between Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) and Levenmouth for passenger services in 2024. It is expected that some trains will run via Cowdenbeath, providing many more via the curve from Thornton West Junction than the current sparse service. <br />
<br />
A Transport & Works Act Order for the introduction of passenger trains over the freight line to Ashington was granted in June 2022 and the line is due to open by December 2024. The UK Government has announced plans to re-open the railway to Fleetwood, but this may become a tramway. The UK Government is also funding feasibility studies into re-opening a number of other lines, but these are at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
Work has started on construction of a high speed railway (HS2) from London to Birmingham, but the line will not be opened until 2026 at the earliest. A flythrough of the route is [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bkoGvw9kbA here]. It is to be followed by Phase 2a as far as Crewe. It is intended that the line will subsequently be extended to Manchester with completion in the mid-2030s. It was originally planned that there would be a branch to Leeds, but this has been cut back to East Midlands Parkway (near Nottingham). The UK Government has also announced that it intends to proceed with a high-speed line from Warrington to Marsden (for Huddersfield) via Manchester. <br />
<br />
<!---Preliminary work on construction of a link between the LUL Watford branch and the former Croxley Green branch was undertaken in 2016. However, the project has stalled, because of lack of agreement as to how further cost escalation would be funded, and can only be regarded as definitively dead, though there has been no formal announcement to this effect. Should the scheme continue, which seems increasingly unlikely, it will result in the closure of Watford LUL station, but the re-opening of most of the Croxley Green branch.---><br />
Plans were being developed for a second Crossrail line, linking south west and north east London. All work on this stopped in autumn 2020, as a result of economies made to deal with the Covid pandemic. It is questionable whether the scheme will be revived, if there is the expected permanent reduction in commuter traffic. <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the derelict line between Calvert and Bletchley. A Transport & Works Act Order for this scheme was granted in February 2020 and services between Oxford and Milton Keynes are scheduled to start in December 2024. The longer-term objective is to re-introduce trains between Oxford and Cambridge. <br />
<br />
[https://heathrowrail.com/ Heathrow Southern Railway] intends to build a new railway south-west from Heathrow Airport to link with the Staines to Windsor line, together with a branch to Virginia Water or Chertsey. <br />
<br />
In the private sector:<br />
* The Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway is constructing an extension from Glengonnar to Wanlockhead.<br />
* Moorland & City Railways have a stated intention to reopen the line between Stoke-on-Trent and Leek Brook Junction, to a junction with the Churnet Valley Railway, but progress seems to be languishing.<br />
* Most ambitiously, the two Great Central Railways at Loughborough are being linked by means of a reinstated bridge over the Midland Main Line. <br />
* The Rother Valley Railway has obtained a Transport and Works Act Order to rebuild the railway between Robertsbridge and Junction Road (Bodiam).<br />
* The Royal Deeside Railway is extending its line to Crathes West Lodge.<br />
* Strathspey Railway is extending to Grantown-on-Spey and during summer 2014 and 2015 offered a limited service between its normal terminus at Broomhill and the river bridge at Dulnain. Further work depends on obtaining statutory powers under the Transport and Works Act and constructing a new bridge to carry the railway over the A95 main road. <br />
* The Helston Railway provides a short ride near Prospidnick, but plans to extend to Helston and eventually to Gwinear Road.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
<br />
Main line electrification in Great Britain came to a virtual standstill following railway privatisation, because private-sector train operators and rolling stock companies preferred the flexibility of diesel traction. The only schemes to proceed were between Crewe and Kidsgrove (near Stoke on Trent) (electrified for diversionary use), the reconstructed Larkhall branch line in Scotland and High Speed 1 (the Channel Tunnel rail link) [see below].<br />
<br />
In 2009 Department for Transport policy shifted towards extending electrification, with significant schemes proposed and a few implemented. However, greatly increased costs have resulted in projects being curtailed and delayed. Poor cost estimating, increased safety standards, over-specification and loss of practical experience of electrification appear to be among the causes. In July 2017 the UK Government announced an end to plans for further railway electrification in England and Wales, with reliance instead on bi-mode diesel/electric trains. This will included converting some electric multiple-units to bi-mode working. There have also been experiments with battery operation. In contrast, the Scottish Government required Network Rail to develop an electrification technical specification that can deliver an "efficient and affordable rolling programme of electrification". <br />
<br />
Electrification schemes recently completed in England and Wales are:<br />
<br />
* Bedford to Corby (May 2021) <br />
<br />
* London (Heathrow Airport Junction) to Cardiff, Chippenham (Christian Malford) and Newbury (Phased introduction of electric services between May 2017 and January 2020). The scheme was cut back to omit Swansea, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Oxford and the Thames Valley branch lines.<br />
<br />
* Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley (May 2019)<br />
<br />
* Manchester to Preston via Bolton (February 2019)<br />
<br />
* Gospel Oak to Woodgrange Park via South Tottenham (January 2019, but limited electric service initially, because of delayed delivery of rolling stock)<br />
<br />
Schemes under way in England:<br />
<br />
* Kettering - Market Harborough<br />
<br />
* Manchester - Huddersfield - Leeds - York <br />
<br />
* Wigan North Western - Lostock Junction (near Bolton) (announced 1 September 2021, expected completion 2024/2025) <br />
<br />
The UK Government has announced that electrification of the Midland Main Line is to be completed to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield.<br />
<br />
The Welsh Government is sponsoring electrification of the Valley Lines from Cardiff to Bargoed, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert. Light rail vehicles are to be used from Cardiff to Coryton and on routes via Radyr. Tri-mode trains will be used from Rhymney to Penarth, Barry Island and the Vale of Glamorgan line, using battery power between Rhymney and Bargoed, and diesel south of Cardiff. <br />
<br />
Following an extensive programme of electrification completed between 2012 and 2019, most lines in Central Scotland are electrified, with recent schemes comprising:<br />
<br />
*Holytown to Kirknewton (Midcalder Jn) via Shotts (Some electric services April 2019, full service May 2019) <br />
<br />
*Glasgow Central (Muirhouse Central Jn) to Barrhead (December 2023, but most trains continue to Kilmarnock or beyond, so remain diesel-worked)<br />
<br />
The line from Falkirk to Grangemouth has also been electrified for freight traffic, but there are proposals to reinstate a passenger service. <br />
<br />
Work has started on electrification to East Kilbride. The line from Haymarket (Edinburgh) to Dalmeny is being electrified as the first phase of a scheme to electrify routes through Fife. Transport Scotland's [https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/rail-services-decarbonisation-action-plan/ ''Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan''], published in July 2020, envisages most lines in Scotland being electrified. Priorities are the Kilmarnock line; Edinburgh to Tweedbank; routes in Fife; and Dunblane to Aberdeen. Later extensions will take electrification to Girvan; Gretna via Dumfries; and Inverness to Perth, Aberdeen and Tain.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of changes more than five years ago see [[United_Kingdom - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special Notes==<br />
<br />
Train numbers in Great Britain follow an alpha-numeric format, thus 1A22. The first digit indicates the type of train (passenger trains are 1, 2 or 9), in most cases the letter indicates its route or destination and the remaining digits identify the particular train. Different trains can and do use the same number, so long as they do not conflict geographically or operate several hours apart. Since December 2021 train numbers have been shown in the National Rail Timetable, but they are not normally used for passenger information purposes. It is more usual for trains to be referred to by their schedule, for example as the "10:00 London King's Cross to Aberdeen". International trains have four digit numbers where the second figure is 0 or 1, which can be treated as letters O and I in the UK.<br />
<br />
Departure sheets listing trains from a station in chronological order are rarely used. The usual format is to list destinations in alphabetic order, and provide details of all trains to each, or to provide timetable posters. Most stations have electronic displays, which indicate all departures (and often arrivals) within the next hour or so.<br />
<br />
It is unusual for information displays and announcements at stations and on trains to be in any language other than English (and Welsh in Wales), though most station name signs in Scotland appear in Gaelic as well as English. Multi-lingual information is normally restricted to dedicated airport services and those using the Channel Tunnel.<br />
<br />
No stations sell international tickets or can make international reservations, though there are facilities to make through bookings from certain stations by Eurostar. <!---International tickets and reservations are available at the We Know London Tourist Services desk in the shopping mall at St Pancras International station.---> Even the range of tickets available from Eurostar is very limited. For guidance on booking travel to and from Europe visit [http://www.seat61.com/Europe.htm#How%20do%20I%20book? The Man in Seat Sixty-One]'s website or see advice from [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/European-Train-Travel.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Selective door opening is increasingly used, particularly in London and South East England. Trains are longer than some station platforms and only doors within the platform are unlocked. Announcements and visual displays advise passengers which carriages they need to be in if wishing to alight. This also happens to a limited extent on the London Underground, but usually only affecting the rearmost pair of doors. <br />
<br />
The only long-distance overnight trains in Great Britain are:<br />
<br />
* [https://www.sleeper.scot/ Caledonian Sleeper] from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness <br />
* Great Western's [https://www.gwr.com/travelling-with-us/night-riviera-sleeper Night Riviera] from London to Penzance<br />
<br />
Sleeping cars are provided, but not couchettes, and seating may be in saloons with non-reclinable seats, where passengers have no control of the lighting. <br />
<br />
Taking bicycles, other than folding ones, by train can be difficult. Space may be limited and some operators require advance reservations for bicycles. More information can be found at [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/cyclists.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Train services at weekends, and especially Saturday evening and Sunday until mid-afternoon, can be extensively altered because of [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.aspx engineering work]. With the paucity of alternative routes and a growing aversion to temporary single line working, buses frequently substitute for trains in such circumstances. There are an increasing number of initiatives to give extended overnight possessions Mondays to Thursdays, in order to reduce the extent of weekend closures. This results in late evening trains being replaced by buses. Trials are being undertaken of mid-week line closures. Blockades of a week or more are increasingly common.<br />
<br />
No trains run in the UK on Christmas Day and very few on Boxing Day, mostly on local services in the London and Glasgow areas. No domestic services run in Scotland on New Year's Day, but there are normally trains between England, Edinburgh and Glasgow. <br />
<br />
Very few stations have left luggage facilities. Unattended luggage may be removed by the police and processes to check that it is safe can be very destructive.<br />
<br />
Railway enthusiasts are welcomed on stations - for guidance when on and about stations refer to [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/railway-enthusiasts/railway-enthusiasts-and-photography-at-stations/ Network Rail's] advice.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox United Kingdom}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=United_Kingdom_-_General_Information&diff=55472United Kingdom - General Information2024-03-22T19:31:24Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Temporary Closures: */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland<br />
<br />
Nomenclature: &quot;Great Britain&quot; comprises the countries of England, Wales, and Scotland. &quot;United Kingdom&quot; (in full: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) comprises Great Britain and the Province of Northern Ireland. &quot;British Isles&quot; is a purely geographical description for the British mainland and the island of Ireland; the latter contains the Province of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are usually regarded as part of the British Isles, although independent of the UK government. All but the Republic of Ireland (which is entirely independent of the UK) are under the British Crown (monarchy).<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Most infrastructure in Great Britain is owned by [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail], a company controlled by the government's [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport Department for Transport] (DfT). Most passenger train services are provided by operators under contracts with DfT, [https://tfl.gov.uk/ Transport for London], [http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk Merseytravel], [http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/ Transport Scotland] or the [http://gov.wales/topics/transport/?lang=en Welsh Government]. Some operators are subsidiaries of major bus companies or national railways from other countries, for example Trenitalia. A UK Government subsidiary, [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/dft-olr-holdings-limited/about DfT OLR Holdings Limited], operates services if the contractor is no longer able to do so, has had the contract terminated because of default or there has been no acceptable tender for provision of the service. [https://www.railholdings.scot/ Scottish Rail Holdings Limited] is the equivalent in Scotland. Full details of passenger train operators are given by links from the [http://www.raildeliverygroup.com/about-us/uk-rail-industry/passenger-freight-track.html Rail Delivery Group] website. Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites. Passenger train operations collectively are known as 'National Rail'. <br />
<br />
A new organisation, [https://gbrtt.co.uk/ Great British Railways] is being established to take strategic control of railways, in England at least, as well as taking over most of Network Rail's functions as infrastructure owner and operator throughout Britain. <br />
<br />
Railways in Northern Ireland are owned by Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (which remains state-owned) and are operated as the [http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/ N I Railways] (NIR) division of Translink.<br />
<br />
Most operators in Great Britain had a franchise agreement, under which they took most of the commercial risk. DfT was considering changes to franchising when the Covid-19 pandemic made the system uneconomic, due to greatly reduced fares income to the operators. Franchises were replaced by Emergency Recovery Management Agreements and subsequently by National Rail Contracts under which the Government meets operating costs and receives fares and other income. The operating company is paid a management fee. Transport for Wales, ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper, LNER, Northern and Southeastern are all being operated by public sector companies. <br />
<br />
The operator of each train is indicated in the electronic National Rail Timetable and <br />
its printed derivatives by means of two-letter codes; for a de-coder and a chronology of <br />
privatisation and transfer/re-branding of Great Britain's passenger railway franchises to <br />
date go to the [http://www.railchronology.free-online.co.uk/ Rail Chronology] website. Basic customer information about and links to the websites of each TOC are available through the [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tocs_maps/tocs/TrainOperators.aspx National Rail] website. Some further information about passenger train operators and past franchisees can be found in the [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-franchise-schedule DfT] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_operating_trains_in_the_United_Kingdom Wikipedia] websites. The Wikipedia list is usually more up to date and accurate than the DfT schedule!<br />
<br />
A small number of operators provide passenger services on the national network which are not under contract to the DfT. These include [http://www.eurostar.com/ ''Eurostar''] which is a unitary undertaking (Eurostar <br />
International Ltd) managed by SNCF, which has a 55% interest in the company. Private investors acquired the UK government's 40% stake in 2015 and SNCB/NMBS owns the remaining 5%. 'Open Access' passenger operators are: <br />
<br />
* [https://www.hulltrains.co.uk/ Hull Trains] between London and Hull <br />
* [https://www.grandcentralrail.com/ Grand Central] between London, Bradford and Sunderland<br />
* [https://www.lumo.co.uk/ Lumo] between London and Edinburgh <br />
<br />
[http://www.granduniontrains.co.uk/ Grand Union Trains] intends to start services between London and Carmarthen in 2025. <br />
<br />
In addition<br />
* [http://www.eurotunnel.com/ Eurotunnel] operates a shuttle service for motor vehicles through the Channel Tunnel; this does not carry foot-passengers (although cyclists can be carried by arrangement)<br />
* [http://www.nymr.co.uk/ North Yorkshire Moors Railway] operates timetabled steam trains through between Pickering/Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby during the summer.<br />
* [http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/ Swanage Railway] and West Coast Railways operated a service between Swanage and Wareham during the summer in 2017, but in 2018 and 2019 there was just a limited Saturday service by the local franchisee, South Western Railway. West Coast Railways again operates trains between Swanage and Wareham on behalf of Swanage Railway between April and September 2023. <br />
* [http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/ West Coast Railways] operates timetabled steam trains between Fort William and Mallaig during the summer, but in practice these get fully booked well in advance. <br />
<br />
All freight trains in Great Britain are operated by competing companies under "open access" conditions. The <i>principal</i> companies are: <br />
<br />
* [http://www.rail.dbschenker.co.uk/rail-uk-en/start/ DB Cargo UK] (formerly English Welsh and Scottish Railway, now a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn of Germany) <br />
* [https://www.freightliner.co.uk/ Freightliner] (owned by US railroad Genesee & Wyoming Inc) <br />
* [http://www.colasrail.co.uk/ Colas Rail] (part of the Bouygues group); <br />
* [http://www.directrailservices.com/ Direct Rail Services] (owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority) <br />
* [http://www.gbrailfreight.com/ GB Railfreight] (owned by Infracapital, an infrastructure equity investor). <br />
<br />
DB Cargo UK, in particular, and GB Railfreight, to a lesser extent, operate charter passenger trains. GB Railfreight also operates the Caledonian Sleeper trains on behalf of Caledonian Sleeper Limited.<br />
<br />
[https://www.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Rail Operations Group] concentrates on rolling stock moves for manufacturers, leasing companies and passenger operators, but started a parcels-carrying business, trading as [https://orion.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Orion] in 2021.<br />
<br />
There are no longer any revenue freight trains in Northern Ireland.<br />
<br />
Neither the Isle of Man nor the Channel Isles (îles Anglo-Normands) is legally part of the UK but the Isle of Man's active railways and tramways are to <br />
be found at the [http://www.heritagerailways.com/Visits_Map.php UK and Irish Heritage Railways website] and under [[#Trams/LRT-Systems|Trams/LRT-Systems]] respectively.<br />
<br />
==Official Website==<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ National Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink]<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
English. In addition Welsh is spoken in most parts of Wales, <br />
and Gaelic is used to a certain extent in north-west Scotland.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Pound sterling. Banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own notes, <br />
which are valid throughout the UK and usually accepted without question. Channel <br />
Islands and Manx notes (but not coins) are technically legal tender in the UK, <br />
but are best changed at banks.<br />
<br />
==UIC code==<br />
* United Kingdom: numeric 70; alpha GB<br />
* Eurotunnel: numeric 69 (used only for accounting purposes and not shown on rolling stock).<br />
<br />
Historically, the only British rolling stock to show UIC numbers were wagons passed to work on the now defunct train ferries from Harwich and Dover or through the Channel Tunnel. The Eurostar class 374 trains, which entered service in 2015, were the first UK-registered passenger stock to have UIC numbers, otherwise known as the European Vehicle Number (EVN). Rail Industry Standard RIS-2453-RST ''Vehicle Registration, Marking and Numbering'', introduced in December 2017, requires new vehicles in Great Britain to be identified by EVN. On passenger vehicles only an abbreviated version is normally show. UIC numbering is not used by NI Railways.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland)===<br />
The official National Rail timetable is published on Network Rail's website (see below), twice yearly (in mid December and mid May). Services on Mondays to Fridays, on Saturdays (or Mondays to Saturdays) and on Sundays are usually different and laid out separately in the timetable; there may be several alternative Sunday services, to allow for engineering work, during the currency of a timetable. [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe] provides a comprehensive guide to printed and on-line public transport timetables.<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
[http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/s/planjourney/query National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner]<br />
<br />
The [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites provide a quick-reference way of checking the latest schedule (or amendment) for any particular train<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetable====<br />
PDFs of the National Railway Timetable are available from the [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/electronic-national-rail-timetable-enrt/ Network Rail] website. These are maintained for Network Rail by [https://timetables.fabdigital.uk/nrt/ Fabdigital] and the version on their website may be more up to date.<br />
<br />
====Working (Staff) Timetables====<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/working-timetable/ Network Rail Working Timetables]<br />
<br />
You can also check for the latest variations to working timetable details for specific trains on the [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites.<br />
<br />
[http://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/working-timetables London Underground working timetables]. DLR is not included.<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
Since May 2020 there has been no comprehensive printed timetable for Great Britain and there are no printed timetable leaflets for most lines.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.html National Rail's future engineering works]<br />
<br />
===Northern Ireland===<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
On the [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink home page].<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetables====<br />
[https://www.translink.co.uk/timetables?LocationId=&Name=&LocationType=&TransportMode=Bus&page=1 Translink bus and rail timetables]<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
A series of four free leaflets is available.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/nirailways-travel-updates/ NIRailways Travel Updates]<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*The ''Rail Atlas Great Britain & Ireland'' gives detailed and accurate coverage of the UK railway system, and is widely available. It is mostly at 1:350,000, but with enlargements of many urban areas; an updated edition is published every 2-3 years.<br />
*[http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps] publish a series of track diagrams (formerly Quail Track Diagrams) in five regional volumes.<br />
*Northern Ireland Railways are in a volume covering the whole of Ireland also published by [http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps]<br />
*Historic atlases have been published by various other publishers.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] (see National Rail Passenger Operators' map) and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/united_kingdom_ireland.html British Isles and Ireland Map]. Last updated December 2022<br />
*[http://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php Rail Map online].<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
There is no distance-related fare tariff in the UK, and fares are charged on a market basis. Certain fares are regulated and the amount by which train companies can increase some fares is specified by the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
Standard walk-on fares are high, but a wide range of discounted fares is available. These are subject to restrictions as to days and times when they can be used. It can be difficult to obtain accurate information as to fares and their availability, even from official enquiry offices, because the pricing structure is complicated and the different train companies are all making their own special offers. The most heavily discounted fares usually oblige the passenger to travel on specified trains (with no opportunity to alter these) - and only a limited number of tickets may be issued for each service. Train operators are increasingly introducing special offers that can only be taken up through their website. Higher fares are charged for use of domestic trains on HS1, the high-speed line to Kent, except for through tickets between Kent and destinations beyond London. <br />
<br />
Tickets for any rail journey in the UK can be purchased from most train operators' websites, but the best price may be available from the operator whose service is being used. It is often possible to obtain a lower price for a journey by splitting it and buying a different ticket for each section. In such cases it is necessary to travel on a train that stops at stations where the validity of one ticket ends and another starts. This requirement does not apply if at least one of the tickets is a season ticket, rail rover or similar. It may also be found that a ticket to a station beyond one's destination is cheaper, but conditions need to be checked carefully. A break of journey may not be permitted, requiring an excess fare to be paid if exiting at an intermediate station. Various websites act as 'consolidators' and will compare what is available in order to offer the best deal, including split ticketing options. <br />
<br />
Various Railcards are available, usually giving a fare reduction of one third. These are available nationally to groups, such as young people, families, senior citizens, two people travelling together, those with a disability and military personnel. Some cards are available to all, but only valid for travel within a particular geographic area. The cost of a Railcard may be recouped immediately if a long-distance journey is planned or if purchasing a high-price ticket such as a national rail rover. Some Railcards only give a discount for off-peak travel. Details of Railcards are available at [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/National-Railcards.aspx National Rail]. Details can be found at the unofficial [http://www.railrover.org/ Rail Rover] website.<br />
<br />
Overseas visitors should endeavour to purchase a rover ticket, such as a [http://www.britrail.net/ BritRail] or InterRail pass, before travelling to the UK. Various rail rovers are available within the UK, but they do not offer the value or wide validity of those available to foreign visitors, and many are not valid until after the morning peak period.<br />
<br />
In various areas where all stations have automatic ticket machines, including on the London Underground and most other tram and metro networks, a penalty fares system applies. Passengers found without a ticket are likely to have to pay a fine on the spot.<br />
<br />
First class seating tends now to be found only on principal routes; in Northern Ireland it is limited to principal trains on the international route between Belfast and Dublin (where NIRailways call it &quot;First plus&quot; while partner Iarnród Éireann call it &quot;Premium&quot;). Eurostar maintain three classes: Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier. On some trains, including many of those operated by Gatwick Express, Great Northern and Southern, there is no difference between first class and standard class seating. If a train including first class seats is used on a service advertised as standard class only, holders of standard class tickets may use the first class seats.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Railways Company Limited, through a subsidiary NIR Networks Limited<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/network-statement/ Network Rail]. The Sectional Appendices are available <br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ here] (scroll down to list of PDFs).<br />
<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Corporate/About-Us/Publications/network-statement/ Translink]<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
*Great Britain: Standard<br />
*Northern Ireland: 1600 mm [5 feet 3 inches]<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
*Great Britain: Mostly 25 kV 50 Hz. 750 V dc third rail is used on some lines in south east England and around Liverpool. The third rail network in south east England is by a considerable margin the most extensive such system in the world and the only place when conductor rail trains operate at up to 100 mph (160 km/hr). The line between Pelaw and Sunderland is electrified at 1500V dc overhead, to allow use by Tyne & Wear Metro. The line between Tinsley North Junction and Rotherham Parkgate is electrified at 750V dc overhead, for use by Sheffield Supertram. Most tramway systems are 750 V dc with Blackpool being 600 V dc.<br />
*Northern Ireland: no electrified lines.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Left.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
*Distances are shown on Railway Track Diagrams published by [https://www.trackmaps.co.uk/ TRACKmaps]. Distances are also available in Network Rail's [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ Sectional Appendices] (scroll down for list of available PDFs).<br />
*Distances for Northern Ireland are also available on-line on the Signalling Record Society website:<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-nc.php Derry and Larne lines]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-bd.php Bangor line]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-gd.php Dublin line]<br />
<br />
==Other railways==<br />
*Core Valley Lines (Cardiff to Rhymney, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert): Owned by the Welsh Government and managed by a lessee, Amey Keolis Infrastructure/Seilwaith Amey Keolis Limited.<br />
*Crossrail Central Operating Section is the railway under Central London from Portobello Junction (Royal Oak) to Pudding Mill Lane Junction (Bow) and Abbey Wood. It is managed by Rail for London (Infrastructure) Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London.<br />
*East London Line: Owned by Rail for London Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London. <br />
*Eurotunnel: A partnership between the Channel Tunnel Group Limited and France-Manche S.A. that operates the Channel Tunnel under a long-term concession from the UK and French governments. <br />
*Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited owns the railway between London Heathrow Airport and the junction with the Great Western Main Line near Hayes & Harlington. <br />
*HS1 Ltd: The investor with a 30 years concession from the UK government to operate the high-speed line between London and the Channel Tunnel, though most aspects of day-to-day operation and maintenance are contracted out to Network Rail. <br />
<br />
Facilities exist for special through running between the national system and some tourist lines.<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
A map of UK heritage railways can be found at the "Heritage Rail - UK & Ireland" link on the [https://www.heritagerailways.com Heritage Railway Association website].<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
London, Newcastle, Glasgow. Although part of the national railway system, the Merseyrail Electrics <br />
network in Liverpool is like a Metro. There are two separate networks in London. The Underground system is 630V dc third and fourth rail; the Docklands Light Railway is a fully-automated 750V dc third rail system. London Overground operates under a contract let by the Mayor of London and uses Transport for London branding, but operates almost entirely on Network Rail lines. The Glasgow and Merseyrail systems are third <br />
rail and Newcastle is 1500 V dc overhead. Glasgow Subway is 4 feet (1,219mm) gauge and was originally cable-worked. There are several lines where London Underground and main line trains share the same tracks. The Tyne & Wear Metro (Newcastle) operates to Sunderland over the Network Rail line from Pelaw.<br />
<br />
The Core Valley Lines from Cardiff are being converted to a form of metro system.<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Birmingham/Wolverhampton (Midland Metro), Blackpool, Croydon, Edinburgh,<br />
Llandudno (cable worked), Manchester, Nottingham, Seaton (Devon) and Sheffield. The Croydon, <br />
Manchester, Midland Metro, Nottingham and Seaton systems include extensive running over <br />
routes that were previously part of the national railway system. The Manchester and Nottingham systems have been considerably extended in recent years. On the Manchester Metrolink system a second route through Manchester city centre came into use on 26 February 2017, and the 5.5 km Trafford Park line opened on 22 March 2020. The Midland Metro in Birmingham was extended to Edgbaston on 17 July 2022 and to Wolverhampton Station on 17 September 2023. The first stage of a line to Brierley Hill is expected to open, to Dudley, in 2024. The extension of the Edinburgh line to Leith and Newhaven opened on 21 June 2023 and plans have been announced for further lines in the city. The Blackpool system Talbot Gateway extension, to Blackpool North station, is expected to be fully open in 2023. A metro system is proposed in Glasgow, but this project is at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
The Seaton and Llandudno lines are essentially tourist operations, and both are narrow gauge. <br />
There are other tourist lines of a mile or more at the National Tramway Museum <br />
(Crich, near Matlock) and at Beamish Open Air Museum (near Gateshead), plus <br />
several other shorter lines. <br />
<br />
The Isle of Man has three narrow gauge tramways, which operate on a seasonal basis: Douglas Bay Horse Tramway - along the promenade in Douglas; the Manx Electric Railway - an inter-urban line between Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey; and the Snaefell Mountain Railway - from Laxey to Snaefell Summit. <br />
After a period of uncertainty, the threat that the horse tramway line in Douglas might be shortened seems to have been seen off by a vote in Tynwald (the Manx parliament) in January 2017. <br />
<br />
The Tinsley Chord, which connects the Sheffield tram system to a freight line near Meadowhall, allows tram-trains to run between Sheffield city centre and Rotherham Parkgate over Network Rail lines. Public services commenced on Thursday 25 October 2018. Sheffield tram-trains are dual voltage vehicles that can run on the 750 V Overhead Lines (OHLE) of the tram network and the 25 kV OHLE of the national rail network; however the line to Rotherham Parkgate is initially energised at 750 V because there is no 25 kV electrification in the area.<br />
<br />
Track plans for most of the significant tram systems in the United Kingdom are available on the [http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/line/diagrams0.shtm Railway Codes site] and also on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/index-e.php Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes== <br />
Some aspects of national railway operations are privatised, but infrastructure ownership has reverted to the public sector. There continues to be debate about the fragmented, expensive and complex nature of the system that has emerged, under the general oversight of the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
===Route Closures and Service Reductions===<br />
Having undergone extensive cut backs in the 1960s, the present passenger network seems relatively secure. The closure of a passenger railway in the UK normally involves a lengthy legal process, and short-notice closures usually occur only if there is a sudden and dramatic infrastructure failure, or if the closure is deemed a &quot;minor closure&quot;. However, a number of stations have closed and all passenger services over some lines have been withdrawn without the statutory procedure having been followed. Passenger services via the Channel Tunnel, or in connection with them, do not enjoy statutory protection from closure. <br />
<br />
Some routes have been reduced to just one or two trains per day (or, in some cases, per week) in order to reduce operating costs without having to go through the closure procedure. These are included in the list of [https://www.egtre.info/wiki/United_Kingdom_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services sparse services].<br />
<br />
A newly-introduced passenger service can be designated as "experimental" for a period up to five years, during which time it may be withdrawn without the usual closure procedure needing to be followed. The only "experimental" service at present is Thanet Parkway station, until 30 July 2028.<br />
<br />
====Passenger services to be withdrawn====<br />
* The railway between Nottingham and Worksop may be diverted at Whitwell to allow expansion of a dolomite quarry. This will eliminate Whitwell Tunnel. No date is set for this, but planning permission to expand the quarry was granted in 2018.<br />
<br />
* Planned diversion of trains between Belfast and Dublin to a new terminal facility - [http://www.translink.co.uk/Translink-Footer/the-hub/ the Belfast Hub] - being constructed close to Belfast Great Victoria Street may see the end of regular passenger services between Central Junction (Adelaide) and City Junction (City Hospital).<br />
<br />
====Closures and significant service reductions in recent years are==== <br />
<br />
'''Passenger service withdrawn, line still open for other than regular passenger traffic:'''<br />
<br />
* Greenford LUL Bay Junction - Northolt Junction: The Wednesdays only train from West Ealing to West Ruislip ran for the last time on 7 December 2022.<br />
<br />
* Cowlairs East Junction - Cowlairs North Junction (Glasgow): The summer Sunday trains between Edinburgh and Oban start and terminate at Glasgow Queen Street in 2023. Last use of the curve by the ScotRail service was on 28 August 2022. It continues to be used by the [https://www.belmond.com/trains/europe/scotland/belmond-royal-scotsman/journeys Royal Scotsman] Western Scenic Wonders tour, but prices start at £5,800.<br />
<br />
* Barking Station Junction - Barking platform 1: No regular passenger traffic from 18 July 2022, when the line to Barking Riverside opened, but occasional diversions may be possible.<br />
<br />
* Dalmeny - Winchburgh Junction: Service withdrawn 23 March 2020, but without the statutory closure procedure having been followed. From 11 Dec 2022 the 22:31 FSSuX Dundee to Edinburgh and 22.58 SuO Glenrothes with Thornton to Edinburgh are scheduled to run this way with reversal at Linlithgow, but are likely to run direct via Edinburgh Gateway if there is no engineering work on that route.<br />
<br />
'''Significant service reduction'''<br />
<br />
* Glenrothes with Thornton - Thornton South Junction: The frequent service via Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy became Sundays only, except for one train each way Mondays to Fridays, with effect from 15 May 2022.<br />
<br />
====Temporary Closures:==== <br />
<br />
Work to upgrade the UK rail network is increasingly leading to lines being closed for extended periods. Severe weather and the age of much railway infrastructure has resulted in more temporary closures caused by landslips and other problems with earthworks. Current and planned temporary closures of four weeks or more, in approximate order of expected re-opening, are: <br />
<br />
* Carlisle to Workington: From 29 February 2024, because of a problem with a viaduct, possibly until mid-April 2024.<br />
* Shipley (Dockfield Junction) to Guisley (Esholt Junction): From 8 February 2024, because of a major land slip, until 24 April 2024 or later.<br />
* Ayr to Girvan and Kilmarnock to Barassie: From 25 September 2023, probably until spring/summer 2024, because of a dangerous building at Ayr.<br />
* Blackheath to Charlton: 1 June to 10 August 2024, for repairs to Blackheath Tunnel.<br />
* Ashford East Junction, connection to HS1: Eurostar ceased calling at Ashford on 19 March 2020 and will not resume before 2025/6.<br />
<br />
There are also extended closures of sections of the Valley Lines, north of Cardiff, at least until February 2024, for electrification work.<br />
<br />
===Re-openings and Openings===<br />
<br />
Most projects involve upgrading existing routes, but some openings have occurred or are about to do so. <br />
<br />
====New and reinstated passenger services in recent years:==== <br />
<br />
New passenger services are: <br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension - The Royal - Wolverhampton Station (17 September 2023). <br />
<br />
* Westbourne Park Junction - Paddington and Stepney Green Junction - Pudding Mill Lane Junction (full opening of Elizabeth line) (6 November 2022) <br />
<br />
* Barking - Barking Riverside (18 July 2022)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension - Library - Edgbaston Village (17 July 2022) <br />
<br />
*Paddington - Abbey Wood (Elizabeth line) (24 May 2022)<br />
<br />
* Newport (Gaer Junction) - Pye Corner (Park Junction) (on introduction of trains between Newport and Crosskeys, 12 December 2021)<br />
<br />
* Crediton - Okehampton (20 November 2021; there was previously a service on summer Sundays)<br />
<br />
* Kennington - Battersea Power Station (London Underground, Northern Line extension, opened September 2021)<br />
<br />
A daily service, generally hourly, was introduced between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester via Runcorn and Frodsham on 19 May 2019. Previously the curve between Halton Junction and Frodsham Junction had been used by a single unadvertised train in one direction only on summer Saturdays.<br />
<br />
On tourist / heritage railways:<br />
<br />
* Llangollen Railway extended passenger services from Carrog to a provisional terminus at Corwen in October 2014 and to the permanent terminus in June 2023. <br />
* the Mid-Norfolk Railway ran inaugural passenger trains to Worthing level crossing (North Elmham) on 19 and 20 May 2018, but regular services continue to terminate at Dereham. The railway aspires to continue to County School. <br />
* The first (very short) section of the Aln Valley Railway officially opened in October 2013, from a new station on the edge of Alnwick, with a longer run available from December 2017. It is planned that the railway will reach the National Rail station at Alnmouth.<br />
* The first section of the re-opened Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, a narrow gauge line, is in operation between Woody Bay and Killington Lane. Extensions towards Lynton and to Blackmoor Gate are planned as the next phase of reconstruction.<br />
<br />
====Projects authorised or under construction are:==== <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the railway between Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) and Levenmouth for passenger services in 2024. It is expected that some trains will run via Cowdenbeath, providing many more via the curve from Thornton West Junction than the current sparse service. <br />
<br />
A Transport & Works Act Order for the introduction of passenger trains over the freight line to Ashington was granted in June 2022 and the line is due to open by December 2024. The UK Government has announced plans to re-open the railway to Fleetwood, but this may become a tramway. The UK Government is also funding feasibility studies into re-opening a number of other lines, but these are at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
Work has started on construction of a high speed railway (HS2) from London to Birmingham, but the line will not be opened until 2026 at the earliest. A flythrough of the route is [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bkoGvw9kbA here]. It is to be followed by Phase 2a as far as Crewe. It is intended that the line will subsequently be extended to Manchester with completion in the mid-2030s. It was originally planned that there would be a branch to Leeds, but this has been cut back to East Midlands Parkway (near Nottingham). The UK Government has also announced that it intends to proceed with a high-speed line from Warrington to Marsden (for Huddersfield) via Manchester. <br />
<br />
<!---Preliminary work on construction of a link between the LUL Watford branch and the former Croxley Green branch was undertaken in 2016. However, the project has stalled, because of lack of agreement as to how further cost escalation would be funded, and can only be regarded as definitively dead, though there has been no formal announcement to this effect. Should the scheme continue, which seems increasingly unlikely, it will result in the closure of Watford LUL station, but the re-opening of most of the Croxley Green branch.---><br />
Plans were being developed for a second Crossrail line, linking south west and north east London. All work on this stopped in autumn 2020, as a result of economies made to deal with the Covid pandemic. It is questionable whether the scheme will be revived, if there is the expected permanent reduction in commuter traffic. <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the derelict line between Calvert and Bletchley. A Transport & Works Act Order for this scheme was granted in February 2020 and services between Oxford and Milton Keynes are scheduled to start in December 2024. The longer-term objective is to re-introduce trains between Oxford and Cambridge. <br />
<br />
[https://heathrowrail.com/ Heathrow Southern Railway] intends to build a new railway south-west from Heathrow Airport to link with the Staines to Windsor line, together with a branch to Virginia Water or Chertsey. <br />
<br />
In the private sector:<br />
* The Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway is constructing an extension from Glengonnar to Wanlockhead.<br />
* Moorland & City Railways have a stated intention to reopen the line between Stoke-on-Trent and Leek Brook Junction, to a junction with the Churnet Valley Railway, but progress seems to be languishing.<br />
* Most ambitiously, the two Great Central Railways at Loughborough are being linked by means of a reinstated bridge over the Midland Main Line. <br />
* The Rother Valley Railway has obtained a Transport and Works Act Order to rebuild the railway between Robertsbridge and Junction Road (Bodiam).<br />
* The Royal Deeside Railway is extending its line to Crathes West Lodge.<br />
* Strathspey Railway is extending to Grantown-on-Spey and during summer 2014 and 2015 offered a limited service between its normal terminus at Broomhill and the river bridge at Dulnain. Further work depends on obtaining statutory powers under the Transport and Works Act and constructing a new bridge to carry the railway over the A95 main road. <br />
* The Helston Railway provides a short ride near Prospidnick, but plans to extend to Helston and eventually to Gwinear Road.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
<br />
Main line electrification in Great Britain came to a virtual standstill following railway privatisation, because private-sector train operators and rolling stock companies preferred the flexibility of diesel traction. The only schemes to proceed were between Crewe and Kidsgrove (near Stoke on Trent) (electrified for diversionary use), the reconstructed Larkhall branch line in Scotland and High Speed 1 (the Channel Tunnel rail link) [see below].<br />
<br />
In 2009 Department for Transport policy shifted towards extending electrification, with significant schemes proposed and a few implemented. However, greatly increased costs have resulted in projects being curtailed and delayed. Poor cost estimating, increased safety standards, over-specification and loss of practical experience of electrification appear to be among the causes. In July 2017 the UK Government announced an end to plans for further railway electrification in England and Wales, with reliance instead on bi-mode diesel/electric trains. This will included converting some electric multiple-units to bi-mode working. There have also been experiments with battery operation. In contrast, the Scottish Government required Network Rail to develop an electrification technical specification that can deliver an "efficient and affordable rolling programme of electrification". <br />
<br />
Electrification schemes recently completed in England and Wales are:<br />
<br />
* Bedford to Corby (May 2021) <br />
<br />
* London (Heathrow Airport Junction) to Cardiff, Chippenham (Christian Malford) and Newbury (Phased introduction of electric services between May 2017 and January 2020). The scheme was cut back to omit Swansea, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Oxford and the Thames Valley branch lines.<br />
<br />
* Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley (May 2019)<br />
<br />
* Manchester to Preston via Bolton (February 2019)<br />
<br />
* Gospel Oak to Woodgrange Park via South Tottenham (January 2019, but limited electric service initially, because of delayed delivery of rolling stock)<br />
<br />
Schemes under way in England:<br />
<br />
* Kettering - Market Harborough<br />
<br />
* Manchester - Huddersfield - Leeds - York <br />
<br />
* Wigan North Western - Lostock Junction (near Bolton) (announced 1 September 2021, expected completion 2024/2025) <br />
<br />
The UK Government has announced that electrification of the Midland Main Line is to be completed to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield.<br />
<br />
The Welsh Government is sponsoring electrification of the Valley Lines from Cardiff to Bargoed, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert. Light rail vehicles are to be used from Cardiff to Coryton and on routes via Radyr. Tri-mode trains will be used from Rhymney to Penarth, Barry Island and the Vale of Glamorgan line, using battery power between Rhymney and Bargoed, and diesel south of Cardiff. <br />
<br />
Following an extensive programme of electrification completed between 2012 and 2019, most lines in Central Scotland are electrified, with recent schemes comprising:<br />
<br />
*Holytown to Kirknewton (Midcalder Jn) via Shotts (Some electric services April 2019, full service May 2019) <br />
<br />
*Glasgow Central (Muirhouse Central Jn) to Barrhead (December 2023, but most trains continue to Kilmarnock or beyond, so remain diesel-worked)<br />
<br />
The line from Falkirk to Grangemouth has also been electrified for freight traffic, but there are proposals to reinstate a passenger service. <br />
<br />
Work has started on electrification to East Kilbride. The line from Haymarket (Edinburgh) to Dalmeny is being electrified as the first phase of a scheme to electrify routes through Fife. Transport Scotland's [https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/rail-services-decarbonisation-action-plan/ ''Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan''], published in July 2020, envisages most lines in Scotland being electrified. Priorities are the Kilmarnock line; Edinburgh to Tweedbank; routes in Fife; and Dunblane to Aberdeen. Later extensions will take electrification to Girvan; Gretna via Dumfries; and Inverness to Perth, Aberdeen and Tain.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of changes more than five years ago see [[United_Kingdom - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special Notes==<br />
<br />
Train numbers in Great Britain follow an alpha-numeric format, thus 1A22. The first digit indicates the type of train (passenger trains are 1, 2 or 9), in most cases the letter indicates its route or destination and the remaining digits identify the particular train. Different trains can and do use the same number, so long as they do not conflict geographically or operate several hours apart. Since December 2021 train numbers have been shown in the National Rail Timetable, but they are not normally used for passenger information purposes. It is more usual for trains to be referred to by their schedule, for example as the "10:00 London King's Cross to Aberdeen". International trains have four digit numbers where the second figure is 0 or 1, which can be treated as letters O and I in the UK.<br />
<br />
Departure sheets listing trains from a station in chronological order are rarely used. The usual format is to list destinations in alphabetic order, and provide details of all trains to each, or to provide timetable posters. Most stations have electronic displays, which indicate all departures (and often arrivals) within the next hour or so.<br />
<br />
It is unusual for information displays and announcements at stations and on trains to be in any language other than English (and Welsh in Wales), though most station name signs in Scotland appear in Gaelic as well as English. Multi-lingual information is normally restricted to dedicated airport services and those using the Channel Tunnel.<br />
<br />
No stations sell international tickets or can make international reservations, though there are facilities to make through bookings from certain stations by Eurostar. <!---International tickets and reservations are available at the We Know London Tourist Services desk in the shopping mall at St Pancras International station.---> Even the range of tickets available from Eurostar is very limited. For guidance on booking travel to and from Europe visit [http://www.seat61.com/Europe.htm#How%20do%20I%20book? The Man in Seat Sixty-One]'s website or see advice from [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/European-Train-Travel.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Selective door opening is increasingly used, particularly in London and South East England. Trains are longer than some station platforms and only doors within the platform are unlocked. Announcements and visual displays advise passengers which carriages they need to be in if wishing to alight. This also happens to a limited extent on the London Underground, but usually only affecting the rearmost pair of doors. <br />
<br />
The only long-distance overnight trains in Great Britain are:<br />
<br />
* [https://www.sleeper.scot/ Caledonian Sleeper] from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness <br />
* Great Western's [https://www.gwr.com/travelling-with-us/night-riviera-sleeper Night Riviera] from London to Penzance<br />
<br />
Sleeping cars are provided, but not couchettes, and seating may be in saloons with non-reclinable seats, where passengers have no control of the lighting. <br />
<br />
Taking bicycles, other than folding ones, by train can be difficult. Space may be limited and some operators require advance reservations for bicycles. More information can be found at [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/cyclists.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Train services at weekends, and especially Saturday evening and Sunday until mid-afternoon, can be extensively altered because of [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.aspx engineering work]. With the paucity of alternative routes and a growing aversion to temporary single line working, buses frequently substitute for trains in such circumstances. There are an increasing number of initiatives to give extended overnight possessions Mondays to Thursdays, in order to reduce the extent of weekend closures. This results in late evening trains being replaced by buses. Trials are being undertaken of mid-week line closures. Blockades of a week or more are increasingly common.<br />
<br />
No trains run in the UK on Christmas Day and very few on Boxing Day, mostly on local services in the London and Glasgow areas. No domestic services run in Scotland on New Year's Day, but there are normally trains between England, Edinburgh and Glasgow. <br />
<br />
Very few stations have left luggage facilities. Unattended luggage may be removed by the police and processes to check that it is safe can be very destructive.<br />
<br />
Railway enthusiasts are welcomed on stations - for guidance when on and about stations refer to [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/railway-enthusiasts/railway-enthusiasts-and-photography-at-stations/ Network Rail's] advice.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox United Kingdom}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=United_Kingdom_-_General_Information&diff=55471United Kingdom - General Information2024-03-22T19:30:47Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Temporary Closures: */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland<br />
<br />
Nomenclature: &quot;Great Britain&quot; comprises the countries of England, Wales, and Scotland. &quot;United Kingdom&quot; (in full: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) comprises Great Britain and the Province of Northern Ireland. &quot;British Isles&quot; is a purely geographical description for the British mainland and the island of Ireland; the latter contains the Province of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are usually regarded as part of the British Isles, although independent of the UK government. All but the Republic of Ireland (which is entirely independent of the UK) are under the British Crown (monarchy).<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Most infrastructure in Great Britain is owned by [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail], a company controlled by the government's [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport Department for Transport] (DfT). Most passenger train services are provided by operators under contracts with DfT, [https://tfl.gov.uk/ Transport for London], [http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk Merseytravel], [http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/ Transport Scotland] or the [http://gov.wales/topics/transport/?lang=en Welsh Government]. Some operators are subsidiaries of major bus companies or national railways from other countries, for example Trenitalia. A UK Government subsidiary, [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/dft-olr-holdings-limited/about DfT OLR Holdings Limited], operates services if the contractor is no longer able to do so, has had the contract terminated because of default or there has been no acceptable tender for provision of the service. [https://www.railholdings.scot/ Scottish Rail Holdings Limited] is the equivalent in Scotland. Full details of passenger train operators are given by links from the [http://www.raildeliverygroup.com/about-us/uk-rail-industry/passenger-freight-track.html Rail Delivery Group] website. Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites. Passenger train operations collectively are known as 'National Rail'. <br />
<br />
A new organisation, [https://gbrtt.co.uk/ Great British Railways] is being established to take strategic control of railways, in England at least, as well as taking over most of Network Rail's functions as infrastructure owner and operator throughout Britain. <br />
<br />
Railways in Northern Ireland are owned by Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (which remains state-owned) and are operated as the [http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/ N I Railways] (NIR) division of Translink.<br />
<br />
Most operators in Great Britain had a franchise agreement, under which they took most of the commercial risk. DfT was considering changes to franchising when the Covid-19 pandemic made the system uneconomic, due to greatly reduced fares income to the operators. Franchises were replaced by Emergency Recovery Management Agreements and subsequently by National Rail Contracts under which the Government meets operating costs and receives fares and other income. The operating company is paid a management fee. Transport for Wales, ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper, LNER, Northern and Southeastern are all being operated by public sector companies. <br />
<br />
The operator of each train is indicated in the electronic National Rail Timetable and <br />
its printed derivatives by means of two-letter codes; for a de-coder and a chronology of <br />
privatisation and transfer/re-branding of Great Britain's passenger railway franchises to <br />
date go to the [http://www.railchronology.free-online.co.uk/ Rail Chronology] website. Basic customer information about and links to the websites of each TOC are available through the [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tocs_maps/tocs/TrainOperators.aspx National Rail] website. Some further information about passenger train operators and past franchisees can be found in the [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-franchise-schedule DfT] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_operating_trains_in_the_United_Kingdom Wikipedia] websites. The Wikipedia list is usually more up to date and accurate than the DfT schedule!<br />
<br />
A small number of operators provide passenger services on the national network which are not under contract to the DfT. These include [http://www.eurostar.com/ ''Eurostar''] which is a unitary undertaking (Eurostar <br />
International Ltd) managed by SNCF, which has a 55% interest in the company. Private investors acquired the UK government's 40% stake in 2015 and SNCB/NMBS owns the remaining 5%. 'Open Access' passenger operators are: <br />
<br />
* [https://www.hulltrains.co.uk/ Hull Trains] between London and Hull <br />
* [https://www.grandcentralrail.com/ Grand Central] between London, Bradford and Sunderland<br />
* [https://www.lumo.co.uk/ Lumo] between London and Edinburgh <br />
<br />
[http://www.granduniontrains.co.uk/ Grand Union Trains] intends to start services between London and Carmarthen in 2025. <br />
<br />
In addition<br />
* [http://www.eurotunnel.com/ Eurotunnel] operates a shuttle service for motor vehicles through the Channel Tunnel; this does not carry foot-passengers (although cyclists can be carried by arrangement)<br />
* [http://www.nymr.co.uk/ North Yorkshire Moors Railway] operates timetabled steam trains through between Pickering/Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby during the summer.<br />
* [http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/ Swanage Railway] and West Coast Railways operated a service between Swanage and Wareham during the summer in 2017, but in 2018 and 2019 there was just a limited Saturday service by the local franchisee, South Western Railway. West Coast Railways again operates trains between Swanage and Wareham on behalf of Swanage Railway between April and September 2023. <br />
* [http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/ West Coast Railways] operates timetabled steam trains between Fort William and Mallaig during the summer, but in practice these get fully booked well in advance. <br />
<br />
All freight trains in Great Britain are operated by competing companies under "open access" conditions. The <i>principal</i> companies are: <br />
<br />
* [http://www.rail.dbschenker.co.uk/rail-uk-en/start/ DB Cargo UK] (formerly English Welsh and Scottish Railway, now a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn of Germany) <br />
* [https://www.freightliner.co.uk/ Freightliner] (owned by US railroad Genesee & Wyoming Inc) <br />
* [http://www.colasrail.co.uk/ Colas Rail] (part of the Bouygues group); <br />
* [http://www.directrailservices.com/ Direct Rail Services] (owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority) <br />
* [http://www.gbrailfreight.com/ GB Railfreight] (owned by Infracapital, an infrastructure equity investor). <br />
<br />
DB Cargo UK, in particular, and GB Railfreight, to a lesser extent, operate charter passenger trains. GB Railfreight also operates the Caledonian Sleeper trains on behalf of Caledonian Sleeper Limited.<br />
<br />
[https://www.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Rail Operations Group] concentrates on rolling stock moves for manufacturers, leasing companies and passenger operators, but started a parcels-carrying business, trading as [https://orion.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Orion] in 2021.<br />
<br />
There are no longer any revenue freight trains in Northern Ireland.<br />
<br />
Neither the Isle of Man nor the Channel Isles (îles Anglo-Normands) is legally part of the UK but the Isle of Man's active railways and tramways are to <br />
be found at the [http://www.heritagerailways.com/Visits_Map.php UK and Irish Heritage Railways website] and under [[#Trams/LRT-Systems|Trams/LRT-Systems]] respectively.<br />
<br />
==Official Website==<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ National Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink]<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
English. In addition Welsh is spoken in most parts of Wales, <br />
and Gaelic is used to a certain extent in north-west Scotland.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Pound sterling. Banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own notes, <br />
which are valid throughout the UK and usually accepted without question. Channel <br />
Islands and Manx notes (but not coins) are technically legal tender in the UK, <br />
but are best changed at banks.<br />
<br />
==UIC code==<br />
* United Kingdom: numeric 70; alpha GB<br />
* Eurotunnel: numeric 69 (used only for accounting purposes and not shown on rolling stock).<br />
<br />
Historically, the only British rolling stock to show UIC numbers were wagons passed to work on the now defunct train ferries from Harwich and Dover or through the Channel Tunnel. The Eurostar class 374 trains, which entered service in 2015, were the first UK-registered passenger stock to have UIC numbers, otherwise known as the European Vehicle Number (EVN). Rail Industry Standard RIS-2453-RST ''Vehicle Registration, Marking and Numbering'', introduced in December 2017, requires new vehicles in Great Britain to be identified by EVN. On passenger vehicles only an abbreviated version is normally show. UIC numbering is not used by NI Railways.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland)===<br />
The official National Rail timetable is published on Network Rail's website (see below), twice yearly (in mid December and mid May). Services on Mondays to Fridays, on Saturdays (or Mondays to Saturdays) and on Sundays are usually different and laid out separately in the timetable; there may be several alternative Sunday services, to allow for engineering work, during the currency of a timetable. [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe] provides a comprehensive guide to printed and on-line public transport timetables.<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
[http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/s/planjourney/query National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner]<br />
<br />
The [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites provide a quick-reference way of checking the latest schedule (or amendment) for any particular train<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetable====<br />
PDFs of the National Railway Timetable are available from the [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/electronic-national-rail-timetable-enrt/ Network Rail] website. These are maintained for Network Rail by [https://timetables.fabdigital.uk/nrt/ Fabdigital] and the version on their website may be more up to date.<br />
<br />
====Working (Staff) Timetables====<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/working-timetable/ Network Rail Working Timetables]<br />
<br />
You can also check for the latest variations to working timetable details for specific trains on the [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites.<br />
<br />
[http://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/working-timetables London Underground working timetables]. DLR is not included.<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
Since May 2020 there has been no comprehensive printed timetable for Great Britain and there are no printed timetable leaflets for most lines.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.html National Rail's future engineering works]<br />
<br />
===Northern Ireland===<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
On the [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink home page].<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetables====<br />
[https://www.translink.co.uk/timetables?LocationId=&Name=&LocationType=&TransportMode=Bus&page=1 Translink bus and rail timetables]<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
A series of four free leaflets is available.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/nirailways-travel-updates/ NIRailways Travel Updates]<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*The ''Rail Atlas Great Britain & Ireland'' gives detailed and accurate coverage of the UK railway system, and is widely available. It is mostly at 1:350,000, but with enlargements of many urban areas; an updated edition is published every 2-3 years.<br />
*[http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps] publish a series of track diagrams (formerly Quail Track Diagrams) in five regional volumes.<br />
*Northern Ireland Railways are in a volume covering the whole of Ireland also published by [http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps]<br />
*Historic atlases have been published by various other publishers.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] (see National Rail Passenger Operators' map) and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/united_kingdom_ireland.html British Isles and Ireland Map]. Last updated December 2022<br />
*[http://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php Rail Map online].<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
There is no distance-related fare tariff in the UK, and fares are charged on a market basis. Certain fares are regulated and the amount by which train companies can increase some fares is specified by the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
Standard walk-on fares are high, but a wide range of discounted fares is available. These are subject to restrictions as to days and times when they can be used. It can be difficult to obtain accurate information as to fares and their availability, even from official enquiry offices, because the pricing structure is complicated and the different train companies are all making their own special offers. The most heavily discounted fares usually oblige the passenger to travel on specified trains (with no opportunity to alter these) - and only a limited number of tickets may be issued for each service. Train operators are increasingly introducing special offers that can only be taken up through their website. Higher fares are charged for use of domestic trains on HS1, the high-speed line to Kent, except for through tickets between Kent and destinations beyond London. <br />
<br />
Tickets for any rail journey in the UK can be purchased from most train operators' websites, but the best price may be available from the operator whose service is being used. It is often possible to obtain a lower price for a journey by splitting it and buying a different ticket for each section. In such cases it is necessary to travel on a train that stops at stations where the validity of one ticket ends and another starts. This requirement does not apply if at least one of the tickets is a season ticket, rail rover or similar. It may also be found that a ticket to a station beyond one's destination is cheaper, but conditions need to be checked carefully. A break of journey may not be permitted, requiring an excess fare to be paid if exiting at an intermediate station. Various websites act as 'consolidators' and will compare what is available in order to offer the best deal, including split ticketing options. <br />
<br />
Various Railcards are available, usually giving a fare reduction of one third. These are available nationally to groups, such as young people, families, senior citizens, two people travelling together, those with a disability and military personnel. Some cards are available to all, but only valid for travel within a particular geographic area. The cost of a Railcard may be recouped immediately if a long-distance journey is planned or if purchasing a high-price ticket such as a national rail rover. Some Railcards only give a discount for off-peak travel. Details of Railcards are available at [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/National-Railcards.aspx National Rail]. Details can be found at the unofficial [http://www.railrover.org/ Rail Rover] website.<br />
<br />
Overseas visitors should endeavour to purchase a rover ticket, such as a [http://www.britrail.net/ BritRail] or InterRail pass, before travelling to the UK. Various rail rovers are available within the UK, but they do not offer the value or wide validity of those available to foreign visitors, and many are not valid until after the morning peak period.<br />
<br />
In various areas where all stations have automatic ticket machines, including on the London Underground and most other tram and metro networks, a penalty fares system applies. Passengers found without a ticket are likely to have to pay a fine on the spot.<br />
<br />
First class seating tends now to be found only on principal routes; in Northern Ireland it is limited to principal trains on the international route between Belfast and Dublin (where NIRailways call it &quot;First plus&quot; while partner Iarnród Éireann call it &quot;Premium&quot;). Eurostar maintain three classes: Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier. On some trains, including many of those operated by Gatwick Express, Great Northern and Southern, there is no difference between first class and standard class seating. If a train including first class seats is used on a service advertised as standard class only, holders of standard class tickets may use the first class seats.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Railways Company Limited, through a subsidiary NIR Networks Limited<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/network-statement/ Network Rail]. The Sectional Appendices are available <br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ here] (scroll down to list of PDFs).<br />
<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Corporate/About-Us/Publications/network-statement/ Translink]<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
*Great Britain: Standard<br />
*Northern Ireland: 1600 mm [5 feet 3 inches]<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
*Great Britain: Mostly 25 kV 50 Hz. 750 V dc third rail is used on some lines in south east England and around Liverpool. The third rail network in south east England is by a considerable margin the most extensive such system in the world and the only place when conductor rail trains operate at up to 100 mph (160 km/hr). The line between Pelaw and Sunderland is electrified at 1500V dc overhead, to allow use by Tyne & Wear Metro. The line between Tinsley North Junction and Rotherham Parkgate is electrified at 750V dc overhead, for use by Sheffield Supertram. Most tramway systems are 750 V dc with Blackpool being 600 V dc.<br />
*Northern Ireland: no electrified lines.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Left.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
*Distances are shown on Railway Track Diagrams published by [https://www.trackmaps.co.uk/ TRACKmaps]. Distances are also available in Network Rail's [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ Sectional Appendices] (scroll down for list of available PDFs).<br />
*Distances for Northern Ireland are also available on-line on the Signalling Record Society website:<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-nc.php Derry and Larne lines]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-bd.php Bangor line]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-gd.php Dublin line]<br />
<br />
==Other railways==<br />
*Core Valley Lines (Cardiff to Rhymney, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert): Owned by the Welsh Government and managed by a lessee, Amey Keolis Infrastructure/Seilwaith Amey Keolis Limited.<br />
*Crossrail Central Operating Section is the railway under Central London from Portobello Junction (Royal Oak) to Pudding Mill Lane Junction (Bow) and Abbey Wood. It is managed by Rail for London (Infrastructure) Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London.<br />
*East London Line: Owned by Rail for London Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London. <br />
*Eurotunnel: A partnership between the Channel Tunnel Group Limited and France-Manche S.A. that operates the Channel Tunnel under a long-term concession from the UK and French governments. <br />
*Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited owns the railway between London Heathrow Airport and the junction with the Great Western Main Line near Hayes & Harlington. <br />
*HS1 Ltd: The investor with a 30 years concession from the UK government to operate the high-speed line between London and the Channel Tunnel, though most aspects of day-to-day operation and maintenance are contracted out to Network Rail. <br />
<br />
Facilities exist for special through running between the national system and some tourist lines.<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
A map of UK heritage railways can be found at the "Heritage Rail - UK & Ireland" link on the [https://www.heritagerailways.com Heritage Railway Association website].<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
London, Newcastle, Glasgow. Although part of the national railway system, the Merseyrail Electrics <br />
network in Liverpool is like a Metro. There are two separate networks in London. The Underground system is 630V dc third and fourth rail; the Docklands Light Railway is a fully-automated 750V dc third rail system. London Overground operates under a contract let by the Mayor of London and uses Transport for London branding, but operates almost entirely on Network Rail lines. The Glasgow and Merseyrail systems are third <br />
rail and Newcastle is 1500 V dc overhead. Glasgow Subway is 4 feet (1,219mm) gauge and was originally cable-worked. There are several lines where London Underground and main line trains share the same tracks. The Tyne & Wear Metro (Newcastle) operates to Sunderland over the Network Rail line from Pelaw.<br />
<br />
The Core Valley Lines from Cardiff are being converted to a form of metro system.<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Birmingham/Wolverhampton (Midland Metro), Blackpool, Croydon, Edinburgh,<br />
Llandudno (cable worked), Manchester, Nottingham, Seaton (Devon) and Sheffield. The Croydon, <br />
Manchester, Midland Metro, Nottingham and Seaton systems include extensive running over <br />
routes that were previously part of the national railway system. The Manchester and Nottingham systems have been considerably extended in recent years. On the Manchester Metrolink system a second route through Manchester city centre came into use on 26 February 2017, and the 5.5 km Trafford Park line opened on 22 March 2020. The Midland Metro in Birmingham was extended to Edgbaston on 17 July 2022 and to Wolverhampton Station on 17 September 2023. The first stage of a line to Brierley Hill is expected to open, to Dudley, in 2024. The extension of the Edinburgh line to Leith and Newhaven opened on 21 June 2023 and plans have been announced for further lines in the city. The Blackpool system Talbot Gateway extension, to Blackpool North station, is expected to be fully open in 2023. A metro system is proposed in Glasgow, but this project is at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
The Seaton and Llandudno lines are essentially tourist operations, and both are narrow gauge. <br />
There are other tourist lines of a mile or more at the National Tramway Museum <br />
(Crich, near Matlock) and at Beamish Open Air Museum (near Gateshead), plus <br />
several other shorter lines. <br />
<br />
The Isle of Man has three narrow gauge tramways, which operate on a seasonal basis: Douglas Bay Horse Tramway - along the promenade in Douglas; the Manx Electric Railway - an inter-urban line between Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey; and the Snaefell Mountain Railway - from Laxey to Snaefell Summit. <br />
After a period of uncertainty, the threat that the horse tramway line in Douglas might be shortened seems to have been seen off by a vote in Tynwald (the Manx parliament) in January 2017. <br />
<br />
The Tinsley Chord, which connects the Sheffield tram system to a freight line near Meadowhall, allows tram-trains to run between Sheffield city centre and Rotherham Parkgate over Network Rail lines. Public services commenced on Thursday 25 October 2018. Sheffield tram-trains are dual voltage vehicles that can run on the 750 V Overhead Lines (OHLE) of the tram network and the 25 kV OHLE of the national rail network; however the line to Rotherham Parkgate is initially energised at 750 V because there is no 25 kV electrification in the area.<br />
<br />
Track plans for most of the significant tram systems in the United Kingdom are available on the [http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/line/diagrams0.shtm Railway Codes site] and also on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/index-e.php Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes== <br />
Some aspects of national railway operations are privatised, but infrastructure ownership has reverted to the public sector. There continues to be debate about the fragmented, expensive and complex nature of the system that has emerged, under the general oversight of the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
===Route Closures and Service Reductions===<br />
Having undergone extensive cut backs in the 1960s, the present passenger network seems relatively secure. The closure of a passenger railway in the UK normally involves a lengthy legal process, and short-notice closures usually occur only if there is a sudden and dramatic infrastructure failure, or if the closure is deemed a &quot;minor closure&quot;. However, a number of stations have closed and all passenger services over some lines have been withdrawn without the statutory procedure having been followed. Passenger services via the Channel Tunnel, or in connection with them, do not enjoy statutory protection from closure. <br />
<br />
Some routes have been reduced to just one or two trains per day (or, in some cases, per week) in order to reduce operating costs without having to go through the closure procedure. These are included in the list of [https://www.egtre.info/wiki/United_Kingdom_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services sparse services].<br />
<br />
A newly-introduced passenger service can be designated as "experimental" for a period up to five years, during which time it may be withdrawn without the usual closure procedure needing to be followed. The only "experimental" service at present is Thanet Parkway station, until 30 July 2028.<br />
<br />
====Passenger services to be withdrawn====<br />
* The railway between Nottingham and Worksop may be diverted at Whitwell to allow expansion of a dolomite quarry. This will eliminate Whitwell Tunnel. No date is set for this, but planning permission to expand the quarry was granted in 2018.<br />
<br />
* Planned diversion of trains between Belfast and Dublin to a new terminal facility - [http://www.translink.co.uk/Translink-Footer/the-hub/ the Belfast Hub] - being constructed close to Belfast Great Victoria Street may see the end of regular passenger services between Central Junction (Adelaide) and City Junction (City Hospital).<br />
<br />
====Closures and significant service reductions in recent years are==== <br />
<br />
'''Passenger service withdrawn, line still open for other than regular passenger traffic:'''<br />
<br />
* Greenford LUL Bay Junction - Northolt Junction: The Wednesdays only train from West Ealing to West Ruislip ran for the last time on 7 December 2022.<br />
<br />
* Cowlairs East Junction - Cowlairs North Junction (Glasgow): The summer Sunday trains between Edinburgh and Oban start and terminate at Glasgow Queen Street in 2023. Last use of the curve by the ScotRail service was on 28 August 2022. It continues to be used by the [https://www.belmond.com/trains/europe/scotland/belmond-royal-scotsman/journeys Royal Scotsman] Western Scenic Wonders tour, but prices start at £5,800.<br />
<br />
* Barking Station Junction - Barking platform 1: No regular passenger traffic from 18 July 2022, when the line to Barking Riverside opened, but occasional diversions may be possible.<br />
<br />
* Dalmeny - Winchburgh Junction: Service withdrawn 23 March 2020, but without the statutory closure procedure having been followed. From 11 Dec 2022 the 22:31 FSSuX Dundee to Edinburgh and 22.58 SuO Glenrothes with Thornton to Edinburgh are scheduled to run this way with reversal at Linlithgow, but are likely to run direct via Edinburgh Gateway if there is no engineering work on that route.<br />
<br />
'''Significant service reduction'''<br />
<br />
* Glenrothes with Thornton - Thornton South Junction: The frequent service via Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy became Sundays only, except for one train each way Mondays to Fridays, with effect from 15 May 2022.<br />
<br />
====Temporary Closures:==== <br />
<br />
Work to upgrade the UK rail network is increasingly leading to lines being closed for extended periods. Severe weather and the age of much railway infrastructure has resulted in more temporary closures caused by landslips and other problems with earthworks. Current and planned temporary closures of four weeks or more, in approximate order of expected re-opening, are: <br />
<br />
* Carlisle to Workington: From 29 February 2024, because of a problem with a viaduct, possibly until mid-April 2024.<br />
* Shipley (Dockfield Junction) to Guisley (Esholt Junction): From 8 February 2024, because of a major land slip, until 24 April 2024 or later.<br />
* Prestwick Town to Girvan and Kilmarnock to Barassie: From 25 September 2023, probably until spring/summer 2024, because of a dangerous building at Ayr.<br />
* Blackheath to Charlton: 1 June to 10 August 2024, for repairs to Blackheath Tunnel.<br />
* Ashford East Junction, connection to HS1: Eurostar ceased calling at Ashford on 19 March 2020 and will not resume before 2025/6.<br />
<br />
There are also extended closures of sections of the Valley Lines, north of Cardiff, at least until February 2024, for electrification work.<br />
<br />
===Re-openings and Openings===<br />
<br />
Most projects involve upgrading existing routes, but some openings have occurred or are about to do so. <br />
<br />
====New and reinstated passenger services in recent years:==== <br />
<br />
New passenger services are: <br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension - The Royal - Wolverhampton Station (17 September 2023). <br />
<br />
* Westbourne Park Junction - Paddington and Stepney Green Junction - Pudding Mill Lane Junction (full opening of Elizabeth line) (6 November 2022) <br />
<br />
* Barking - Barking Riverside (18 July 2022)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension - Library - Edgbaston Village (17 July 2022) <br />
<br />
*Paddington - Abbey Wood (Elizabeth line) (24 May 2022)<br />
<br />
* Newport (Gaer Junction) - Pye Corner (Park Junction) (on introduction of trains between Newport and Crosskeys, 12 December 2021)<br />
<br />
* Crediton - Okehampton (20 November 2021; there was previously a service on summer Sundays)<br />
<br />
* Kennington - Battersea Power Station (London Underground, Northern Line extension, opened September 2021)<br />
<br />
A daily service, generally hourly, was introduced between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester via Runcorn and Frodsham on 19 May 2019. Previously the curve between Halton Junction and Frodsham Junction had been used by a single unadvertised train in one direction only on summer Saturdays.<br />
<br />
On tourist / heritage railways:<br />
<br />
* Llangollen Railway extended passenger services from Carrog to a provisional terminus at Corwen in October 2014 and to the permanent terminus in June 2023. <br />
* the Mid-Norfolk Railway ran inaugural passenger trains to Worthing level crossing (North Elmham) on 19 and 20 May 2018, but regular services continue to terminate at Dereham. The railway aspires to continue to County School. <br />
* The first (very short) section of the Aln Valley Railway officially opened in October 2013, from a new station on the edge of Alnwick, with a longer run available from December 2017. It is planned that the railway will reach the National Rail station at Alnmouth.<br />
* The first section of the re-opened Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, a narrow gauge line, is in operation between Woody Bay and Killington Lane. Extensions towards Lynton and to Blackmoor Gate are planned as the next phase of reconstruction.<br />
<br />
====Projects authorised or under construction are:==== <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the railway between Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) and Levenmouth for passenger services in 2024. It is expected that some trains will run via Cowdenbeath, providing many more via the curve from Thornton West Junction than the current sparse service. <br />
<br />
A Transport & Works Act Order for the introduction of passenger trains over the freight line to Ashington was granted in June 2022 and the line is due to open by December 2024. The UK Government has announced plans to re-open the railway to Fleetwood, but this may become a tramway. The UK Government is also funding feasibility studies into re-opening a number of other lines, but these are at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
Work has started on construction of a high speed railway (HS2) from London to Birmingham, but the line will not be opened until 2026 at the earliest. A flythrough of the route is [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bkoGvw9kbA here]. It is to be followed by Phase 2a as far as Crewe. It is intended that the line will subsequently be extended to Manchester with completion in the mid-2030s. It was originally planned that there would be a branch to Leeds, but this has been cut back to East Midlands Parkway (near Nottingham). The UK Government has also announced that it intends to proceed with a high-speed line from Warrington to Marsden (for Huddersfield) via Manchester. <br />
<br />
<!---Preliminary work on construction of a link between the LUL Watford branch and the former Croxley Green branch was undertaken in 2016. However, the project has stalled, because of lack of agreement as to how further cost escalation would be funded, and can only be regarded as definitively dead, though there has been no formal announcement to this effect. Should the scheme continue, which seems increasingly unlikely, it will result in the closure of Watford LUL station, but the re-opening of most of the Croxley Green branch.---><br />
Plans were being developed for a second Crossrail line, linking south west and north east London. All work on this stopped in autumn 2020, as a result of economies made to deal with the Covid pandemic. It is questionable whether the scheme will be revived, if there is the expected permanent reduction in commuter traffic. <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the derelict line between Calvert and Bletchley. A Transport & Works Act Order for this scheme was granted in February 2020 and services between Oxford and Milton Keynes are scheduled to start in December 2024. The longer-term objective is to re-introduce trains between Oxford and Cambridge. <br />
<br />
[https://heathrowrail.com/ Heathrow Southern Railway] intends to build a new railway south-west from Heathrow Airport to link with the Staines to Windsor line, together with a branch to Virginia Water or Chertsey. <br />
<br />
In the private sector:<br />
* The Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway is constructing an extension from Glengonnar to Wanlockhead.<br />
* Moorland & City Railways have a stated intention to reopen the line between Stoke-on-Trent and Leek Brook Junction, to a junction with the Churnet Valley Railway, but progress seems to be languishing.<br />
* Most ambitiously, the two Great Central Railways at Loughborough are being linked by means of a reinstated bridge over the Midland Main Line. <br />
* The Rother Valley Railway has obtained a Transport and Works Act Order to rebuild the railway between Robertsbridge and Junction Road (Bodiam).<br />
* The Royal Deeside Railway is extending its line to Crathes West Lodge.<br />
* Strathspey Railway is extending to Grantown-on-Spey and during summer 2014 and 2015 offered a limited service between its normal terminus at Broomhill and the river bridge at Dulnain. Further work depends on obtaining statutory powers under the Transport and Works Act and constructing a new bridge to carry the railway over the A95 main road. <br />
* The Helston Railway provides a short ride near Prospidnick, but plans to extend to Helston and eventually to Gwinear Road.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
<br />
Main line electrification in Great Britain came to a virtual standstill following railway privatisation, because private-sector train operators and rolling stock companies preferred the flexibility of diesel traction. The only schemes to proceed were between Crewe and Kidsgrove (near Stoke on Trent) (electrified for diversionary use), the reconstructed Larkhall branch line in Scotland and High Speed 1 (the Channel Tunnel rail link) [see below].<br />
<br />
In 2009 Department for Transport policy shifted towards extending electrification, with significant schemes proposed and a few implemented. However, greatly increased costs have resulted in projects being curtailed and delayed. Poor cost estimating, increased safety standards, over-specification and loss of practical experience of electrification appear to be among the causes. In July 2017 the UK Government announced an end to plans for further railway electrification in England and Wales, with reliance instead on bi-mode diesel/electric trains. This will included converting some electric multiple-units to bi-mode working. There have also been experiments with battery operation. In contrast, the Scottish Government required Network Rail to develop an electrification technical specification that can deliver an "efficient and affordable rolling programme of electrification". <br />
<br />
Electrification schemes recently completed in England and Wales are:<br />
<br />
* Bedford to Corby (May 2021) <br />
<br />
* London (Heathrow Airport Junction) to Cardiff, Chippenham (Christian Malford) and Newbury (Phased introduction of electric services between May 2017 and January 2020). The scheme was cut back to omit Swansea, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Oxford and the Thames Valley branch lines.<br />
<br />
* Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley (May 2019)<br />
<br />
* Manchester to Preston via Bolton (February 2019)<br />
<br />
* Gospel Oak to Woodgrange Park via South Tottenham (January 2019, but limited electric service initially, because of delayed delivery of rolling stock)<br />
<br />
Schemes under way in England:<br />
<br />
* Kettering - Market Harborough<br />
<br />
* Manchester - Huddersfield - Leeds - York <br />
<br />
* Wigan North Western - Lostock Junction (near Bolton) (announced 1 September 2021, expected completion 2024/2025) <br />
<br />
The UK Government has announced that electrification of the Midland Main Line is to be completed to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield.<br />
<br />
The Welsh Government is sponsoring electrification of the Valley Lines from Cardiff to Bargoed, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert. Light rail vehicles are to be used from Cardiff to Coryton and on routes via Radyr. Tri-mode trains will be used from Rhymney to Penarth, Barry Island and the Vale of Glamorgan line, using battery power between Rhymney and Bargoed, and diesel south of Cardiff. <br />
<br />
Following an extensive programme of electrification completed between 2012 and 2019, most lines in Central Scotland are electrified, with recent schemes comprising:<br />
<br />
*Holytown to Kirknewton (Midcalder Jn) via Shotts (Some electric services April 2019, full service May 2019) <br />
<br />
*Glasgow Central (Muirhouse Central Jn) to Barrhead (December 2023, but most trains continue to Kilmarnock or beyond, so remain diesel-worked)<br />
<br />
The line from Falkirk to Grangemouth has also been electrified for freight traffic, but there are proposals to reinstate a passenger service. <br />
<br />
Work has started on electrification to East Kilbride. The line from Haymarket (Edinburgh) to Dalmeny is being electrified as the first phase of a scheme to electrify routes through Fife. Transport Scotland's [https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/rail-services-decarbonisation-action-plan/ ''Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan''], published in July 2020, envisages most lines in Scotland being electrified. Priorities are the Kilmarnock line; Edinburgh to Tweedbank; routes in Fife; and Dunblane to Aberdeen. Later extensions will take electrification to Girvan; Gretna via Dumfries; and Inverness to Perth, Aberdeen and Tain.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of changes more than five years ago see [[United_Kingdom - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special Notes==<br />
<br />
Train numbers in Great Britain follow an alpha-numeric format, thus 1A22. The first digit indicates the type of train (passenger trains are 1, 2 or 9), in most cases the letter indicates its route or destination and the remaining digits identify the particular train. Different trains can and do use the same number, so long as they do not conflict geographically or operate several hours apart. Since December 2021 train numbers have been shown in the National Rail Timetable, but they are not normally used for passenger information purposes. It is more usual for trains to be referred to by their schedule, for example as the "10:00 London King's Cross to Aberdeen". International trains have four digit numbers where the second figure is 0 or 1, which can be treated as letters O and I in the UK.<br />
<br />
Departure sheets listing trains from a station in chronological order are rarely used. The usual format is to list destinations in alphabetic order, and provide details of all trains to each, or to provide timetable posters. Most stations have electronic displays, which indicate all departures (and often arrivals) within the next hour or so.<br />
<br />
It is unusual for information displays and announcements at stations and on trains to be in any language other than English (and Welsh in Wales), though most station name signs in Scotland appear in Gaelic as well as English. Multi-lingual information is normally restricted to dedicated airport services and those using the Channel Tunnel.<br />
<br />
No stations sell international tickets or can make international reservations, though there are facilities to make through bookings from certain stations by Eurostar. <!---International tickets and reservations are available at the We Know London Tourist Services desk in the shopping mall at St Pancras International station.---> Even the range of tickets available from Eurostar is very limited. For guidance on booking travel to and from Europe visit [http://www.seat61.com/Europe.htm#How%20do%20I%20book? The Man in Seat Sixty-One]'s website or see advice from [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/European-Train-Travel.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Selective door opening is increasingly used, particularly in London and South East England. Trains are longer than some station platforms and only doors within the platform are unlocked. Announcements and visual displays advise passengers which carriages they need to be in if wishing to alight. This also happens to a limited extent on the London Underground, but usually only affecting the rearmost pair of doors. <br />
<br />
The only long-distance overnight trains in Great Britain are:<br />
<br />
* [https://www.sleeper.scot/ Caledonian Sleeper] from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness <br />
* Great Western's [https://www.gwr.com/travelling-with-us/night-riviera-sleeper Night Riviera] from London to Penzance<br />
<br />
Sleeping cars are provided, but not couchettes, and seating may be in saloons with non-reclinable seats, where passengers have no control of the lighting. <br />
<br />
Taking bicycles, other than folding ones, by train can be difficult. Space may be limited and some operators require advance reservations for bicycles. More information can be found at [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/cyclists.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Train services at weekends, and especially Saturday evening and Sunday until mid-afternoon, can be extensively altered because of [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.aspx engineering work]. With the paucity of alternative routes and a growing aversion to temporary single line working, buses frequently substitute for trains in such circumstances. There are an increasing number of initiatives to give extended overnight possessions Mondays to Thursdays, in order to reduce the extent of weekend closures. This results in late evening trains being replaced by buses. Trials are being undertaken of mid-week line closures. Blockades of a week or more are increasingly common.<br />
<br />
No trains run in the UK on Christmas Day and very few on Boxing Day, mostly on local services in the London and Glasgow areas. No domestic services run in Scotland on New Year's Day, but there are normally trains between England, Edinburgh and Glasgow. <br />
<br />
Very few stations have left luggage facilities. Unattended luggage may be removed by the police and processes to check that it is safe can be very destructive.<br />
<br />
Railway enthusiasts are welcomed on stations - for guidance when on and about stations refer to [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/railway-enthusiasts/railway-enthusiasts-and-photography-at-stations/ Network Rail's] advice.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox United Kingdom}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=United_Kingdom_-_General_Information&diff=55470United Kingdom - General Information2024-03-22T19:28:42Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Temporary Closures: */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland<br />
<br />
Nomenclature: &quot;Great Britain&quot; comprises the countries of England, Wales, and Scotland. &quot;United Kingdom&quot; (in full: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) comprises Great Britain and the Province of Northern Ireland. &quot;British Isles&quot; is a purely geographical description for the British mainland and the island of Ireland; the latter contains the Province of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are usually regarded as part of the British Isles, although independent of the UK government. All but the Republic of Ireland (which is entirely independent of the UK) are under the British Crown (monarchy).<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Most infrastructure in Great Britain is owned by [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail], a company controlled by the government's [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport Department for Transport] (DfT). Most passenger train services are provided by operators under contracts with DfT, [https://tfl.gov.uk/ Transport for London], [http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk Merseytravel], [http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/ Transport Scotland] or the [http://gov.wales/topics/transport/?lang=en Welsh Government]. Some operators are subsidiaries of major bus companies or national railways from other countries, for example Trenitalia. A UK Government subsidiary, [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/dft-olr-holdings-limited/about DfT OLR Holdings Limited], operates services if the contractor is no longer able to do so, has had the contract terminated because of default or there has been no acceptable tender for provision of the service. [https://www.railholdings.scot/ Scottish Rail Holdings Limited] is the equivalent in Scotland. Full details of passenger train operators are given by links from the [http://www.raildeliverygroup.com/about-us/uk-rail-industry/passenger-freight-track.html Rail Delivery Group] website. Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites. Passenger train operations collectively are known as 'National Rail'. <br />
<br />
A new organisation, [https://gbrtt.co.uk/ Great British Railways] is being established to take strategic control of railways, in England at least, as well as taking over most of Network Rail's functions as infrastructure owner and operator throughout Britain. <br />
<br />
Railways in Northern Ireland are owned by Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (which remains state-owned) and are operated as the [http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/ N I Railways] (NIR) division of Translink.<br />
<br />
Most operators in Great Britain had a franchise agreement, under which they took most of the commercial risk. DfT was considering changes to franchising when the Covid-19 pandemic made the system uneconomic, due to greatly reduced fares income to the operators. Franchises were replaced by Emergency Recovery Management Agreements and subsequently by National Rail Contracts under which the Government meets operating costs and receives fares and other income. The operating company is paid a management fee. Transport for Wales, ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper, LNER, Northern and Southeastern are all being operated by public sector companies. <br />
<br />
The operator of each train is indicated in the electronic National Rail Timetable and <br />
its printed derivatives by means of two-letter codes; for a de-coder and a chronology of <br />
privatisation and transfer/re-branding of Great Britain's passenger railway franchises to <br />
date go to the [http://www.railchronology.free-online.co.uk/ Rail Chronology] website. Basic customer information about and links to the websites of each TOC are available through the [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tocs_maps/tocs/TrainOperators.aspx National Rail] website. Some further information about passenger train operators and past franchisees can be found in the [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-franchise-schedule DfT] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_operating_trains_in_the_United_Kingdom Wikipedia] websites. The Wikipedia list is usually more up to date and accurate than the DfT schedule!<br />
<br />
A small number of operators provide passenger services on the national network which are not under contract to the DfT. These include [http://www.eurostar.com/ ''Eurostar''] which is a unitary undertaking (Eurostar <br />
International Ltd) managed by SNCF, which has a 55% interest in the company. Private investors acquired the UK government's 40% stake in 2015 and SNCB/NMBS owns the remaining 5%. 'Open Access' passenger operators are: <br />
<br />
* [https://www.hulltrains.co.uk/ Hull Trains] between London and Hull <br />
* [https://www.grandcentralrail.com/ Grand Central] between London, Bradford and Sunderland<br />
* [https://www.lumo.co.uk/ Lumo] between London and Edinburgh <br />
<br />
[http://www.granduniontrains.co.uk/ Grand Union Trains] intends to start services between London and Carmarthen in 2025. <br />
<br />
In addition<br />
* [http://www.eurotunnel.com/ Eurotunnel] operates a shuttle service for motor vehicles through the Channel Tunnel; this does not carry foot-passengers (although cyclists can be carried by arrangement)<br />
* [http://www.nymr.co.uk/ North Yorkshire Moors Railway] operates timetabled steam trains through between Pickering/Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby during the summer.<br />
* [http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/ Swanage Railway] and West Coast Railways operated a service between Swanage and Wareham during the summer in 2017, but in 2018 and 2019 there was just a limited Saturday service by the local franchisee, South Western Railway. West Coast Railways again operates trains between Swanage and Wareham on behalf of Swanage Railway between April and September 2023. <br />
* [http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/ West Coast Railways] operates timetabled steam trains between Fort William and Mallaig during the summer, but in practice these get fully booked well in advance. <br />
<br />
All freight trains in Great Britain are operated by competing companies under "open access" conditions. The <i>principal</i> companies are: <br />
<br />
* [http://www.rail.dbschenker.co.uk/rail-uk-en/start/ DB Cargo UK] (formerly English Welsh and Scottish Railway, now a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn of Germany) <br />
* [https://www.freightliner.co.uk/ Freightliner] (owned by US railroad Genesee & Wyoming Inc) <br />
* [http://www.colasrail.co.uk/ Colas Rail] (part of the Bouygues group); <br />
* [http://www.directrailservices.com/ Direct Rail Services] (owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority) <br />
* [http://www.gbrailfreight.com/ GB Railfreight] (owned by Infracapital, an infrastructure equity investor). <br />
<br />
DB Cargo UK, in particular, and GB Railfreight, to a lesser extent, operate charter passenger trains. GB Railfreight also operates the Caledonian Sleeper trains on behalf of Caledonian Sleeper Limited.<br />
<br />
[https://www.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Rail Operations Group] concentrates on rolling stock moves for manufacturers, leasing companies and passenger operators, but started a parcels-carrying business, trading as [https://orion.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Orion] in 2021.<br />
<br />
There are no longer any revenue freight trains in Northern Ireland.<br />
<br />
Neither the Isle of Man nor the Channel Isles (îles Anglo-Normands) is legally part of the UK but the Isle of Man's active railways and tramways are to <br />
be found at the [http://www.heritagerailways.com/Visits_Map.php UK and Irish Heritage Railways website] and under [[#Trams/LRT-Systems|Trams/LRT-Systems]] respectively.<br />
<br />
==Official Website==<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ National Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink]<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
English. In addition Welsh is spoken in most parts of Wales, <br />
and Gaelic is used to a certain extent in north-west Scotland.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Pound sterling. Banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own notes, <br />
which are valid throughout the UK and usually accepted without question. Channel <br />
Islands and Manx notes (but not coins) are technically legal tender in the UK, <br />
but are best changed at banks.<br />
<br />
==UIC code==<br />
* United Kingdom: numeric 70; alpha GB<br />
* Eurotunnel: numeric 69 (used only for accounting purposes and not shown on rolling stock).<br />
<br />
Historically, the only British rolling stock to show UIC numbers were wagons passed to work on the now defunct train ferries from Harwich and Dover or through the Channel Tunnel. The Eurostar class 374 trains, which entered service in 2015, were the first UK-registered passenger stock to have UIC numbers, otherwise known as the European Vehicle Number (EVN). Rail Industry Standard RIS-2453-RST ''Vehicle Registration, Marking and Numbering'', introduced in December 2017, requires new vehicles in Great Britain to be identified by EVN. On passenger vehicles only an abbreviated version is normally show. UIC numbering is not used by NI Railways.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland)===<br />
The official National Rail timetable is published on Network Rail's website (see below), twice yearly (in mid December and mid May). Services on Mondays to Fridays, on Saturdays (or Mondays to Saturdays) and on Sundays are usually different and laid out separately in the timetable; there may be several alternative Sunday services, to allow for engineering work, during the currency of a timetable. [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe] provides a comprehensive guide to printed and on-line public transport timetables.<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
[http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/s/planjourney/query National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner]<br />
<br />
The [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites provide a quick-reference way of checking the latest schedule (or amendment) for any particular train<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetable====<br />
PDFs of the National Railway Timetable are available from the [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/electronic-national-rail-timetable-enrt/ Network Rail] website. These are maintained for Network Rail by [https://timetables.fabdigital.uk/nrt/ Fabdigital] and the version on their website may be more up to date.<br />
<br />
====Working (Staff) Timetables====<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/working-timetable/ Network Rail Working Timetables]<br />
<br />
You can also check for the latest variations to working timetable details for specific trains on the [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites.<br />
<br />
[http://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/working-timetables London Underground working timetables]. DLR is not included.<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
Since May 2020 there has been no comprehensive printed timetable for Great Britain and there are no printed timetable leaflets for most lines.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.html National Rail's future engineering works]<br />
<br />
===Northern Ireland===<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
On the [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink home page].<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetables====<br />
[https://www.translink.co.uk/timetables?LocationId=&Name=&LocationType=&TransportMode=Bus&page=1 Translink bus and rail timetables]<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
A series of four free leaflets is available.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/nirailways-travel-updates/ NIRailways Travel Updates]<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*The ''Rail Atlas Great Britain & Ireland'' gives detailed and accurate coverage of the UK railway system, and is widely available. It is mostly at 1:350,000, but with enlargements of many urban areas; an updated edition is published every 2-3 years.<br />
*[http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps] publish a series of track diagrams (formerly Quail Track Diagrams) in five regional volumes.<br />
*Northern Ireland Railways are in a volume covering the whole of Ireland also published by [http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps]<br />
*Historic atlases have been published by various other publishers.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] (see National Rail Passenger Operators' map) and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/united_kingdom_ireland.html British Isles and Ireland Map]. Last updated December 2022<br />
*[http://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php Rail Map online].<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
There is no distance-related fare tariff in the UK, and fares are charged on a market basis. Certain fares are regulated and the amount by which train companies can increase some fares is specified by the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
Standard walk-on fares are high, but a wide range of discounted fares is available. These are subject to restrictions as to days and times when they can be used. It can be difficult to obtain accurate information as to fares and their availability, even from official enquiry offices, because the pricing structure is complicated and the different train companies are all making their own special offers. The most heavily discounted fares usually oblige the passenger to travel on specified trains (with no opportunity to alter these) - and only a limited number of tickets may be issued for each service. Train operators are increasingly introducing special offers that can only be taken up through their website. Higher fares are charged for use of domestic trains on HS1, the high-speed line to Kent, except for through tickets between Kent and destinations beyond London. <br />
<br />
Tickets for any rail journey in the UK can be purchased from most train operators' websites, but the best price may be available from the operator whose service is being used. It is often possible to obtain a lower price for a journey by splitting it and buying a different ticket for each section. In such cases it is necessary to travel on a train that stops at stations where the validity of one ticket ends and another starts. This requirement does not apply if at least one of the tickets is a season ticket, rail rover or similar. It may also be found that a ticket to a station beyond one's destination is cheaper, but conditions need to be checked carefully. A break of journey may not be permitted, requiring an excess fare to be paid if exiting at an intermediate station. Various websites act as 'consolidators' and will compare what is available in order to offer the best deal, including split ticketing options. <br />
<br />
Various Railcards are available, usually giving a fare reduction of one third. These are available nationally to groups, such as young people, families, senior citizens, two people travelling together, those with a disability and military personnel. Some cards are available to all, but only valid for travel within a particular geographic area. The cost of a Railcard may be recouped immediately if a long-distance journey is planned or if purchasing a high-price ticket such as a national rail rover. Some Railcards only give a discount for off-peak travel. Details of Railcards are available at [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/National-Railcards.aspx National Rail]. Details can be found at the unofficial [http://www.railrover.org/ Rail Rover] website.<br />
<br />
Overseas visitors should endeavour to purchase a rover ticket, such as a [http://www.britrail.net/ BritRail] or InterRail pass, before travelling to the UK. Various rail rovers are available within the UK, but they do not offer the value or wide validity of those available to foreign visitors, and many are not valid until after the morning peak period.<br />
<br />
In various areas where all stations have automatic ticket machines, including on the London Underground and most other tram and metro networks, a penalty fares system applies. Passengers found without a ticket are likely to have to pay a fine on the spot.<br />
<br />
First class seating tends now to be found only on principal routes; in Northern Ireland it is limited to principal trains on the international route between Belfast and Dublin (where NIRailways call it &quot;First plus&quot; while partner Iarnród Éireann call it &quot;Premium&quot;). Eurostar maintain three classes: Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier. On some trains, including many of those operated by Gatwick Express, Great Northern and Southern, there is no difference between first class and standard class seating. If a train including first class seats is used on a service advertised as standard class only, holders of standard class tickets may use the first class seats.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Railways Company Limited, through a subsidiary NIR Networks Limited<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/network-statement/ Network Rail]. The Sectional Appendices are available <br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ here] (scroll down to list of PDFs).<br />
<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Corporate/About-Us/Publications/network-statement/ Translink]<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
*Great Britain: Standard<br />
*Northern Ireland: 1600 mm [5 feet 3 inches]<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
*Great Britain: Mostly 25 kV 50 Hz. 750 V dc third rail is used on some lines in south east England and around Liverpool. The third rail network in south east England is by a considerable margin the most extensive such system in the world and the only place when conductor rail trains operate at up to 100 mph (160 km/hr). The line between Pelaw and Sunderland is electrified at 1500V dc overhead, to allow use by Tyne & Wear Metro. The line between Tinsley North Junction and Rotherham Parkgate is electrified at 750V dc overhead, for use by Sheffield Supertram. Most tramway systems are 750 V dc with Blackpool being 600 V dc.<br />
*Northern Ireland: no electrified lines.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Left.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
*Distances are shown on Railway Track Diagrams published by [https://www.trackmaps.co.uk/ TRACKmaps]. Distances are also available in Network Rail's [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ Sectional Appendices] (scroll down for list of available PDFs).<br />
*Distances for Northern Ireland are also available on-line on the Signalling Record Society website:<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-nc.php Derry and Larne lines]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-bd.php Bangor line]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-gd.php Dublin line]<br />
<br />
==Other railways==<br />
*Core Valley Lines (Cardiff to Rhymney, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert): Owned by the Welsh Government and managed by a lessee, Amey Keolis Infrastructure/Seilwaith Amey Keolis Limited.<br />
*Crossrail Central Operating Section is the railway under Central London from Portobello Junction (Royal Oak) to Pudding Mill Lane Junction (Bow) and Abbey Wood. It is managed by Rail for London (Infrastructure) Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London.<br />
*East London Line: Owned by Rail for London Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London. <br />
*Eurotunnel: A partnership between the Channel Tunnel Group Limited and France-Manche S.A. that operates the Channel Tunnel under a long-term concession from the UK and French governments. <br />
*Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited owns the railway between London Heathrow Airport and the junction with the Great Western Main Line near Hayes & Harlington. <br />
*HS1 Ltd: The investor with a 30 years concession from the UK government to operate the high-speed line between London and the Channel Tunnel, though most aspects of day-to-day operation and maintenance are contracted out to Network Rail. <br />
<br />
Facilities exist for special through running between the national system and some tourist lines.<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
A map of UK heritage railways can be found at the "Heritage Rail - UK & Ireland" link on the [https://www.heritagerailways.com Heritage Railway Association website].<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
London, Newcastle, Glasgow. Although part of the national railway system, the Merseyrail Electrics <br />
network in Liverpool is like a Metro. There are two separate networks in London. The Underground system is 630V dc third and fourth rail; the Docklands Light Railway is a fully-automated 750V dc third rail system. London Overground operates under a contract let by the Mayor of London and uses Transport for London branding, but operates almost entirely on Network Rail lines. The Glasgow and Merseyrail systems are third <br />
rail and Newcastle is 1500 V dc overhead. Glasgow Subway is 4 feet (1,219mm) gauge and was originally cable-worked. There are several lines where London Underground and main line trains share the same tracks. The Tyne & Wear Metro (Newcastle) operates to Sunderland over the Network Rail line from Pelaw.<br />
<br />
The Core Valley Lines from Cardiff are being converted to a form of metro system.<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Birmingham/Wolverhampton (Midland Metro), Blackpool, Croydon, Edinburgh,<br />
Llandudno (cable worked), Manchester, Nottingham, Seaton (Devon) and Sheffield. The Croydon, <br />
Manchester, Midland Metro, Nottingham and Seaton systems include extensive running over <br />
routes that were previously part of the national railway system. The Manchester and Nottingham systems have been considerably extended in recent years. On the Manchester Metrolink system a second route through Manchester city centre came into use on 26 February 2017, and the 5.5 km Trafford Park line opened on 22 March 2020. The Midland Metro in Birmingham was extended to Edgbaston on 17 July 2022 and to Wolverhampton Station on 17 September 2023. The first stage of a line to Brierley Hill is expected to open, to Dudley, in 2024. The extension of the Edinburgh line to Leith and Newhaven opened on 21 June 2023 and plans have been announced for further lines in the city. The Blackpool system Talbot Gateway extension, to Blackpool North station, is expected to be fully open in 2023. A metro system is proposed in Glasgow, but this project is at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
The Seaton and Llandudno lines are essentially tourist operations, and both are narrow gauge. <br />
There are other tourist lines of a mile or more at the National Tramway Museum <br />
(Crich, near Matlock) and at Beamish Open Air Museum (near Gateshead), plus <br />
several other shorter lines. <br />
<br />
The Isle of Man has three narrow gauge tramways, which operate on a seasonal basis: Douglas Bay Horse Tramway - along the promenade in Douglas; the Manx Electric Railway - an inter-urban line between Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey; and the Snaefell Mountain Railway - from Laxey to Snaefell Summit. <br />
After a period of uncertainty, the threat that the horse tramway line in Douglas might be shortened seems to have been seen off by a vote in Tynwald (the Manx parliament) in January 2017. <br />
<br />
The Tinsley Chord, which connects the Sheffield tram system to a freight line near Meadowhall, allows tram-trains to run between Sheffield city centre and Rotherham Parkgate over Network Rail lines. Public services commenced on Thursday 25 October 2018. Sheffield tram-trains are dual voltage vehicles that can run on the 750 V Overhead Lines (OHLE) of the tram network and the 25 kV OHLE of the national rail network; however the line to Rotherham Parkgate is initially energised at 750 V because there is no 25 kV electrification in the area.<br />
<br />
Track plans for most of the significant tram systems in the United Kingdom are available on the [http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/line/diagrams0.shtm Railway Codes site] and also on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/index-e.php Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes== <br />
Some aspects of national railway operations are privatised, but infrastructure ownership has reverted to the public sector. There continues to be debate about the fragmented, expensive and complex nature of the system that has emerged, under the general oversight of the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
===Route Closures and Service Reductions===<br />
Having undergone extensive cut backs in the 1960s, the present passenger network seems relatively secure. The closure of a passenger railway in the UK normally involves a lengthy legal process, and short-notice closures usually occur only if there is a sudden and dramatic infrastructure failure, or if the closure is deemed a &quot;minor closure&quot;. However, a number of stations have closed and all passenger services over some lines have been withdrawn without the statutory procedure having been followed. Passenger services via the Channel Tunnel, or in connection with them, do not enjoy statutory protection from closure. <br />
<br />
Some routes have been reduced to just one or two trains per day (or, in some cases, per week) in order to reduce operating costs without having to go through the closure procedure. These are included in the list of [https://www.egtre.info/wiki/United_Kingdom_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services sparse services].<br />
<br />
A newly-introduced passenger service can be designated as "experimental" for a period up to five years, during which time it may be withdrawn without the usual closure procedure needing to be followed. The only "experimental" service at present is Thanet Parkway station, until 30 July 2028.<br />
<br />
====Passenger services to be withdrawn====<br />
* The railway between Nottingham and Worksop may be diverted at Whitwell to allow expansion of a dolomite quarry. This will eliminate Whitwell Tunnel. No date is set for this, but planning permission to expand the quarry was granted in 2018.<br />
<br />
* Planned diversion of trains between Belfast and Dublin to a new terminal facility - [http://www.translink.co.uk/Translink-Footer/the-hub/ the Belfast Hub] - being constructed close to Belfast Great Victoria Street may see the end of regular passenger services between Central Junction (Adelaide) and City Junction (City Hospital).<br />
<br />
====Closures and significant service reductions in recent years are==== <br />
<br />
'''Passenger service withdrawn, line still open for other than regular passenger traffic:'''<br />
<br />
* Greenford LUL Bay Junction - Northolt Junction: The Wednesdays only train from West Ealing to West Ruislip ran for the last time on 7 December 2022.<br />
<br />
* Cowlairs East Junction - Cowlairs North Junction (Glasgow): The summer Sunday trains between Edinburgh and Oban start and terminate at Glasgow Queen Street in 2023. Last use of the curve by the ScotRail service was on 28 August 2022. It continues to be used by the [https://www.belmond.com/trains/europe/scotland/belmond-royal-scotsman/journeys Royal Scotsman] Western Scenic Wonders tour, but prices start at £5,800.<br />
<br />
* Barking Station Junction - Barking platform 1: No regular passenger traffic from 18 July 2022, when the line to Barking Riverside opened, but occasional diversions may be possible.<br />
<br />
* Dalmeny - Winchburgh Junction: Service withdrawn 23 March 2020, but without the statutory closure procedure having been followed. From 11 Dec 2022 the 22:31 FSSuX Dundee to Edinburgh and 22.58 SuO Glenrothes with Thornton to Edinburgh are scheduled to run this way with reversal at Linlithgow, but are likely to run direct via Edinburgh Gateway if there is no engineering work on that route.<br />
<br />
'''Significant service reduction'''<br />
<br />
* Glenrothes with Thornton - Thornton South Junction: The frequent service via Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy became Sundays only, except for one train each way Mondays to Fridays, with effect from 15 May 2022.<br />
<br />
====Temporary Closures:==== <br />
<br />
Work to upgrade the UK rail network is increasingly leading to lines being closed for extended periods. Severe weather and the age of much railway infrastructure has resulted in more temporary closures caused by landslips and other problems with earthworks. Current and planned temporary closures of four weeks or more, in approximate order of expected re-opening, are: <br />
<br />
* Carlisle to Workington: From 29 February 2024, because of a problem with a viaduct, possibly until mid-April 2024<br />
* Shipley (Dockfield Junction) to Guisley (Esholt Junction): From 8 February 2024, because of a major land slip, until 24 April 2024 or later<br />
* Prestwick Town to Girvan and Kilmarnock to Barassie: From 25 September 2023, probably until spring/summer 2024, because of a dangerous building at Ayr.<br />
* Ashford East Junction, connection to HS1: Eurostar ceased calling at Ashford on 19 March 2020 and will not resume before 2025/6.<br />
<br />
There are also extended closures of sections of the Valley Lines, north of Cardiff, at least until February 2024, for electrification work.<br />
<br />
===Re-openings and Openings===<br />
<br />
Most projects involve upgrading existing routes, but some openings have occurred or are about to do so. <br />
<br />
====New and reinstated passenger services in recent years:==== <br />
<br />
New passenger services are: <br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension - The Royal - Wolverhampton Station (17 September 2023). <br />
<br />
* Westbourne Park Junction - Paddington and Stepney Green Junction - Pudding Mill Lane Junction (full opening of Elizabeth line) (6 November 2022) <br />
<br />
* Barking - Barking Riverside (18 July 2022)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension - Library - Edgbaston Village (17 July 2022) <br />
<br />
*Paddington - Abbey Wood (Elizabeth line) (24 May 2022)<br />
<br />
* Newport (Gaer Junction) - Pye Corner (Park Junction) (on introduction of trains between Newport and Crosskeys, 12 December 2021)<br />
<br />
* Crediton - Okehampton (20 November 2021; there was previously a service on summer Sundays)<br />
<br />
* Kennington - Battersea Power Station (London Underground, Northern Line extension, opened September 2021)<br />
<br />
A daily service, generally hourly, was introduced between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester via Runcorn and Frodsham on 19 May 2019. Previously the curve between Halton Junction and Frodsham Junction had been used by a single unadvertised train in one direction only on summer Saturdays.<br />
<br />
On tourist / heritage railways:<br />
<br />
* Llangollen Railway extended passenger services from Carrog to a provisional terminus at Corwen in October 2014 and to the permanent terminus in June 2023. <br />
* the Mid-Norfolk Railway ran inaugural passenger trains to Worthing level crossing (North Elmham) on 19 and 20 May 2018, but regular services continue to terminate at Dereham. The railway aspires to continue to County School. <br />
* The first (very short) section of the Aln Valley Railway officially opened in October 2013, from a new station on the edge of Alnwick, with a longer run available from December 2017. It is planned that the railway will reach the National Rail station at Alnmouth.<br />
* The first section of the re-opened Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, a narrow gauge line, is in operation between Woody Bay and Killington Lane. Extensions towards Lynton and to Blackmoor Gate are planned as the next phase of reconstruction.<br />
<br />
====Projects authorised or under construction are:==== <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the railway between Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) and Levenmouth for passenger services in 2024. It is expected that some trains will run via Cowdenbeath, providing many more via the curve from Thornton West Junction than the current sparse service. <br />
<br />
A Transport & Works Act Order for the introduction of passenger trains over the freight line to Ashington was granted in June 2022 and the line is due to open by December 2024. The UK Government has announced plans to re-open the railway to Fleetwood, but this may become a tramway. The UK Government is also funding feasibility studies into re-opening a number of other lines, but these are at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
Work has started on construction of a high speed railway (HS2) from London to Birmingham, but the line will not be opened until 2026 at the earliest. A flythrough of the route is [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bkoGvw9kbA here]. It is to be followed by Phase 2a as far as Crewe. It is intended that the line will subsequently be extended to Manchester with completion in the mid-2030s. It was originally planned that there would be a branch to Leeds, but this has been cut back to East Midlands Parkway (near Nottingham). The UK Government has also announced that it intends to proceed with a high-speed line from Warrington to Marsden (for Huddersfield) via Manchester. <br />
<br />
<!---Preliminary work on construction of a link between the LUL Watford branch and the former Croxley Green branch was undertaken in 2016. However, the project has stalled, because of lack of agreement as to how further cost escalation would be funded, and can only be regarded as definitively dead, though there has been no formal announcement to this effect. Should the scheme continue, which seems increasingly unlikely, it will result in the closure of Watford LUL station, but the re-opening of most of the Croxley Green branch.---><br />
Plans were being developed for a second Crossrail line, linking south west and north east London. All work on this stopped in autumn 2020, as a result of economies made to deal with the Covid pandemic. It is questionable whether the scheme will be revived, if there is the expected permanent reduction in commuter traffic. <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the derelict line between Calvert and Bletchley. A Transport & Works Act Order for this scheme was granted in February 2020 and services between Oxford and Milton Keynes are scheduled to start in December 2024. The longer-term objective is to re-introduce trains between Oxford and Cambridge. <br />
<br />
[https://heathrowrail.com/ Heathrow Southern Railway] intends to build a new railway south-west from Heathrow Airport to link with the Staines to Windsor line, together with a branch to Virginia Water or Chertsey. <br />
<br />
In the private sector:<br />
* The Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway is constructing an extension from Glengonnar to Wanlockhead.<br />
* Moorland & City Railways have a stated intention to reopen the line between Stoke-on-Trent and Leek Brook Junction, to a junction with the Churnet Valley Railway, but progress seems to be languishing.<br />
* Most ambitiously, the two Great Central Railways at Loughborough are being linked by means of a reinstated bridge over the Midland Main Line. <br />
* The Rother Valley Railway has obtained a Transport and Works Act Order to rebuild the railway between Robertsbridge and Junction Road (Bodiam).<br />
* The Royal Deeside Railway is extending its line to Crathes West Lodge.<br />
* Strathspey Railway is extending to Grantown-on-Spey and during summer 2014 and 2015 offered a limited service between its normal terminus at Broomhill and the river bridge at Dulnain. Further work depends on obtaining statutory powers under the Transport and Works Act and constructing a new bridge to carry the railway over the A95 main road. <br />
* The Helston Railway provides a short ride near Prospidnick, but plans to extend to Helston and eventually to Gwinear Road.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
<br />
Main line electrification in Great Britain came to a virtual standstill following railway privatisation, because private-sector train operators and rolling stock companies preferred the flexibility of diesel traction. The only schemes to proceed were between Crewe and Kidsgrove (near Stoke on Trent) (electrified for diversionary use), the reconstructed Larkhall branch line in Scotland and High Speed 1 (the Channel Tunnel rail link) [see below].<br />
<br />
In 2009 Department for Transport policy shifted towards extending electrification, with significant schemes proposed and a few implemented. However, greatly increased costs have resulted in projects being curtailed and delayed. Poor cost estimating, increased safety standards, over-specification and loss of practical experience of electrification appear to be among the causes. In July 2017 the UK Government announced an end to plans for further railway electrification in England and Wales, with reliance instead on bi-mode diesel/electric trains. This will included converting some electric multiple-units to bi-mode working. There have also been experiments with battery operation. In contrast, the Scottish Government required Network Rail to develop an electrification technical specification that can deliver an "efficient and affordable rolling programme of electrification". <br />
<br />
Electrification schemes recently completed in England and Wales are:<br />
<br />
* Bedford to Corby (May 2021) <br />
<br />
* London (Heathrow Airport Junction) to Cardiff, Chippenham (Christian Malford) and Newbury (Phased introduction of electric services between May 2017 and January 2020). The scheme was cut back to omit Swansea, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Oxford and the Thames Valley branch lines.<br />
<br />
* Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley (May 2019)<br />
<br />
* Manchester to Preston via Bolton (February 2019)<br />
<br />
* Gospel Oak to Woodgrange Park via South Tottenham (January 2019, but limited electric service initially, because of delayed delivery of rolling stock)<br />
<br />
Schemes under way in England:<br />
<br />
* Kettering - Market Harborough<br />
<br />
* Manchester - Huddersfield - Leeds - York <br />
<br />
* Wigan North Western - Lostock Junction (near Bolton) (announced 1 September 2021, expected completion 2024/2025) <br />
<br />
The UK Government has announced that electrification of the Midland Main Line is to be completed to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield.<br />
<br />
The Welsh Government is sponsoring electrification of the Valley Lines from Cardiff to Bargoed, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert. Light rail vehicles are to be used from Cardiff to Coryton and on routes via Radyr. Tri-mode trains will be used from Rhymney to Penarth, Barry Island and the Vale of Glamorgan line, using battery power between Rhymney and Bargoed, and diesel south of Cardiff. <br />
<br />
Following an extensive programme of electrification completed between 2012 and 2019, most lines in Central Scotland are electrified, with recent schemes comprising:<br />
<br />
*Holytown to Kirknewton (Midcalder Jn) via Shotts (Some electric services April 2019, full service May 2019) <br />
<br />
*Glasgow Central (Muirhouse Central Jn) to Barrhead (December 2023, but most trains continue to Kilmarnock or beyond, so remain diesel-worked)<br />
<br />
The line from Falkirk to Grangemouth has also been electrified for freight traffic, but there are proposals to reinstate a passenger service. <br />
<br />
Work has started on electrification to East Kilbride. The line from Haymarket (Edinburgh) to Dalmeny is being electrified as the first phase of a scheme to electrify routes through Fife. Transport Scotland's [https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/rail-services-decarbonisation-action-plan/ ''Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan''], published in July 2020, envisages most lines in Scotland being electrified. Priorities are the Kilmarnock line; Edinburgh to Tweedbank; routes in Fife; and Dunblane to Aberdeen. Later extensions will take electrification to Girvan; Gretna via Dumfries; and Inverness to Perth, Aberdeen and Tain.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of changes more than five years ago see [[United_Kingdom - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special Notes==<br />
<br />
Train numbers in Great Britain follow an alpha-numeric format, thus 1A22. The first digit indicates the type of train (passenger trains are 1, 2 or 9), in most cases the letter indicates its route or destination and the remaining digits identify the particular train. Different trains can and do use the same number, so long as they do not conflict geographically or operate several hours apart. Since December 2021 train numbers have been shown in the National Rail Timetable, but they are not normally used for passenger information purposes. It is more usual for trains to be referred to by their schedule, for example as the "10:00 London King's Cross to Aberdeen". International trains have four digit numbers where the second figure is 0 or 1, which can be treated as letters O and I in the UK.<br />
<br />
Departure sheets listing trains from a station in chronological order are rarely used. The usual format is to list destinations in alphabetic order, and provide details of all trains to each, or to provide timetable posters. Most stations have electronic displays, which indicate all departures (and often arrivals) within the next hour or so.<br />
<br />
It is unusual for information displays and announcements at stations and on trains to be in any language other than English (and Welsh in Wales), though most station name signs in Scotland appear in Gaelic as well as English. Multi-lingual information is normally restricted to dedicated airport services and those using the Channel Tunnel.<br />
<br />
No stations sell international tickets or can make international reservations, though there are facilities to make through bookings from certain stations by Eurostar. <!---International tickets and reservations are available at the We Know London Tourist Services desk in the shopping mall at St Pancras International station.---> Even the range of tickets available from Eurostar is very limited. For guidance on booking travel to and from Europe visit [http://www.seat61.com/Europe.htm#How%20do%20I%20book? The Man in Seat Sixty-One]'s website or see advice from [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/European-Train-Travel.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Selective door opening is increasingly used, particularly in London and South East England. Trains are longer than some station platforms and only doors within the platform are unlocked. Announcements and visual displays advise passengers which carriages they need to be in if wishing to alight. This also happens to a limited extent on the London Underground, but usually only affecting the rearmost pair of doors. <br />
<br />
The only long-distance overnight trains in Great Britain are:<br />
<br />
* [https://www.sleeper.scot/ Caledonian Sleeper] from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness <br />
* Great Western's [https://www.gwr.com/travelling-with-us/night-riviera-sleeper Night Riviera] from London to Penzance<br />
<br />
Sleeping cars are provided, but not couchettes, and seating may be in saloons with non-reclinable seats, where passengers have no control of the lighting. <br />
<br />
Taking bicycles, other than folding ones, by train can be difficult. Space may be limited and some operators require advance reservations for bicycles. More information can be found at [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/cyclists.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Train services at weekends, and especially Saturday evening and Sunday until mid-afternoon, can be extensively altered because of [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.aspx engineering work]. With the paucity of alternative routes and a growing aversion to temporary single line working, buses frequently substitute for trains in such circumstances. There are an increasing number of initiatives to give extended overnight possessions Mondays to Thursdays, in order to reduce the extent of weekend closures. This results in late evening trains being replaced by buses. Trials are being undertaken of mid-week line closures. Blockades of a week or more are increasingly common.<br />
<br />
No trains run in the UK on Christmas Day and very few on Boxing Day, mostly on local services in the London and Glasgow areas. No domestic services run in Scotland on New Year's Day, but there are normally trains between England, Edinburgh and Glasgow. <br />
<br />
Very few stations have left luggage facilities. Unattended luggage may be removed by the police and processes to check that it is safe can be very destructive.<br />
<br />
Railway enthusiasts are welcomed on stations - for guidance when on and about stations refer to [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/railway-enthusiasts/railway-enthusiasts-and-photography-at-stations/ Network Rail's] advice.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox United Kingdom}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=United_Kingdom_-_General_Information&diff=55469United Kingdom - General Information2024-03-22T19:21:46Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Temporary Closures: */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland<br />
<br />
Nomenclature: &quot;Great Britain&quot; comprises the countries of England, Wales, and Scotland. &quot;United Kingdom&quot; (in full: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) comprises Great Britain and the Province of Northern Ireland. &quot;British Isles&quot; is a purely geographical description for the British mainland and the island of Ireland; the latter contains the Province of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are usually regarded as part of the British Isles, although independent of the UK government. All but the Republic of Ireland (which is entirely independent of the UK) are under the British Crown (monarchy).<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Most infrastructure in Great Britain is owned by [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail], a company controlled by the government's [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport Department for Transport] (DfT). Most passenger train services are provided by operators under contracts with DfT, [https://tfl.gov.uk/ Transport for London], [http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk Merseytravel], [http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/ Transport Scotland] or the [http://gov.wales/topics/transport/?lang=en Welsh Government]. Some operators are subsidiaries of major bus companies or national railways from other countries, for example Trenitalia. A UK Government subsidiary, [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/dft-olr-holdings-limited/about DfT OLR Holdings Limited], operates services if the contractor is no longer able to do so, has had the contract terminated because of default or there has been no acceptable tender for provision of the service. [https://www.railholdings.scot/ Scottish Rail Holdings Limited] is the equivalent in Scotland. Full details of passenger train operators are given by links from the [http://www.raildeliverygroup.com/about-us/uk-rail-industry/passenger-freight-track.html Rail Delivery Group] website. Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites. Passenger train operations collectively are known as 'National Rail'. <br />
<br />
A new organisation, [https://gbrtt.co.uk/ Great British Railways] is being established to take strategic control of railways, in England at least, as well as taking over most of Network Rail's functions as infrastructure owner and operator throughout Britain. <br />
<br />
Railways in Northern Ireland are owned by Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (which remains state-owned) and are operated as the [http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/ N I Railways] (NIR) division of Translink.<br />
<br />
Most operators in Great Britain had a franchise agreement, under which they took most of the commercial risk. DfT was considering changes to franchising when the Covid-19 pandemic made the system uneconomic, due to greatly reduced fares income to the operators. Franchises were replaced by Emergency Recovery Management Agreements and subsequently by National Rail Contracts under which the Government meets operating costs and receives fares and other income. The operating company is paid a management fee. Transport for Wales, ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper, LNER, Northern and Southeastern are all being operated by public sector companies. <br />
<br />
The operator of each train is indicated in the electronic National Rail Timetable and <br />
its printed derivatives by means of two-letter codes; for a de-coder and a chronology of <br />
privatisation and transfer/re-branding of Great Britain's passenger railway franchises to <br />
date go to the [http://www.railchronology.free-online.co.uk/ Rail Chronology] website. Basic customer information about and links to the websites of each TOC are available through the [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tocs_maps/tocs/TrainOperators.aspx National Rail] website. Some further information about passenger train operators and past franchisees can be found in the [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-franchise-schedule DfT] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_operating_trains_in_the_United_Kingdom Wikipedia] websites. The Wikipedia list is usually more up to date and accurate than the DfT schedule!<br />
<br />
A small number of operators provide passenger services on the national network which are not under contract to the DfT. These include [http://www.eurostar.com/ ''Eurostar''] which is a unitary undertaking (Eurostar <br />
International Ltd) managed by SNCF, which has a 55% interest in the company. Private investors acquired the UK government's 40% stake in 2015 and SNCB/NMBS owns the remaining 5%. 'Open Access' passenger operators are: <br />
<br />
* [https://www.hulltrains.co.uk/ Hull Trains] between London and Hull <br />
* [https://www.grandcentralrail.com/ Grand Central] between London, Bradford and Sunderland<br />
* [https://www.lumo.co.uk/ Lumo] between London and Edinburgh <br />
<br />
[http://www.granduniontrains.co.uk/ Grand Union Trains] intends to start services between London and Carmarthen in 2025. <br />
<br />
In addition<br />
* [http://www.eurotunnel.com/ Eurotunnel] operates a shuttle service for motor vehicles through the Channel Tunnel; this does not carry foot-passengers (although cyclists can be carried by arrangement)<br />
* [http://www.nymr.co.uk/ North Yorkshire Moors Railway] operates timetabled steam trains through between Pickering/Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby during the summer.<br />
* [http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/ Swanage Railway] and West Coast Railways operated a service between Swanage and Wareham during the summer in 2017, but in 2018 and 2019 there was just a limited Saturday service by the local franchisee, South Western Railway. West Coast Railways again operates trains between Swanage and Wareham on behalf of Swanage Railway between April and September 2023. <br />
* [http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/ West Coast Railways] operates timetabled steam trains between Fort William and Mallaig during the summer, but in practice these get fully booked well in advance. <br />
<br />
All freight trains in Great Britain are operated by competing companies under "open access" conditions. The <i>principal</i> companies are: <br />
<br />
* [http://www.rail.dbschenker.co.uk/rail-uk-en/start/ DB Cargo UK] (formerly English Welsh and Scottish Railway, now a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn of Germany) <br />
* [https://www.freightliner.co.uk/ Freightliner] (owned by US railroad Genesee & Wyoming Inc) <br />
* [http://www.colasrail.co.uk/ Colas Rail] (part of the Bouygues group); <br />
* [http://www.directrailservices.com/ Direct Rail Services] (owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority) <br />
* [http://www.gbrailfreight.com/ GB Railfreight] (owned by Infracapital, an infrastructure equity investor). <br />
<br />
DB Cargo UK, in particular, and GB Railfreight, to a lesser extent, operate charter passenger trains. GB Railfreight also operates the Caledonian Sleeper trains on behalf of Caledonian Sleeper Limited.<br />
<br />
[https://www.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Rail Operations Group] concentrates on rolling stock moves for manufacturers, leasing companies and passenger operators, but started a parcels-carrying business, trading as [https://orion.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Orion] in 2021.<br />
<br />
There are no longer any revenue freight trains in Northern Ireland.<br />
<br />
Neither the Isle of Man nor the Channel Isles (îles Anglo-Normands) is legally part of the UK but the Isle of Man's active railways and tramways are to <br />
be found at the [http://www.heritagerailways.com/Visits_Map.php UK and Irish Heritage Railways website] and under [[#Trams/LRT-Systems|Trams/LRT-Systems]] respectively.<br />
<br />
==Official Website==<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ National Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink]<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
English. In addition Welsh is spoken in most parts of Wales, <br />
and Gaelic is used to a certain extent in north-west Scotland.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Pound sterling. Banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own notes, <br />
which are valid throughout the UK and usually accepted without question. Channel <br />
Islands and Manx notes (but not coins) are technically legal tender in the UK, <br />
but are best changed at banks.<br />
<br />
==UIC code==<br />
* United Kingdom: numeric 70; alpha GB<br />
* Eurotunnel: numeric 69 (used only for accounting purposes and not shown on rolling stock).<br />
<br />
Historically, the only British rolling stock to show UIC numbers were wagons passed to work on the now defunct train ferries from Harwich and Dover or through the Channel Tunnel. The Eurostar class 374 trains, which entered service in 2015, were the first UK-registered passenger stock to have UIC numbers, otherwise known as the European Vehicle Number (EVN). Rail Industry Standard RIS-2453-RST ''Vehicle Registration, Marking and Numbering'', introduced in December 2017, requires new vehicles in Great Britain to be identified by EVN. On passenger vehicles only an abbreviated version is normally show. UIC numbering is not used by NI Railways.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland)===<br />
The official National Rail timetable is published on Network Rail's website (see below), twice yearly (in mid December and mid May). Services on Mondays to Fridays, on Saturdays (or Mondays to Saturdays) and on Sundays are usually different and laid out separately in the timetable; there may be several alternative Sunday services, to allow for engineering work, during the currency of a timetable. [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe] provides a comprehensive guide to printed and on-line public transport timetables.<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
[http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/s/planjourney/query National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner]<br />
<br />
The [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites provide a quick-reference way of checking the latest schedule (or amendment) for any particular train<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetable====<br />
PDFs of the National Railway Timetable are available from the [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/electronic-national-rail-timetable-enrt/ Network Rail] website. These are maintained for Network Rail by [https://timetables.fabdigital.uk/nrt/ Fabdigital] and the version on their website may be more up to date.<br />
<br />
====Working (Staff) Timetables====<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/working-timetable/ Network Rail Working Timetables]<br />
<br />
You can also check for the latest variations to working timetable details for specific trains on the [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites.<br />
<br />
[http://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/working-timetables London Underground working timetables]. DLR is not included.<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
Since May 2020 there has been no comprehensive printed timetable for Great Britain and there are no printed timetable leaflets for most lines.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.html National Rail's future engineering works]<br />
<br />
===Northern Ireland===<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
On the [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink home page].<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetables====<br />
[https://www.translink.co.uk/timetables?LocationId=&Name=&LocationType=&TransportMode=Bus&page=1 Translink bus and rail timetables]<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
A series of four free leaflets is available.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/nirailways-travel-updates/ NIRailways Travel Updates]<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*The ''Rail Atlas Great Britain & Ireland'' gives detailed and accurate coverage of the UK railway system, and is widely available. It is mostly at 1:350,000, but with enlargements of many urban areas; an updated edition is published every 2-3 years.<br />
*[http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps] publish a series of track diagrams (formerly Quail Track Diagrams) in five regional volumes.<br />
*Northern Ireland Railways are in a volume covering the whole of Ireland also published by [http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps]<br />
*Historic atlases have been published by various other publishers.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] (see National Rail Passenger Operators' map) and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/united_kingdom_ireland.html British Isles and Ireland Map]. Last updated December 2022<br />
*[http://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php Rail Map online].<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
There is no distance-related fare tariff in the UK, and fares are charged on a market basis. Certain fares are regulated and the amount by which train companies can increase some fares is specified by the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
Standard walk-on fares are high, but a wide range of discounted fares is available. These are subject to restrictions as to days and times when they can be used. It can be difficult to obtain accurate information as to fares and their availability, even from official enquiry offices, because the pricing structure is complicated and the different train companies are all making their own special offers. The most heavily discounted fares usually oblige the passenger to travel on specified trains (with no opportunity to alter these) - and only a limited number of tickets may be issued for each service. Train operators are increasingly introducing special offers that can only be taken up through their website. Higher fares are charged for use of domestic trains on HS1, the high-speed line to Kent, except for through tickets between Kent and destinations beyond London. <br />
<br />
Tickets for any rail journey in the UK can be purchased from most train operators' websites, but the best price may be available from the operator whose service is being used. It is often possible to obtain a lower price for a journey by splitting it and buying a different ticket for each section. In such cases it is necessary to travel on a train that stops at stations where the validity of one ticket ends and another starts. This requirement does not apply if at least one of the tickets is a season ticket, rail rover or similar. It may also be found that a ticket to a station beyond one's destination is cheaper, but conditions need to be checked carefully. A break of journey may not be permitted, requiring an excess fare to be paid if exiting at an intermediate station. Various websites act as 'consolidators' and will compare what is available in order to offer the best deal, including split ticketing options. <br />
<br />
Various Railcards are available, usually giving a fare reduction of one third. These are available nationally to groups, such as young people, families, senior citizens, two people travelling together, those with a disability and military personnel. Some cards are available to all, but only valid for travel within a particular geographic area. The cost of a Railcard may be recouped immediately if a long-distance journey is planned or if purchasing a high-price ticket such as a national rail rover. Some Railcards only give a discount for off-peak travel. Details of Railcards are available at [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/National-Railcards.aspx National Rail]. Details can be found at the unofficial [http://www.railrover.org/ Rail Rover] website.<br />
<br />
Overseas visitors should endeavour to purchase a rover ticket, such as a [http://www.britrail.net/ BritRail] or InterRail pass, before travelling to the UK. Various rail rovers are available within the UK, but they do not offer the value or wide validity of those available to foreign visitors, and many are not valid until after the morning peak period.<br />
<br />
In various areas where all stations have automatic ticket machines, including on the London Underground and most other tram and metro networks, a penalty fares system applies. Passengers found without a ticket are likely to have to pay a fine on the spot.<br />
<br />
First class seating tends now to be found only on principal routes; in Northern Ireland it is limited to principal trains on the international route between Belfast and Dublin (where NIRailways call it &quot;First plus&quot; while partner Iarnród Éireann call it &quot;Premium&quot;). Eurostar maintain three classes: Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier. On some trains, including many of those operated by Gatwick Express, Great Northern and Southern, there is no difference between first class and standard class seating. If a train including first class seats is used on a service advertised as standard class only, holders of standard class tickets may use the first class seats.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Railways Company Limited, through a subsidiary NIR Networks Limited<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/network-statement/ Network Rail]. The Sectional Appendices are available <br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ here] (scroll down to list of PDFs).<br />
<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Corporate/About-Us/Publications/network-statement/ Translink]<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
*Great Britain: Standard<br />
*Northern Ireland: 1600 mm [5 feet 3 inches]<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
*Great Britain: Mostly 25 kV 50 Hz. 750 V dc third rail is used on some lines in south east England and around Liverpool. The third rail network in south east England is by a considerable margin the most extensive such system in the world and the only place when conductor rail trains operate at up to 100 mph (160 km/hr). The line between Pelaw and Sunderland is electrified at 1500V dc overhead, to allow use by Tyne & Wear Metro. The line between Tinsley North Junction and Rotherham Parkgate is electrified at 750V dc overhead, for use by Sheffield Supertram. Most tramway systems are 750 V dc with Blackpool being 600 V dc.<br />
*Northern Ireland: no electrified lines.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Left.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
*Distances are shown on Railway Track Diagrams published by [https://www.trackmaps.co.uk/ TRACKmaps]. Distances are also available in Network Rail's [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ Sectional Appendices] (scroll down for list of available PDFs).<br />
*Distances for Northern Ireland are also available on-line on the Signalling Record Society website:<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-nc.php Derry and Larne lines]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-bd.php Bangor line]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-gd.php Dublin line]<br />
<br />
==Other railways==<br />
*Core Valley Lines (Cardiff to Rhymney, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert): Owned by the Welsh Government and managed by a lessee, Amey Keolis Infrastructure/Seilwaith Amey Keolis Limited.<br />
*Crossrail Central Operating Section is the railway under Central London from Portobello Junction (Royal Oak) to Pudding Mill Lane Junction (Bow) and Abbey Wood. It is managed by Rail for London (Infrastructure) Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London.<br />
*East London Line: Owned by Rail for London Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London. <br />
*Eurotunnel: A partnership between the Channel Tunnel Group Limited and France-Manche S.A. that operates the Channel Tunnel under a long-term concession from the UK and French governments. <br />
*Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited owns the railway between London Heathrow Airport and the junction with the Great Western Main Line near Hayes & Harlington. <br />
*HS1 Ltd: The investor with a 30 years concession from the UK government to operate the high-speed line between London and the Channel Tunnel, though most aspects of day-to-day operation and maintenance are contracted out to Network Rail. <br />
<br />
Facilities exist for special through running between the national system and some tourist lines.<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
A map of UK heritage railways can be found at the "Heritage Rail - UK & Ireland" link on the [https://www.heritagerailways.com Heritage Railway Association website].<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
London, Newcastle, Glasgow. Although part of the national railway system, the Merseyrail Electrics <br />
network in Liverpool is like a Metro. There are two separate networks in London. The Underground system is 630V dc third and fourth rail; the Docklands Light Railway is a fully-automated 750V dc third rail system. London Overground operates under a contract let by the Mayor of London and uses Transport for London branding, but operates almost entirely on Network Rail lines. The Glasgow and Merseyrail systems are third <br />
rail and Newcastle is 1500 V dc overhead. Glasgow Subway is 4 feet (1,219mm) gauge and was originally cable-worked. There are several lines where London Underground and main line trains share the same tracks. The Tyne & Wear Metro (Newcastle) operates to Sunderland over the Network Rail line from Pelaw.<br />
<br />
The Core Valley Lines from Cardiff are being converted to a form of metro system.<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Birmingham/Wolverhampton (Midland Metro), Blackpool, Croydon, Edinburgh,<br />
Llandudno (cable worked), Manchester, Nottingham, Seaton (Devon) and Sheffield. The Croydon, <br />
Manchester, Midland Metro, Nottingham and Seaton systems include extensive running over <br />
routes that were previously part of the national railway system. The Manchester and Nottingham systems have been considerably extended in recent years. On the Manchester Metrolink system a second route through Manchester city centre came into use on 26 February 2017, and the 5.5 km Trafford Park line opened on 22 March 2020. The Midland Metro in Birmingham was extended to Edgbaston on 17 July 2022 and to Wolverhampton Station on 17 September 2023. The first stage of a line to Brierley Hill is expected to open, to Dudley, in 2024. The extension of the Edinburgh line to Leith and Newhaven opened on 21 June 2023 and plans have been announced for further lines in the city. The Blackpool system Talbot Gateway extension, to Blackpool North station, is expected to be fully open in 2023. A metro system is proposed in Glasgow, but this project is at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
The Seaton and Llandudno lines are essentially tourist operations, and both are narrow gauge. <br />
There are other tourist lines of a mile or more at the National Tramway Museum <br />
(Crich, near Matlock) and at Beamish Open Air Museum (near Gateshead), plus <br />
several other shorter lines. <br />
<br />
The Isle of Man has three narrow gauge tramways, which operate on a seasonal basis: Douglas Bay Horse Tramway - along the promenade in Douglas; the Manx Electric Railway - an inter-urban line between Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey; and the Snaefell Mountain Railway - from Laxey to Snaefell Summit. <br />
After a period of uncertainty, the threat that the horse tramway line in Douglas might be shortened seems to have been seen off by a vote in Tynwald (the Manx parliament) in January 2017. <br />
<br />
The Tinsley Chord, which connects the Sheffield tram system to a freight line near Meadowhall, allows tram-trains to run between Sheffield city centre and Rotherham Parkgate over Network Rail lines. Public services commenced on Thursday 25 October 2018. Sheffield tram-trains are dual voltage vehicles that can run on the 750 V Overhead Lines (OHLE) of the tram network and the 25 kV OHLE of the national rail network; however the line to Rotherham Parkgate is initially energised at 750 V because there is no 25 kV electrification in the area.<br />
<br />
Track plans for most of the significant tram systems in the United Kingdom are available on the [http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/line/diagrams0.shtm Railway Codes site] and also on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/index-e.php Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes== <br />
Some aspects of national railway operations are privatised, but infrastructure ownership has reverted to the public sector. There continues to be debate about the fragmented, expensive and complex nature of the system that has emerged, under the general oversight of the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
===Route Closures and Service Reductions===<br />
Having undergone extensive cut backs in the 1960s, the present passenger network seems relatively secure. The closure of a passenger railway in the UK normally involves a lengthy legal process, and short-notice closures usually occur only if there is a sudden and dramatic infrastructure failure, or if the closure is deemed a &quot;minor closure&quot;. However, a number of stations have closed and all passenger services over some lines have been withdrawn without the statutory procedure having been followed. Passenger services via the Channel Tunnel, or in connection with them, do not enjoy statutory protection from closure. <br />
<br />
Some routes have been reduced to just one or two trains per day (or, in some cases, per week) in order to reduce operating costs without having to go through the closure procedure. These are included in the list of [https://www.egtre.info/wiki/United_Kingdom_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services sparse services].<br />
<br />
A newly-introduced passenger service can be designated as "experimental" for a period up to five years, during which time it may be withdrawn without the usual closure procedure needing to be followed. The only "experimental" service at present is Thanet Parkway station, until 30 July 2028.<br />
<br />
====Passenger services to be withdrawn====<br />
* The railway between Nottingham and Worksop may be diverted at Whitwell to allow expansion of a dolomite quarry. This will eliminate Whitwell Tunnel. No date is set for this, but planning permission to expand the quarry was granted in 2018.<br />
<br />
* Planned diversion of trains between Belfast and Dublin to a new terminal facility - [http://www.translink.co.uk/Translink-Footer/the-hub/ the Belfast Hub] - being constructed close to Belfast Great Victoria Street may see the end of regular passenger services between Central Junction (Adelaide) and City Junction (City Hospital).<br />
<br />
====Closures and significant service reductions in recent years are==== <br />
<br />
'''Passenger service withdrawn, line still open for other than regular passenger traffic:'''<br />
<br />
* Greenford LUL Bay Junction - Northolt Junction: The Wednesdays only train from West Ealing to West Ruislip ran for the last time on 7 December 2022.<br />
<br />
* Cowlairs East Junction - Cowlairs North Junction (Glasgow): The summer Sunday trains between Edinburgh and Oban start and terminate at Glasgow Queen Street in 2023. Last use of the curve by the ScotRail service was on 28 August 2022. It continues to be used by the [https://www.belmond.com/trains/europe/scotland/belmond-royal-scotsman/journeys Royal Scotsman] Western Scenic Wonders tour, but prices start at £5,800.<br />
<br />
* Barking Station Junction - Barking platform 1: No regular passenger traffic from 18 July 2022, when the line to Barking Riverside opened, but occasional diversions may be possible.<br />
<br />
* Dalmeny - Winchburgh Junction: Service withdrawn 23 March 2020, but without the statutory closure procedure having been followed. From 11 Dec 2022 the 22:31 FSSuX Dundee to Edinburgh and 22.58 SuO Glenrothes with Thornton to Edinburgh are scheduled to run this way with reversal at Linlithgow, but are likely to run direct via Edinburgh Gateway if there is no engineering work on that route.<br />
<br />
'''Significant service reduction'''<br />
<br />
* Glenrothes with Thornton - Thornton South Junction: The frequent service via Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy became Sundays only, except for one train each way Mondays to Fridays, with effect from 15 May 2022.<br />
<br />
====Temporary Closures:==== <br />
<br />
Work to upgrade the UK rail network is increasingly leading to lines being closed for extended periods. Severe weather and the age of much railway infrastructure has resulted in more temporary closures caused by landslips and other problems with earthworks. Current and planned temporary closures of four weeks or more, in approximate order of expected re-opening, are: <br />
<br />
* Prestwick Town to Girvan and Kilmarnock to Barassie: From 25 September 2023, probably until spring/summer 2024, because of a dangerous building at Ayr.<br />
* Ashford East Junction, connection to HS1: Eurostar ceased calling at Ashford on 19 March 2020 and will not resume before 2025/6.<br />
<br />
There are also extended closures of sections of the Valley Lines, north of Cardiff, at least until February 2024, for electrification work.<br />
<br />
===Re-openings and Openings===<br />
<br />
Most projects involve upgrading existing routes, but some openings have occurred or are about to do so. <br />
<br />
====New and reinstated passenger services in recent years:==== <br />
<br />
New passenger services are: <br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension - The Royal - Wolverhampton Station (17 September 2023). <br />
<br />
* Westbourne Park Junction - Paddington and Stepney Green Junction - Pudding Mill Lane Junction (full opening of Elizabeth line) (6 November 2022) <br />
<br />
* Barking - Barking Riverside (18 July 2022)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension - Library - Edgbaston Village (17 July 2022) <br />
<br />
*Paddington - Abbey Wood (Elizabeth line) (24 May 2022)<br />
<br />
* Newport (Gaer Junction) - Pye Corner (Park Junction) (on introduction of trains between Newport and Crosskeys, 12 December 2021)<br />
<br />
* Crediton - Okehampton (20 November 2021; there was previously a service on summer Sundays)<br />
<br />
* Kennington - Battersea Power Station (London Underground, Northern Line extension, opened September 2021)<br />
<br />
A daily service, generally hourly, was introduced between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester via Runcorn and Frodsham on 19 May 2019. Previously the curve between Halton Junction and Frodsham Junction had been used by a single unadvertised train in one direction only on summer Saturdays.<br />
<br />
On tourist / heritage railways:<br />
<br />
* Llangollen Railway extended passenger services from Carrog to a provisional terminus at Corwen in October 2014 and to the permanent terminus in June 2023. <br />
* the Mid-Norfolk Railway ran inaugural passenger trains to Worthing level crossing (North Elmham) on 19 and 20 May 2018, but regular services continue to terminate at Dereham. The railway aspires to continue to County School. <br />
* The first (very short) section of the Aln Valley Railway officially opened in October 2013, from a new station on the edge of Alnwick, with a longer run available from December 2017. It is planned that the railway will reach the National Rail station at Alnmouth.<br />
* The first section of the re-opened Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, a narrow gauge line, is in operation between Woody Bay and Killington Lane. Extensions towards Lynton and to Blackmoor Gate are planned as the next phase of reconstruction.<br />
<br />
====Projects authorised or under construction are:==== <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the railway between Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) and Levenmouth for passenger services in 2024. It is expected that some trains will run via Cowdenbeath, providing many more via the curve from Thornton West Junction than the current sparse service. <br />
<br />
A Transport & Works Act Order for the introduction of passenger trains over the freight line to Ashington was granted in June 2022 and the line is due to open by December 2024. The UK Government has announced plans to re-open the railway to Fleetwood, but this may become a tramway. The UK Government is also funding feasibility studies into re-opening a number of other lines, but these are at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
Work has started on construction of a high speed railway (HS2) from London to Birmingham, but the line will not be opened until 2026 at the earliest. A flythrough of the route is [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bkoGvw9kbA here]. It is to be followed by Phase 2a as far as Crewe. It is intended that the line will subsequently be extended to Manchester with completion in the mid-2030s. It was originally planned that there would be a branch to Leeds, but this has been cut back to East Midlands Parkway (near Nottingham). The UK Government has also announced that it intends to proceed with a high-speed line from Warrington to Marsden (for Huddersfield) via Manchester. <br />
<br />
<!---Preliminary work on construction of a link between the LUL Watford branch and the former Croxley Green branch was undertaken in 2016. However, the project has stalled, because of lack of agreement as to how further cost escalation would be funded, and can only be regarded as definitively dead, though there has been no formal announcement to this effect. Should the scheme continue, which seems increasingly unlikely, it will result in the closure of Watford LUL station, but the re-opening of most of the Croxley Green branch.---><br />
Plans were being developed for a second Crossrail line, linking south west and north east London. All work on this stopped in autumn 2020, as a result of economies made to deal with the Covid pandemic. It is questionable whether the scheme will be revived, if there is the expected permanent reduction in commuter traffic. <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the derelict line between Calvert and Bletchley. A Transport & Works Act Order for this scheme was granted in February 2020 and services between Oxford and Milton Keynes are scheduled to start in December 2024. The longer-term objective is to re-introduce trains between Oxford and Cambridge. <br />
<br />
[https://heathrowrail.com/ Heathrow Southern Railway] intends to build a new railway south-west from Heathrow Airport to link with the Staines to Windsor line, together with a branch to Virginia Water or Chertsey. <br />
<br />
In the private sector:<br />
* The Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway is constructing an extension from Glengonnar to Wanlockhead.<br />
* Moorland & City Railways have a stated intention to reopen the line between Stoke-on-Trent and Leek Brook Junction, to a junction with the Churnet Valley Railway, but progress seems to be languishing.<br />
* Most ambitiously, the two Great Central Railways at Loughborough are being linked by means of a reinstated bridge over the Midland Main Line. <br />
* The Rother Valley Railway has obtained a Transport and Works Act Order to rebuild the railway between Robertsbridge and Junction Road (Bodiam).<br />
* The Royal Deeside Railway is extending its line to Crathes West Lodge.<br />
* Strathspey Railway is extending to Grantown-on-Spey and during summer 2014 and 2015 offered a limited service between its normal terminus at Broomhill and the river bridge at Dulnain. Further work depends on obtaining statutory powers under the Transport and Works Act and constructing a new bridge to carry the railway over the A95 main road. <br />
* The Helston Railway provides a short ride near Prospidnick, but plans to extend to Helston and eventually to Gwinear Road.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
<br />
Main line electrification in Great Britain came to a virtual standstill following railway privatisation, because private-sector train operators and rolling stock companies preferred the flexibility of diesel traction. The only schemes to proceed were between Crewe and Kidsgrove (near Stoke on Trent) (electrified for diversionary use), the reconstructed Larkhall branch line in Scotland and High Speed 1 (the Channel Tunnel rail link) [see below].<br />
<br />
In 2009 Department for Transport policy shifted towards extending electrification, with significant schemes proposed and a few implemented. However, greatly increased costs have resulted in projects being curtailed and delayed. Poor cost estimating, increased safety standards, over-specification and loss of practical experience of electrification appear to be among the causes. In July 2017 the UK Government announced an end to plans for further railway electrification in England and Wales, with reliance instead on bi-mode diesel/electric trains. This will included converting some electric multiple-units to bi-mode working. There have also been experiments with battery operation. In contrast, the Scottish Government required Network Rail to develop an electrification technical specification that can deliver an "efficient and affordable rolling programme of electrification". <br />
<br />
Electrification schemes recently completed in England and Wales are:<br />
<br />
* Bedford to Corby (May 2021) <br />
<br />
* London (Heathrow Airport Junction) to Cardiff, Chippenham (Christian Malford) and Newbury (Phased introduction of electric services between May 2017 and January 2020). The scheme was cut back to omit Swansea, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Oxford and the Thames Valley branch lines.<br />
<br />
* Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley (May 2019)<br />
<br />
* Manchester to Preston via Bolton (February 2019)<br />
<br />
* Gospel Oak to Woodgrange Park via South Tottenham (January 2019, but limited electric service initially, because of delayed delivery of rolling stock)<br />
<br />
Schemes under way in England:<br />
<br />
* Kettering - Market Harborough<br />
<br />
* Manchester - Huddersfield - Leeds - York <br />
<br />
* Wigan North Western - Lostock Junction (near Bolton) (announced 1 September 2021, expected completion 2024/2025) <br />
<br />
The UK Government has announced that electrification of the Midland Main Line is to be completed to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield.<br />
<br />
The Welsh Government is sponsoring electrification of the Valley Lines from Cardiff to Bargoed, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert. Light rail vehicles are to be used from Cardiff to Coryton and on routes via Radyr. Tri-mode trains will be used from Rhymney to Penarth, Barry Island and the Vale of Glamorgan line, using battery power between Rhymney and Bargoed, and diesel south of Cardiff. <br />
<br />
Following an extensive programme of electrification completed between 2012 and 2019, most lines in Central Scotland are electrified, with recent schemes comprising:<br />
<br />
*Holytown to Kirknewton (Midcalder Jn) via Shotts (Some electric services April 2019, full service May 2019) <br />
<br />
*Glasgow Central (Muirhouse Central Jn) to Barrhead (December 2023, but most trains continue to Kilmarnock or beyond, so remain diesel-worked)<br />
<br />
The line from Falkirk to Grangemouth has also been electrified for freight traffic, but there are proposals to reinstate a passenger service. <br />
<br />
Work has started on electrification to East Kilbride. The line from Haymarket (Edinburgh) to Dalmeny is being electrified as the first phase of a scheme to electrify routes through Fife. Transport Scotland's [https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/rail-services-decarbonisation-action-plan/ ''Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan''], published in July 2020, envisages most lines in Scotland being electrified. Priorities are the Kilmarnock line; Edinburgh to Tweedbank; routes in Fife; and Dunblane to Aberdeen. Later extensions will take electrification to Girvan; Gretna via Dumfries; and Inverness to Perth, Aberdeen and Tain.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of changes more than five years ago see [[United_Kingdom - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special Notes==<br />
<br />
Train numbers in Great Britain follow an alpha-numeric format, thus 1A22. The first digit indicates the type of train (passenger trains are 1, 2 or 9), in most cases the letter indicates its route or destination and the remaining digits identify the particular train. Different trains can and do use the same number, so long as they do not conflict geographically or operate several hours apart. Since December 2021 train numbers have been shown in the National Rail Timetable, but they are not normally used for passenger information purposes. It is more usual for trains to be referred to by their schedule, for example as the "10:00 London King's Cross to Aberdeen". International trains have four digit numbers where the second figure is 0 or 1, which can be treated as letters O and I in the UK.<br />
<br />
Departure sheets listing trains from a station in chronological order are rarely used. The usual format is to list destinations in alphabetic order, and provide details of all trains to each, or to provide timetable posters. Most stations have electronic displays, which indicate all departures (and often arrivals) within the next hour or so.<br />
<br />
It is unusual for information displays and announcements at stations and on trains to be in any language other than English (and Welsh in Wales), though most station name signs in Scotland appear in Gaelic as well as English. Multi-lingual information is normally restricted to dedicated airport services and those using the Channel Tunnel.<br />
<br />
No stations sell international tickets or can make international reservations, though there are facilities to make through bookings from certain stations by Eurostar. <!---International tickets and reservations are available at the We Know London Tourist Services desk in the shopping mall at St Pancras International station.---> Even the range of tickets available from Eurostar is very limited. For guidance on booking travel to and from Europe visit [http://www.seat61.com/Europe.htm#How%20do%20I%20book? The Man in Seat Sixty-One]'s website or see advice from [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/European-Train-Travel.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Selective door opening is increasingly used, particularly in London and South East England. Trains are longer than some station platforms and only doors within the platform are unlocked. Announcements and visual displays advise passengers which carriages they need to be in if wishing to alight. This also happens to a limited extent on the London Underground, but usually only affecting the rearmost pair of doors. <br />
<br />
The only long-distance overnight trains in Great Britain are:<br />
<br />
* [https://www.sleeper.scot/ Caledonian Sleeper] from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness <br />
* Great Western's [https://www.gwr.com/travelling-with-us/night-riviera-sleeper Night Riviera] from London to Penzance<br />
<br />
Sleeping cars are provided, but not couchettes, and seating may be in saloons with non-reclinable seats, where passengers have no control of the lighting. <br />
<br />
Taking bicycles, other than folding ones, by train can be difficult. Space may be limited and some operators require advance reservations for bicycles. More information can be found at [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/cyclists.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Train services at weekends, and especially Saturday evening and Sunday until mid-afternoon, can be extensively altered because of [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.aspx engineering work]. With the paucity of alternative routes and a growing aversion to temporary single line working, buses frequently substitute for trains in such circumstances. There are an increasing number of initiatives to give extended overnight possessions Mondays to Thursdays, in order to reduce the extent of weekend closures. This results in late evening trains being replaced by buses. Trials are being undertaken of mid-week line closures. Blockades of a week or more are increasingly common.<br />
<br />
No trains run in the UK on Christmas Day and very few on Boxing Day, mostly on local services in the London and Glasgow areas. No domestic services run in Scotland on New Year's Day, but there are normally trains between England, Edinburgh and Glasgow. <br />
<br />
Very few stations have left luggage facilities. Unattended luggage may be removed by the police and processes to check that it is safe can be very destructive.<br />
<br />
Railway enthusiasts are welcomed on stations - for guidance when on and about stations refer to [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/railway-enthusiasts/railway-enthusiasts-and-photography-at-stations/ Network Rail's] advice.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox United Kingdom}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=United_Kingdom_-_General_Information&diff=54805United Kingdom - General Information2024-01-25T20:33:25Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Electrification */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland<br />
<br />
Nomenclature: &quot;Great Britain&quot; comprises the countries of England, Wales, and Scotland. &quot;United Kingdom&quot; (in full: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) comprises Great Britain and the Province of Northern Ireland. &quot;British Isles&quot; is a purely geographical description for the British mainland and the island of Ireland; the latter contains the Province of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are usually regarded as part of the British Isles, although independent of the UK government. All but the Republic of Ireland (which is entirely independent of the UK) are under the British Crown (monarchy).<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Most infrastructure in Great Britain is owned by [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail], a company controlled by the government's [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport Department for Transport] (DfT). Most passenger train services are provided by operators under contracts with DfT, [https://tfl.gov.uk/ Transport for London], [http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk Merseytravel], [http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/ Transport Scotland] or the [http://gov.wales/topics/transport/?lang=en Welsh Government]. Most operators are subsidiaries of major bus companies or national railways from other countries, principally Nederlandse Spoorwegen and Trenitalia. A UK Government subsidiary, [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/dft-olr-holdings-limited/about DfT OLR Holdings Limited], operates services if the contractor is no longer able to do so, has had the contract terminated because of default or there has been no acceptable tender for provision of the service. [https://www.railholdings.scot/ Scottish Rail Holdings Limited] is the equivalent in Scotland. Full details of passenger train operators are given by links from the [http://www.raildeliverygroup.com/about-us/uk-rail-industry/passenger-freight-track.html Rail Delivery Group] website. Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites. Passenger train operations collectively are known as 'National Rail'. <br />
<br />
A new organisation, [https://gbrtt.co.uk/ Great British Railways] is being established to take strategic control of railways, in England at least, as well as taking over most of Network Rail's functions as infrastructure owner and operator throughout Britain. <br />
<br />
Railways in Northern Ireland are owned by Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (which remains state-owned) and are operated as the [http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/ N I Railways] (NIR) division of Translink.<br />
<br />
Most operators in Great Britain had a franchise agreement, under which they took most of the commercial risk. DfT was considering changes to franchising when the Covid-19 pandemic made the system uneconomic, due to greatly reduced fares income to the operators. Franchises were replaced by Emergency Recovery Management Agreements and subsequently by National Rail Contracts under which the Government meets operating costs and receives fares and other income. The operating company is paid a management fee. Transport for Wales, ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper, LNER, Northern and Southeastern are all being operated by public sector companies. <br />
<br />
The operator of each train is indicated in the electronic National Rail Timetable and <br />
its printed derivatives by means of two-letter codes; for a de-coder and a chronology of <br />
privatisation and transfer/re-branding of Great Britain's passenger railway franchises to <br />
date go to the [http://www.railchronology.free-online.co.uk/ Rail Chronology] website. Basic customer information about and links to the websites of each TOC are available through the [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tocs_maps/tocs/TrainOperators.aspx National Rail] website. Some further information about passenger train operators and past franchisees can be found in the [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-franchise-schedule DfT] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_operating_trains_in_the_United_Kingdom Wikipedia] websites. The Wikipedia list is usually more up to date and accurate than the DfT schedule!<br />
<br />
A small number of operators provide passenger services on the national network which are not under contract to the DfT. These include [http://www.eurostar.com/ ''Eurostar''] which is a unitary undertaking (Eurostar <br />
International Ltd) managed by SNCF, which has a 55% interest in the company. Private investors acquired the UK government's 40% stake in 2015 and SNCB/NMBS owns the remaining 5%. 'Open Access' passenger operators are: <br />
<br />
* [https://www.hulltrains.co.uk/ Hull Trains] between London and Hull <br />
* [https://www.grandcentralrail.com/ Grand Central] between London, Bradford and Sunderland<br />
* [https://www.lumo.co.uk/ Lumo] between London and Edinburgh <br />
<br />
[http://www.granduniontrains.co.uk/ Grand Union Trains] intends to start services between London and Carmarthen in 2025. <br />
<br />
In addition<br />
* [http://www.eurotunnel.com/ Eurotunnel] operates a shuttle service for motor vehicles through the Channel Tunnel; this does not carry foot-passengers (although cyclists can be carried by arrangement)<br />
* [http://www.nymr.co.uk/ North Yorkshire Moors Railway] operates timetabled steam trains through between Pickering/Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby during the summer.<br />
* [http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/ Swanage Railway] and West Coast Railways operated a service between Swanage and Wareham during the summer in 2017, but in 2018 and 2019 there was just a limited Saturday service by the local franchisee, South Western Railway. West Coast Railways again operates trains between Swanage and Wareham on behalf of Swanage Railway between April and September 2023. <br />
* [http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/ West Coast Railways] operates timetabled steam trains between Fort William and Mallaig during the summer, but in practice these get fully booked well in advance. <br />
<br />
All freight trains in Great Britain are operated by competing companies under "open access" conditions. The <i>principal</i> companies are: <br />
<br />
* [http://www.rail.dbschenker.co.uk/rail-uk-en/start/ DB Cargo UK] (formerly English Welsh and Scottish Railway, now a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn of Germany) <br />
* [https://www.freightliner.co.uk/ Freightliner] (owned by US railroad Genesee & Wyoming Inc) <br />
* [http://www.colasrail.co.uk/ Colas Rail] (part of the Bouygues group); <br />
* [http://www.directrailservices.com/ Direct Rail Services] (owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority) <br />
* [http://www.gbrailfreight.com/ GB Railfreight] (owned by Infracapital, an infrastructure equity investor). <br />
<br />
DB Cargo UK, in particular, and GB Railfreight, to a lesser extent, operate charter passenger trains. GB Railfreight also operates the Caledonian Sleeper trains on behalf of Caledonian Sleeper Limited.<br />
<br />
[https://www.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Rail Operations Group] concentrates on rolling stock moves for manufacturers, leasing companies and passenger operators, but started a parcels-carrying business, trading as [https://orion.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Orion] in 2021.<br />
<br />
There are no longer any revenue freight trains in Northern Ireland.<br />
<br />
Neither the Isle of Man nor the Channel Isles (îles Anglo-Normands) is legally part of the UK but the Isle of Man's active railways and tramways are to <br />
be found at the [http://www.heritagerailways.com/Visits_Map.php UK and Irish Heritage Railways website] and under [[#Trams/LRT-Systems|Trams/LRT-Systems]] respectively.<br />
<br />
==Official Website==<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ National Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink]<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
English. In addition Welsh is spoken in most parts of Wales, <br />
and Gaelic is used to a certain extent in north-west Scotland.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Pound sterling. Banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own notes, <br />
which are valid throughout the UK and usually accepted without question. Channel <br />
Islands and Manx notes (but not coins) are technically legal tender in the UK, <br />
but are best changed at banks.<br />
<br />
==UIC code==<br />
* United Kingdom: numeric 70; alpha GB<br />
* Eurotunnel: numeric 69 (used only for accounting purposes and not shown on rolling stock).<br />
<br />
Historically, the only British rolling stock to show UIC numbers were wagons passed to work on the now defunct train ferries from Harwich and Dover or through the Channel Tunnel. The Eurostar class 374 trains, which entered service in 2015, were the first UK-registered passenger stock to have UIC numbers, otherwise known as the European Vehicle Number (EVN). Rail Industry Standard RIS-2453-RST ''Vehicle Registration, Marking and Numbering'', introduced in December 2017, requires new vehicles in Great Britain to be identified by EVN. On passenger vehicles only an abbreviated version is normally show. UIC numbering is not used by NI Railways.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland)===<br />
The official National Rail timetable is published on Network Rail's website (see below), twice yearly (in mid December and mid May). Services on Mondays to Fridays, on Saturdays (or Mondays to Saturdays) and on Sundays are usually different and laid out separately in the timetable; there may be several alternative Sunday services, to allow for engineering work, during the currency of a timetable. [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe] provides a comprehensive guide to printed and on-line public transport timetables.<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
[http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/s/planjourney/query National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner]<br />
<br />
The [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites provide a quick-reference way of checking the latest schedule (or amendment) for any particular train<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetable====<br />
PDFs of the National Railway Timetable are available from the [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/electronic-national-rail-timetable-enrt/ Network Rail] website. These are maintained for Network Rail by [https://timetables.fabdigital.uk/nrt/ Fabdigital] and the version on their website may be more up to date.<br />
<br />
====Working (Staff) Timetables====<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/working-timetable/ Network Rail Working Timetables]<br />
<br />
You can also check for the latest variations to working timetable details for specific trains on the [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites.<br />
<br />
[http://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/working-timetables London Underground working timetables]. DLR is not included.<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
Since May 2020 there has been no comprehensive printed timetable for Great Britain and there are no printed timetable leaflets for most lines.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.html National Rail's future engineering works]<br />
<br />
===Northern Ireland===<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
On the [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink home page].<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetables====<br />
[https://www.translink.co.uk/timetables?LocationId=&Name=&LocationType=&TransportMode=Bus&page=1 Translink bus and rail timetables]<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
A series of four free leaflets is available.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/nirailways-travel-updates/ NIRailways Travel Updates]<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*The ''Rail Atlas Great Britain & Ireland'' gives detailed and accurate coverage of the UK railway system, and is widely available. It is mostly at 1:350,000, but with enlargements of many urban areas; an updated edition is published every 2-3 years.<br />
*[http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps] publish a series of track diagrams (formerly Quail Track Diagrams) in five regional volumes.<br />
*Northern Ireland Railways are in a volume covering the whole of Ireland also published by [http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps]<br />
*Historic atlases have been published by various other publishers.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] (see National Rail Passenger Operators' map) and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/united_kingdom_ireland.html British Isles and Ireland Map]. Last updated December 2022<br />
*[http://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php Rail Map online].<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
There is no distance-related fare tariff in the UK, and fares are charged on a market basis. Certain fares are regulated and the amount by which train companies can increase some fares is specified by the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
Standard walk-on fares are high, but a wide range of discounted fares is available. These are subject to restrictions as to days and times when they can be used. It can be difficult to obtain accurate information as to fares and their availability, even from official enquiry offices, because the pricing structure is complicated and the different train companies are all making their own special offers. The most heavily discounted fares usually oblige the passenger to travel on specified trains (with no opportunity to alter these) - and only a limited number of tickets may be issued for each service. Train operators are increasingly introducing special offers that can only be taken up through their website. Higher fares are charged for use of domestic trains on HS1, the high-speed line to Kent, except for through tickets between Kent and destinations beyond London. <br />
<br />
Tickets for any rail journey in the UK can be purchased from most train operators' websites, but the best price may be available from the operator whose service is being used. It is often possible to obtain a lower price for a journey by splitting it and buying a different ticket for each section. In such cases it is necessary to travel on a train that stops at stations where the validity of one ticket ends and another starts. This requirement does not apply if at least one of the tickets is a season ticket, rail rover or similar. It may also be found that a ticket to a station beyond one's destination is cheaper, but conditions need to be checked carefully. A break of journey may not be permitted, requiring an excess fare to be paid if exiting at an intermediate station. Various websites act as 'consolidators' and will compare what is available in order to offer the best deal, including split ticketing options. <br />
<br />
Various Railcards are available, usually giving a fare reduction of one third. These are available nationally to groups, such as young people, families, senior citizens, two people travelling together, those with a disability and military personnel. Some cards are available to all, but only valid for travel within a particular geographic area. The cost of a Railcard may be recouped immediately if a long-distance journey is planned or if purchasing a high-price ticket such as a national rail rover. Some Railcards only give a discount for off-peak travel. Details of Railcards are available at [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/National-Railcards.aspx National Rail]. Details can be found at the unofficial [http://www.railrover.org/ Rail Rover] website.<br />
<br />
Overseas visitors should endeavour to purchase a rover ticket, such as a [http://www.britrail.net/ BritRail] or InterRail pass, before travelling to the UK. Various rail rovers are available within the UK, but they do not offer the value or wide validity of those available to foreign visitors, and many are not valid until after the morning peak period.<br />
<br />
In various areas where all stations have automatic ticket machines, including on the London Underground and most other tram and metro networks, a penalty fares system applies. Passengers found without a ticket are likely to have to pay a fine on the spot.<br />
<br />
First class seating tends now to be found only on principal routes; in Northern Ireland it is limited to principal trains on the international route between Belfast and Dublin (where NIRailways call it &quot;First plus&quot; while partner Iarnród Éireann call it &quot;Premium&quot;). Eurostar maintain three classes: Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier. On some trains, including many of those operated by Gatwick Express, Great Northern and Southern, there is no difference between first class and standard class seating. If a train including first class seats is used on a service advertised as standard class only, holders of standard class tickets may use the first class seats.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Railways Company Limited, through a subsidiary NIR Networks Limited<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/network-statement/ Network Rail]. The Sectional Appendices are available <br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ here] (scroll down to list of PDFs).<br />
<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Corporate/About-Us/Publications/network-statement/ Translink]<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
*Great Britain: Standard<br />
*Northern Ireland: 1600 mm [5 feet 3 inches]<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
*Great Britain: Mostly 25 kV 50 Hz. 750 V dc third rail is used on some lines in south east England and around Liverpool. The third rail network in south east England is by a considerable margin the most extensive such system in the world and the only place when conductor rail trains operate at up to 100 mph (160 km/hr). The line between Pelaw and Sunderland is electrified at 1500V dc overhead, to allow use by Tyne & Wear Metro. The line between Tinsley North Junction and Rotherham Parkgate is electrified at 750V dc overhead, for use by Sheffield Supertram. Most tramway systems are 750 V dc with Blackpool being 600 V dc.<br />
*Northern Ireland: no electrified lines.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Left.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
*Distances are shown on Railway Track Diagrams published by [https://www.trackmaps.co.uk/ TRACKmaps]. Distances are also available in Network Rail's [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ Sectional Appendices] (scroll down for list of available PDFs).<br />
*Distances for Northern Ireland are also available on-line on the Signalling Record Society website:<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-nc.php Derry and Larne lines]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-bd.php Bangor line]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-gd.php Dublin line]<br />
<br />
==Other railways==<br />
*Core Valley Lines (Cardiff to Rhymney, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert): Owned by the Welsh Government and managed by a lessee, Amey Keolis Infrastructure/Seilwaith Amey Keolis Limited.<br />
*Crossrail Central Operating Section is the railway under Central London from Portobello Junction (Royal Oak) to Pudding Mill Lane Junction (Bow) and Abbey Wood. It is managed by Rail for London (Infrastructure) Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London.<br />
*East London Line: Owned by Rail for London Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London. <br />
*Eurotunnel: A partnership between the Channel Tunnel Group Limited and France-Manche S.A. that operates the Channel Tunnel under a long-term concession from the UK and French governments. <br />
*Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited owns the railway between London Heathrow Airport and the junction with the Great Western Main Line near Hayes & Harlington. <br />
*HS1 Ltd: The investor with a 30 years concession from the UK government to operate the high-speed line between London and the Channel Tunnel, though most aspects of day-to-day operation and maintenance are contracted out to Network Rail. <br />
<br />
Facilities exist for special through running between the national system and some tourist lines.<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
A map of UK heritage railways can be found at the "Heritage Rail - UK & Ireland" link on the [https://www.heritagerailways.com Heritage Railway Association website].<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
London, Newcastle, Glasgow. Although part of the national railway system, the Merseyrail Electrics <br />
network in Liverpool is like a Metro. There are two separate networks in London. The Underground system is 630V dc third and fourth rail; the Docklands Light Railway is a fully-automated 750V dc third rail system. London Overground operates under a contract let by the Mayor of London and uses Transport for London branding, but operates almost entirely on Network Rail lines. The Glasgow and Merseyrail systems are third <br />
rail and Newcastle is 1500 V dc overhead. Glasgow Subway is 4 feet (1,219mm) gauge and was originally cable-worked. There are several lines where London Underground and main line trains share the same tracks. The Tyne & Wear Metro (Newcastle) operates to Sunderland over the Network Rail line from Pelaw.<br />
<br />
The Core Valley Lines from Cardiff are being converted to a form of metro system.<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Birmingham/Wolverhampton (Midland Metro), Blackpool, Croydon, Edinburgh,<br />
Llandudno (cable worked), Manchester, Nottingham, Seaton (Devon) and Sheffield. The Croydon, <br />
Manchester, Midland Metro, Nottingham and Seaton systems include extensive running over <br />
routes that were previously part of the national railway system. The Manchester and Nottingham systems have been considerably extended in recent years. On the Manchester Metrolink system a second route through Manchester city centre came into use on 26 February 2017, and the 5.5 km Trafford Park line opened on 22 March 2020. The Midland Metro in Birmingham was extended to Edgbaston on 17 July 2022 and to Wolverhampton Station on 17 September 2023. The first stage of a line to Brierley Hill is expected to open, to Dudley, in 2024. The extension of the Edinburgh line to Leith and Newhaven opened on 21 June 2023 and plans have been announced for further lines in the city. The Blackpool system Talbot Gateway extension, to Blackpool North station, is expected to be fully open in 2023. A metro system is proposed in Glasgow, but this project is at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
The Seaton and Llandudno lines are essentially tourist operations, and both are narrow gauge. <br />
There are other tourist lines of a mile or more at the National Tramway Museum <br />
(Crich, near Matlock) and at Beamish Open Air Museum (near Gateshead), plus <br />
several other shorter lines. <br />
<br />
The Isle of Man has three narrow gauge tramways, which operate on a seasonal basis: Douglas Bay Horse Tramway - along the promenade in Douglas; the Manx Electric Railway - an inter-urban line between Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey; and the Snaefell Mountain Railway - from Laxey to Snaefell Summit. <br />
After a period of uncertainty, the threat that the horse tramway line in Douglas might be shortened seems to have been seen off by a vote in Tynwald (the Manx parliament) in January 2017. <br />
<br />
The Tinsley Chord, which connects the Sheffield tram system to a freight line near Meadowhall, allows tram-trains to run between Sheffield city centre and Rotherham Parkgate over Network Rail lines. Public services commenced on Thursday 25 October 2018. Sheffield tram-trains are dual voltage vehicles that can run on the 750 V Overhead Lines (OHLE) of the tram network and the 25 kV OHLE of the national rail network; however the line to Rotherham Parkgate is initially energised at 750 V because there is no 25 kV electrification in the area.<br />
<br />
Track plans for most of the significant tram systems in the United Kingdom are available on the [http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/line/diagrams0.shtm Railway Codes site] and also on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/index-e.php Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes== <br />
Some aspects of national railway operations are privatised, but infrastructure ownership has reverted to the public sector. There continues to be debate about the fragmented, expensive and complex nature of the system that has emerged, under the general oversight of the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
===Route Closures and Service Reductions===<br />
Having undergone extensive cut backs in the 1960s, the present passenger network seems relatively secure. The closure of a passenger railway in the UK normally involves a lengthy legal process, and short-notice closures usually occur only if there is a sudden and dramatic infrastructure failure, or if the closure is deemed a &quot;minor closure&quot;. However, a number of stations have closed and all passenger services over some lines have been withdrawn without the statutory procedure having been followed. Passenger services via the Channel Tunnel, or in connection with them, do not enjoy statutory protection from closure. <br />
<br />
Some routes have been reduced to just one or two trains per day (or, in some cases, per week) in order to reduce operating costs without having to go through the closure procedure. These are included in the list of [https://www.egtre.info/wiki/United_Kingdom_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services sparse services].<br />
<br />
A newly-introduced passenger service can be designated as "experimental" for a period up to five years, during which time it may be withdrawn without the usual closure procedure needing to be followed. The only "experimental" service at present is Thanet Parkway station, until 30 July 2028.<br />
<br />
====Passenger services to be withdrawn====<br />
* The railway between Nottingham and Worksop may be diverted at Whitwell to allow expansion of a dolomite quarry. This will eliminate Whitwell Tunnel. No date is set for this, but planning permission to expand the quarry was granted in 2018.<br />
<br />
* Planned diversion of trains between Belfast and Dublin to a new terminal facility - [http://www.translink.co.uk/Translink-Footer/the-hub/ the Belfast Hub] - being constructed close to Belfast Great Victoria Street may see the end of regular passenger services between Central Junction (Adelaide) and City Junction (City Hospital).<br />
<br />
====Closures and significant service reductions in recent years are==== <br />
<br />
'''Passenger service withdrawn, line still open for other than regular passenger traffic:'''<br />
<br />
* Greenford LUL Bay Junction - Northolt Junction: The Wednesdays only train from West Ealing to West Ruislip ran for the last time on 7 December 2022.<br />
<br />
* Cowlairs East Junction - Cowlairs North Junction (Glasgow): The summer Sunday trains between Edinburgh and Oban start and terminate at Glasgow Queen Street in 2023. Last use of the curve by the ScotRail service was on 28 August 2022. It continues to be used by the [https://www.belmond.com/trains/europe/scotland/belmond-royal-scotsman/journeys Royal Scotsman] Western Scenic Wonders tour, but prices start at £5,800.<br />
<br />
* Barking Station Junction - Barking platform 1: No regular passenger traffic from 18 July 2022, when the line to Barking Riverside opened, but occasional diversions may be possible.<br />
<br />
* Dalmeny - Winchburgh Junction: Service withdrawn 23 March 2020, but without the statutory closure procedure having been followed. From 11 Dec 2022 the 22:31 FSSuX Dundee to Edinburgh and 22.58 SuO Glenrothes with Thornton to Edinburgh are scheduled to run this way with reversal at Linlithgow, but are likely to run direct via Edinburgh Gateway if there is no engineering work on that route.<br />
<br />
'''Significant service reduction'''<br />
<br />
* Glenrothes with Thornton - Thornton South Junction: The frequent service via Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy became Sundays only, except for one train each way Mondays to Fridays, with effect from 15 May 2022.<br />
<br />
====Temporary Closures:==== <br />
<br />
Work to upgrade the UK rail network is increasingly leading to lines being closed for extended periods. Severe weather and the age of much railway infrastructure has resulted in more temporary closures caused by landslips and other problems with earthworks. Current and planned temporary closures of four weeks or more, in approximate order of expected re-opening, are: <br />
<br />
* Prestwick Town to Girvan and Kilmarnock to Barassie: From 25 September 2023, probably until some time in March 2024, because of a dangerous building at Ayr.<br />
* Ashford East Junction, connection to HS1: Eurostar ceased calling at Ashford on 19 March 2020 and will not resume before 2025/6.<br />
<br />
There are also extended closures of sections of the Valley Lines, north of Cardiff, at least until February 2024, for electrification work.<br />
<br />
===Re-openings and Openings===<br />
<br />
Most projects involve upgrading existing routes, but some openings have occurred or are about to do so. <br />
<br />
====New and reinstated passenger services in recent years:==== <br />
<br />
New passenger services are: <br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension - The Royal - Wolverhampton Station (17 September 2023). <br />
<br />
* Westbourne Park Junction - Paddington and Stepney Green Junction - Pudding Mill Lane Junction (full opening of Elizabeth line) (6 November 2022) <br />
<br />
* Barking - Barking Riverside (18 July 2022)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension - Library - Edgbaston Village (17 July 2022) <br />
<br />
*Paddington - Abbey Wood (Elizabeth line) (24 May 2022)<br />
<br />
* Newport (Gaer Junction) - Pye Corner (Park Junction) (on introduction of trains between Newport and Crosskeys, 12 December 2021)<br />
<br />
* Crediton - Okehampton (20 November 2021; there was previously a service on summer Sundays)<br />
<br />
* Kennington - Battersea Power Station (London Underground, Northern Line extension, opened September 2021)<br />
<br />
A daily service, generally hourly, was introduced between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester via Runcorn and Frodsham on 19 May 2019. Previously the curve between Halton Junction and Frodsham Junction had been used by a single unadvertised train in one direction only on summer Saturdays.<br />
<br />
On tourist / heritage railways:<br />
<br />
* Llangollen Railway extended passenger services from Carrog to a provisional terminus at Corwen in October 2014 and to the permanent terminus in June 2023. <br />
* the Mid-Norfolk Railway ran inaugural passenger trains to Worthing level crossing (North Elmham) on 19 and 20 May 2018, but regular services continue to terminate at Dereham. The railway aspires to continue to County School. <br />
* The first (very short) section of the Aln Valley Railway officially opened in October 2013, from a new station on the edge of Alnwick, with a longer run available from December 2017. It is planned that the railway will reach the National Rail station at Alnmouth.<br />
* The first section of the re-opened Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, a narrow gauge line, is in operation between Woody Bay and Killington Lane. Extensions towards Lynton and to Blackmoor Gate are planned as the next phase of reconstruction.<br />
<br />
====Projects authorised or under construction are:==== <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the railway between Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) and Levenmouth for passenger services in 2024. It is expected that some trains will run via Cowdenbeath, providing many more via the curve from Thornton West Junction than the current sparse service. <br />
<br />
A Transport & Works Act Order for the introduction of passenger trains over the freight line to Ashington was granted in June 2022 and the line is due to open by December 2024. The UK Government has announced plans to re-open the railway to Fleetwood, but this may become a tramway. The UK Government is also funding feasibility studies into re-opening a number of other lines, but these are at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
Work has started on construction of a high speed railway (HS2) from London to Birmingham, but the line will not be opened until 2026 at the earliest. A flythrough of the route is [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bkoGvw9kbA here]. It is to be followed by Phase 2a as far as Crewe. It is intended that the line will subsequently be extended to Manchester with completion in the mid-2030s. It was originally planned that there would be a branch to Leeds, but this has been cut back to East Midlands Parkway (near Nottingham). The UK Government has also announced that it intends to proceed with a high-speed line from Warrington to Marsden (for Huddersfield) via Manchester. <br />
<br />
<!---Preliminary work on construction of a link between the LUL Watford branch and the former Croxley Green branch was undertaken in 2016. However, the project has stalled, because of lack of agreement as to how further cost escalation would be funded, and can only be regarded as definitively dead, though there has been no formal announcement to this effect. Should the scheme continue, which seems increasingly unlikely, it will result in the closure of Watford LUL station, but the re-opening of most of the Croxley Green branch.---><br />
Plans were being developed for a second Crossrail line, linking south west and north east London. All work on this stopped in autumn 2020, as a result of economies made to deal with the Covid pandemic. It is questionable whether the scheme will be revived, if there is the expected permanent reduction in commuter traffic. <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the derelict line between Calvert and Bletchley. A Transport & Works Act Order for this scheme was granted in February 2020 and services between Oxford and Milton Keynes are scheduled to start in December 2024. The longer-term objective is to re-introduce trains between Oxford and Cambridge. <br />
<br />
[https://heathrowrail.com/ Heathrow Southern Railway] intends to build a new railway south-west from Heathrow Airport to link with the Staines to Windsor line, together with a branch to Virginia Water or Chertsey. <br />
<br />
In the private sector:<br />
* The Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway is constructing an extension from Glengonnar to Wanlockhead.<br />
* Moorland & City Railways have a stated intention to reopen the line between Stoke-on-Trent and Leek Brook Junction, to a junction with the Churnet Valley Railway, but progress seems to be languishing.<br />
* Most ambitiously, the two Great Central Railways at Loughborough are being linked by means of a reinstated bridge over the Midland Main Line. <br />
* The Rother Valley Railway has obtained a Transport and Works Act Order to rebuild the railway between Robertsbridge and Junction Road (Bodiam).<br />
* The Royal Deeside Railway is extending its line to Crathes West Lodge.<br />
* Strathspey Railway is extending to Grantown-on-Spey and during summer 2014 and 2015 offered a limited service between its normal terminus at Broomhill and the river bridge at Dulnain. Further work depends on obtaining statutory powers under the Transport and Works Act and constructing a new bridge to carry the railway over the A95 main road. <br />
* The Helston Railway provides a short ride near Prospidnick, but plans to extend to Helston and eventually to Gwinear Road.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
<br />
Main line electrification in Great Britain came to a virtual standstill following railway privatisation, because private-sector train operators and rolling stock companies preferred the flexibility of diesel traction. The only schemes to proceed were between Crewe and Kidsgrove (near Stoke on Trent) (electrified for diversionary use), the reconstructed Larkhall branch line in Scotland and High Speed 1 (the Channel Tunnel rail link) [see below].<br />
<br />
In 2009 Department for Transport policy shifted towards extending electrification, with significant schemes proposed and a few implemented. However, greatly increased costs have resulted in projects being curtailed and delayed. Poor cost estimating, increased safety standards, over-specification and loss of practical experience of electrification appear to be among the causes. In July 2017 the UK Government announced an end to plans for further railway electrification in England and Wales, with reliance instead on bi-mode diesel/electric trains. This will included converting some electric multiple-units to bi-mode working. There have also been experiments with battery operation. In contrast, the Scottish Government required Network Rail to develop an electrification technical specification that can deliver an "efficient and affordable rolling programme of electrification". <br />
<br />
Electrification schemes recently completed in England and Wales are:<br />
<br />
* Bedford to Corby (May 2021) <br />
<br />
* London (Heathrow Airport Junction) to Cardiff, Chippenham (Christian Malford) and Newbury (Phased introduction of electric services between May 2017 and January 2020). The scheme was cut back to omit Swansea, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Oxford and the Thames Valley branch lines.<br />
<br />
* Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley (May 2019)<br />
<br />
* Manchester to Preston via Bolton (February 2019)<br />
<br />
* Gospel Oak to Woodgrange Park via South Tottenham (January 2019, but limited electric service initially, because of delayed delivery of rolling stock)<br />
<br />
Schemes under way in England:<br />
<br />
* Kettering - Market Harborough<br />
<br />
* Manchester - Huddersfield - Leeds - York <br />
<br />
* Wigan North Western - Lostock Junction (near Bolton) (announced 1 September 2021, expected completion 2024/2025) <br />
<br />
The UK Government has announced that electrification of the Midland Main Line is to be completed to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield.<br />
<br />
The Welsh Government is sponsoring electrification of the Valley Lines from Cardiff to Bargoed, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert. Light rail vehicles are to be used from Cardiff to Coryton and on routes via Radyr. Tri-mode trains will be used from Rhymney to Penarth, Barry Island and the Vale of Glamorgan line, using battery power between Rhymney and Bargoed, and diesel south of Cardiff. <br />
<br />
Following an extensive programme of electrification completed between 2012 and 2019, most lines in Central Scotland are electrified, with recent schemes comprising:<br />
<br />
*Holytown to Kirknewton (Midcalder Jn) via Shotts (Some electric services April 2019, full service May 2019) <br />
<br />
*Glasgow Central (Muirhouse Central Jn) to Barrhead (December 2023, but most trains continue to Kilmarnock or beyond, so remain diesel-worked)<br />
<br />
The line from Falkirk to Grangemouth has also been electrified for freight traffic, but there are proposals to reinstate a passenger service. <br />
<br />
Work has started on electrification to East Kilbride. The line from Haymarket (Edinburgh) to Dalmeny is being electrified as the first phase of a scheme to electrify routes through Fife. Transport Scotland's [https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/rail-services-decarbonisation-action-plan/ ''Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan''], published in July 2020, envisages most lines in Scotland being electrified. Priorities are the Kilmarnock line; Edinburgh to Tweedbank; routes in Fife; and Dunblane to Aberdeen. Later extensions will take electrification to Girvan; Gretna via Dumfries; and Inverness to Perth, Aberdeen and Tain.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of changes more than five years ago see [[United_Kingdom - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special Notes==<br />
<br />
Train numbers in Great Britain follow an alpha-numeric format, thus 1A22. The first digit indicates the type of train (passenger trains are 1, 2 or 9), in most cases the letter indicates its route or destination and the remaining digits identify the particular train. Different trains can and do use the same number, so long as they do not conflict geographically or operate several hours apart. Since December 2021 train numbers have been shown in the National Rail Timetable, but they are not normally used for passenger information purposes. It is more usual for trains to be referred to by their schedule, for example as the "10:00 London King's Cross to Aberdeen". International trains have four digit numbers where the second figure is 0 or 1, which can be treated as letters O and I in the UK.<br />
<br />
Departure sheets listing trains from a station in chronological order are rarely used. The usual format is to list destinations in alphabetic order, and provide details of all trains to each, or to provide timetable posters. Most stations have electronic displays, which indicate all departures (and often arrivals) within the next hour or so.<br />
<br />
It is unusual for information displays and announcements at stations and on trains to be in any language other than English (and Welsh in Wales), though most station name signs in Scotland appear in Gaelic as well as English. Multi-lingual information is normally restricted to dedicated airport services and those using the Channel Tunnel.<br />
<br />
No stations sell international tickets or can make international reservations, though there are facilities to make through bookings from certain stations by Eurostar. <!---International tickets and reservations are available at the We Know London Tourist Services desk in the shopping mall at St Pancras International station.---> Even the range of tickets available from Eurostar is very limited. For guidance on booking travel to and from Europe visit [http://www.seat61.com/Europe.htm#How%20do%20I%20book? The Man in Seat Sixty-One]'s website or see advice from [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/European-Train-Travel.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Selective door opening is increasingly used, particularly in London and South East England. Trains are longer than some station platforms and only doors within the platform are unlocked. Announcements and visual displays advise passengers which carriages they need to be in if wishing to alight. This also happens to a limited extent on the London Underground, but usually only affecting the rearmost pair of doors. <br />
<br />
The only long-distance overnight trains in Great Britain are:<br />
<br />
* [https://www.sleeper.scot/ Caledonian Sleeper] from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness <br />
* Great Western's [https://www.gwr.com/travelling-with-us/night-riviera-sleeper Night Riviera] from London to Penzance<br />
<br />
Sleeping cars are provided, but not couchettes, and seating may be in saloons with non-reclinable seats, where passengers have no control of the lighting. <br />
<br />
Taking bicycles, other than folding ones, by train can be difficult. Space may be limited and some operators require advance reservations for bicycles. More information can be found at [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/cyclists.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Train services at weekends, and especially Saturday evening and Sunday until mid-afternoon, can be extensively altered because of [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.aspx engineering work]. With the paucity of alternative routes and a growing aversion to temporary single line working, buses frequently substitute for trains in such circumstances. There are an increasing number of initiatives to give extended overnight possessions Mondays to Thursdays, in order to reduce the extent of weekend closures. This results in late evening trains being replaced by buses. Trials are being undertaken of mid-week line closures. Blockades of a week or more are increasingly common.<br />
<br />
No trains run in the UK on Christmas Day and very few on Boxing Day, mostly on local services in the London and Glasgow areas. No domestic services run in Scotland on New Year's Day, but there are normally trains between England, Edinburgh and Glasgow. <br />
<br />
Very few stations have left luggage facilities. Unattended luggage may be removed by the police and processes to check that it is safe can be very destructive.<br />
<br />
Railway enthusiasts are welcomed on stations - for guidance when on and about stations refer to [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/railway-enthusiasts/railway-enthusiasts-and-photography-at-stations/ Network Rail's] advice.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox United Kingdom}}</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=United_Kingdom_-_Older_General_Information&diff=54804United Kingdom - Older General Information2024-01-25T20:33:09Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Electrification */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
This document acts as an archive for [[United Kingdom - General Information#Recent and Future Changes|Recent and Future Changes]] more than five years ago.<br />
<br />
==Route Closures and Service Reductions==<br />
====Closures and significant service reductions in recent years====<br />
<br />
'''Lines closed:'''<br />
<br />
* Old Oak Common West Junction - Park Royal - Greenford West Junction: Closed to passenger services in December 2018 to facilitate HS2 construction work; and has been partly dismantled.<br />
<br />
* Forres station and the line through it were replaced in October 2017 by a new station and line to the north. The new line is approximately on the original 1858 alignment of the Inverness & Aberdeen Junction Railway, which was not normally used by passenger trains after the line south to Dunkeld & Birnam, thence Perth, opened in 1863. The last trains via the old station ran on 6 October and the new line and station came into use on 17 October. <br />
<br />
* Farringdon - Moorgate, London: March 2009, but the London Underground line between the same stations is not affected.<br />
<br />
* Fawkham Junction - Southfleet Junction: Regular passenger use ceased in November 2007, as a result of Eurostar services being diverted from London Waterloo to St Pancras. The line was converted to sidings, accessed only from Southfleet Junction, in April 2016, possibly temporarily.<br />
<br />
* Barkston South Junction - Barkston East Junction: Replaced by new curve at Allington, October 2005.<br />
<br />
'''Lines closed for conversion to rapid transit or other alternative transport use:'''<br />
<br />
* Manchester - Oldham - Rochdale: Closed October 2009; most is now part of Manchester's tram/metro system, but that has street running through Oldham, following an interim period when trams used a now-closed section of the former railway.<br />
<br />
* Stratford - North Woolwich, London: Closed December 2006; part being converted to part of Docklands Light Railway and much of the remainder as part of Crossrail's Abbey Wood line.<br />
<br />
'''Passenger service withdrawn, line still open:'''<br />
<br />
* Westbury East Loop Junction - Hawkeridge Junction: Service withdrawn May 2016, when the experimental service of one train each day, Monday to Friday, non-stop between Reading and Bath Spa ceased.<br />
<br />
* [Kensington Olympia - ] Latchmere Junction - Longhedge Junction [ - Wandsworth Road]: The limited service was withdrawn in June 2013.<br />
<br />
* Acton Main Line - Willesden West London Jn: Service withdrawn in December 2008, as a result of Cross Country ceasing to run trains to and from Brighton.<br />
<br />
* Reading West Junction - Oxford Road Junction: The summer Saturday service last ran in September 2008.<br />
<br />
* Nine Elms Junction - Linford Street Junction: Service withdrawn November 2007, as a result of Eurostar services being diverted from London Waterloo to St Pancras.<br />
<br />
* Stratford - North Woolwich, London: Service withdrawn December 2006; part of the line being converted to part of Docklands Light Railway and part of the rest being rebuilt as part of Crossrail's Abbey Wood line.<br />
<br />
* Newhaven Marine Station: The service comprising one train per day was suspended in August 2006 because of the alleged unsafe condition of the platform canopy.<br />
<br />
* Maindee curve, Newport, Gwent: Service withdrawn December 2005.<br />
<br />
* Lisburn - Antrim: Service withdrawn June 2003, on diversion of passenger trains via Bleach Green Junction.<br />
<br />
'''Regular passenger service replaced by a very limited one:'''<br />
<br />
* [Wandsworth Road - ] Factory Junction - Battersea Park: Reduced to one and a half round trips in December 2012.<br />
<br />
* Stechford - Aston: Limited service following closure of open-access operator Wrexham & Shropshire in January 2011.<br />
<br />
* Darlaston Jn - Pleck Jn [Walsall]: Reduced to one Walsall to Wolverhampton train, December 2008.<br />
<br />
* Trowell Junction - Trent Junction: Reduced to 2 or 3 trains a week from December 2008.<br />
<br />
* Holytown (Mossend East Jn) - Motherwell (Mossend South Jn): December 2014<br />
<br />
* Holytown - Wishaw: December 2014<br />
<br />
==Re-openings and Openings==<br />
<br />
The first 70km section of the Channel Tunnel rail link, between Dollands Moor and Southfleet Jn, opened to passengers on 28 September 2003 and the 40km second phase, between Southfleet Jn and London St Pancras International, opened on 14 November 2007. The whole CTRL is now dubbed HS1 (&quot;High Speed 1&quot;). Internal services between London St.Pancras International and destinations in Kent commenced on a trial basis from June 2009, and in full service from December 2009. Higher fares are charged for journeys to and from London via HS1, but not for those between Kent and places beyond London.<br />
<br />
===New and reinstated passenger services in recent years=== <br />
<br />
* Meadowhall South/Tinsley - Tinsley North Junction - Rotherham Central (Sheffield Tram Train operation substantially over a Network Rail freight line, opened on 25 October 2018) <br />
<br />
* Water Street Junction - Irwell Street Junction (Ordsall Chord), allows passenger trains to run direct between Deansgate and Manchester Victoria (December 2017)<br />
<br />
* New line at Forres (see closures above) (October 2017)<br />
<br />
* Yeovil Junction - Yeovil Pen Mill (December 2015)<br />
<br />
* Bicester South Junction - Gavray Junction, allows trains to run between London Marylebone and Oxford (October 2015) (until 10 December 2016 trains ran only as far as Oxford Parkway, but now run through to Oxford)<br />
<br />
* Newcraighall - Tweedbank (Borders Railway) (September 2015)<br />
<br />
* Whiteplatts Jn - Todmorden Jn (Todmorden Curve), allows trains to run direct between Todmorden and Burnley Manchester Road (May 2015)<br />
<br />
* Ebbw Vale Parkway - Ebbw Vale Town (May 2015)<br />
<br />
* Surrey Quays - Queens Road Peckham (December 2012) <br />
<br />
* Wandsworth Road - Clapham Junction (December 2012)<br />
<br />
* Drumgelloch - Bathgate (December 2010)<br />
<br />
* Kettering - Corby - Manton Junction [Melton Mowbray] (April 2009, limited service Kettering - Corby from February 2009)<br />
<br />
* Stirling - Alloa (May 2008) <br />
<br />
* Ebbw Vale Parkway - Cardiff (February 2008) (a link to Newport should reopen later) <br />
<br />
* Hamilton - Larkhall (December 2005) <br />
<br />
* Maryhill - Anniesland (September 2005) <br />
<br />
* Whiteabbey (Bleach Green Junction) - Antrim (June 2003)<br />
<br />
The line between Stratford and Tottenham Hale regained a regular interval service in December 2005 after a period with very few trains.<br />
<br />
The Docklands Light Railway extended to Woolwich Arsenal in January 2009 and to Stratford International in August 2011. The first phase of the resuscitated East London line (partially reopened/partially new construction) opened in April 2010, with full service extending into south London the following month, and to Highbury & Islington in February 2011. Since December 2011 the curve from Slade Green to Barnehurst (Perry Street Fork Junction), which had previously had a limited service, has been used by trains for most of the day, Mondays to Fridays. <br />
<br />
A flyover at Nuneaton, partly new work and partly re-opening a closed line, came into use in 2006. This avoids the need for trains between the Birmingham area and Leicester to cross the West Coast Main Line on the flat. A flyover at Hitchin, used by most passenger trains towards the Cambridge line, came into use in 2013. New curves north of Ipswich and north of Doncaster are normally used only by freight trains. At Norton Bridge a new flyover to and from the Stoke-on-Trent line and a new down slow line towards Crewe came into use in March 2016. <br />
<br />
Remodelling the railway at Reading, completed in 2015, has included construction of a new dive-under from the Wokingham line to the north side of the station, with a limited passenger service, a flyover west of the station used by fast trains to and from Didcot and an alternative route between Reading West and the north side of Reading station. <br />
<br />
Extensive rebuilding of the Thameslink route between St Pancras and New Cross Gate was completed at the beginning of January 2018, but with traffic management and automatic train operation still to be fully commissioned. The line between Blackfriars and London Bridge (Metropolitan Junction) had been out of use since December 2014. Some passenger trains started using the rebuilt route between Blackfriars and Bricklayers Arms Junction (New Cross Gate) on 9 January 2018. The project includes a new line between the Thameslink station at St Pancras International and the East Coast Main Line at Belle Isle Junction, north of King's Cross. A limited passenger service over the line to Belle Isle Junction commenced on 26 February 2018. There has been more extensive use of the line since 20 May 2018. <br />
<br />
Extensions to tourist/heritage railways:<br />
<br />
* South Tynedale Railway extended from Lintley to Slaggyford (on the trackbed of the former Haltwhistle - Alston branch) from the 2018 season<br />
* the Gloucester Warwickshire Steam Railway extended passenger services to Broadway from Spring 2018.<br />
* the Gwili Railway extended their operation from Bronwydd Arms to Abergwili Junction (in the outskirts of Carmarthen) from 2 July 2017.<br />
* the Swanage Railway completed the restoration of a link with the national network when they reopened the line between Norden and Worgret Junction; through trains between Swanage and Wareham, on a seasonal basis, resumed on 13 June 2017. <br />
* the [http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/the-railway/the-mountsorrel-branch/ Mountsorrel branch], off the Great Central Railway, opened in autumn 2015 for occasional trains only.<br />
* Extension of the Bluebell Railway from Kingscote to East Grinstead in 2013 completed the restoration of a link with the national network.<br />
* The [http://www.festrail.co.uk/whr_history_3.htm Welsh Highland Railway] - 2ft. gauge, closed in 1937 - has been rebuilt and extended to run between Caernarfon and Porthmadog (25 miles). The final section - including a flat crossing with the standard gauge line in Porthmadog, to effect a link with the Ffestiniog Railway - opened in April 2011.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
<br />
*Croy (Carmuirs West Jn) and Camelon (Carmuirs East Jn) to Stirling, Dunblane and Alloa (December 2018)<br />
<br />
*Cumbernauld and Croy (Greenhill Upper Jn) to Polmont via Falkirk Grahamston (December 2018, but occasional use from May 2018) <br />
<br />
* Meadowhall to Rotherham (in connection with the Sheffield tram-train scheme; October 2018)<br />
<br />
* Barnt Green to Bromsgrove (July 2018)<br />
<br />
* Preston to Blackpool North (May 2018)<br />
<br />
*Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh (Newbridge Junction) via Falkirk High (Phased introduction December 2017 to August 2018)<br />
<br />
* Manchester Victoria to Ordsall Lane Junction (May 2015)<br />
<br />
* Wigan (Springs Branch Junction) to Huyton via St Helens (May 2015)<br />
<br />
* Earlestown to Edge Hill (March 2015)<br />
<br />
* Rutherglen to Whifflet (December 2014)<br />
<br />
* Cumbernauld to Springburn and Mossend (Motherwell) (May 2014)<br />
<br />
* Manchester (Castlefield Junction) to Newton-le-Willows (December 2013)<br />
<br />
* Glasgow (Shields Junction) to Paisley Canal (November 2012)<br />
<br />
===Stations at Airports===<br />
In addition to airports served by stations on through lines, branch lines or extensions have been opened over recent years and now serve airports at London Stansted, Manchester, Newcastle and London Heathrow (where Heathrow Express/HeathrowConnect and London Underground have three separate pairs of stations: Terminals 1-2-3, Terminal 4 and Terminal 5).<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox United Kingdom}}</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=United_Kingdom_-_General_Information&diff=54803United Kingdom - General Information2024-01-25T20:28:52Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* New and reinstated passenger services in recent years: */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland<br />
<br />
Nomenclature: &quot;Great Britain&quot; comprises the countries of England, Wales, and Scotland. &quot;United Kingdom&quot; (in full: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) comprises Great Britain and the Province of Northern Ireland. &quot;British Isles&quot; is a purely geographical description for the British mainland and the island of Ireland; the latter contains the Province of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are usually regarded as part of the British Isles, although independent of the UK government. All but the Republic of Ireland (which is entirely independent of the UK) are under the British Crown (monarchy).<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Most infrastructure in Great Britain is owned by [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail], a company controlled by the government's [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport Department for Transport] (DfT). Most passenger train services are provided by operators under contracts with DfT, [https://tfl.gov.uk/ Transport for London], [http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk Merseytravel], [http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/ Transport Scotland] or the [http://gov.wales/topics/transport/?lang=en Welsh Government]. Most operators are subsidiaries of major bus companies or national railways from other countries, principally Nederlandse Spoorwegen and Trenitalia. A UK Government subsidiary, [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/dft-olr-holdings-limited/about DfT OLR Holdings Limited], operates services if the contractor is no longer able to do so, has had the contract terminated because of default or there has been no acceptable tender for provision of the service. [https://www.railholdings.scot/ Scottish Rail Holdings Limited] is the equivalent in Scotland. Full details of passenger train operators are given by links from the [http://www.raildeliverygroup.com/about-us/uk-rail-industry/passenger-freight-track.html Rail Delivery Group] website. Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites. Passenger train operations collectively are known as 'National Rail'. <br />
<br />
A new organisation, [https://gbrtt.co.uk/ Great British Railways] is being established to take strategic control of railways, in England at least, as well as taking over most of Network Rail's functions as infrastructure owner and operator throughout Britain. <br />
<br />
Railways in Northern Ireland are owned by Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (which remains state-owned) and are operated as the [http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/ N I Railways] (NIR) division of Translink.<br />
<br />
Most operators in Great Britain had a franchise agreement, under which they took most of the commercial risk. DfT was considering changes to franchising when the Covid-19 pandemic made the system uneconomic, due to greatly reduced fares income to the operators. Franchises were replaced by Emergency Recovery Management Agreements and subsequently by National Rail Contracts under which the Government meets operating costs and receives fares and other income. The operating company is paid a management fee. Transport for Wales, ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper, LNER, Northern and Southeastern are all being operated by public sector companies. <br />
<br />
The operator of each train is indicated in the electronic National Rail Timetable and <br />
its printed derivatives by means of two-letter codes; for a de-coder and a chronology of <br />
privatisation and transfer/re-branding of Great Britain's passenger railway franchises to <br />
date go to the [http://www.railchronology.free-online.co.uk/ Rail Chronology] website. Basic customer information about and links to the websites of each TOC are available through the [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tocs_maps/tocs/TrainOperators.aspx National Rail] website. Some further information about passenger train operators and past franchisees can be found in the [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-franchise-schedule DfT] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_operating_trains_in_the_United_Kingdom Wikipedia] websites. The Wikipedia list is usually more up to date and accurate than the DfT schedule!<br />
<br />
A small number of operators provide passenger services on the national network which are not under contract to the DfT. These include [http://www.eurostar.com/ ''Eurostar''] which is a unitary undertaking (Eurostar <br />
International Ltd) managed by SNCF, which has a 55% interest in the company. Private investors acquired the UK government's 40% stake in 2015 and SNCB/NMBS owns the remaining 5%. 'Open Access' passenger operators are: <br />
<br />
* [https://www.hulltrains.co.uk/ Hull Trains] between London and Hull <br />
* [https://www.grandcentralrail.com/ Grand Central] between London, Bradford and Sunderland<br />
* [https://www.lumo.co.uk/ Lumo] between London and Edinburgh <br />
<br />
[http://www.granduniontrains.co.uk/ Grand Union Trains] intends to start services between London and Carmarthen in 2025. <br />
<br />
In addition<br />
* [http://www.eurotunnel.com/ Eurotunnel] operates a shuttle service for motor vehicles through the Channel Tunnel; this does not carry foot-passengers (although cyclists can be carried by arrangement)<br />
* [http://www.nymr.co.uk/ North Yorkshire Moors Railway] operates timetabled steam trains through between Pickering/Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby during the summer.<br />
* [http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/ Swanage Railway] and West Coast Railways operated a service between Swanage and Wareham during the summer in 2017, but in 2018 and 2019 there was just a limited Saturday service by the local franchisee, South Western Railway. West Coast Railways again operates trains between Swanage and Wareham on behalf of Swanage Railway between April and September 2023. <br />
* [http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/ West Coast Railways] operates timetabled steam trains between Fort William and Mallaig during the summer, but in practice these get fully booked well in advance. <br />
<br />
All freight trains in Great Britain are operated by competing companies under "open access" conditions. The <i>principal</i> companies are: <br />
<br />
* [http://www.rail.dbschenker.co.uk/rail-uk-en/start/ DB Cargo UK] (formerly English Welsh and Scottish Railway, now a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn of Germany) <br />
* [https://www.freightliner.co.uk/ Freightliner] (owned by US railroad Genesee & Wyoming Inc) <br />
* [http://www.colasrail.co.uk/ Colas Rail] (part of the Bouygues group); <br />
* [http://www.directrailservices.com/ Direct Rail Services] (owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority) <br />
* [http://www.gbrailfreight.com/ GB Railfreight] (owned by Infracapital, an infrastructure equity investor). <br />
<br />
DB Cargo UK, in particular, and GB Railfreight, to a lesser extent, operate charter passenger trains. GB Railfreight also operates the Caledonian Sleeper trains on behalf of Caledonian Sleeper Limited.<br />
<br />
[https://www.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Rail Operations Group] concentrates on rolling stock moves for manufacturers, leasing companies and passenger operators, but started a parcels-carrying business, trading as [https://orion.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Orion] in 2021.<br />
<br />
There are no longer any revenue freight trains in Northern Ireland.<br />
<br />
Neither the Isle of Man nor the Channel Isles (îles Anglo-Normands) is legally part of the UK but the Isle of Man's active railways and tramways are to <br />
be found at the [http://www.heritagerailways.com/Visits_Map.php UK and Irish Heritage Railways website] and under [[#Trams/LRT-Systems|Trams/LRT-Systems]] respectively.<br />
<br />
==Official Website==<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ National Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink]<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
English. In addition Welsh is spoken in most parts of Wales, <br />
and Gaelic is used to a certain extent in north-west Scotland.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Pound sterling. Banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own notes, <br />
which are valid throughout the UK and usually accepted without question. Channel <br />
Islands and Manx notes (but not coins) are technically legal tender in the UK, <br />
but are best changed at banks.<br />
<br />
==UIC code==<br />
* United Kingdom: numeric 70; alpha GB<br />
* Eurotunnel: numeric 69 (used only for accounting purposes and not shown on rolling stock).<br />
<br />
Historically, the only British rolling stock to show UIC numbers were wagons passed to work on the now defunct train ferries from Harwich and Dover or through the Channel Tunnel. The Eurostar class 374 trains, which entered service in 2015, were the first UK-registered passenger stock to have UIC numbers, otherwise known as the European Vehicle Number (EVN). Rail Industry Standard RIS-2453-RST ''Vehicle Registration, Marking and Numbering'', introduced in December 2017, requires new vehicles in Great Britain to be identified by EVN. On passenger vehicles only an abbreviated version is normally show. UIC numbering is not used by NI Railways.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland)===<br />
The official National Rail timetable is published on Network Rail's website (see below), twice yearly (in mid December and mid May). Services on Mondays to Fridays, on Saturdays (or Mondays to Saturdays) and on Sundays are usually different and laid out separately in the timetable; there may be several alternative Sunday services, to allow for engineering work, during the currency of a timetable. [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe] provides a comprehensive guide to printed and on-line public transport timetables.<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
[http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/s/planjourney/query National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner]<br />
<br />
The [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites provide a quick-reference way of checking the latest schedule (or amendment) for any particular train<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetable====<br />
PDFs of the National Railway Timetable are available from the [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/electronic-national-rail-timetable-enrt/ Network Rail] website. These are maintained for Network Rail by [https://timetables.fabdigital.uk/nrt/ Fabdigital] and the version on their website may be more up to date.<br />
<br />
====Working (Staff) Timetables====<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/working-timetable/ Network Rail Working Timetables]<br />
<br />
You can also check for the latest variations to working timetable details for specific trains on the [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites.<br />
<br />
[http://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/working-timetables London Underground working timetables]. DLR is not included.<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
Since May 2020 there has been no comprehensive printed timetable for Great Britain and there are no printed timetable leaflets for most lines.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.html National Rail's future engineering works]<br />
<br />
===Northern Ireland===<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
On the [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink home page].<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetables====<br />
[https://www.translink.co.uk/timetables?LocationId=&Name=&LocationType=&TransportMode=Bus&page=1 Translink bus and rail timetables]<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
A series of four free leaflets is available.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/nirailways-travel-updates/ NIRailways Travel Updates]<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*The ''Rail Atlas Great Britain & Ireland'' gives detailed and accurate coverage of the UK railway system, and is widely available. It is mostly at 1:350,000, but with enlargements of many urban areas; an updated edition is published every 2-3 years.<br />
*[http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps] publish a series of track diagrams (formerly Quail Track Diagrams) in five regional volumes.<br />
*Northern Ireland Railways are in a volume covering the whole of Ireland also published by [http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps]<br />
*Historic atlases have been published by various other publishers.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] (see National Rail Passenger Operators' map) and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/united_kingdom_ireland.html British Isles and Ireland Map]. Last updated December 2022<br />
*[http://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php Rail Map online].<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
There is no distance-related fare tariff in the UK, and fares are charged on a market basis. Certain fares are regulated and the amount by which train companies can increase some fares is specified by the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
Standard walk-on fares are high, but a wide range of discounted fares is available. These are subject to restrictions as to days and times when they can be used. It can be difficult to obtain accurate information as to fares and their availability, even from official enquiry offices, because the pricing structure is complicated and the different train companies are all making their own special offers. The most heavily discounted fares usually oblige the passenger to travel on specified trains (with no opportunity to alter these) - and only a limited number of tickets may be issued for each service. Train operators are increasingly introducing special offers that can only be taken up through their website. Higher fares are charged for use of domestic trains on HS1, the high-speed line to Kent, except for through tickets between Kent and destinations beyond London. <br />
<br />
Tickets for any rail journey in the UK can be purchased from most train operators' websites, but the best price may be available from the operator whose service is being used. It is often possible to obtain a lower price for a journey by splitting it and buying a different ticket for each section. In such cases it is necessary to travel on a train that stops at stations where the validity of one ticket ends and another starts. This requirement does not apply if at least one of the tickets is a season ticket, rail rover or similar. It may also be found that a ticket to a station beyond one's destination is cheaper, but conditions need to be checked carefully. A break of journey may not be permitted, requiring an excess fare to be paid if exiting at an intermediate station. Various websites act as 'consolidators' and will compare what is available in order to offer the best deal, including split ticketing options. <br />
<br />
Various Railcards are available, usually giving a fare reduction of one third. These are available nationally to groups, such as young people, families, senior citizens, two people travelling together, those with a disability and military personnel. Some cards are available to all, but only valid for travel within a particular geographic area. The cost of a Railcard may be recouped immediately if a long-distance journey is planned or if purchasing a high-price ticket such as a national rail rover. Some Railcards only give a discount for off-peak travel. Details of Railcards are available at [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/National-Railcards.aspx National Rail]. Details can be found at the unofficial [http://www.railrover.org/ Rail Rover] website.<br />
<br />
Overseas visitors should endeavour to purchase a rover ticket, such as a [http://www.britrail.net/ BritRail] or InterRail pass, before travelling to the UK. Various rail rovers are available within the UK, but they do not offer the value or wide validity of those available to foreign visitors, and many are not valid until after the morning peak period.<br />
<br />
In various areas where all stations have automatic ticket machines, including on the London Underground and most other tram and metro networks, a penalty fares system applies. Passengers found without a ticket are likely to have to pay a fine on the spot.<br />
<br />
First class seating tends now to be found only on principal routes; in Northern Ireland it is limited to principal trains on the international route between Belfast and Dublin (where NIRailways call it &quot;First plus&quot; while partner Iarnród Éireann call it &quot;Premium&quot;). Eurostar maintain three classes: Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier. On some trains, including many of those operated by Gatwick Express, Great Northern and Southern, there is no difference between first class and standard class seating. If a train including first class seats is used on a service advertised as standard class only, holders of standard class tickets may use the first class seats.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Railways Company Limited, through a subsidiary NIR Networks Limited<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/network-statement/ Network Rail]. The Sectional Appendices are available <br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ here] (scroll down to list of PDFs).<br />
<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Corporate/About-Us/Publications/network-statement/ Translink]<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
*Great Britain: Standard<br />
*Northern Ireland: 1600 mm [5 feet 3 inches]<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
*Great Britain: Mostly 25 kV 50 Hz. 750 V dc third rail is used on some lines in south east England and around Liverpool. The third rail network in south east England is by a considerable margin the most extensive such system in the world and the only place when conductor rail trains operate at up to 100 mph (160 km/hr). The line between Pelaw and Sunderland is electrified at 1500V dc overhead, to allow use by Tyne & Wear Metro. The line between Tinsley North Junction and Rotherham Parkgate is electrified at 750V dc overhead, for use by Sheffield Supertram. Most tramway systems are 750 V dc with Blackpool being 600 V dc.<br />
*Northern Ireland: no electrified lines.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Left.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
*Distances are shown on Railway Track Diagrams published by [https://www.trackmaps.co.uk/ TRACKmaps]. Distances are also available in Network Rail's [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ Sectional Appendices] (scroll down for list of available PDFs).<br />
*Distances for Northern Ireland are also available on-line on the Signalling Record Society website:<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-nc.php Derry and Larne lines]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-bd.php Bangor line]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-gd.php Dublin line]<br />
<br />
==Other railways==<br />
*Core Valley Lines (Cardiff to Rhymney, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert): Owned by the Welsh Government and managed by a lessee, Amey Keolis Infrastructure/Seilwaith Amey Keolis Limited.<br />
*Crossrail Central Operating Section is the railway under Central London from Portobello Junction (Royal Oak) to Pudding Mill Lane Junction (Bow) and Abbey Wood. It is managed by Rail for London (Infrastructure) Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London.<br />
*East London Line: Owned by Rail for London Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London. <br />
*Eurotunnel: A partnership between the Channel Tunnel Group Limited and France-Manche S.A. that operates the Channel Tunnel under a long-term concession from the UK and French governments. <br />
*Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited owns the railway between London Heathrow Airport and the junction with the Great Western Main Line near Hayes & Harlington. <br />
*HS1 Ltd: The investor with a 30 years concession from the UK government to operate the high-speed line between London and the Channel Tunnel, though most aspects of day-to-day operation and maintenance are contracted out to Network Rail. <br />
<br />
Facilities exist for special through running between the national system and some tourist lines.<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
A map of UK heritage railways can be found at the "Heritage Rail - UK & Ireland" link on the [https://www.heritagerailways.com Heritage Railway Association website].<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
London, Newcastle, Glasgow. Although part of the national railway system, the Merseyrail Electrics <br />
network in Liverpool is like a Metro. There are two separate networks in London. The Underground system is 630V dc third and fourth rail; the Docklands Light Railway is a fully-automated 750V dc third rail system. London Overground operates under a contract let by the Mayor of London and uses Transport for London branding, but operates almost entirely on Network Rail lines. The Glasgow and Merseyrail systems are third <br />
rail and Newcastle is 1500 V dc overhead. Glasgow Subway is 4 feet (1,219mm) gauge and was originally cable-worked. There are several lines where London Underground and main line trains share the same tracks. The Tyne & Wear Metro (Newcastle) operates to Sunderland over the Network Rail line from Pelaw.<br />
<br />
The Core Valley Lines from Cardiff are being converted to a form of metro system.<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Birmingham/Wolverhampton (Midland Metro), Blackpool, Croydon, Edinburgh,<br />
Llandudno (cable worked), Manchester, Nottingham, Seaton (Devon) and Sheffield. The Croydon, <br />
Manchester, Midland Metro, Nottingham and Seaton systems include extensive running over <br />
routes that were previously part of the national railway system. The Manchester and Nottingham systems have been considerably extended in recent years. On the Manchester Metrolink system a second route through Manchester city centre came into use on 26 February 2017, and the 5.5 km Trafford Park line opened on 22 March 2020. The Midland Metro in Birmingham was extended to Edgbaston on 17 July 2022 and to Wolverhampton Station on 17 September 2023. The first stage of a line to Brierley Hill is expected to open, to Dudley, in 2024. The extension of the Edinburgh line to Leith and Newhaven opened on 21 June 2023 and plans have been announced for further lines in the city. The Blackpool system Talbot Gateway extension, to Blackpool North station, is expected to be fully open in 2023. A metro system is proposed in Glasgow, but this project is at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
The Seaton and Llandudno lines are essentially tourist operations, and both are narrow gauge. <br />
There are other tourist lines of a mile or more at the National Tramway Museum <br />
(Crich, near Matlock) and at Beamish Open Air Museum (near Gateshead), plus <br />
several other shorter lines. <br />
<br />
The Isle of Man has three narrow gauge tramways, which operate on a seasonal basis: Douglas Bay Horse Tramway - along the promenade in Douglas; the Manx Electric Railway - an inter-urban line between Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey; and the Snaefell Mountain Railway - from Laxey to Snaefell Summit. <br />
After a period of uncertainty, the threat that the horse tramway line in Douglas might be shortened seems to have been seen off by a vote in Tynwald (the Manx parliament) in January 2017. <br />
<br />
The Tinsley Chord, which connects the Sheffield tram system to a freight line near Meadowhall, allows tram-trains to run between Sheffield city centre and Rotherham Parkgate over Network Rail lines. Public services commenced on Thursday 25 October 2018. Sheffield tram-trains are dual voltage vehicles that can run on the 750 V Overhead Lines (OHLE) of the tram network and the 25 kV OHLE of the national rail network; however the line to Rotherham Parkgate is initially energised at 750 V because there is no 25 kV electrification in the area.<br />
<br />
Track plans for most of the significant tram systems in the United Kingdom are available on the [http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/line/diagrams0.shtm Railway Codes site] and also on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/index-e.php Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes== <br />
Some aspects of national railway operations are privatised, but infrastructure ownership has reverted to the public sector. There continues to be debate about the fragmented, expensive and complex nature of the system that has emerged, under the general oversight of the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
===Route Closures and Service Reductions===<br />
Having undergone extensive cut backs in the 1960s, the present passenger network seems relatively secure. The closure of a passenger railway in the UK normally involves a lengthy legal process, and short-notice closures usually occur only if there is a sudden and dramatic infrastructure failure, or if the closure is deemed a &quot;minor closure&quot;. However, a number of stations have closed and all passenger services over some lines have been withdrawn without the statutory procedure having been followed. Passenger services via the Channel Tunnel, or in connection with them, do not enjoy statutory protection from closure. <br />
<br />
Some routes have been reduced to just one or two trains per day (or, in some cases, per week) in order to reduce operating costs without having to go through the closure procedure. These are included in the list of [https://www.egtre.info/wiki/United_Kingdom_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services sparse services].<br />
<br />
A newly-introduced passenger service can be designated as "experimental" for a period up to five years, during which time it may be withdrawn without the usual closure procedure needing to be followed. The only "experimental" service at present is Thanet Parkway station, until 30 July 2028.<br />
<br />
====Passenger services to be withdrawn====<br />
* The railway between Nottingham and Worksop may be diverted at Whitwell to allow expansion of a dolomite quarry. This will eliminate Whitwell Tunnel. No date is set for this, but planning permission to expand the quarry was granted in 2018.<br />
<br />
* Planned diversion of trains between Belfast and Dublin to a new terminal facility - [http://www.translink.co.uk/Translink-Footer/the-hub/ the Belfast Hub] - being constructed close to Belfast Great Victoria Street may see the end of regular passenger services between Central Junction (Adelaide) and City Junction (City Hospital).<br />
<br />
====Closures and significant service reductions in recent years are==== <br />
<br />
'''Passenger service withdrawn, line still open for other than regular passenger traffic:'''<br />
<br />
* Greenford LUL Bay Junction - Northolt Junction: The Wednesdays only train from West Ealing to West Ruislip ran for the last time on 7 December 2022.<br />
<br />
* Cowlairs East Junction - Cowlairs North Junction (Glasgow): The summer Sunday trains between Edinburgh and Oban start and terminate at Glasgow Queen Street in 2023. Last use of the curve by the ScotRail service was on 28 August 2022. It continues to be used by the [https://www.belmond.com/trains/europe/scotland/belmond-royal-scotsman/journeys Royal Scotsman] Western Scenic Wonders tour, but prices start at £5,800.<br />
<br />
* Barking Station Junction - Barking platform 1: No regular passenger traffic from 18 July 2022, when the line to Barking Riverside opened, but occasional diversions may be possible.<br />
<br />
* Dalmeny - Winchburgh Junction: Service withdrawn 23 March 2020, but without the statutory closure procedure having been followed. From 11 Dec 2022 the 22:31 FSSuX Dundee to Edinburgh and 22.58 SuO Glenrothes with Thornton to Edinburgh are scheduled to run this way with reversal at Linlithgow, but are likely to run direct via Edinburgh Gateway if there is no engineering work on that route.<br />
<br />
'''Significant service reduction'''<br />
<br />
* Glenrothes with Thornton - Thornton South Junction: The frequent service via Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy became Sundays only, except for one train each way Mondays to Fridays, with effect from 15 May 2022.<br />
<br />
====Temporary Closures:==== <br />
<br />
Work to upgrade the UK rail network is increasingly leading to lines being closed for extended periods. Severe weather and the age of much railway infrastructure has resulted in more temporary closures caused by landslips and other problems with earthworks. Current and planned temporary closures of four weeks or more, in approximate order of expected re-opening, are: <br />
<br />
* Prestwick Town to Girvan and Kilmarnock to Barassie: From 25 September 2023, probably until some time in March 2024, because of a dangerous building at Ayr.<br />
* Ashford East Junction, connection to HS1: Eurostar ceased calling at Ashford on 19 March 2020 and will not resume before 2025/6.<br />
<br />
There are also extended closures of sections of the Valley Lines, north of Cardiff, at least until February 2024, for electrification work.<br />
<br />
===Re-openings and Openings===<br />
<br />
Most projects involve upgrading existing routes, but some openings have occurred or are about to do so. <br />
<br />
====New and reinstated passenger services in recent years:==== <br />
<br />
New passenger services are: <br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension - The Royal - Wolverhampton Station (17 September 2023). <br />
<br />
* Westbourne Park Junction - Paddington and Stepney Green Junction - Pudding Mill Lane Junction (full opening of Elizabeth line) (6 November 2022) <br />
<br />
* Barking - Barking Riverside (18 July 2022)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension - Library - Edgbaston Village (17 July 2022) <br />
<br />
*Paddington - Abbey Wood (Elizabeth line) (24 May 2022)<br />
<br />
* Newport (Gaer Junction) - Pye Corner (Park Junction) (on introduction of trains between Newport and Crosskeys, 12 December 2021)<br />
<br />
* Crediton - Okehampton (20 November 2021; there was previously a service on summer Sundays)<br />
<br />
* Kennington - Battersea Power Station (London Underground, Northern Line extension, opened September 2021)<br />
<br />
A daily service, generally hourly, was introduced between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester via Runcorn and Frodsham on 19 May 2019. Previously the curve between Halton Junction and Frodsham Junction had been used by a single unadvertised train in one direction only on summer Saturdays.<br />
<br />
On tourist / heritage railways:<br />
<br />
* Llangollen Railway extended passenger services from Carrog to a provisional terminus at Corwen in October 2014 and to the permanent terminus in June 2023. <br />
* the Mid-Norfolk Railway ran inaugural passenger trains to Worthing level crossing (North Elmham) on 19 and 20 May 2018, but regular services continue to terminate at Dereham. The railway aspires to continue to County School. <br />
* The first (very short) section of the Aln Valley Railway officially opened in October 2013, from a new station on the edge of Alnwick, with a longer run available from December 2017. It is planned that the railway will reach the National Rail station at Alnmouth.<br />
* The first section of the re-opened Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, a narrow gauge line, is in operation between Woody Bay and Killington Lane. Extensions towards Lynton and to Blackmoor Gate are planned as the next phase of reconstruction.<br />
<br />
====Projects authorised or under construction are:==== <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the railway between Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) and Levenmouth for passenger services in 2024. It is expected that some trains will run via Cowdenbeath, providing many more via the curve from Thornton West Junction than the current sparse service. <br />
<br />
A Transport & Works Act Order for the introduction of passenger trains over the freight line to Ashington was granted in June 2022 and the line is due to open by December 2024. The UK Government has announced plans to re-open the railway to Fleetwood, but this may become a tramway. The UK Government is also funding feasibility studies into re-opening a number of other lines, but these are at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
Work has started on construction of a high speed railway (HS2) from London to Birmingham, but the line will not be opened until 2026 at the earliest. A flythrough of the route is [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bkoGvw9kbA here]. It is to be followed by Phase 2a as far as Crewe. It is intended that the line will subsequently be extended to Manchester with completion in the mid-2030s. It was originally planned that there would be a branch to Leeds, but this has been cut back to East Midlands Parkway (near Nottingham). The UK Government has also announced that it intends to proceed with a high-speed line from Warrington to Marsden (for Huddersfield) via Manchester. <br />
<br />
<!---Preliminary work on construction of a link between the LUL Watford branch and the former Croxley Green branch was undertaken in 2016. However, the project has stalled, because of lack of agreement as to how further cost escalation would be funded, and can only be regarded as definitively dead, though there has been no formal announcement to this effect. Should the scheme continue, which seems increasingly unlikely, it will result in the closure of Watford LUL station, but the re-opening of most of the Croxley Green branch.---><br />
Plans were being developed for a second Crossrail line, linking south west and north east London. All work on this stopped in autumn 2020, as a result of economies made to deal with the Covid pandemic. It is questionable whether the scheme will be revived, if there is the expected permanent reduction in commuter traffic. <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the derelict line between Calvert and Bletchley. A Transport & Works Act Order for this scheme was granted in February 2020 and services between Oxford and Milton Keynes are scheduled to start in December 2024. The longer-term objective is to re-introduce trains between Oxford and Cambridge. <br />
<br />
[https://heathrowrail.com/ Heathrow Southern Railway] intends to build a new railway south-west from Heathrow Airport to link with the Staines to Windsor line, together with a branch to Virginia Water or Chertsey. <br />
<br />
In the private sector:<br />
* The Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway is constructing an extension from Glengonnar to Wanlockhead.<br />
* Moorland & City Railways have a stated intention to reopen the line between Stoke-on-Trent and Leek Brook Junction, to a junction with the Churnet Valley Railway, but progress seems to be languishing.<br />
* Most ambitiously, the two Great Central Railways at Loughborough are being linked by means of a reinstated bridge over the Midland Main Line. <br />
* The Rother Valley Railway has obtained a Transport and Works Act Order to rebuild the railway between Robertsbridge and Junction Road (Bodiam).<br />
* The Royal Deeside Railway is extending its line to Crathes West Lodge.<br />
* Strathspey Railway is extending to Grantown-on-Spey and during summer 2014 and 2015 offered a limited service between its normal terminus at Broomhill and the river bridge at Dulnain. Further work depends on obtaining statutory powers under the Transport and Works Act and constructing a new bridge to carry the railway over the A95 main road. <br />
* The Helston Railway provides a short ride near Prospidnick, but plans to extend to Helston and eventually to Gwinear Road.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
<br />
Main line electrification in Great Britain came to a virtual standstill following railway privatisation, because private-sector train operators and rolling stock companies preferred the flexibility of diesel traction. The only schemes to proceed were between Crewe and Kidsgrove (near Stoke on Trent) (electrified for diversionary use), the reconstructed Larkhall branch line in Scotland and High Speed 1 (the Channel Tunnel rail link) [see below].<br />
<br />
In 2009 Department for Transport policy shifted towards extending electrification, with significant schemes proposed and a few implemented. However, greatly increased costs have resulted in projects being curtailed and delayed. Poor cost estimating, increased safety standards, over-specification and loss of practical experience of electrification appear to be among the causes. In July 2017 the UK Government announced an end to plans for further railway electrification in England and Wales, with reliance instead on bi-mode diesel/electric trains. This will included converting some electric multiple-units to bi-mode working. There have also been experiments with battery operation. In contrast, the Scottish Government required Network Rail to develop an electrification technical specification that can deliver an "efficient and affordable rolling programme of electrification". <br />
<br />
Electrification schemes recently completed in England and Wales are:<br />
<br />
* Bedford to Corby (May 2021) <br />
<br />
* London (Heathrow Airport Junction) to Cardiff, Chippenham (Christian Malford) and Newbury (Phased introduction of electric services between May 2017 and January 2020). The scheme was cut back to omit Swansea, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Oxford and the Thames Valley branch lines.<br />
<br />
* Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley (May 2019)<br />
<br />
* Manchester to Preston via Bolton (February 2019)<br />
<br />
* Gospel Oak to Woodgrange Park via South Tottenham (January 2019, but limited electric service initially, because of delayed delivery of rolling stock)<br />
<br />
Schemes under way in England:<br />
<br />
* Kettering - Market Harborough<br />
<br />
* Manchester - Huddersfield - Leeds - York <br />
<br />
* Wigan North Western - Lostock Junction (near Bolton) (announced 1 September 2021, expected completion 2024/2025) <br />
<br />
The UK Government has announced that electrification of the Midland Main Line is to be completed to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield.<br />
<br />
The Welsh Government is sponsoring electrification of the Valley Lines from Cardiff to Bargoed, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert. Light rail vehicles are to be used from Cardiff to Coryton and on routes via Radyr. Tri-mode trains will be used from Rhymney to Penarth, Barry Island and the Vale of Glamorgan line, using battery power between Rhymney and Bargoed, and diesel south of Cardiff. <br />
<br />
Following an extensive programme of electrification completed between 2012 and 2019, most lines in Central Scotland are electrified, with recent schemes comprising:<br />
<br />
*Croy (Carmuirs West Jn) and Camelon (Carmuirs East Jn) to Stirling, Dunblane and Alloa (December 2018)<br />
<br />
*Holytown to Kirknewton (Midcalder Jn) via Shotts (Some electric services April 2019, full service May 2019) <br />
<br />
The line from Falkirk to Grangemouth has also been electrified for freight traffic, but there are proposals to reinstate a passenger service. <br />
<br />
Electric working to Barrhead is expected to start by December 2023, to be followed by East Kilbride. The line from Haymarket (Edinburgh) to Dalmeny is being electrified as the first phase of a scheme to electrify routes through Fife. Transport Scotland's [https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/rail-services-decarbonisation-action-plan/ ''Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan''], published in July 2020, envisages most lines in Scotland being electrified. Priorities are the Kilmarnock line; Edinburgh to Tweedbank; routes in Fife; and Dunblane to Aberdeen. Later extensions will take electrification to Girvan; Gretna via Dumfries; and Inverness to Perth, Aberdeen and Tain.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of changes more than five years ago see [[United_Kingdom - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special Notes==<br />
<br />
Train numbers in Great Britain follow an alpha-numeric format, thus 1A22. The first digit indicates the type of train (passenger trains are 1, 2 or 9), in most cases the letter indicates its route or destination and the remaining digits identify the particular train. Different trains can and do use the same number, so long as they do not conflict geographically or operate several hours apart. Since December 2021 train numbers have been shown in the National Rail Timetable, but they are not normally used for passenger information purposes. It is more usual for trains to be referred to by their schedule, for example as the "10:00 London King's Cross to Aberdeen". International trains have four digit numbers where the second figure is 0 or 1, which can be treated as letters O and I in the UK.<br />
<br />
Departure sheets listing trains from a station in chronological order are rarely used. The usual format is to list destinations in alphabetic order, and provide details of all trains to each, or to provide timetable posters. Most stations have electronic displays, which indicate all departures (and often arrivals) within the next hour or so.<br />
<br />
It is unusual for information displays and announcements at stations and on trains to be in any language other than English (and Welsh in Wales), though most station name signs in Scotland appear in Gaelic as well as English. Multi-lingual information is normally restricted to dedicated airport services and those using the Channel Tunnel.<br />
<br />
No stations sell international tickets or can make international reservations, though there are facilities to make through bookings from certain stations by Eurostar. <!---International tickets and reservations are available at the We Know London Tourist Services desk in the shopping mall at St Pancras International station.---> Even the range of tickets available from Eurostar is very limited. For guidance on booking travel to and from Europe visit [http://www.seat61.com/Europe.htm#How%20do%20I%20book? The Man in Seat Sixty-One]'s website or see advice from [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/European-Train-Travel.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Selective door opening is increasingly used, particularly in London and South East England. Trains are longer than some station platforms and only doors within the platform are unlocked. Announcements and visual displays advise passengers which carriages they need to be in if wishing to alight. This also happens to a limited extent on the London Underground, but usually only affecting the rearmost pair of doors. <br />
<br />
The only long-distance overnight trains in Great Britain are:<br />
<br />
* [https://www.sleeper.scot/ Caledonian Sleeper] from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness <br />
* Great Western's [https://www.gwr.com/travelling-with-us/night-riviera-sleeper Night Riviera] from London to Penzance<br />
<br />
Sleeping cars are provided, but not couchettes, and seating may be in saloons with non-reclinable seats, where passengers have no control of the lighting. <br />
<br />
Taking bicycles, other than folding ones, by train can be difficult. Space may be limited and some operators require advance reservations for bicycles. More information can be found at [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/cyclists.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Train services at weekends, and especially Saturday evening and Sunday until mid-afternoon, can be extensively altered because of [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.aspx engineering work]. With the paucity of alternative routes and a growing aversion to temporary single line working, buses frequently substitute for trains in such circumstances. There are an increasing number of initiatives to give extended overnight possessions Mondays to Thursdays, in order to reduce the extent of weekend closures. This results in late evening trains being replaced by buses. Trials are being undertaken of mid-week line closures. Blockades of a week or more are increasingly common.<br />
<br />
No trains run in the UK on Christmas Day and very few on Boxing Day, mostly on local services in the London and Glasgow areas. No domestic services run in Scotland on New Year's Day, but there are normally trains between England, Edinburgh and Glasgow. <br />
<br />
Very few stations have left luggage facilities. Unattended luggage may be removed by the police and processes to check that it is safe can be very destructive.<br />
<br />
Railway enthusiasts are welcomed on stations - for guidance when on and about stations refer to [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/railway-enthusiasts/railway-enthusiasts-and-photography-at-stations/ Network Rail's] advice.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox United Kingdom}}</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=United_Kingdom_-_Older_General_Information&diff=54802United Kingdom - Older General Information2024-01-25T20:28:32Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* New and reinstated passenger services in recent years */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
This document acts as an archive for [[United Kingdom - General Information#Recent and Future Changes|Recent and Future Changes]] more than five years ago.<br />
<br />
==Route Closures and Service Reductions==<br />
====Closures and significant service reductions in recent years====<br />
<br />
'''Lines closed:'''<br />
<br />
* Old Oak Common West Junction - Park Royal - Greenford West Junction: Closed to passenger services in December 2018 to facilitate HS2 construction work; and has been partly dismantled.<br />
<br />
* Forres station and the line through it were replaced in October 2017 by a new station and line to the north. The new line is approximately on the original 1858 alignment of the Inverness & Aberdeen Junction Railway, which was not normally used by passenger trains after the line south to Dunkeld & Birnam, thence Perth, opened in 1863. The last trains via the old station ran on 6 October and the new line and station came into use on 17 October. <br />
<br />
* Farringdon - Moorgate, London: March 2009, but the London Underground line between the same stations is not affected.<br />
<br />
* Fawkham Junction - Southfleet Junction: Regular passenger use ceased in November 2007, as a result of Eurostar services being diverted from London Waterloo to St Pancras. The line was converted to sidings, accessed only from Southfleet Junction, in April 2016, possibly temporarily.<br />
<br />
* Barkston South Junction - Barkston East Junction: Replaced by new curve at Allington, October 2005.<br />
<br />
'''Lines closed for conversion to rapid transit or other alternative transport use:'''<br />
<br />
* Manchester - Oldham - Rochdale: Closed October 2009; most is now part of Manchester's tram/metro system, but that has street running through Oldham, following an interim period when trams used a now-closed section of the former railway.<br />
<br />
* Stratford - North Woolwich, London: Closed December 2006; part being converted to part of Docklands Light Railway and much of the remainder as part of Crossrail's Abbey Wood line.<br />
<br />
'''Passenger service withdrawn, line still open:'''<br />
<br />
* Westbury East Loop Junction - Hawkeridge Junction: Service withdrawn May 2016, when the experimental service of one train each day, Monday to Friday, non-stop between Reading and Bath Spa ceased.<br />
<br />
* [Kensington Olympia - ] Latchmere Junction - Longhedge Junction [ - Wandsworth Road]: The limited service was withdrawn in June 2013.<br />
<br />
* Acton Main Line - Willesden West London Jn: Service withdrawn in December 2008, as a result of Cross Country ceasing to run trains to and from Brighton.<br />
<br />
* Reading West Junction - Oxford Road Junction: The summer Saturday service last ran in September 2008.<br />
<br />
* Nine Elms Junction - Linford Street Junction: Service withdrawn November 2007, as a result of Eurostar services being diverted from London Waterloo to St Pancras.<br />
<br />
* Stratford - North Woolwich, London: Service withdrawn December 2006; part of the line being converted to part of Docklands Light Railway and part of the rest being rebuilt as part of Crossrail's Abbey Wood line.<br />
<br />
* Newhaven Marine Station: The service comprising one train per day was suspended in August 2006 because of the alleged unsafe condition of the platform canopy.<br />
<br />
* Maindee curve, Newport, Gwent: Service withdrawn December 2005.<br />
<br />
* Lisburn - Antrim: Service withdrawn June 2003, on diversion of passenger trains via Bleach Green Junction.<br />
<br />
'''Regular passenger service replaced by a very limited one:'''<br />
<br />
* [Wandsworth Road - ] Factory Junction - Battersea Park: Reduced to one and a half round trips in December 2012.<br />
<br />
* Stechford - Aston: Limited service following closure of open-access operator Wrexham & Shropshire in January 2011.<br />
<br />
* Darlaston Jn - Pleck Jn [Walsall]: Reduced to one Walsall to Wolverhampton train, December 2008.<br />
<br />
* Trowell Junction - Trent Junction: Reduced to 2 or 3 trains a week from December 2008.<br />
<br />
* Holytown (Mossend East Jn) - Motherwell (Mossend South Jn): December 2014<br />
<br />
* Holytown - Wishaw: December 2014<br />
<br />
==Re-openings and Openings==<br />
<br />
The first 70km section of the Channel Tunnel rail link, between Dollands Moor and Southfleet Jn, opened to passengers on 28 September 2003 and the 40km second phase, between Southfleet Jn and London St Pancras International, opened on 14 November 2007. The whole CTRL is now dubbed HS1 (&quot;High Speed 1&quot;). Internal services between London St.Pancras International and destinations in Kent commenced on a trial basis from June 2009, and in full service from December 2009. Higher fares are charged for journeys to and from London via HS1, but not for those between Kent and places beyond London.<br />
<br />
===New and reinstated passenger services in recent years=== <br />
<br />
* Meadowhall South/Tinsley - Tinsley North Junction - Rotherham Central (Sheffield Tram Train operation substantially over a Network Rail freight line, opened on 25 October 2018) <br />
<br />
* Water Street Junction - Irwell Street Junction (Ordsall Chord), allows passenger trains to run direct between Deansgate and Manchester Victoria (December 2017)<br />
<br />
* New line at Forres (see closures above) (October 2017)<br />
<br />
* Yeovil Junction - Yeovil Pen Mill (December 2015)<br />
<br />
* Bicester South Junction - Gavray Junction, allows trains to run between London Marylebone and Oxford (October 2015) (until 10 December 2016 trains ran only as far as Oxford Parkway, but now run through to Oxford)<br />
<br />
* Newcraighall - Tweedbank (Borders Railway) (September 2015)<br />
<br />
* Whiteplatts Jn - Todmorden Jn (Todmorden Curve), allows trains to run direct between Todmorden and Burnley Manchester Road (May 2015)<br />
<br />
* Ebbw Vale Parkway - Ebbw Vale Town (May 2015)<br />
<br />
* Surrey Quays - Queens Road Peckham (December 2012) <br />
<br />
* Wandsworth Road - Clapham Junction (December 2012)<br />
<br />
* Drumgelloch - Bathgate (December 2010)<br />
<br />
* Kettering - Corby - Manton Junction [Melton Mowbray] (April 2009, limited service Kettering - Corby from February 2009)<br />
<br />
* Stirling - Alloa (May 2008) <br />
<br />
* Ebbw Vale Parkway - Cardiff (February 2008) (a link to Newport should reopen later) <br />
<br />
* Hamilton - Larkhall (December 2005) <br />
<br />
* Maryhill - Anniesland (September 2005) <br />
<br />
* Whiteabbey (Bleach Green Junction) - Antrim (June 2003)<br />
<br />
The line between Stratford and Tottenham Hale regained a regular interval service in December 2005 after a period with very few trains.<br />
<br />
The Docklands Light Railway extended to Woolwich Arsenal in January 2009 and to Stratford International in August 2011. The first phase of the resuscitated East London line (partially reopened/partially new construction) opened in April 2010, with full service extending into south London the following month, and to Highbury & Islington in February 2011. Since December 2011 the curve from Slade Green to Barnehurst (Perry Street Fork Junction), which had previously had a limited service, has been used by trains for most of the day, Mondays to Fridays. <br />
<br />
A flyover at Nuneaton, partly new work and partly re-opening a closed line, came into use in 2006. This avoids the need for trains between the Birmingham area and Leicester to cross the West Coast Main Line on the flat. A flyover at Hitchin, used by most passenger trains towards the Cambridge line, came into use in 2013. New curves north of Ipswich and north of Doncaster are normally used only by freight trains. At Norton Bridge a new flyover to and from the Stoke-on-Trent line and a new down slow line towards Crewe came into use in March 2016. <br />
<br />
Remodelling the railway at Reading, completed in 2015, has included construction of a new dive-under from the Wokingham line to the north side of the station, with a limited passenger service, a flyover west of the station used by fast trains to and from Didcot and an alternative route between Reading West and the north side of Reading station. <br />
<br />
Extensive rebuilding of the Thameslink route between St Pancras and New Cross Gate was completed at the beginning of January 2018, but with traffic management and automatic train operation still to be fully commissioned. The line between Blackfriars and London Bridge (Metropolitan Junction) had been out of use since December 2014. Some passenger trains started using the rebuilt route between Blackfriars and Bricklayers Arms Junction (New Cross Gate) on 9 January 2018. The project includes a new line between the Thameslink station at St Pancras International and the East Coast Main Line at Belle Isle Junction, north of King's Cross. A limited passenger service over the line to Belle Isle Junction commenced on 26 February 2018. There has been more extensive use of the line since 20 May 2018. <br />
<br />
Extensions to tourist/heritage railways:<br />
<br />
* South Tynedale Railway extended from Lintley to Slaggyford (on the trackbed of the former Haltwhistle - Alston branch) from the 2018 season<br />
* the Gloucester Warwickshire Steam Railway extended passenger services to Broadway from Spring 2018.<br />
* the Gwili Railway extended their operation from Bronwydd Arms to Abergwili Junction (in the outskirts of Carmarthen) from 2 July 2017.<br />
* the Swanage Railway completed the restoration of a link with the national network when they reopened the line between Norden and Worgret Junction; through trains between Swanage and Wareham, on a seasonal basis, resumed on 13 June 2017. <br />
* the [http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/the-railway/the-mountsorrel-branch/ Mountsorrel branch], off the Great Central Railway, opened in autumn 2015 for occasional trains only.<br />
* Extension of the Bluebell Railway from Kingscote to East Grinstead in 2013 completed the restoration of a link with the national network.<br />
* The [http://www.festrail.co.uk/whr_history_3.htm Welsh Highland Railway] - 2ft. gauge, closed in 1937 - has been rebuilt and extended to run between Caernarfon and Porthmadog (25 miles). The final section - including a flat crossing with the standard gauge line in Porthmadog, to effect a link with the Ffestiniog Railway - opened in April 2011.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
<br />
*Cumbernauld and Croy (Greenhill Upper Jn) to Polmont via Falkirk Grahamston (December 2018, but occasional use from May 2018) <br />
<br />
* Meadowhall to Rotherham (in connection with the Sheffield tram-train scheme; October 2018)<br />
<br />
* Barnt Green to Bromsgrove (July 2018)<br />
<br />
* Preston to Blackpool North (May 2018)<br />
<br />
*Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh (Newbridge Junction) via Falkirk High (Phased introduction December 2017 to August 2018)<br />
<br />
* Manchester Victoria to Ordsall Lane Junction (May 2015)<br />
<br />
* Wigan (Springs Branch Junction) to Huyton via St Helens (May 2015)<br />
<br />
* Earlestown to Edge Hill (March 2015)<br />
<br />
* Rutherglen to Whifflet (December 2014)<br />
<br />
* Cumbernauld to Springburn and Mossend (Motherwell) (May 2014)<br />
<br />
* Manchester (Castlefield Junction) to Newton-le-Willows (December 2013)<br />
<br />
* Glasgow (Shields Junction) to Paisley Canal (November 2012)<br />
<br />
===Stations at Airports===<br />
In addition to airports served by stations on through lines, branch lines or extensions have been opened over recent years and now serve airports at London Stansted, Manchester, Newcastle and London Heathrow (where Heathrow Express/HeathrowConnect and London Underground have three separate pairs of stations: Terminals 1-2-3, Terminal 4 and Terminal 5).<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox United Kingdom}}</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=United_Kingdom_-_General_Information&diff=54801United Kingdom - General Information2024-01-25T20:27:33Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Temporary Closures: */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland<br />
<br />
Nomenclature: &quot;Great Britain&quot; comprises the countries of England, Wales, and Scotland. &quot;United Kingdom&quot; (in full: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) comprises Great Britain and the Province of Northern Ireland. &quot;British Isles&quot; is a purely geographical description for the British mainland and the island of Ireland; the latter contains the Province of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are usually regarded as part of the British Isles, although independent of the UK government. All but the Republic of Ireland (which is entirely independent of the UK) are under the British Crown (monarchy).<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Most infrastructure in Great Britain is owned by [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail], a company controlled by the government's [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport Department for Transport] (DfT). Most passenger train services are provided by operators under contracts with DfT, [https://tfl.gov.uk/ Transport for London], [http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk Merseytravel], [http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/ Transport Scotland] or the [http://gov.wales/topics/transport/?lang=en Welsh Government]. Most operators are subsidiaries of major bus companies or national railways from other countries, principally Nederlandse Spoorwegen and Trenitalia. A UK Government subsidiary, [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/dft-olr-holdings-limited/about DfT OLR Holdings Limited], operates services if the contractor is no longer able to do so, has had the contract terminated because of default or there has been no acceptable tender for provision of the service. [https://www.railholdings.scot/ Scottish Rail Holdings Limited] is the equivalent in Scotland. Full details of passenger train operators are given by links from the [http://www.raildeliverygroup.com/about-us/uk-rail-industry/passenger-freight-track.html Rail Delivery Group] website. Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites. Passenger train operations collectively are known as 'National Rail'. <br />
<br />
A new organisation, [https://gbrtt.co.uk/ Great British Railways] is being established to take strategic control of railways, in England at least, as well as taking over most of Network Rail's functions as infrastructure owner and operator throughout Britain. <br />
<br />
Railways in Northern Ireland are owned by Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (which remains state-owned) and are operated as the [http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/ N I Railways] (NIR) division of Translink.<br />
<br />
Most operators in Great Britain had a franchise agreement, under which they took most of the commercial risk. DfT was considering changes to franchising when the Covid-19 pandemic made the system uneconomic, due to greatly reduced fares income to the operators. Franchises were replaced by Emergency Recovery Management Agreements and subsequently by National Rail Contracts under which the Government meets operating costs and receives fares and other income. The operating company is paid a management fee. Transport for Wales, ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper, LNER, Northern and Southeastern are all being operated by public sector companies. <br />
<br />
The operator of each train is indicated in the electronic National Rail Timetable and <br />
its printed derivatives by means of two-letter codes; for a de-coder and a chronology of <br />
privatisation and transfer/re-branding of Great Britain's passenger railway franchises to <br />
date go to the [http://www.railchronology.free-online.co.uk/ Rail Chronology] website. Basic customer information about and links to the websites of each TOC are available through the [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tocs_maps/tocs/TrainOperators.aspx National Rail] website. Some further information about passenger train operators and past franchisees can be found in the [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-franchise-schedule DfT] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_operating_trains_in_the_United_Kingdom Wikipedia] websites. The Wikipedia list is usually more up to date and accurate than the DfT schedule!<br />
<br />
A small number of operators provide passenger services on the national network which are not under contract to the DfT. These include [http://www.eurostar.com/ ''Eurostar''] which is a unitary undertaking (Eurostar <br />
International Ltd) managed by SNCF, which has a 55% interest in the company. Private investors acquired the UK government's 40% stake in 2015 and SNCB/NMBS owns the remaining 5%. 'Open Access' passenger operators are: <br />
<br />
* [https://www.hulltrains.co.uk/ Hull Trains] between London and Hull <br />
* [https://www.grandcentralrail.com/ Grand Central] between London, Bradford and Sunderland<br />
* [https://www.lumo.co.uk/ Lumo] between London and Edinburgh <br />
<br />
[http://www.granduniontrains.co.uk/ Grand Union Trains] intends to start services between London and Carmarthen in 2025. <br />
<br />
In addition<br />
* [http://www.eurotunnel.com/ Eurotunnel] operates a shuttle service for motor vehicles through the Channel Tunnel; this does not carry foot-passengers (although cyclists can be carried by arrangement)<br />
* [http://www.nymr.co.uk/ North Yorkshire Moors Railway] operates timetabled steam trains through between Pickering/Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby during the summer.<br />
* [http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/ Swanage Railway] and West Coast Railways operated a service between Swanage and Wareham during the summer in 2017, but in 2018 and 2019 there was just a limited Saturday service by the local franchisee, South Western Railway. West Coast Railways again operates trains between Swanage and Wareham on behalf of Swanage Railway between April and September 2023. <br />
* [http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/ West Coast Railways] operates timetabled steam trains between Fort William and Mallaig during the summer, but in practice these get fully booked well in advance. <br />
<br />
All freight trains in Great Britain are operated by competing companies under "open access" conditions. The <i>principal</i> companies are: <br />
<br />
* [http://www.rail.dbschenker.co.uk/rail-uk-en/start/ DB Cargo UK] (formerly English Welsh and Scottish Railway, now a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn of Germany) <br />
* [https://www.freightliner.co.uk/ Freightliner] (owned by US railroad Genesee & Wyoming Inc) <br />
* [http://www.colasrail.co.uk/ Colas Rail] (part of the Bouygues group); <br />
* [http://www.directrailservices.com/ Direct Rail Services] (owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority) <br />
* [http://www.gbrailfreight.com/ GB Railfreight] (owned by Infracapital, an infrastructure equity investor). <br />
<br />
DB Cargo UK, in particular, and GB Railfreight, to a lesser extent, operate charter passenger trains. GB Railfreight also operates the Caledonian Sleeper trains on behalf of Caledonian Sleeper Limited.<br />
<br />
[https://www.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Rail Operations Group] concentrates on rolling stock moves for manufacturers, leasing companies and passenger operators, but started a parcels-carrying business, trading as [https://orion.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Orion] in 2021.<br />
<br />
There are no longer any revenue freight trains in Northern Ireland.<br />
<br />
Neither the Isle of Man nor the Channel Isles (îles Anglo-Normands) is legally part of the UK but the Isle of Man's active railways and tramways are to <br />
be found at the [http://www.heritagerailways.com/Visits_Map.php UK and Irish Heritage Railways website] and under [[#Trams/LRT-Systems|Trams/LRT-Systems]] respectively.<br />
<br />
==Official Website==<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ National Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink]<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
English. In addition Welsh is spoken in most parts of Wales, <br />
and Gaelic is used to a certain extent in north-west Scotland.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Pound sterling. Banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own notes, <br />
which are valid throughout the UK and usually accepted without question. Channel <br />
Islands and Manx notes (but not coins) are technically legal tender in the UK, <br />
but are best changed at banks.<br />
<br />
==UIC code==<br />
* United Kingdom: numeric 70; alpha GB<br />
* Eurotunnel: numeric 69 (used only for accounting purposes and not shown on rolling stock).<br />
<br />
Historically, the only British rolling stock to show UIC numbers were wagons passed to work on the now defunct train ferries from Harwich and Dover or through the Channel Tunnel. The Eurostar class 374 trains, which entered service in 2015, were the first UK-registered passenger stock to have UIC numbers, otherwise known as the European Vehicle Number (EVN). Rail Industry Standard RIS-2453-RST ''Vehicle Registration, Marking and Numbering'', introduced in December 2017, requires new vehicles in Great Britain to be identified by EVN. On passenger vehicles only an abbreviated version is normally show. UIC numbering is not used by NI Railways.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland)===<br />
The official National Rail timetable is published on Network Rail's website (see below), twice yearly (in mid December and mid May). Services on Mondays to Fridays, on Saturdays (or Mondays to Saturdays) and on Sundays are usually different and laid out separately in the timetable; there may be several alternative Sunday services, to allow for engineering work, during the currency of a timetable. [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe] provides a comprehensive guide to printed and on-line public transport timetables.<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
[http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/s/planjourney/query National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner]<br />
<br />
The [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites provide a quick-reference way of checking the latest schedule (or amendment) for any particular train<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetable====<br />
PDFs of the National Railway Timetable are available from the [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/electronic-national-rail-timetable-enrt/ Network Rail] website. These are maintained for Network Rail by [https://timetables.fabdigital.uk/nrt/ Fabdigital] and the version on their website may be more up to date.<br />
<br />
====Working (Staff) Timetables====<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/working-timetable/ Network Rail Working Timetables]<br />
<br />
You can also check for the latest variations to working timetable details for specific trains on the [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites.<br />
<br />
[http://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/working-timetables London Underground working timetables]. DLR is not included.<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
Since May 2020 there has been no comprehensive printed timetable for Great Britain and there are no printed timetable leaflets for most lines.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.html National Rail's future engineering works]<br />
<br />
===Northern Ireland===<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
On the [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink home page].<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetables====<br />
[https://www.translink.co.uk/timetables?LocationId=&Name=&LocationType=&TransportMode=Bus&page=1 Translink bus and rail timetables]<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
A series of four free leaflets is available.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/nirailways-travel-updates/ NIRailways Travel Updates]<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*The ''Rail Atlas Great Britain & Ireland'' gives detailed and accurate coverage of the UK railway system, and is widely available. It is mostly at 1:350,000, but with enlargements of many urban areas; an updated edition is published every 2-3 years.<br />
*[http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps] publish a series of track diagrams (formerly Quail Track Diagrams) in five regional volumes.<br />
*Northern Ireland Railways are in a volume covering the whole of Ireland also published by [http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps]<br />
*Historic atlases have been published by various other publishers.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] (see National Rail Passenger Operators' map) and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/united_kingdom_ireland.html British Isles and Ireland Map]. Last updated December 2022<br />
*[http://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php Rail Map online].<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
There is no distance-related fare tariff in the UK, and fares are charged on a market basis. Certain fares are regulated and the amount by which train companies can increase some fares is specified by the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
Standard walk-on fares are high, but a wide range of discounted fares is available. These are subject to restrictions as to days and times when they can be used. It can be difficult to obtain accurate information as to fares and their availability, even from official enquiry offices, because the pricing structure is complicated and the different train companies are all making their own special offers. The most heavily discounted fares usually oblige the passenger to travel on specified trains (with no opportunity to alter these) - and only a limited number of tickets may be issued for each service. Train operators are increasingly introducing special offers that can only be taken up through their website. Higher fares are charged for use of domestic trains on HS1, the high-speed line to Kent, except for through tickets between Kent and destinations beyond London. <br />
<br />
Tickets for any rail journey in the UK can be purchased from most train operators' websites, but the best price may be available from the operator whose service is being used. It is often possible to obtain a lower price for a journey by splitting it and buying a different ticket for each section. In such cases it is necessary to travel on a train that stops at stations where the validity of one ticket ends and another starts. This requirement does not apply if at least one of the tickets is a season ticket, rail rover or similar. It may also be found that a ticket to a station beyond one's destination is cheaper, but conditions need to be checked carefully. A break of journey may not be permitted, requiring an excess fare to be paid if exiting at an intermediate station. Various websites act as 'consolidators' and will compare what is available in order to offer the best deal, including split ticketing options. <br />
<br />
Various Railcards are available, usually giving a fare reduction of one third. These are available nationally to groups, such as young people, families, senior citizens, two people travelling together, those with a disability and military personnel. Some cards are available to all, but only valid for travel within a particular geographic area. The cost of a Railcard may be recouped immediately if a long-distance journey is planned or if purchasing a high-price ticket such as a national rail rover. Some Railcards only give a discount for off-peak travel. Details of Railcards are available at [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/National-Railcards.aspx National Rail]. Details can be found at the unofficial [http://www.railrover.org/ Rail Rover] website.<br />
<br />
Overseas visitors should endeavour to purchase a rover ticket, such as a [http://www.britrail.net/ BritRail] or InterRail pass, before travelling to the UK. Various rail rovers are available within the UK, but they do not offer the value or wide validity of those available to foreign visitors, and many are not valid until after the morning peak period.<br />
<br />
In various areas where all stations have automatic ticket machines, including on the London Underground and most other tram and metro networks, a penalty fares system applies. Passengers found without a ticket are likely to have to pay a fine on the spot.<br />
<br />
First class seating tends now to be found only on principal routes; in Northern Ireland it is limited to principal trains on the international route between Belfast and Dublin (where NIRailways call it &quot;First plus&quot; while partner Iarnród Éireann call it &quot;Premium&quot;). Eurostar maintain three classes: Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier. On some trains, including many of those operated by Gatwick Express, Great Northern and Southern, there is no difference between first class and standard class seating. If a train including first class seats is used on a service advertised as standard class only, holders of standard class tickets may use the first class seats.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Railways Company Limited, through a subsidiary NIR Networks Limited<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/network-statement/ Network Rail]. The Sectional Appendices are available <br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ here] (scroll down to list of PDFs).<br />
<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Corporate/About-Us/Publications/network-statement/ Translink]<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
*Great Britain: Standard<br />
*Northern Ireland: 1600 mm [5 feet 3 inches]<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
*Great Britain: Mostly 25 kV 50 Hz. 750 V dc third rail is used on some lines in south east England and around Liverpool. The third rail network in south east England is by a considerable margin the most extensive such system in the world and the only place when conductor rail trains operate at up to 100 mph (160 km/hr). The line between Pelaw and Sunderland is electrified at 1500V dc overhead, to allow use by Tyne & Wear Metro. The line between Tinsley North Junction and Rotherham Parkgate is electrified at 750V dc overhead, for use by Sheffield Supertram. Most tramway systems are 750 V dc with Blackpool being 600 V dc.<br />
*Northern Ireland: no electrified lines.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Left.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
*Distances are shown on Railway Track Diagrams published by [https://www.trackmaps.co.uk/ TRACKmaps]. Distances are also available in Network Rail's [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ Sectional Appendices] (scroll down for list of available PDFs).<br />
*Distances for Northern Ireland are also available on-line on the Signalling Record Society website:<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-nc.php Derry and Larne lines]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-bd.php Bangor line]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-gd.php Dublin line]<br />
<br />
==Other railways==<br />
*Core Valley Lines (Cardiff to Rhymney, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert): Owned by the Welsh Government and managed by a lessee, Amey Keolis Infrastructure/Seilwaith Amey Keolis Limited.<br />
*Crossrail Central Operating Section is the railway under Central London from Portobello Junction (Royal Oak) to Pudding Mill Lane Junction (Bow) and Abbey Wood. It is managed by Rail for London (Infrastructure) Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London.<br />
*East London Line: Owned by Rail for London Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London. <br />
*Eurotunnel: A partnership between the Channel Tunnel Group Limited and France-Manche S.A. that operates the Channel Tunnel under a long-term concession from the UK and French governments. <br />
*Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited owns the railway between London Heathrow Airport and the junction with the Great Western Main Line near Hayes & Harlington. <br />
*HS1 Ltd: The investor with a 30 years concession from the UK government to operate the high-speed line between London and the Channel Tunnel, though most aspects of day-to-day operation and maintenance are contracted out to Network Rail. <br />
<br />
Facilities exist for special through running between the national system and some tourist lines.<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
A map of UK heritage railways can be found at the "Heritage Rail - UK & Ireland" link on the [https://www.heritagerailways.com Heritage Railway Association website].<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
London, Newcastle, Glasgow. Although part of the national railway system, the Merseyrail Electrics <br />
network in Liverpool is like a Metro. There are two separate networks in London. The Underground system is 630V dc third and fourth rail; the Docklands Light Railway is a fully-automated 750V dc third rail system. London Overground operates under a contract let by the Mayor of London and uses Transport for London branding, but operates almost entirely on Network Rail lines. The Glasgow and Merseyrail systems are third <br />
rail and Newcastle is 1500 V dc overhead. Glasgow Subway is 4 feet (1,219mm) gauge and was originally cable-worked. There are several lines where London Underground and main line trains share the same tracks. The Tyne & Wear Metro (Newcastle) operates to Sunderland over the Network Rail line from Pelaw.<br />
<br />
The Core Valley Lines from Cardiff are being converted to a form of metro system.<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Birmingham/Wolverhampton (Midland Metro), Blackpool, Croydon, Edinburgh,<br />
Llandudno (cable worked), Manchester, Nottingham, Seaton (Devon) and Sheffield. The Croydon, <br />
Manchester, Midland Metro, Nottingham and Seaton systems include extensive running over <br />
routes that were previously part of the national railway system. The Manchester and Nottingham systems have been considerably extended in recent years. On the Manchester Metrolink system a second route through Manchester city centre came into use on 26 February 2017, and the 5.5 km Trafford Park line opened on 22 March 2020. The Midland Metro in Birmingham was extended to Edgbaston on 17 July 2022 and to Wolverhampton Station on 17 September 2023. The first stage of a line to Brierley Hill is expected to open, to Dudley, in 2024. The extension of the Edinburgh line to Leith and Newhaven opened on 21 June 2023 and plans have been announced for further lines in the city. The Blackpool system Talbot Gateway extension, to Blackpool North station, is expected to be fully open in 2023. A metro system is proposed in Glasgow, but this project is at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
The Seaton and Llandudno lines are essentially tourist operations, and both are narrow gauge. <br />
There are other tourist lines of a mile or more at the National Tramway Museum <br />
(Crich, near Matlock) and at Beamish Open Air Museum (near Gateshead), plus <br />
several other shorter lines. <br />
<br />
The Isle of Man has three narrow gauge tramways, which operate on a seasonal basis: Douglas Bay Horse Tramway - along the promenade in Douglas; the Manx Electric Railway - an inter-urban line between Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey; and the Snaefell Mountain Railway - from Laxey to Snaefell Summit. <br />
After a period of uncertainty, the threat that the horse tramway line in Douglas might be shortened seems to have been seen off by a vote in Tynwald (the Manx parliament) in January 2017. <br />
<br />
The Tinsley Chord, which connects the Sheffield tram system to a freight line near Meadowhall, allows tram-trains to run between Sheffield city centre and Rotherham Parkgate over Network Rail lines. Public services commenced on Thursday 25 October 2018. Sheffield tram-trains are dual voltage vehicles that can run on the 750 V Overhead Lines (OHLE) of the tram network and the 25 kV OHLE of the national rail network; however the line to Rotherham Parkgate is initially energised at 750 V because there is no 25 kV electrification in the area.<br />
<br />
Track plans for most of the significant tram systems in the United Kingdom are available on the [http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/line/diagrams0.shtm Railway Codes site] and also on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/index-e.php Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes== <br />
Some aspects of national railway operations are privatised, but infrastructure ownership has reverted to the public sector. There continues to be debate about the fragmented, expensive and complex nature of the system that has emerged, under the general oversight of the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
===Route Closures and Service Reductions===<br />
Having undergone extensive cut backs in the 1960s, the present passenger network seems relatively secure. The closure of a passenger railway in the UK normally involves a lengthy legal process, and short-notice closures usually occur only if there is a sudden and dramatic infrastructure failure, or if the closure is deemed a &quot;minor closure&quot;. However, a number of stations have closed and all passenger services over some lines have been withdrawn without the statutory procedure having been followed. Passenger services via the Channel Tunnel, or in connection with them, do not enjoy statutory protection from closure. <br />
<br />
Some routes have been reduced to just one or two trains per day (or, in some cases, per week) in order to reduce operating costs without having to go through the closure procedure. These are included in the list of [https://www.egtre.info/wiki/United_Kingdom_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services sparse services].<br />
<br />
A newly-introduced passenger service can be designated as "experimental" for a period up to five years, during which time it may be withdrawn without the usual closure procedure needing to be followed. The only "experimental" service at present is Thanet Parkway station, until 30 July 2028.<br />
<br />
====Passenger services to be withdrawn====<br />
* The railway between Nottingham and Worksop may be diverted at Whitwell to allow expansion of a dolomite quarry. This will eliminate Whitwell Tunnel. No date is set for this, but planning permission to expand the quarry was granted in 2018.<br />
<br />
* Planned diversion of trains between Belfast and Dublin to a new terminal facility - [http://www.translink.co.uk/Translink-Footer/the-hub/ the Belfast Hub] - being constructed close to Belfast Great Victoria Street may see the end of regular passenger services between Central Junction (Adelaide) and City Junction (City Hospital).<br />
<br />
====Closures and significant service reductions in recent years are==== <br />
<br />
'''Passenger service withdrawn, line still open for other than regular passenger traffic:'''<br />
<br />
* Greenford LUL Bay Junction - Northolt Junction: The Wednesdays only train from West Ealing to West Ruislip ran for the last time on 7 December 2022.<br />
<br />
* Cowlairs East Junction - Cowlairs North Junction (Glasgow): The summer Sunday trains between Edinburgh and Oban start and terminate at Glasgow Queen Street in 2023. Last use of the curve by the ScotRail service was on 28 August 2022. It continues to be used by the [https://www.belmond.com/trains/europe/scotland/belmond-royal-scotsman/journeys Royal Scotsman] Western Scenic Wonders tour, but prices start at £5,800.<br />
<br />
* Barking Station Junction - Barking platform 1: No regular passenger traffic from 18 July 2022, when the line to Barking Riverside opened, but occasional diversions may be possible.<br />
<br />
* Dalmeny - Winchburgh Junction: Service withdrawn 23 March 2020, but without the statutory closure procedure having been followed. From 11 Dec 2022 the 22:31 FSSuX Dundee to Edinburgh and 22.58 SuO Glenrothes with Thornton to Edinburgh are scheduled to run this way with reversal at Linlithgow, but are likely to run direct via Edinburgh Gateway if there is no engineering work on that route.<br />
<br />
'''Significant service reduction'''<br />
<br />
* Glenrothes with Thornton - Thornton South Junction: The frequent service via Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy became Sundays only, except for one train each way Mondays to Fridays, with effect from 15 May 2022.<br />
<br />
====Temporary Closures:==== <br />
<br />
Work to upgrade the UK rail network is increasingly leading to lines being closed for extended periods. Severe weather and the age of much railway infrastructure has resulted in more temporary closures caused by landslips and other problems with earthworks. Current and planned temporary closures of four weeks or more, in approximate order of expected re-opening, are: <br />
<br />
* Prestwick Town to Girvan and Kilmarnock to Barassie: From 25 September 2023, probably until some time in March 2024, because of a dangerous building at Ayr.<br />
* Ashford East Junction, connection to HS1: Eurostar ceased calling at Ashford on 19 March 2020 and will not resume before 2025/6.<br />
<br />
There are also extended closures of sections of the Valley Lines, north of Cardiff, at least until February 2024, for electrification work.<br />
<br />
===Re-openings and Openings===<br />
<br />
Most projects involve upgrading existing routes, but some openings have occurred or are about to do so. <br />
<br />
====New and reinstated passenger services in recent years:==== <br />
<br />
New passenger services are: <br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension - The Royal - Wolverhampton Station (17 September 2023). <br />
<br />
* Westbourne Park Junction - Paddington and Stepney Green Junction - Pudding Mill Lane Junction (full opening of Elizabeth line) (6 November 2022) <br />
<br />
* Barking - Barking Riverside (18 July 2022)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension - Library - Edgbaston Village (17 July 2022) <br />
<br />
*Paddington - Abbey Wood (Elizabeth line) (24 May 2022)<br />
<br />
* Newport (Gaer Junction) - Pye Corner (Park Junction) (on introduction of trains between Newport and Crosskeys, 12 December 2021)<br />
<br />
* Crediton - Okehampton (20 November 2021; there was previously a service on summer Sundays)<br />
<br />
* Kennington - Battersea Power Station (London Underground, Northern Line extension, opened September 2021)<br />
<br />
* Meadowhall South/Tinsley - Tinsley North Junction - Rotherham Central (Sheffield Tram Train operation substantially over a Network Rail freight line, opened on 25 October 2018) <br />
<br />
A daily service, generally hourly, was introduced between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester via Runcorn and Frodsham on 19 May 2019. Previously the curve between Halton Junction and Frodsham Junction had been used by a single unadvertised train in one direction only on summer Saturdays.<br />
<br />
On tourist / heritage railways:<br />
<br />
* Llangollen Railway extended passenger services from Carrog to a provisional terminus at Corwen in October 2014 and to the permanent terminus in June 2023. <br />
* the Mid-Norfolk Railway ran inaugural passenger trains to Worthing level crossing (North Elmham) on 19 and 20 May 2018, but regular services continue to terminate at Dereham. The railway aspires to continue to County School. <br />
* The first (very short) section of the Aln Valley Railway officially opened in October 2013, from a new station on the edge of Alnwick, with a longer run available from December 2017. It is planned that the railway will reach the National Rail station at Alnmouth.<br />
* The first section of the re-opened Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, a narrow gauge line, is in operation between Woody Bay and Killington Lane. Extensions towards Lynton and to Blackmoor Gate are planned as the next phase of reconstruction.<br />
<br />
====Projects authorised or under construction are:==== <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the railway between Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) and Levenmouth for passenger services in 2024. It is expected that some trains will run via Cowdenbeath, providing many more via the curve from Thornton West Junction than the current sparse service. <br />
<br />
A Transport & Works Act Order for the introduction of passenger trains over the freight line to Ashington was granted in June 2022 and the line is due to open by December 2024. The UK Government has announced plans to re-open the railway to Fleetwood, but this may become a tramway. The UK Government is also funding feasibility studies into re-opening a number of other lines, but these are at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
Work has started on construction of a high speed railway (HS2) from London to Birmingham, but the line will not be opened until 2026 at the earliest. A flythrough of the route is [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bkoGvw9kbA here]. It is to be followed by Phase 2a as far as Crewe. It is intended that the line will subsequently be extended to Manchester with completion in the mid-2030s. It was originally planned that there would be a branch to Leeds, but this has been cut back to East Midlands Parkway (near Nottingham). The UK Government has also announced that it intends to proceed with a high-speed line from Warrington to Marsden (for Huddersfield) via Manchester. <br />
<br />
<!---Preliminary work on construction of a link between the LUL Watford branch and the former Croxley Green branch was undertaken in 2016. However, the project has stalled, because of lack of agreement as to how further cost escalation would be funded, and can only be regarded as definitively dead, though there has been no formal announcement to this effect. Should the scheme continue, which seems increasingly unlikely, it will result in the closure of Watford LUL station, but the re-opening of most of the Croxley Green branch.---><br />
Plans were being developed for a second Crossrail line, linking south west and north east London. All work on this stopped in autumn 2020, as a result of economies made to deal with the Covid pandemic. It is questionable whether the scheme will be revived, if there is the expected permanent reduction in commuter traffic. <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the derelict line between Calvert and Bletchley. A Transport & Works Act Order for this scheme was granted in February 2020 and services between Oxford and Milton Keynes are scheduled to start in December 2024. The longer-term objective is to re-introduce trains between Oxford and Cambridge. <br />
<br />
[https://heathrowrail.com/ Heathrow Southern Railway] intends to build a new railway south-west from Heathrow Airport to link with the Staines to Windsor line, together with a branch to Virginia Water or Chertsey. <br />
<br />
In the private sector:<br />
* The Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway is constructing an extension from Glengonnar to Wanlockhead.<br />
* Moorland & City Railways have a stated intention to reopen the line between Stoke-on-Trent and Leek Brook Junction, to a junction with the Churnet Valley Railway, but progress seems to be languishing.<br />
* Most ambitiously, the two Great Central Railways at Loughborough are being linked by means of a reinstated bridge over the Midland Main Line. <br />
* The Rother Valley Railway has obtained a Transport and Works Act Order to rebuild the railway between Robertsbridge and Junction Road (Bodiam).<br />
* The Royal Deeside Railway is extending its line to Crathes West Lodge.<br />
* Strathspey Railway is extending to Grantown-on-Spey and during summer 2014 and 2015 offered a limited service between its normal terminus at Broomhill and the river bridge at Dulnain. Further work depends on obtaining statutory powers under the Transport and Works Act and constructing a new bridge to carry the railway over the A95 main road. <br />
* The Helston Railway provides a short ride near Prospidnick, but plans to extend to Helston and eventually to Gwinear Road.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
<br />
Main line electrification in Great Britain came to a virtual standstill following railway privatisation, because private-sector train operators and rolling stock companies preferred the flexibility of diesel traction. The only schemes to proceed were between Crewe and Kidsgrove (near Stoke on Trent) (electrified for diversionary use), the reconstructed Larkhall branch line in Scotland and High Speed 1 (the Channel Tunnel rail link) [see below].<br />
<br />
In 2009 Department for Transport policy shifted towards extending electrification, with significant schemes proposed and a few implemented. However, greatly increased costs have resulted in projects being curtailed and delayed. Poor cost estimating, increased safety standards, over-specification and loss of practical experience of electrification appear to be among the causes. In July 2017 the UK Government announced an end to plans for further railway electrification in England and Wales, with reliance instead on bi-mode diesel/electric trains. This will included converting some electric multiple-units to bi-mode working. There have also been experiments with battery operation. In contrast, the Scottish Government required Network Rail to develop an electrification technical specification that can deliver an "efficient and affordable rolling programme of electrification". <br />
<br />
Electrification schemes recently completed in England and Wales are:<br />
<br />
* Bedford to Corby (May 2021) <br />
<br />
* London (Heathrow Airport Junction) to Cardiff, Chippenham (Christian Malford) and Newbury (Phased introduction of electric services between May 2017 and January 2020). The scheme was cut back to omit Swansea, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Oxford and the Thames Valley branch lines.<br />
<br />
* Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley (May 2019)<br />
<br />
* Manchester to Preston via Bolton (February 2019)<br />
<br />
* Gospel Oak to Woodgrange Park via South Tottenham (January 2019, but limited electric service initially, because of delayed delivery of rolling stock)<br />
<br />
Schemes under way in England:<br />
<br />
* Kettering - Market Harborough<br />
<br />
* Manchester - Huddersfield - Leeds - York <br />
<br />
* Wigan North Western - Lostock Junction (near Bolton) (announced 1 September 2021, expected completion 2024/2025) <br />
<br />
The UK Government has announced that electrification of the Midland Main Line is to be completed to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield.<br />
<br />
The Welsh Government is sponsoring electrification of the Valley Lines from Cardiff to Bargoed, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert. Light rail vehicles are to be used from Cardiff to Coryton and on routes via Radyr. Tri-mode trains will be used from Rhymney to Penarth, Barry Island and the Vale of Glamorgan line, using battery power between Rhymney and Bargoed, and diesel south of Cardiff. <br />
<br />
Following an extensive programme of electrification completed between 2012 and 2019, most lines in Central Scotland are electrified, with recent schemes comprising:<br />
<br />
*Croy (Carmuirs West Jn) and Camelon (Carmuirs East Jn) to Stirling, Dunblane and Alloa (December 2018)<br />
<br />
*Holytown to Kirknewton (Midcalder Jn) via Shotts (Some electric services April 2019, full service May 2019) <br />
<br />
The line from Falkirk to Grangemouth has also been electrified for freight traffic, but there are proposals to reinstate a passenger service. <br />
<br />
Electric working to Barrhead is expected to start by December 2023, to be followed by East Kilbride. The line from Haymarket (Edinburgh) to Dalmeny is being electrified as the first phase of a scheme to electrify routes through Fife. Transport Scotland's [https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/rail-services-decarbonisation-action-plan/ ''Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan''], published in July 2020, envisages most lines in Scotland being electrified. Priorities are the Kilmarnock line; Edinburgh to Tweedbank; routes in Fife; and Dunblane to Aberdeen. Later extensions will take electrification to Girvan; Gretna via Dumfries; and Inverness to Perth, Aberdeen and Tain.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of changes more than five years ago see [[United_Kingdom - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special Notes==<br />
<br />
Train numbers in Great Britain follow an alpha-numeric format, thus 1A22. The first digit indicates the type of train (passenger trains are 1, 2 or 9), in most cases the letter indicates its route or destination and the remaining digits identify the particular train. Different trains can and do use the same number, so long as they do not conflict geographically or operate several hours apart. Since December 2021 train numbers have been shown in the National Rail Timetable, but they are not normally used for passenger information purposes. It is more usual for trains to be referred to by their schedule, for example as the "10:00 London King's Cross to Aberdeen". International trains have four digit numbers where the second figure is 0 or 1, which can be treated as letters O and I in the UK.<br />
<br />
Departure sheets listing trains from a station in chronological order are rarely used. The usual format is to list destinations in alphabetic order, and provide details of all trains to each, or to provide timetable posters. Most stations have electronic displays, which indicate all departures (and often arrivals) within the next hour or so.<br />
<br />
It is unusual for information displays and announcements at stations and on trains to be in any language other than English (and Welsh in Wales), though most station name signs in Scotland appear in Gaelic as well as English. Multi-lingual information is normally restricted to dedicated airport services and those using the Channel Tunnel.<br />
<br />
No stations sell international tickets or can make international reservations, though there are facilities to make through bookings from certain stations by Eurostar. <!---International tickets and reservations are available at the We Know London Tourist Services desk in the shopping mall at St Pancras International station.---> Even the range of tickets available from Eurostar is very limited. For guidance on booking travel to and from Europe visit [http://www.seat61.com/Europe.htm#How%20do%20I%20book? The Man in Seat Sixty-One]'s website or see advice from [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/European-Train-Travel.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Selective door opening is increasingly used, particularly in London and South East England. Trains are longer than some station platforms and only doors within the platform are unlocked. Announcements and visual displays advise passengers which carriages they need to be in if wishing to alight. This also happens to a limited extent on the London Underground, but usually only affecting the rearmost pair of doors. <br />
<br />
The only long-distance overnight trains in Great Britain are:<br />
<br />
* [https://www.sleeper.scot/ Caledonian Sleeper] from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness <br />
* Great Western's [https://www.gwr.com/travelling-with-us/night-riviera-sleeper Night Riviera] from London to Penzance<br />
<br />
Sleeping cars are provided, but not couchettes, and seating may be in saloons with non-reclinable seats, where passengers have no control of the lighting. <br />
<br />
Taking bicycles, other than folding ones, by train can be difficult. Space may be limited and some operators require advance reservations for bicycles. More information can be found at [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/cyclists.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Train services at weekends, and especially Saturday evening and Sunday until mid-afternoon, can be extensively altered because of [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.aspx engineering work]. With the paucity of alternative routes and a growing aversion to temporary single line working, buses frequently substitute for trains in such circumstances. There are an increasing number of initiatives to give extended overnight possessions Mondays to Thursdays, in order to reduce the extent of weekend closures. This results in late evening trains being replaced by buses. Trials are being undertaken of mid-week line closures. Blockades of a week or more are increasingly common.<br />
<br />
No trains run in the UK on Christmas Day and very few on Boxing Day, mostly on local services in the London and Glasgow areas. No domestic services run in Scotland on New Year's Day, but there are normally trains between England, Edinburgh and Glasgow. <br />
<br />
Very few stations have left luggage facilities. Unattended luggage may be removed by the police and processes to check that it is safe can be very destructive.<br />
<br />
Railway enthusiasts are welcomed on stations - for guidance when on and about stations refer to [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/railway-enthusiasts/railway-enthusiasts-and-photography-at-stations/ Network Rail's] advice.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox United Kingdom}}</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=United_Kingdom_-_General_Information&diff=54800United Kingdom - General Information2024-01-25T20:25:03Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Closures and significant service reductions in recent years are */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland<br />
<br />
Nomenclature: &quot;Great Britain&quot; comprises the countries of England, Wales, and Scotland. &quot;United Kingdom&quot; (in full: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) comprises Great Britain and the Province of Northern Ireland. &quot;British Isles&quot; is a purely geographical description for the British mainland and the island of Ireland; the latter contains the Province of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are usually regarded as part of the British Isles, although independent of the UK government. All but the Republic of Ireland (which is entirely independent of the UK) are under the British Crown (monarchy).<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Most infrastructure in Great Britain is owned by [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail], a company controlled by the government's [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport Department for Transport] (DfT). Most passenger train services are provided by operators under contracts with DfT, [https://tfl.gov.uk/ Transport for London], [http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk Merseytravel], [http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/ Transport Scotland] or the [http://gov.wales/topics/transport/?lang=en Welsh Government]. Most operators are subsidiaries of major bus companies or national railways from other countries, principally Nederlandse Spoorwegen and Trenitalia. A UK Government subsidiary, [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/dft-olr-holdings-limited/about DfT OLR Holdings Limited], operates services if the contractor is no longer able to do so, has had the contract terminated because of default or there has been no acceptable tender for provision of the service. [https://www.railholdings.scot/ Scottish Rail Holdings Limited] is the equivalent in Scotland. Full details of passenger train operators are given by links from the [http://www.raildeliverygroup.com/about-us/uk-rail-industry/passenger-freight-track.html Rail Delivery Group] website. Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites. Passenger train operations collectively are known as 'National Rail'. <br />
<br />
A new organisation, [https://gbrtt.co.uk/ Great British Railways] is being established to take strategic control of railways, in England at least, as well as taking over most of Network Rail's functions as infrastructure owner and operator throughout Britain. <br />
<br />
Railways in Northern Ireland are owned by Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (which remains state-owned) and are operated as the [http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/ N I Railways] (NIR) division of Translink.<br />
<br />
Most operators in Great Britain had a franchise agreement, under which they took most of the commercial risk. DfT was considering changes to franchising when the Covid-19 pandemic made the system uneconomic, due to greatly reduced fares income to the operators. Franchises were replaced by Emergency Recovery Management Agreements and subsequently by National Rail Contracts under which the Government meets operating costs and receives fares and other income. The operating company is paid a management fee. Transport for Wales, ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper, LNER, Northern and Southeastern are all being operated by public sector companies. <br />
<br />
The operator of each train is indicated in the electronic National Rail Timetable and <br />
its printed derivatives by means of two-letter codes; for a de-coder and a chronology of <br />
privatisation and transfer/re-branding of Great Britain's passenger railway franchises to <br />
date go to the [http://www.railchronology.free-online.co.uk/ Rail Chronology] website. Basic customer information about and links to the websites of each TOC are available through the [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tocs_maps/tocs/TrainOperators.aspx National Rail] website. Some further information about passenger train operators and past franchisees can be found in the [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-franchise-schedule DfT] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_operating_trains_in_the_United_Kingdom Wikipedia] websites. The Wikipedia list is usually more up to date and accurate than the DfT schedule!<br />
<br />
A small number of operators provide passenger services on the national network which are not under contract to the DfT. These include [http://www.eurostar.com/ ''Eurostar''] which is a unitary undertaking (Eurostar <br />
International Ltd) managed by SNCF, which has a 55% interest in the company. Private investors acquired the UK government's 40% stake in 2015 and SNCB/NMBS owns the remaining 5%. 'Open Access' passenger operators are: <br />
<br />
* [https://www.hulltrains.co.uk/ Hull Trains] between London and Hull <br />
* [https://www.grandcentralrail.com/ Grand Central] between London, Bradford and Sunderland<br />
* [https://www.lumo.co.uk/ Lumo] between London and Edinburgh <br />
<br />
[http://www.granduniontrains.co.uk/ Grand Union Trains] intends to start services between London and Carmarthen in 2025. <br />
<br />
In addition<br />
* [http://www.eurotunnel.com/ Eurotunnel] operates a shuttle service for motor vehicles through the Channel Tunnel; this does not carry foot-passengers (although cyclists can be carried by arrangement)<br />
* [http://www.nymr.co.uk/ North Yorkshire Moors Railway] operates timetabled steam trains through between Pickering/Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby during the summer.<br />
* [http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/ Swanage Railway] and West Coast Railways operated a service between Swanage and Wareham during the summer in 2017, but in 2018 and 2019 there was just a limited Saturday service by the local franchisee, South Western Railway. West Coast Railways again operates trains between Swanage and Wareham on behalf of Swanage Railway between April and September 2023. <br />
* [http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/ West Coast Railways] operates timetabled steam trains between Fort William and Mallaig during the summer, but in practice these get fully booked well in advance. <br />
<br />
All freight trains in Great Britain are operated by competing companies under "open access" conditions. The <i>principal</i> companies are: <br />
<br />
* [http://www.rail.dbschenker.co.uk/rail-uk-en/start/ DB Cargo UK] (formerly English Welsh and Scottish Railway, now a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn of Germany) <br />
* [https://www.freightliner.co.uk/ Freightliner] (owned by US railroad Genesee & Wyoming Inc) <br />
* [http://www.colasrail.co.uk/ Colas Rail] (part of the Bouygues group); <br />
* [http://www.directrailservices.com/ Direct Rail Services] (owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority) <br />
* [http://www.gbrailfreight.com/ GB Railfreight] (owned by Infracapital, an infrastructure equity investor). <br />
<br />
DB Cargo UK, in particular, and GB Railfreight, to a lesser extent, operate charter passenger trains. GB Railfreight also operates the Caledonian Sleeper trains on behalf of Caledonian Sleeper Limited.<br />
<br />
[https://www.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Rail Operations Group] concentrates on rolling stock moves for manufacturers, leasing companies and passenger operators, but started a parcels-carrying business, trading as [https://orion.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Orion] in 2021.<br />
<br />
There are no longer any revenue freight trains in Northern Ireland.<br />
<br />
Neither the Isle of Man nor the Channel Isles (îles Anglo-Normands) is legally part of the UK but the Isle of Man's active railways and tramways are to <br />
be found at the [http://www.heritagerailways.com/Visits_Map.php UK and Irish Heritage Railways website] and under [[#Trams/LRT-Systems|Trams/LRT-Systems]] respectively.<br />
<br />
==Official Website==<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ National Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink]<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
English. In addition Welsh is spoken in most parts of Wales, <br />
and Gaelic is used to a certain extent in north-west Scotland.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Pound sterling. Banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own notes, <br />
which are valid throughout the UK and usually accepted without question. Channel <br />
Islands and Manx notes (but not coins) are technically legal tender in the UK, <br />
but are best changed at banks.<br />
<br />
==UIC code==<br />
* United Kingdom: numeric 70; alpha GB<br />
* Eurotunnel: numeric 69 (used only for accounting purposes and not shown on rolling stock).<br />
<br />
Historically, the only British rolling stock to show UIC numbers were wagons passed to work on the now defunct train ferries from Harwich and Dover or through the Channel Tunnel. The Eurostar class 374 trains, which entered service in 2015, were the first UK-registered passenger stock to have UIC numbers, otherwise known as the European Vehicle Number (EVN). Rail Industry Standard RIS-2453-RST ''Vehicle Registration, Marking and Numbering'', introduced in December 2017, requires new vehicles in Great Britain to be identified by EVN. On passenger vehicles only an abbreviated version is normally show. UIC numbering is not used by NI Railways.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland)===<br />
The official National Rail timetable is published on Network Rail's website (see below), twice yearly (in mid December and mid May). Services on Mondays to Fridays, on Saturdays (or Mondays to Saturdays) and on Sundays are usually different and laid out separately in the timetable; there may be several alternative Sunday services, to allow for engineering work, during the currency of a timetable. [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe] provides a comprehensive guide to printed and on-line public transport timetables.<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
[http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/s/planjourney/query National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner]<br />
<br />
The [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites provide a quick-reference way of checking the latest schedule (or amendment) for any particular train<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetable====<br />
PDFs of the National Railway Timetable are available from the [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/electronic-national-rail-timetable-enrt/ Network Rail] website. These are maintained for Network Rail by [https://timetables.fabdigital.uk/nrt/ Fabdigital] and the version on their website may be more up to date.<br />
<br />
====Working (Staff) Timetables====<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/working-timetable/ Network Rail Working Timetables]<br />
<br />
You can also check for the latest variations to working timetable details for specific trains on the [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites.<br />
<br />
[http://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/working-timetables London Underground working timetables]. DLR is not included.<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
Since May 2020 there has been no comprehensive printed timetable for Great Britain and there are no printed timetable leaflets for most lines.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.html National Rail's future engineering works]<br />
<br />
===Northern Ireland===<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
On the [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink home page].<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetables====<br />
[https://www.translink.co.uk/timetables?LocationId=&Name=&LocationType=&TransportMode=Bus&page=1 Translink bus and rail timetables]<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
A series of four free leaflets is available.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/nirailways-travel-updates/ NIRailways Travel Updates]<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*The ''Rail Atlas Great Britain & Ireland'' gives detailed and accurate coverage of the UK railway system, and is widely available. It is mostly at 1:350,000, but with enlargements of many urban areas; an updated edition is published every 2-3 years.<br />
*[http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps] publish a series of track diagrams (formerly Quail Track Diagrams) in five regional volumes.<br />
*Northern Ireland Railways are in a volume covering the whole of Ireland also published by [http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps]<br />
*Historic atlases have been published by various other publishers.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] (see National Rail Passenger Operators' map) and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/united_kingdom_ireland.html British Isles and Ireland Map]. Last updated December 2022<br />
*[http://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php Rail Map online].<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
There is no distance-related fare tariff in the UK, and fares are charged on a market basis. Certain fares are regulated and the amount by which train companies can increase some fares is specified by the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
Standard walk-on fares are high, but a wide range of discounted fares is available. These are subject to restrictions as to days and times when they can be used. It can be difficult to obtain accurate information as to fares and their availability, even from official enquiry offices, because the pricing structure is complicated and the different train companies are all making their own special offers. The most heavily discounted fares usually oblige the passenger to travel on specified trains (with no opportunity to alter these) - and only a limited number of tickets may be issued for each service. Train operators are increasingly introducing special offers that can only be taken up through their website. Higher fares are charged for use of domestic trains on HS1, the high-speed line to Kent, except for through tickets between Kent and destinations beyond London. <br />
<br />
Tickets for any rail journey in the UK can be purchased from most train operators' websites, but the best price may be available from the operator whose service is being used. It is often possible to obtain a lower price for a journey by splitting it and buying a different ticket for each section. In such cases it is necessary to travel on a train that stops at stations where the validity of one ticket ends and another starts. This requirement does not apply if at least one of the tickets is a season ticket, rail rover or similar. It may also be found that a ticket to a station beyond one's destination is cheaper, but conditions need to be checked carefully. A break of journey may not be permitted, requiring an excess fare to be paid if exiting at an intermediate station. Various websites act as 'consolidators' and will compare what is available in order to offer the best deal, including split ticketing options. <br />
<br />
Various Railcards are available, usually giving a fare reduction of one third. These are available nationally to groups, such as young people, families, senior citizens, two people travelling together, those with a disability and military personnel. Some cards are available to all, but only valid for travel within a particular geographic area. The cost of a Railcard may be recouped immediately if a long-distance journey is planned or if purchasing a high-price ticket such as a national rail rover. Some Railcards only give a discount for off-peak travel. Details of Railcards are available at [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/National-Railcards.aspx National Rail]. Details can be found at the unofficial [http://www.railrover.org/ Rail Rover] website.<br />
<br />
Overseas visitors should endeavour to purchase a rover ticket, such as a [http://www.britrail.net/ BritRail] or InterRail pass, before travelling to the UK. Various rail rovers are available within the UK, but they do not offer the value or wide validity of those available to foreign visitors, and many are not valid until after the morning peak period.<br />
<br />
In various areas where all stations have automatic ticket machines, including on the London Underground and most other tram and metro networks, a penalty fares system applies. Passengers found without a ticket are likely to have to pay a fine on the spot.<br />
<br />
First class seating tends now to be found only on principal routes; in Northern Ireland it is limited to principal trains on the international route between Belfast and Dublin (where NIRailways call it &quot;First plus&quot; while partner Iarnród Éireann call it &quot;Premium&quot;). Eurostar maintain three classes: Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier. On some trains, including many of those operated by Gatwick Express, Great Northern and Southern, there is no difference between first class and standard class seating. If a train including first class seats is used on a service advertised as standard class only, holders of standard class tickets may use the first class seats.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Railways Company Limited, through a subsidiary NIR Networks Limited<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/network-statement/ Network Rail]. The Sectional Appendices are available <br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ here] (scroll down to list of PDFs).<br />
<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Corporate/About-Us/Publications/network-statement/ Translink]<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
*Great Britain: Standard<br />
*Northern Ireland: 1600 mm [5 feet 3 inches]<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
*Great Britain: Mostly 25 kV 50 Hz. 750 V dc third rail is used on some lines in south east England and around Liverpool. The third rail network in south east England is by a considerable margin the most extensive such system in the world and the only place when conductor rail trains operate at up to 100 mph (160 km/hr). The line between Pelaw and Sunderland is electrified at 1500V dc overhead, to allow use by Tyne & Wear Metro. The line between Tinsley North Junction and Rotherham Parkgate is electrified at 750V dc overhead, for use by Sheffield Supertram. Most tramway systems are 750 V dc with Blackpool being 600 V dc.<br />
*Northern Ireland: no electrified lines.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Left.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
*Distances are shown on Railway Track Diagrams published by [https://www.trackmaps.co.uk/ TRACKmaps]. Distances are also available in Network Rail's [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ Sectional Appendices] (scroll down for list of available PDFs).<br />
*Distances for Northern Ireland are also available on-line on the Signalling Record Society website:<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-nc.php Derry and Larne lines]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-bd.php Bangor line]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-gd.php Dublin line]<br />
<br />
==Other railways==<br />
*Core Valley Lines (Cardiff to Rhymney, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert): Owned by the Welsh Government and managed by a lessee, Amey Keolis Infrastructure/Seilwaith Amey Keolis Limited.<br />
*Crossrail Central Operating Section is the railway under Central London from Portobello Junction (Royal Oak) to Pudding Mill Lane Junction (Bow) and Abbey Wood. It is managed by Rail for London (Infrastructure) Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London.<br />
*East London Line: Owned by Rail for London Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London. <br />
*Eurotunnel: A partnership between the Channel Tunnel Group Limited and France-Manche S.A. that operates the Channel Tunnel under a long-term concession from the UK and French governments. <br />
*Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited owns the railway between London Heathrow Airport and the junction with the Great Western Main Line near Hayes & Harlington. <br />
*HS1 Ltd: The investor with a 30 years concession from the UK government to operate the high-speed line between London and the Channel Tunnel, though most aspects of day-to-day operation and maintenance are contracted out to Network Rail. <br />
<br />
Facilities exist for special through running between the national system and some tourist lines.<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
A map of UK heritage railways can be found at the "Heritage Rail - UK & Ireland" link on the [https://www.heritagerailways.com Heritage Railway Association website].<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
London, Newcastle, Glasgow. Although part of the national railway system, the Merseyrail Electrics <br />
network in Liverpool is like a Metro. There are two separate networks in London. The Underground system is 630V dc third and fourth rail; the Docklands Light Railway is a fully-automated 750V dc third rail system. London Overground operates under a contract let by the Mayor of London and uses Transport for London branding, but operates almost entirely on Network Rail lines. The Glasgow and Merseyrail systems are third <br />
rail and Newcastle is 1500 V dc overhead. Glasgow Subway is 4 feet (1,219mm) gauge and was originally cable-worked. There are several lines where London Underground and main line trains share the same tracks. The Tyne & Wear Metro (Newcastle) operates to Sunderland over the Network Rail line from Pelaw.<br />
<br />
The Core Valley Lines from Cardiff are being converted to a form of metro system.<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Birmingham/Wolverhampton (Midland Metro), Blackpool, Croydon, Edinburgh,<br />
Llandudno (cable worked), Manchester, Nottingham, Seaton (Devon) and Sheffield. The Croydon, <br />
Manchester, Midland Metro, Nottingham and Seaton systems include extensive running over <br />
routes that were previously part of the national railway system. The Manchester and Nottingham systems have been considerably extended in recent years. On the Manchester Metrolink system a second route through Manchester city centre came into use on 26 February 2017, and the 5.5 km Trafford Park line opened on 22 March 2020. The Midland Metro in Birmingham was extended to Edgbaston on 17 July 2022 and to Wolverhampton Station on 17 September 2023. The first stage of a line to Brierley Hill is expected to open, to Dudley, in 2024. The extension of the Edinburgh line to Leith and Newhaven opened on 21 June 2023 and plans have been announced for further lines in the city. The Blackpool system Talbot Gateway extension, to Blackpool North station, is expected to be fully open in 2023. A metro system is proposed in Glasgow, but this project is at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
The Seaton and Llandudno lines are essentially tourist operations, and both are narrow gauge. <br />
There are other tourist lines of a mile or more at the National Tramway Museum <br />
(Crich, near Matlock) and at Beamish Open Air Museum (near Gateshead), plus <br />
several other shorter lines. <br />
<br />
The Isle of Man has three narrow gauge tramways, which operate on a seasonal basis: Douglas Bay Horse Tramway - along the promenade in Douglas; the Manx Electric Railway - an inter-urban line between Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey; and the Snaefell Mountain Railway - from Laxey to Snaefell Summit. <br />
After a period of uncertainty, the threat that the horse tramway line in Douglas might be shortened seems to have been seen off by a vote in Tynwald (the Manx parliament) in January 2017. <br />
<br />
The Tinsley Chord, which connects the Sheffield tram system to a freight line near Meadowhall, allows tram-trains to run between Sheffield city centre and Rotherham Parkgate over Network Rail lines. Public services commenced on Thursday 25 October 2018. Sheffield tram-trains are dual voltage vehicles that can run on the 750 V Overhead Lines (OHLE) of the tram network and the 25 kV OHLE of the national rail network; however the line to Rotherham Parkgate is initially energised at 750 V because there is no 25 kV electrification in the area.<br />
<br />
Track plans for most of the significant tram systems in the United Kingdom are available on the [http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/line/diagrams0.shtm Railway Codes site] and also on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/index-e.php Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes== <br />
Some aspects of national railway operations are privatised, but infrastructure ownership has reverted to the public sector. There continues to be debate about the fragmented, expensive and complex nature of the system that has emerged, under the general oversight of the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
===Route Closures and Service Reductions===<br />
Having undergone extensive cut backs in the 1960s, the present passenger network seems relatively secure. The closure of a passenger railway in the UK normally involves a lengthy legal process, and short-notice closures usually occur only if there is a sudden and dramatic infrastructure failure, or if the closure is deemed a &quot;minor closure&quot;. However, a number of stations have closed and all passenger services over some lines have been withdrawn without the statutory procedure having been followed. Passenger services via the Channel Tunnel, or in connection with them, do not enjoy statutory protection from closure. <br />
<br />
Some routes have been reduced to just one or two trains per day (or, in some cases, per week) in order to reduce operating costs without having to go through the closure procedure. These are included in the list of [https://www.egtre.info/wiki/United_Kingdom_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services sparse services].<br />
<br />
A newly-introduced passenger service can be designated as "experimental" for a period up to five years, during which time it may be withdrawn without the usual closure procedure needing to be followed. The only "experimental" service at present is Thanet Parkway station, until 30 July 2028.<br />
<br />
====Passenger services to be withdrawn====<br />
* The railway between Nottingham and Worksop may be diverted at Whitwell to allow expansion of a dolomite quarry. This will eliminate Whitwell Tunnel. No date is set for this, but planning permission to expand the quarry was granted in 2018.<br />
<br />
* Planned diversion of trains between Belfast and Dublin to a new terminal facility - [http://www.translink.co.uk/Translink-Footer/the-hub/ the Belfast Hub] - being constructed close to Belfast Great Victoria Street may see the end of regular passenger services between Central Junction (Adelaide) and City Junction (City Hospital).<br />
<br />
====Closures and significant service reductions in recent years are==== <br />
<br />
'''Passenger service withdrawn, line still open for other than regular passenger traffic:'''<br />
<br />
* Greenford LUL Bay Junction - Northolt Junction: The Wednesdays only train from West Ealing to West Ruislip ran for the last time on 7 December 2022.<br />
<br />
* Cowlairs East Junction - Cowlairs North Junction (Glasgow): The summer Sunday trains between Edinburgh and Oban start and terminate at Glasgow Queen Street in 2023. Last use of the curve by the ScotRail service was on 28 August 2022. It continues to be used by the [https://www.belmond.com/trains/europe/scotland/belmond-royal-scotsman/journeys Royal Scotsman] Western Scenic Wonders tour, but prices start at £5,800.<br />
<br />
* Barking Station Junction - Barking platform 1: No regular passenger traffic from 18 July 2022, when the line to Barking Riverside opened, but occasional diversions may be possible.<br />
<br />
* Dalmeny - Winchburgh Junction: Service withdrawn 23 March 2020, but without the statutory closure procedure having been followed. From 11 Dec 2022 the 22:31 FSSuX Dundee to Edinburgh and 22.58 SuO Glenrothes with Thornton to Edinburgh are scheduled to run this way with reversal at Linlithgow, but are likely to run direct via Edinburgh Gateway if there is no engineering work on that route.<br />
<br />
'''Significant service reduction'''<br />
<br />
* Glenrothes with Thornton - Thornton South Junction: The frequent service via Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy became Sundays only, except for one train each way Mondays to Fridays, with effect from 15 May 2022.<br />
<br />
====Temporary Closures:==== <br />
<br />
Work to upgrade the UK rail network is increasingly leading to lines being closed for extended periods. Severe weather and the age of much railway infrastructure has resulted in more temporary closures caused by landslips and other problems with earthworks. Current and planned temporary closures of four weeks or more, in approximate order of expected re-opening, are: <br />
<br />
* Prestwick Town to Girvan and Kilmarnock to Barassie: From 25 September 2023, probably for several weeks, because of a dangerous building at Ayr.<br />
* Bletchley to Bedford: From 1 December 2022, because the rolling stock provider is in administration. May reopen 4 November 2023.<br />
* Dovey Junction to Pwllheli: From 2 September to 3 December 2023, for work to Barmouth Bridge.<br />
* Ashford East Junction, connection to HS1: Eurostar ceased calling at Ashford on 19 March 2020 and will not resume before 2025/6.<br />
<br />
There are also extended closures of sections of the Valley Lines, north of Cardiff, at least until February 2024, for electrification work.<br />
<br />
===Re-openings and Openings===<br />
<br />
Most projects involve upgrading existing routes, but some openings have occurred or are about to do so. <br />
<br />
====New and reinstated passenger services in recent years:==== <br />
<br />
New passenger services are: <br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension - The Royal - Wolverhampton Station (17 September 2023). <br />
<br />
* Westbourne Park Junction - Paddington and Stepney Green Junction - Pudding Mill Lane Junction (full opening of Elizabeth line) (6 November 2022) <br />
<br />
* Barking - Barking Riverside (18 July 2022)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension - Library - Edgbaston Village (17 July 2022) <br />
<br />
*Paddington - Abbey Wood (Elizabeth line) (24 May 2022)<br />
<br />
* Newport (Gaer Junction) - Pye Corner (Park Junction) (on introduction of trains between Newport and Crosskeys, 12 December 2021)<br />
<br />
* Crediton - Okehampton (20 November 2021; there was previously a service on summer Sundays)<br />
<br />
* Kennington - Battersea Power Station (London Underground, Northern Line extension, opened September 2021)<br />
<br />
* Meadowhall South/Tinsley - Tinsley North Junction - Rotherham Central (Sheffield Tram Train operation substantially over a Network Rail freight line, opened on 25 October 2018) <br />
<br />
A daily service, generally hourly, was introduced between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester via Runcorn and Frodsham on 19 May 2019. Previously the curve between Halton Junction and Frodsham Junction had been used by a single unadvertised train in one direction only on summer Saturdays.<br />
<br />
On tourist / heritage railways:<br />
<br />
* Llangollen Railway extended passenger services from Carrog to a provisional terminus at Corwen in October 2014 and to the permanent terminus in June 2023. <br />
* the Mid-Norfolk Railway ran inaugural passenger trains to Worthing level crossing (North Elmham) on 19 and 20 May 2018, but regular services continue to terminate at Dereham. The railway aspires to continue to County School. <br />
* The first (very short) section of the Aln Valley Railway officially opened in October 2013, from a new station on the edge of Alnwick, with a longer run available from December 2017. It is planned that the railway will reach the National Rail station at Alnmouth.<br />
* The first section of the re-opened Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, a narrow gauge line, is in operation between Woody Bay and Killington Lane. Extensions towards Lynton and to Blackmoor Gate are planned as the next phase of reconstruction.<br />
<br />
====Projects authorised or under construction are:==== <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the railway between Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) and Levenmouth for passenger services in 2024. It is expected that some trains will run via Cowdenbeath, providing many more via the curve from Thornton West Junction than the current sparse service. <br />
<br />
A Transport & Works Act Order for the introduction of passenger trains over the freight line to Ashington was granted in June 2022 and the line is due to open by December 2024. The UK Government has announced plans to re-open the railway to Fleetwood, but this may become a tramway. The UK Government is also funding feasibility studies into re-opening a number of other lines, but these are at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
Work has started on construction of a high speed railway (HS2) from London to Birmingham, but the line will not be opened until 2026 at the earliest. A flythrough of the route is [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bkoGvw9kbA here]. It is to be followed by Phase 2a as far as Crewe. It is intended that the line will subsequently be extended to Manchester with completion in the mid-2030s. It was originally planned that there would be a branch to Leeds, but this has been cut back to East Midlands Parkway (near Nottingham). The UK Government has also announced that it intends to proceed with a high-speed line from Warrington to Marsden (for Huddersfield) via Manchester. <br />
<br />
<!---Preliminary work on construction of a link between the LUL Watford branch and the former Croxley Green branch was undertaken in 2016. However, the project has stalled, because of lack of agreement as to how further cost escalation would be funded, and can only be regarded as definitively dead, though there has been no formal announcement to this effect. Should the scheme continue, which seems increasingly unlikely, it will result in the closure of Watford LUL station, but the re-opening of most of the Croxley Green branch.---><br />
Plans were being developed for a second Crossrail line, linking south west and north east London. All work on this stopped in autumn 2020, as a result of economies made to deal with the Covid pandemic. It is questionable whether the scheme will be revived, if there is the expected permanent reduction in commuter traffic. <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the derelict line between Calvert and Bletchley. A Transport & Works Act Order for this scheme was granted in February 2020 and services between Oxford and Milton Keynes are scheduled to start in December 2024. The longer-term objective is to re-introduce trains between Oxford and Cambridge. <br />
<br />
[https://heathrowrail.com/ Heathrow Southern Railway] intends to build a new railway south-west from Heathrow Airport to link with the Staines to Windsor line, together with a branch to Virginia Water or Chertsey. <br />
<br />
In the private sector:<br />
* The Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway is constructing an extension from Glengonnar to Wanlockhead.<br />
* Moorland & City Railways have a stated intention to reopen the line between Stoke-on-Trent and Leek Brook Junction, to a junction with the Churnet Valley Railway, but progress seems to be languishing.<br />
* Most ambitiously, the two Great Central Railways at Loughborough are being linked by means of a reinstated bridge over the Midland Main Line. <br />
* The Rother Valley Railway has obtained a Transport and Works Act Order to rebuild the railway between Robertsbridge and Junction Road (Bodiam).<br />
* The Royal Deeside Railway is extending its line to Crathes West Lodge.<br />
* Strathspey Railway is extending to Grantown-on-Spey and during summer 2014 and 2015 offered a limited service between its normal terminus at Broomhill and the river bridge at Dulnain. Further work depends on obtaining statutory powers under the Transport and Works Act and constructing a new bridge to carry the railway over the A95 main road. <br />
* The Helston Railway provides a short ride near Prospidnick, but plans to extend to Helston and eventually to Gwinear Road.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
<br />
Main line electrification in Great Britain came to a virtual standstill following railway privatisation, because private-sector train operators and rolling stock companies preferred the flexibility of diesel traction. The only schemes to proceed were between Crewe and Kidsgrove (near Stoke on Trent) (electrified for diversionary use), the reconstructed Larkhall branch line in Scotland and High Speed 1 (the Channel Tunnel rail link) [see below].<br />
<br />
In 2009 Department for Transport policy shifted towards extending electrification, with significant schemes proposed and a few implemented. However, greatly increased costs have resulted in projects being curtailed and delayed. Poor cost estimating, increased safety standards, over-specification and loss of practical experience of electrification appear to be among the causes. In July 2017 the UK Government announced an end to plans for further railway electrification in England and Wales, with reliance instead on bi-mode diesel/electric trains. This will included converting some electric multiple-units to bi-mode working. There have also been experiments with battery operation. In contrast, the Scottish Government required Network Rail to develop an electrification technical specification that can deliver an "efficient and affordable rolling programme of electrification". <br />
<br />
Electrification schemes recently completed in England and Wales are:<br />
<br />
* Bedford to Corby (May 2021) <br />
<br />
* London (Heathrow Airport Junction) to Cardiff, Chippenham (Christian Malford) and Newbury (Phased introduction of electric services between May 2017 and January 2020). The scheme was cut back to omit Swansea, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Oxford and the Thames Valley branch lines.<br />
<br />
* Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley (May 2019)<br />
<br />
* Manchester to Preston via Bolton (February 2019)<br />
<br />
* Gospel Oak to Woodgrange Park via South Tottenham (January 2019, but limited electric service initially, because of delayed delivery of rolling stock)<br />
<br />
Schemes under way in England:<br />
<br />
* Kettering - Market Harborough<br />
<br />
* Manchester - Huddersfield - Leeds - York <br />
<br />
* Wigan North Western - Lostock Junction (near Bolton) (announced 1 September 2021, expected completion 2024/2025) <br />
<br />
The UK Government has announced that electrification of the Midland Main Line is to be completed to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield.<br />
<br />
The Welsh Government is sponsoring electrification of the Valley Lines from Cardiff to Bargoed, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert. Light rail vehicles are to be used from Cardiff to Coryton and on routes via Radyr. Tri-mode trains will be used from Rhymney to Penarth, Barry Island and the Vale of Glamorgan line, using battery power between Rhymney and Bargoed, and diesel south of Cardiff. <br />
<br />
Following an extensive programme of electrification completed between 2012 and 2019, most lines in Central Scotland are electrified, with recent schemes comprising:<br />
<br />
*Croy (Carmuirs West Jn) and Camelon (Carmuirs East Jn) to Stirling, Dunblane and Alloa (December 2018)<br />
<br />
*Holytown to Kirknewton (Midcalder Jn) via Shotts (Some electric services April 2019, full service May 2019) <br />
<br />
The line from Falkirk to Grangemouth has also been electrified for freight traffic, but there are proposals to reinstate a passenger service. <br />
<br />
Electric working to Barrhead is expected to start by December 2023, to be followed by East Kilbride. The line from Haymarket (Edinburgh) to Dalmeny is being electrified as the first phase of a scheme to electrify routes through Fife. Transport Scotland's [https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/rail-services-decarbonisation-action-plan/ ''Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan''], published in July 2020, envisages most lines in Scotland being electrified. Priorities are the Kilmarnock line; Edinburgh to Tweedbank; routes in Fife; and Dunblane to Aberdeen. Later extensions will take electrification to Girvan; Gretna via Dumfries; and Inverness to Perth, Aberdeen and Tain.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of changes more than five years ago see [[United_Kingdom - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special Notes==<br />
<br />
Train numbers in Great Britain follow an alpha-numeric format, thus 1A22. The first digit indicates the type of train (passenger trains are 1, 2 or 9), in most cases the letter indicates its route or destination and the remaining digits identify the particular train. Different trains can and do use the same number, so long as they do not conflict geographically or operate several hours apart. Since December 2021 train numbers have been shown in the National Rail Timetable, but they are not normally used for passenger information purposes. It is more usual for trains to be referred to by their schedule, for example as the "10:00 London King's Cross to Aberdeen". International trains have four digit numbers where the second figure is 0 or 1, which can be treated as letters O and I in the UK.<br />
<br />
Departure sheets listing trains from a station in chronological order are rarely used. The usual format is to list destinations in alphabetic order, and provide details of all trains to each, or to provide timetable posters. Most stations have electronic displays, which indicate all departures (and often arrivals) within the next hour or so.<br />
<br />
It is unusual for information displays and announcements at stations and on trains to be in any language other than English (and Welsh in Wales), though most station name signs in Scotland appear in Gaelic as well as English. Multi-lingual information is normally restricted to dedicated airport services and those using the Channel Tunnel.<br />
<br />
No stations sell international tickets or can make international reservations, though there are facilities to make through bookings from certain stations by Eurostar. <!---International tickets and reservations are available at the We Know London Tourist Services desk in the shopping mall at St Pancras International station.---> Even the range of tickets available from Eurostar is very limited. For guidance on booking travel to and from Europe visit [http://www.seat61.com/Europe.htm#How%20do%20I%20book? The Man in Seat Sixty-One]'s website or see advice from [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/European-Train-Travel.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Selective door opening is increasingly used, particularly in London and South East England. Trains are longer than some station platforms and only doors within the platform are unlocked. Announcements and visual displays advise passengers which carriages they need to be in if wishing to alight. This also happens to a limited extent on the London Underground, but usually only affecting the rearmost pair of doors. <br />
<br />
The only long-distance overnight trains in Great Britain are:<br />
<br />
* [https://www.sleeper.scot/ Caledonian Sleeper] from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness <br />
* Great Western's [https://www.gwr.com/travelling-with-us/night-riviera-sleeper Night Riviera] from London to Penzance<br />
<br />
Sleeping cars are provided, but not couchettes, and seating may be in saloons with non-reclinable seats, where passengers have no control of the lighting. <br />
<br />
Taking bicycles, other than folding ones, by train can be difficult. Space may be limited and some operators require advance reservations for bicycles. More information can be found at [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/cyclists.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Train services at weekends, and especially Saturday evening and Sunday until mid-afternoon, can be extensively altered because of [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.aspx engineering work]. With the paucity of alternative routes and a growing aversion to temporary single line working, buses frequently substitute for trains in such circumstances. There are an increasing number of initiatives to give extended overnight possessions Mondays to Thursdays, in order to reduce the extent of weekend closures. This results in late evening trains being replaced by buses. Trials are being undertaken of mid-week line closures. Blockades of a week or more are increasingly common.<br />
<br />
No trains run in the UK on Christmas Day and very few on Boxing Day, mostly on local services in the London and Glasgow areas. No domestic services run in Scotland on New Year's Day, but there are normally trains between England, Edinburgh and Glasgow. <br />
<br />
Very few stations have left luggage facilities. Unattended luggage may be removed by the police and processes to check that it is safe can be very destructive.<br />
<br />
Railway enthusiasts are welcomed on stations - for guidance when on and about stations refer to [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/railway-enthusiasts/railway-enthusiasts-and-photography-at-stations/ Network Rail's] advice.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox United Kingdom}}</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=United_Kingdom_-_Older_General_Information&diff=54799United Kingdom - Older General Information2024-01-25T20:24:50Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Closures and significant service reductions in recent years */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
This document acts as an archive for [[United Kingdom - General Information#Recent and Future Changes|Recent and Future Changes]] more than five years ago.<br />
<br />
==Route Closures and Service Reductions==<br />
====Closures and significant service reductions in recent years====<br />
<br />
'''Lines closed:'''<br />
<br />
* Old Oak Common West Junction - Park Royal - Greenford West Junction: Closed to passenger services in December 2018 to facilitate HS2 construction work; and has been partly dismantled.<br />
<br />
* Forres station and the line through it were replaced in October 2017 by a new station and line to the north. The new line is approximately on the original 1858 alignment of the Inverness & Aberdeen Junction Railway, which was not normally used by passenger trains after the line south to Dunkeld & Birnam, thence Perth, opened in 1863. The last trains via the old station ran on 6 October and the new line and station came into use on 17 October. <br />
<br />
* Farringdon - Moorgate, London: March 2009, but the London Underground line between the same stations is not affected.<br />
<br />
* Fawkham Junction - Southfleet Junction: Regular passenger use ceased in November 2007, as a result of Eurostar services being diverted from London Waterloo to St Pancras. The line was converted to sidings, accessed only from Southfleet Junction, in April 2016, possibly temporarily.<br />
<br />
* Barkston South Junction - Barkston East Junction: Replaced by new curve at Allington, October 2005.<br />
<br />
'''Lines closed for conversion to rapid transit or other alternative transport use:'''<br />
<br />
* Manchester - Oldham - Rochdale: Closed October 2009; most is now part of Manchester's tram/metro system, but that has street running through Oldham, following an interim period when trams used a now-closed section of the former railway.<br />
<br />
* Stratford - North Woolwich, London: Closed December 2006; part being converted to part of Docklands Light Railway and much of the remainder as part of Crossrail's Abbey Wood line.<br />
<br />
'''Passenger service withdrawn, line still open:'''<br />
<br />
* Westbury East Loop Junction - Hawkeridge Junction: Service withdrawn May 2016, when the experimental service of one train each day, Monday to Friday, non-stop between Reading and Bath Spa ceased.<br />
<br />
* [Kensington Olympia - ] Latchmere Junction - Longhedge Junction [ - Wandsworth Road]: The limited service was withdrawn in June 2013.<br />
<br />
* Acton Main Line - Willesden West London Jn: Service withdrawn in December 2008, as a result of Cross Country ceasing to run trains to and from Brighton.<br />
<br />
* Reading West Junction - Oxford Road Junction: The summer Saturday service last ran in September 2008.<br />
<br />
* Nine Elms Junction - Linford Street Junction: Service withdrawn November 2007, as a result of Eurostar services being diverted from London Waterloo to St Pancras.<br />
<br />
* Stratford - North Woolwich, London: Service withdrawn December 2006; part of the line being converted to part of Docklands Light Railway and part of the rest being rebuilt as part of Crossrail's Abbey Wood line.<br />
<br />
* Newhaven Marine Station: The service comprising one train per day was suspended in August 2006 because of the alleged unsafe condition of the platform canopy.<br />
<br />
* Maindee curve, Newport, Gwent: Service withdrawn December 2005.<br />
<br />
* Lisburn - Antrim: Service withdrawn June 2003, on diversion of passenger trains via Bleach Green Junction.<br />
<br />
'''Regular passenger service replaced by a very limited one:'''<br />
<br />
* [Wandsworth Road - ] Factory Junction - Battersea Park: Reduced to one and a half round trips in December 2012.<br />
<br />
* Stechford - Aston: Limited service following closure of open-access operator Wrexham & Shropshire in January 2011.<br />
<br />
* Darlaston Jn - Pleck Jn [Walsall]: Reduced to one Walsall to Wolverhampton train, December 2008.<br />
<br />
* Trowell Junction - Trent Junction: Reduced to 2 or 3 trains a week from December 2008.<br />
<br />
* Holytown (Mossend East Jn) - Motherwell (Mossend South Jn): December 2014<br />
<br />
* Holytown - Wishaw: December 2014<br />
<br />
==Re-openings and Openings==<br />
<br />
The first 70km section of the Channel Tunnel rail link, between Dollands Moor and Southfleet Jn, opened to passengers on 28 September 2003 and the 40km second phase, between Southfleet Jn and London St Pancras International, opened on 14 November 2007. The whole CTRL is now dubbed HS1 (&quot;High Speed 1&quot;). Internal services between London St.Pancras International and destinations in Kent commenced on a trial basis from June 2009, and in full service from December 2009. Higher fares are charged for journeys to and from London via HS1, but not for those between Kent and places beyond London.<br />
<br />
===New and reinstated passenger services in recent years=== <br />
<br />
* Water Street Junction - Irwell Street Junction (Ordsall Chord), allows passenger trains to run direct between Deansgate and Manchester Victoria (December 2017)<br />
<br />
* New line at Forres (see closures above) (October 2017)<br />
<br />
* Yeovil Junction - Yeovil Pen Mill (December 2015)<br />
<br />
* Bicester South Junction - Gavray Junction, allows trains to run between London Marylebone and Oxford (October 2015) (until 10 December 2016 trains ran only as far as Oxford Parkway, but now run through to Oxford)<br />
<br />
* Newcraighall - Tweedbank (Borders Railway) (September 2015)<br />
<br />
* Whiteplatts Jn - Todmorden Jn (Todmorden Curve), allows trains to run direct between Todmorden and Burnley Manchester Road (May 2015)<br />
<br />
* Ebbw Vale Parkway - Ebbw Vale Town (May 2015)<br />
<br />
* Surrey Quays - Queens Road Peckham (December 2012) <br />
<br />
* Wandsworth Road - Clapham Junction (December 2012)<br />
<br />
* Drumgelloch - Bathgate (December 2010)<br />
<br />
* Kettering - Corby - Manton Junction [Melton Mowbray] (April 2009, limited service Kettering - Corby from February 2009)<br />
<br />
* Stirling - Alloa (May 2008) <br />
<br />
* Ebbw Vale Parkway - Cardiff (February 2008) (a link to Newport should reopen later) <br />
<br />
* Hamilton - Larkhall (December 2005) <br />
<br />
* Maryhill - Anniesland (September 2005) <br />
<br />
* Whiteabbey (Bleach Green Junction) - Antrim (June 2003)<br />
<br />
The line between Stratford and Tottenham Hale regained a regular interval service in December 2005 after a period with very few trains.<br />
<br />
The Docklands Light Railway extended to Woolwich Arsenal in January 2009 and to Stratford International in August 2011. The first phase of the resuscitated East London line (partially reopened/partially new construction) opened in April 2010, with full service extending into south London the following month, and to Highbury & Islington in February 2011. Since December 2011 the curve from Slade Green to Barnehurst (Perry Street Fork Junction), which had previously had a limited service, has been used by trains for most of the day, Mondays to Fridays. <br />
<br />
A flyover at Nuneaton, partly new work and partly re-opening a closed line, came into use in 2006. This avoids the need for trains between the Birmingham area and Leicester to cross the West Coast Main Line on the flat. A flyover at Hitchin, used by most passenger trains towards the Cambridge line, came into use in 2013. New curves north of Ipswich and north of Doncaster are normally used only by freight trains. At Norton Bridge a new flyover to and from the Stoke-on-Trent line and a new down slow line towards Crewe came into use in March 2016. <br />
<br />
Remodelling the railway at Reading, completed in 2015, has included construction of a new dive-under from the Wokingham line to the north side of the station, with a limited passenger service, a flyover west of the station used by fast trains to and from Didcot and an alternative route between Reading West and the north side of Reading station. <br />
<br />
Extensive rebuilding of the Thameslink route between St Pancras and New Cross Gate was completed at the beginning of January 2018, but with traffic management and automatic train operation still to be fully commissioned. The line between Blackfriars and London Bridge (Metropolitan Junction) had been out of use since December 2014. Some passenger trains started using the rebuilt route between Blackfriars and Bricklayers Arms Junction (New Cross Gate) on 9 January 2018. The project includes a new line between the Thameslink station at St Pancras International and the East Coast Main Line at Belle Isle Junction, north of King's Cross. A limited passenger service over the line to Belle Isle Junction commenced on 26 February 2018. There has been more extensive use of the line since 20 May 2018. <br />
<br />
Extensions to tourist/heritage railways:<br />
<br />
* South Tynedale Railway extended from Lintley to Slaggyford (on the trackbed of the former Haltwhistle - Alston branch) from the 2018 season<br />
* the Gloucester Warwickshire Steam Railway extended passenger services to Broadway from Spring 2018.<br />
* the Gwili Railway extended their operation from Bronwydd Arms to Abergwili Junction (in the outskirts of Carmarthen) from 2 July 2017.<br />
* the Swanage Railway completed the restoration of a link with the national network when they reopened the line between Norden and Worgret Junction; through trains between Swanage and Wareham, on a seasonal basis, resumed on 13 June 2017. <br />
* the [http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/the-railway/the-mountsorrel-branch/ Mountsorrel branch], off the Great Central Railway, opened in autumn 2015 for occasional trains only.<br />
* Extension of the Bluebell Railway from Kingscote to East Grinstead in 2013 completed the restoration of a link with the national network.<br />
* The [http://www.festrail.co.uk/whr_history_3.htm Welsh Highland Railway] - 2ft. gauge, closed in 1937 - has been rebuilt and extended to run between Caernarfon and Porthmadog (25 miles). The final section - including a flat crossing with the standard gauge line in Porthmadog, to effect a link with the Ffestiniog Railway - opened in April 2011.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
<br />
*Cumbernauld and Croy (Greenhill Upper Jn) to Polmont via Falkirk Grahamston (December 2018, but occasional use from May 2018) <br />
<br />
* Meadowhall to Rotherham (in connection with the Sheffield tram-train scheme; October 2018)<br />
<br />
* Barnt Green to Bromsgrove (July 2018)<br />
<br />
* Preston to Blackpool North (May 2018)<br />
<br />
*Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh (Newbridge Junction) via Falkirk High (Phased introduction December 2017 to August 2018)<br />
<br />
* Manchester Victoria to Ordsall Lane Junction (May 2015)<br />
<br />
* Wigan (Springs Branch Junction) to Huyton via St Helens (May 2015)<br />
<br />
* Earlestown to Edge Hill (March 2015)<br />
<br />
* Rutherglen to Whifflet (December 2014)<br />
<br />
* Cumbernauld to Springburn and Mossend (Motherwell) (May 2014)<br />
<br />
* Manchester (Castlefield Junction) to Newton-le-Willows (December 2013)<br />
<br />
* Glasgow (Shields Junction) to Paisley Canal (November 2012)<br />
<br />
===Stations at Airports===<br />
In addition to airports served by stations on through lines, branch lines or extensions have been opened over recent years and now serve airports at London Stansted, Manchester, Newcastle and London Heathrow (where Heathrow Express/HeathrowConnect and London Underground have three separate pairs of stations: Terminals 1-2-3, Terminal 4 and Terminal 5).<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox United Kingdom}}</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=United_Kingdom_-_General_Information&diff=54798United Kingdom - General Information2024-01-25T20:18:23Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* National Railway System */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland<br />
<br />
Nomenclature: &quot;Great Britain&quot; comprises the countries of England, Wales, and Scotland. &quot;United Kingdom&quot; (in full: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) comprises Great Britain and the Province of Northern Ireland. &quot;British Isles&quot; is a purely geographical description for the British mainland and the island of Ireland; the latter contains the Province of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are usually regarded as part of the British Isles, although independent of the UK government. All but the Republic of Ireland (which is entirely independent of the UK) are under the British Crown (monarchy).<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Most infrastructure in Great Britain is owned by [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail], a company controlled by the government's [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport Department for Transport] (DfT). Most passenger train services are provided by operators under contracts with DfT, [https://tfl.gov.uk/ Transport for London], [http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk Merseytravel], [http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/ Transport Scotland] or the [http://gov.wales/topics/transport/?lang=en Welsh Government]. Most operators are subsidiaries of major bus companies or national railways from other countries, principally Nederlandse Spoorwegen and Trenitalia. A UK Government subsidiary, [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/dft-olr-holdings-limited/about DfT OLR Holdings Limited], operates services if the contractor is no longer able to do so, has had the contract terminated because of default or there has been no acceptable tender for provision of the service. [https://www.railholdings.scot/ Scottish Rail Holdings Limited] is the equivalent in Scotland. Full details of passenger train operators are given by links from the [http://www.raildeliverygroup.com/about-us/uk-rail-industry/passenger-freight-track.html Rail Delivery Group] website. Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites. Passenger train operations collectively are known as 'National Rail'. <br />
<br />
A new organisation, [https://gbrtt.co.uk/ Great British Railways] is being established to take strategic control of railways, in England at least, as well as taking over most of Network Rail's functions as infrastructure owner and operator throughout Britain. <br />
<br />
Railways in Northern Ireland are owned by Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (which remains state-owned) and are operated as the [http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/ N I Railways] (NIR) division of Translink.<br />
<br />
Most operators in Great Britain had a franchise agreement, under which they took most of the commercial risk. DfT was considering changes to franchising when the Covid-19 pandemic made the system uneconomic, due to greatly reduced fares income to the operators. Franchises were replaced by Emergency Recovery Management Agreements and subsequently by National Rail Contracts under which the Government meets operating costs and receives fares and other income. The operating company is paid a management fee. Transport for Wales, ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper, LNER, Northern and Southeastern are all being operated by public sector companies. <br />
<br />
The operator of each train is indicated in the electronic National Rail Timetable and <br />
its printed derivatives by means of two-letter codes; for a de-coder and a chronology of <br />
privatisation and transfer/re-branding of Great Britain's passenger railway franchises to <br />
date go to the [http://www.railchronology.free-online.co.uk/ Rail Chronology] website. Basic customer information about and links to the websites of each TOC are available through the [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tocs_maps/tocs/TrainOperators.aspx National Rail] website. Some further information about passenger train operators and past franchisees can be found in the [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-franchise-schedule DfT] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_operating_trains_in_the_United_Kingdom Wikipedia] websites. The Wikipedia list is usually more up to date and accurate than the DfT schedule!<br />
<br />
A small number of operators provide passenger services on the national network which are not under contract to the DfT. These include [http://www.eurostar.com/ ''Eurostar''] which is a unitary undertaking (Eurostar <br />
International Ltd) managed by SNCF, which has a 55% interest in the company. Private investors acquired the UK government's 40% stake in 2015 and SNCB/NMBS owns the remaining 5%. 'Open Access' passenger operators are: <br />
<br />
* [https://www.hulltrains.co.uk/ Hull Trains] between London and Hull <br />
* [https://www.grandcentralrail.com/ Grand Central] between London, Bradford and Sunderland<br />
* [https://www.lumo.co.uk/ Lumo] between London and Edinburgh <br />
<br />
[http://www.granduniontrains.co.uk/ Grand Union Trains] intends to start services between London and Carmarthen in 2025. <br />
<br />
In addition<br />
* [http://www.eurotunnel.com/ Eurotunnel] operates a shuttle service for motor vehicles through the Channel Tunnel; this does not carry foot-passengers (although cyclists can be carried by arrangement)<br />
* [http://www.nymr.co.uk/ North Yorkshire Moors Railway] operates timetabled steam trains through between Pickering/Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby during the summer.<br />
* [http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/ Swanage Railway] and West Coast Railways operated a service between Swanage and Wareham during the summer in 2017, but in 2018 and 2019 there was just a limited Saturday service by the local franchisee, South Western Railway. West Coast Railways again operates trains between Swanage and Wareham on behalf of Swanage Railway between April and September 2023. <br />
* [http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/ West Coast Railways] operates timetabled steam trains between Fort William and Mallaig during the summer, but in practice these get fully booked well in advance. <br />
<br />
All freight trains in Great Britain are operated by competing companies under "open access" conditions. The <i>principal</i> companies are: <br />
<br />
* [http://www.rail.dbschenker.co.uk/rail-uk-en/start/ DB Cargo UK] (formerly English Welsh and Scottish Railway, now a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn of Germany) <br />
* [https://www.freightliner.co.uk/ Freightliner] (owned by US railroad Genesee & Wyoming Inc) <br />
* [http://www.colasrail.co.uk/ Colas Rail] (part of the Bouygues group); <br />
* [http://www.directrailservices.com/ Direct Rail Services] (owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority) <br />
* [http://www.gbrailfreight.com/ GB Railfreight] (owned by Infracapital, an infrastructure equity investor). <br />
<br />
DB Cargo UK, in particular, and GB Railfreight, to a lesser extent, operate charter passenger trains. GB Railfreight also operates the Caledonian Sleeper trains on behalf of Caledonian Sleeper Limited.<br />
<br />
[https://www.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Rail Operations Group] concentrates on rolling stock moves for manufacturers, leasing companies and passenger operators, but started a parcels-carrying business, trading as [https://orion.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Orion] in 2021.<br />
<br />
There are no longer any revenue freight trains in Northern Ireland.<br />
<br />
Neither the Isle of Man nor the Channel Isles (îles Anglo-Normands) is legally part of the UK but the Isle of Man's active railways and tramways are to <br />
be found at the [http://www.heritagerailways.com/Visits_Map.php UK and Irish Heritage Railways website] and under [[#Trams/LRT-Systems|Trams/LRT-Systems]] respectively.<br />
<br />
==Official Website==<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ National Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink]<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
English. In addition Welsh is spoken in most parts of Wales, <br />
and Gaelic is used to a certain extent in north-west Scotland.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Pound sterling. Banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own notes, <br />
which are valid throughout the UK and usually accepted without question. Channel <br />
Islands and Manx notes (but not coins) are technically legal tender in the UK, <br />
but are best changed at banks.<br />
<br />
==UIC code==<br />
* United Kingdom: numeric 70; alpha GB<br />
* Eurotunnel: numeric 69 (used only for accounting purposes and not shown on rolling stock).<br />
<br />
Historically, the only British rolling stock to show UIC numbers were wagons passed to work on the now defunct train ferries from Harwich and Dover or through the Channel Tunnel. The Eurostar class 374 trains, which entered service in 2015, were the first UK-registered passenger stock to have UIC numbers, otherwise known as the European Vehicle Number (EVN). Rail Industry Standard RIS-2453-RST ''Vehicle Registration, Marking and Numbering'', introduced in December 2017, requires new vehicles in Great Britain to be identified by EVN. On passenger vehicles only an abbreviated version is normally show. UIC numbering is not used by NI Railways.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland)===<br />
The official National Rail timetable is published on Network Rail's website (see below), twice yearly (in mid December and mid May). Services on Mondays to Fridays, on Saturdays (or Mondays to Saturdays) and on Sundays are usually different and laid out separately in the timetable; there may be several alternative Sunday services, to allow for engineering work, during the currency of a timetable. [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe] provides a comprehensive guide to printed and on-line public transport timetables.<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
[http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/s/planjourney/query National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner]<br />
<br />
The [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites provide a quick-reference way of checking the latest schedule (or amendment) for any particular train<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetable====<br />
PDFs of the National Railway Timetable are available from the [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/electronic-national-rail-timetable-enrt/ Network Rail] website. These are maintained for Network Rail by [https://timetables.fabdigital.uk/nrt/ Fabdigital] and the version on their website may be more up to date.<br />
<br />
====Working (Staff) Timetables====<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/working-timetable/ Network Rail Working Timetables]<br />
<br />
You can also check for the latest variations to working timetable details for specific trains on the [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites.<br />
<br />
[http://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/working-timetables London Underground working timetables]. DLR is not included.<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
Since May 2020 there has been no comprehensive printed timetable for Great Britain and there are no printed timetable leaflets for most lines.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.html National Rail's future engineering works]<br />
<br />
===Northern Ireland===<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
On the [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink home page].<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetables====<br />
[https://www.translink.co.uk/timetables?LocationId=&Name=&LocationType=&TransportMode=Bus&page=1 Translink bus and rail timetables]<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
A series of four free leaflets is available.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/nirailways-travel-updates/ NIRailways Travel Updates]<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*The ''Rail Atlas Great Britain & Ireland'' gives detailed and accurate coverage of the UK railway system, and is widely available. It is mostly at 1:350,000, but with enlargements of many urban areas; an updated edition is published every 2-3 years.<br />
*[http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps] publish a series of track diagrams (formerly Quail Track Diagrams) in five regional volumes.<br />
*Northern Ireland Railways are in a volume covering the whole of Ireland also published by [http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps]<br />
*Historic atlases have been published by various other publishers.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] (see National Rail Passenger Operators' map) and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/united_kingdom_ireland.html British Isles and Ireland Map]. Last updated December 2022<br />
*[http://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php Rail Map online].<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
There is no distance-related fare tariff in the UK, and fares are charged on a market basis. Certain fares are regulated and the amount by which train companies can increase some fares is specified by the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
Standard walk-on fares are high, but a wide range of discounted fares is available. These are subject to restrictions as to days and times when they can be used. It can be difficult to obtain accurate information as to fares and their availability, even from official enquiry offices, because the pricing structure is complicated and the different train companies are all making their own special offers. The most heavily discounted fares usually oblige the passenger to travel on specified trains (with no opportunity to alter these) - and only a limited number of tickets may be issued for each service. Train operators are increasingly introducing special offers that can only be taken up through their website. Higher fares are charged for use of domestic trains on HS1, the high-speed line to Kent, except for through tickets between Kent and destinations beyond London. <br />
<br />
Tickets for any rail journey in the UK can be purchased from most train operators' websites, but the best price may be available from the operator whose service is being used. It is often possible to obtain a lower price for a journey by splitting it and buying a different ticket for each section. In such cases it is necessary to travel on a train that stops at stations where the validity of one ticket ends and another starts. This requirement does not apply if at least one of the tickets is a season ticket, rail rover or similar. It may also be found that a ticket to a station beyond one's destination is cheaper, but conditions need to be checked carefully. A break of journey may not be permitted, requiring an excess fare to be paid if exiting at an intermediate station. Various websites act as 'consolidators' and will compare what is available in order to offer the best deal, including split ticketing options. <br />
<br />
Various Railcards are available, usually giving a fare reduction of one third. These are available nationally to groups, such as young people, families, senior citizens, two people travelling together, those with a disability and military personnel. Some cards are available to all, but only valid for travel within a particular geographic area. The cost of a Railcard may be recouped immediately if a long-distance journey is planned or if purchasing a high-price ticket such as a national rail rover. Some Railcards only give a discount for off-peak travel. Details of Railcards are available at [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/National-Railcards.aspx National Rail]. Details can be found at the unofficial [http://www.railrover.org/ Rail Rover] website.<br />
<br />
Overseas visitors should endeavour to purchase a rover ticket, such as a [http://www.britrail.net/ BritRail] or InterRail pass, before travelling to the UK. Various rail rovers are available within the UK, but they do not offer the value or wide validity of those available to foreign visitors, and many are not valid until after the morning peak period.<br />
<br />
In various areas where all stations have automatic ticket machines, including on the London Underground and most other tram and metro networks, a penalty fares system applies. Passengers found without a ticket are likely to have to pay a fine on the spot.<br />
<br />
First class seating tends now to be found only on principal routes; in Northern Ireland it is limited to principal trains on the international route between Belfast and Dublin (where NIRailways call it &quot;First plus&quot; while partner Iarnród Éireann call it &quot;Premium&quot;). Eurostar maintain three classes: Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier. On some trains, including many of those operated by Gatwick Express, Great Northern and Southern, there is no difference between first class and standard class seating. If a train including first class seats is used on a service advertised as standard class only, holders of standard class tickets may use the first class seats.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Railways Company Limited, through a subsidiary NIR Networks Limited<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/network-statement/ Network Rail]. The Sectional Appendices are available <br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ here] (scroll down to list of PDFs).<br />
<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Corporate/About-Us/Publications/network-statement/ Translink]<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
*Great Britain: Standard<br />
*Northern Ireland: 1600 mm [5 feet 3 inches]<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
*Great Britain: Mostly 25 kV 50 Hz. 750 V dc third rail is used on some lines in south east England and around Liverpool. The third rail network in south east England is by a considerable margin the most extensive such system in the world and the only place when conductor rail trains operate at up to 100 mph (160 km/hr). The line between Pelaw and Sunderland is electrified at 1500V dc overhead, to allow use by Tyne & Wear Metro. The line between Tinsley North Junction and Rotherham Parkgate is electrified at 750V dc overhead, for use by Sheffield Supertram. Most tramway systems are 750 V dc with Blackpool being 600 V dc.<br />
*Northern Ireland: no electrified lines.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Left.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
*Distances are shown on Railway Track Diagrams published by [https://www.trackmaps.co.uk/ TRACKmaps]. Distances are also available in Network Rail's [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ Sectional Appendices] (scroll down for list of available PDFs).<br />
*Distances for Northern Ireland are also available on-line on the Signalling Record Society website:<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-nc.php Derry and Larne lines]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-bd.php Bangor line]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-gd.php Dublin line]<br />
<br />
==Other railways==<br />
*Core Valley Lines (Cardiff to Rhymney, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert): Owned by the Welsh Government and managed by a lessee, Amey Keolis Infrastructure/Seilwaith Amey Keolis Limited.<br />
*Crossrail Central Operating Section is the railway under Central London from Portobello Junction (Royal Oak) to Pudding Mill Lane Junction (Bow) and Abbey Wood. It is managed by Rail for London (Infrastructure) Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London.<br />
*East London Line: Owned by Rail for London Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London. <br />
*Eurotunnel: A partnership between the Channel Tunnel Group Limited and France-Manche S.A. that operates the Channel Tunnel under a long-term concession from the UK and French governments. <br />
*Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited owns the railway between London Heathrow Airport and the junction with the Great Western Main Line near Hayes & Harlington. <br />
*HS1 Ltd: The investor with a 30 years concession from the UK government to operate the high-speed line between London and the Channel Tunnel, though most aspects of day-to-day operation and maintenance are contracted out to Network Rail. <br />
<br />
Facilities exist for special through running between the national system and some tourist lines.<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
A map of UK heritage railways can be found at the "Heritage Rail - UK & Ireland" link on the [https://www.heritagerailways.com Heritage Railway Association website].<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
London, Newcastle, Glasgow. Although part of the national railway system, the Merseyrail Electrics <br />
network in Liverpool is like a Metro. There are two separate networks in London. The Underground system is 630V dc third and fourth rail; the Docklands Light Railway is a fully-automated 750V dc third rail system. London Overground operates under a contract let by the Mayor of London and uses Transport for London branding, but operates almost entirely on Network Rail lines. The Glasgow and Merseyrail systems are third <br />
rail and Newcastle is 1500 V dc overhead. Glasgow Subway is 4 feet (1,219mm) gauge and was originally cable-worked. There are several lines where London Underground and main line trains share the same tracks. The Tyne & Wear Metro (Newcastle) operates to Sunderland over the Network Rail line from Pelaw.<br />
<br />
The Core Valley Lines from Cardiff are being converted to a form of metro system.<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Birmingham/Wolverhampton (Midland Metro), Blackpool, Croydon, Edinburgh,<br />
Llandudno (cable worked), Manchester, Nottingham, Seaton (Devon) and Sheffield. The Croydon, <br />
Manchester, Midland Metro, Nottingham and Seaton systems include extensive running over <br />
routes that were previously part of the national railway system. The Manchester and Nottingham systems have been considerably extended in recent years. On the Manchester Metrolink system a second route through Manchester city centre came into use on 26 February 2017, and the 5.5 km Trafford Park line opened on 22 March 2020. The Midland Metro in Birmingham was extended to Edgbaston on 17 July 2022 and to Wolverhampton Station on 17 September 2023. The first stage of a line to Brierley Hill is expected to open, to Dudley, in 2024. The extension of the Edinburgh line to Leith and Newhaven opened on 21 June 2023 and plans have been announced for further lines in the city. The Blackpool system Talbot Gateway extension, to Blackpool North station, is expected to be fully open in 2023. A metro system is proposed in Glasgow, but this project is at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
The Seaton and Llandudno lines are essentially tourist operations, and both are narrow gauge. <br />
There are other tourist lines of a mile or more at the National Tramway Museum <br />
(Crich, near Matlock) and at Beamish Open Air Museum (near Gateshead), plus <br />
several other shorter lines. <br />
<br />
The Isle of Man has three narrow gauge tramways, which operate on a seasonal basis: Douglas Bay Horse Tramway - along the promenade in Douglas; the Manx Electric Railway - an inter-urban line between Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey; and the Snaefell Mountain Railway - from Laxey to Snaefell Summit. <br />
After a period of uncertainty, the threat that the horse tramway line in Douglas might be shortened seems to have been seen off by a vote in Tynwald (the Manx parliament) in January 2017. <br />
<br />
The Tinsley Chord, which connects the Sheffield tram system to a freight line near Meadowhall, allows tram-trains to run between Sheffield city centre and Rotherham Parkgate over Network Rail lines. Public services commenced on Thursday 25 October 2018. Sheffield tram-trains are dual voltage vehicles that can run on the 750 V Overhead Lines (OHLE) of the tram network and the 25 kV OHLE of the national rail network; however the line to Rotherham Parkgate is initially energised at 750 V because there is no 25 kV electrification in the area.<br />
<br />
Track plans for most of the significant tram systems in the United Kingdom are available on the [http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/line/diagrams0.shtm Railway Codes site] and also on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/index-e.php Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes== <br />
Some aspects of national railway operations are privatised, but infrastructure ownership has reverted to the public sector. There continues to be debate about the fragmented, expensive and complex nature of the system that has emerged, under the general oversight of the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
===Route Closures and Service Reductions===<br />
Having undergone extensive cut backs in the 1960s, the present passenger network seems relatively secure. The closure of a passenger railway in the UK normally involves a lengthy legal process, and short-notice closures usually occur only if there is a sudden and dramatic infrastructure failure, or if the closure is deemed a &quot;minor closure&quot;. However, a number of stations have closed and all passenger services over some lines have been withdrawn without the statutory procedure having been followed. Passenger services via the Channel Tunnel, or in connection with them, do not enjoy statutory protection from closure. <br />
<br />
Some routes have been reduced to just one or two trains per day (or, in some cases, per week) in order to reduce operating costs without having to go through the closure procedure. These are included in the list of [https://www.egtre.info/wiki/United_Kingdom_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services sparse services].<br />
<br />
A newly-introduced passenger service can be designated as "experimental" for a period up to five years, during which time it may be withdrawn without the usual closure procedure needing to be followed. The only "experimental" service at present is Thanet Parkway station, until 30 July 2028.<br />
<br />
====Passenger services to be withdrawn====<br />
* The railway between Nottingham and Worksop may be diverted at Whitwell to allow expansion of a dolomite quarry. This will eliminate Whitwell Tunnel. No date is set for this, but planning permission to expand the quarry was granted in 2018.<br />
<br />
* Planned diversion of trains between Belfast and Dublin to a new terminal facility - [http://www.translink.co.uk/Translink-Footer/the-hub/ the Belfast Hub] - being constructed close to Belfast Great Victoria Street may see the end of regular passenger services between Central Junction (Adelaide) and City Junction (City Hospital).<br />
<br />
====Closures and significant service reductions in recent years are==== <br />
<br />
'''Line closed'''<br />
<br />
* Old Oak Common West Junction - Park Royal - Greenford West Junction: Closed to passenger services in December 2018 to facilitate HS2 construction work; and has been partly dismantled.<br />
<br />
'''Passenger service withdrawn, line still open for other than regular passenger traffic:'''<br />
<br />
* Greenford LUL Bay Junction - Northolt Junction: The Wednesdays only train from West Ealing to West Ruislip ran for the last time on 7 December 2022.<br />
<br />
* Cowlairs East Junction - Cowlairs North Junction (Glasgow): The summer Sunday trains between Edinburgh and Oban start and terminate at Glasgow Queen Street in 2023. Last use of the curve by the ScotRail service was on 28 August 2022. It continues to be used by the [https://www.belmond.com/trains/europe/scotland/belmond-royal-scotsman/journeys Royal Scotsman] Western Scenic Wonders tour, but prices start at £5,800.<br />
<br />
* Barking Station Junction - Barking platform 1: No regular passenger traffic from 18 July 2022, when the line to Barking Riverside opened, but occasional diversions may be possible.<br />
<br />
* Dalmeny - Winchburgh Junction: Service withdrawn 23 March 2020, but without the statutory closure procedure having been followed. From 11 Dec 2022 the 22:31 FSSuX Dundee to Edinburgh and 22.58 SuO Glenrothes with Thornton to Edinburgh are scheduled to run this way with reversal at Linlithgow, but are likely to run direct via Edinburgh Gateway if there is no engineering work on that route.<br />
<br />
'''Significant service reduction'''<br />
<br />
* Glenrothes with Thornton - Thornton South Junction: The frequent service via Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy became Sundays only, except for one train each way Mondays to Fridays, with effect from 15 May 2022.<br />
<br />
====Temporary Closures:==== <br />
<br />
Work to upgrade the UK rail network is increasingly leading to lines being closed for extended periods. Severe weather and the age of much railway infrastructure has resulted in more temporary closures caused by landslips and other problems with earthworks. Current and planned temporary closures of four weeks or more, in approximate order of expected re-opening, are: <br />
<br />
* Prestwick Town to Girvan and Kilmarnock to Barassie: From 25 September 2023, probably for several weeks, because of a dangerous building at Ayr.<br />
* Bletchley to Bedford: From 1 December 2022, because the rolling stock provider is in administration. May reopen 4 November 2023.<br />
* Dovey Junction to Pwllheli: From 2 September to 3 December 2023, for work to Barmouth Bridge.<br />
* Ashford East Junction, connection to HS1: Eurostar ceased calling at Ashford on 19 March 2020 and will not resume before 2025/6.<br />
<br />
There are also extended closures of sections of the Valley Lines, north of Cardiff, at least until February 2024, for electrification work.<br />
<br />
===Re-openings and Openings===<br />
<br />
Most projects involve upgrading existing routes, but some openings have occurred or are about to do so. <br />
<br />
====New and reinstated passenger services in recent years:==== <br />
<br />
New passenger services are: <br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension - The Royal - Wolverhampton Station (17 September 2023). <br />
<br />
* Westbourne Park Junction - Paddington and Stepney Green Junction - Pudding Mill Lane Junction (full opening of Elizabeth line) (6 November 2022) <br />
<br />
* Barking - Barking Riverside (18 July 2022)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension - Library - Edgbaston Village (17 July 2022) <br />
<br />
*Paddington - Abbey Wood (Elizabeth line) (24 May 2022)<br />
<br />
* Newport (Gaer Junction) - Pye Corner (Park Junction) (on introduction of trains between Newport and Crosskeys, 12 December 2021)<br />
<br />
* Crediton - Okehampton (20 November 2021; there was previously a service on summer Sundays)<br />
<br />
* Kennington - Battersea Power Station (London Underground, Northern Line extension, opened September 2021)<br />
<br />
* Meadowhall South/Tinsley - Tinsley North Junction - Rotherham Central (Sheffield Tram Train operation substantially over a Network Rail freight line, opened on 25 October 2018) <br />
<br />
A daily service, generally hourly, was introduced between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester via Runcorn and Frodsham on 19 May 2019. Previously the curve between Halton Junction and Frodsham Junction had been used by a single unadvertised train in one direction only on summer Saturdays.<br />
<br />
On tourist / heritage railways:<br />
<br />
* Llangollen Railway extended passenger services from Carrog to a provisional terminus at Corwen in October 2014 and to the permanent terminus in June 2023. <br />
* the Mid-Norfolk Railway ran inaugural passenger trains to Worthing level crossing (North Elmham) on 19 and 20 May 2018, but regular services continue to terminate at Dereham. The railway aspires to continue to County School. <br />
* The first (very short) section of the Aln Valley Railway officially opened in October 2013, from a new station on the edge of Alnwick, with a longer run available from December 2017. It is planned that the railway will reach the National Rail station at Alnmouth.<br />
* The first section of the re-opened Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, a narrow gauge line, is in operation between Woody Bay and Killington Lane. Extensions towards Lynton and to Blackmoor Gate are planned as the next phase of reconstruction.<br />
<br />
====Projects authorised or under construction are:==== <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the railway between Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) and Levenmouth for passenger services in 2024. It is expected that some trains will run via Cowdenbeath, providing many more via the curve from Thornton West Junction than the current sparse service. <br />
<br />
A Transport & Works Act Order for the introduction of passenger trains over the freight line to Ashington was granted in June 2022 and the line is due to open by December 2024. The UK Government has announced plans to re-open the railway to Fleetwood, but this may become a tramway. The UK Government is also funding feasibility studies into re-opening a number of other lines, but these are at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
Work has started on construction of a high speed railway (HS2) from London to Birmingham, but the line will not be opened until 2026 at the earliest. A flythrough of the route is [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bkoGvw9kbA here]. It is to be followed by Phase 2a as far as Crewe. It is intended that the line will subsequently be extended to Manchester with completion in the mid-2030s. It was originally planned that there would be a branch to Leeds, but this has been cut back to East Midlands Parkway (near Nottingham). The UK Government has also announced that it intends to proceed with a high-speed line from Warrington to Marsden (for Huddersfield) via Manchester. <br />
<br />
<!---Preliminary work on construction of a link between the LUL Watford branch and the former Croxley Green branch was undertaken in 2016. However, the project has stalled, because of lack of agreement as to how further cost escalation would be funded, and can only be regarded as definitively dead, though there has been no formal announcement to this effect. Should the scheme continue, which seems increasingly unlikely, it will result in the closure of Watford LUL station, but the re-opening of most of the Croxley Green branch.---><br />
Plans were being developed for a second Crossrail line, linking south west and north east London. All work on this stopped in autumn 2020, as a result of economies made to deal with the Covid pandemic. It is questionable whether the scheme will be revived, if there is the expected permanent reduction in commuter traffic. <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the derelict line between Calvert and Bletchley. A Transport & Works Act Order for this scheme was granted in February 2020 and services between Oxford and Milton Keynes are scheduled to start in December 2024. The longer-term objective is to re-introduce trains between Oxford and Cambridge. <br />
<br />
[https://heathrowrail.com/ Heathrow Southern Railway] intends to build a new railway south-west from Heathrow Airport to link with the Staines to Windsor line, together with a branch to Virginia Water or Chertsey. <br />
<br />
In the private sector:<br />
* The Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway is constructing an extension from Glengonnar to Wanlockhead.<br />
* Moorland & City Railways have a stated intention to reopen the line between Stoke-on-Trent and Leek Brook Junction, to a junction with the Churnet Valley Railway, but progress seems to be languishing.<br />
* Most ambitiously, the two Great Central Railways at Loughborough are being linked by means of a reinstated bridge over the Midland Main Line. <br />
* The Rother Valley Railway has obtained a Transport and Works Act Order to rebuild the railway between Robertsbridge and Junction Road (Bodiam).<br />
* The Royal Deeside Railway is extending its line to Crathes West Lodge.<br />
* Strathspey Railway is extending to Grantown-on-Spey and during summer 2014 and 2015 offered a limited service between its normal terminus at Broomhill and the river bridge at Dulnain. Further work depends on obtaining statutory powers under the Transport and Works Act and constructing a new bridge to carry the railway over the A95 main road. <br />
* The Helston Railway provides a short ride near Prospidnick, but plans to extend to Helston and eventually to Gwinear Road.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
<br />
Main line electrification in Great Britain came to a virtual standstill following railway privatisation, because private-sector train operators and rolling stock companies preferred the flexibility of diesel traction. The only schemes to proceed were between Crewe and Kidsgrove (near Stoke on Trent) (electrified for diversionary use), the reconstructed Larkhall branch line in Scotland and High Speed 1 (the Channel Tunnel rail link) [see below].<br />
<br />
In 2009 Department for Transport policy shifted towards extending electrification, with significant schemes proposed and a few implemented. However, greatly increased costs have resulted in projects being curtailed and delayed. Poor cost estimating, increased safety standards, over-specification and loss of practical experience of electrification appear to be among the causes. In July 2017 the UK Government announced an end to plans for further railway electrification in England and Wales, with reliance instead on bi-mode diesel/electric trains. This will included converting some electric multiple-units to bi-mode working. There have also been experiments with battery operation. In contrast, the Scottish Government required Network Rail to develop an electrification technical specification that can deliver an "efficient and affordable rolling programme of electrification". <br />
<br />
Electrification schemes recently completed in England and Wales are:<br />
<br />
* Bedford to Corby (May 2021) <br />
<br />
* London (Heathrow Airport Junction) to Cardiff, Chippenham (Christian Malford) and Newbury (Phased introduction of electric services between May 2017 and January 2020). The scheme was cut back to omit Swansea, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Oxford and the Thames Valley branch lines.<br />
<br />
* Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley (May 2019)<br />
<br />
* Manchester to Preston via Bolton (February 2019)<br />
<br />
* Gospel Oak to Woodgrange Park via South Tottenham (January 2019, but limited electric service initially, because of delayed delivery of rolling stock)<br />
<br />
Schemes under way in England:<br />
<br />
* Kettering - Market Harborough<br />
<br />
* Manchester - Huddersfield - Leeds - York <br />
<br />
* Wigan North Western - Lostock Junction (near Bolton) (announced 1 September 2021, expected completion 2024/2025) <br />
<br />
The UK Government has announced that electrification of the Midland Main Line is to be completed to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield.<br />
<br />
The Welsh Government is sponsoring electrification of the Valley Lines from Cardiff to Bargoed, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert. Light rail vehicles are to be used from Cardiff to Coryton and on routes via Radyr. Tri-mode trains will be used from Rhymney to Penarth, Barry Island and the Vale of Glamorgan line, using battery power between Rhymney and Bargoed, and diesel south of Cardiff. <br />
<br />
Following an extensive programme of electrification completed between 2012 and 2019, most lines in Central Scotland are electrified, with recent schemes comprising:<br />
<br />
*Croy (Carmuirs West Jn) and Camelon (Carmuirs East Jn) to Stirling, Dunblane and Alloa (December 2018)<br />
<br />
*Holytown to Kirknewton (Midcalder Jn) via Shotts (Some electric services April 2019, full service May 2019) <br />
<br />
The line from Falkirk to Grangemouth has also been electrified for freight traffic, but there are proposals to reinstate a passenger service. <br />
<br />
Electric working to Barrhead is expected to start by December 2023, to be followed by East Kilbride. The line from Haymarket (Edinburgh) to Dalmeny is being electrified as the first phase of a scheme to electrify routes through Fife. Transport Scotland's [https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/rail-services-decarbonisation-action-plan/ ''Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan''], published in July 2020, envisages most lines in Scotland being electrified. Priorities are the Kilmarnock line; Edinburgh to Tweedbank; routes in Fife; and Dunblane to Aberdeen. Later extensions will take electrification to Girvan; Gretna via Dumfries; and Inverness to Perth, Aberdeen and Tain.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of changes more than five years ago see [[United_Kingdom - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special Notes==<br />
<br />
Train numbers in Great Britain follow an alpha-numeric format, thus 1A22. The first digit indicates the type of train (passenger trains are 1, 2 or 9), in most cases the letter indicates its route or destination and the remaining digits identify the particular train. Different trains can and do use the same number, so long as they do not conflict geographically or operate several hours apart. Since December 2021 train numbers have been shown in the National Rail Timetable, but they are not normally used for passenger information purposes. It is more usual for trains to be referred to by their schedule, for example as the "10:00 London King's Cross to Aberdeen". International trains have four digit numbers where the second figure is 0 or 1, which can be treated as letters O and I in the UK.<br />
<br />
Departure sheets listing trains from a station in chronological order are rarely used. The usual format is to list destinations in alphabetic order, and provide details of all trains to each, or to provide timetable posters. Most stations have electronic displays, which indicate all departures (and often arrivals) within the next hour or so.<br />
<br />
It is unusual for information displays and announcements at stations and on trains to be in any language other than English (and Welsh in Wales), though most station name signs in Scotland appear in Gaelic as well as English. Multi-lingual information is normally restricted to dedicated airport services and those using the Channel Tunnel.<br />
<br />
No stations sell international tickets or can make international reservations, though there are facilities to make through bookings from certain stations by Eurostar. <!---International tickets and reservations are available at the We Know London Tourist Services desk in the shopping mall at St Pancras International station.---> Even the range of tickets available from Eurostar is very limited. For guidance on booking travel to and from Europe visit [http://www.seat61.com/Europe.htm#How%20do%20I%20book? The Man in Seat Sixty-One]'s website or see advice from [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/European-Train-Travel.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Selective door opening is increasingly used, particularly in London and South East England. Trains are longer than some station platforms and only doors within the platform are unlocked. Announcements and visual displays advise passengers which carriages they need to be in if wishing to alight. This also happens to a limited extent on the London Underground, but usually only affecting the rearmost pair of doors. <br />
<br />
The only long-distance overnight trains in Great Britain are:<br />
<br />
* [https://www.sleeper.scot/ Caledonian Sleeper] from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness <br />
* Great Western's [https://www.gwr.com/travelling-with-us/night-riviera-sleeper Night Riviera] from London to Penzance<br />
<br />
Sleeping cars are provided, but not couchettes, and seating may be in saloons with non-reclinable seats, where passengers have no control of the lighting. <br />
<br />
Taking bicycles, other than folding ones, by train can be difficult. Space may be limited and some operators require advance reservations for bicycles. More information can be found at [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/cyclists.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Train services at weekends, and especially Saturday evening and Sunday until mid-afternoon, can be extensively altered because of [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.aspx engineering work]. With the paucity of alternative routes and a growing aversion to temporary single line working, buses frequently substitute for trains in such circumstances. There are an increasing number of initiatives to give extended overnight possessions Mondays to Thursdays, in order to reduce the extent of weekend closures. This results in late evening trains being replaced by buses. Trials are being undertaken of mid-week line closures. Blockades of a week or more are increasingly common.<br />
<br />
No trains run in the UK on Christmas Day and very few on Boxing Day, mostly on local services in the London and Glasgow areas. No domestic services run in Scotland on New Year's Day, but there are normally trains between England, Edinburgh and Glasgow. <br />
<br />
Very few stations have left luggage facilities. Unattended luggage may be removed by the police and processes to check that it is safe can be very destructive.<br />
<br />
Railway enthusiasts are welcomed on stations - for guidance when on and about stations refer to [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/railway-enthusiasts/railway-enthusiasts-and-photography-at-stations/ Network Rail's] advice.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox United Kingdom}}</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=United_Kingdom_-_General_Information&diff=54797United Kingdom - General Information2024-01-25T20:17:47Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* National Railway System */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland<br />
<br />
Nomenclature: &quot;Great Britain&quot; comprises the countries of England, Wales, and Scotland. &quot;United Kingdom&quot; (in full: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) comprises Great Britain and the Province of Northern Ireland. &quot;British Isles&quot; is a purely geographical description for the British mainland and the island of Ireland; the latter contains the Province of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are usually regarded as part of the British Isles, although independent of the UK government. All but the Republic of Ireland (which is entirely independent of the UK) are under the British Crown (monarchy).<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Most infrastructure in Great Britain is owned by [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail], a company controlled by the government's [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport Department for Transport] (DfT). Most passenger train services are provided by operators under contracts with DfT, [https://tfl.gov.uk/ Transport for London], [http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk Merseytravel], [http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/ Transport Scotland] or the [http://gov.wales/topics/transport/?lang=en Welsh Government]. Most operators are subsidiaries of major bus companies or national railways from other countries, principally Nederlandse Spoorweg and Trenitalia. A UK Government subsidiary, [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/dft-olr-holdings-limited/about DfT OLR Holdings Limited], operates services if the contractor is no longer able to do so, has had the contract terminated because of default or there has been no acceptable tender for provision of the service. [https://www.railholdings.scot/ Scottish Rail Holdings Limited] is the equivalent in Scotland. Full details of passenger train operators are given by links from the [http://www.raildeliverygroup.com/about-us/uk-rail-industry/passenger-freight-track.html Rail Delivery Group] website. Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites. Passenger train operations collectively are known as 'National Rail'. <br />
<br />
A new organisation, [https://gbrtt.co.uk/ Great British Railways] is being established to take strategic control of railways, in England at least, as well as taking over most of Network Rail's functions as infrastructure owner and operator throughout Britain. <br />
<br />
Railways in Northern Ireland are owned by Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (which remains state-owned) and are operated as the [http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/ N I Railways] (NIR) division of Translink.<br />
<br />
Most operators in Great Britain had a franchise agreement, under which they took most of the commercial risk. DfT was considering changes to franchising when the Covid-19 pandemic made the system uneconomic, due to greatly reduced fares income to the operators. Franchises were replaced by Emergency Recovery Management Agreements and subsequently by National Rail Contracts under which the Government meets operating costs and receives fares and other income. The operating company is paid a management fee. Transport for Wales, ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper, LNER, Northern and Southeastern are all being operated by public sector companies. <br />
<br />
The operator of each train is indicated in the electronic National Rail Timetable and <br />
its printed derivatives by means of two-letter codes; for a de-coder and a chronology of <br />
privatisation and transfer/re-branding of Great Britain's passenger railway franchises to <br />
date go to the [http://www.railchronology.free-online.co.uk/ Rail Chronology] website. Basic customer information about and links to the websites of each TOC are available through the [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tocs_maps/tocs/TrainOperators.aspx National Rail] website. Some further information about passenger train operators and past franchisees can be found in the [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-franchise-schedule DfT] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_operating_trains_in_the_United_Kingdom Wikipedia] websites. The Wikipedia list is usually more up to date and accurate than the DfT schedule!<br />
<br />
A small number of operators provide passenger services on the national network which are not under contract to the DfT. These include [http://www.eurostar.com/ ''Eurostar''] which is a unitary undertaking (Eurostar <br />
International Ltd) managed by SNCF, which has a 55% interest in the company. Private investors acquired the UK government's 40% stake in 2015 and SNCB/NMBS owns the remaining 5%. 'Open Access' passenger operators are: <br />
<br />
* [https://www.hulltrains.co.uk/ Hull Trains] between London and Hull <br />
* [https://www.grandcentralrail.com/ Grand Central] between London, Bradford and Sunderland<br />
* [https://www.lumo.co.uk/ Lumo] between London and Edinburgh <br />
<br />
[http://www.granduniontrains.co.uk/ Grand Union Trains] intends to start services between London and Carmarthen in 2025. <br />
<br />
In addition<br />
* [http://www.eurotunnel.com/ Eurotunnel] operates a shuttle service for motor vehicles through the Channel Tunnel; this does not carry foot-passengers (although cyclists can be carried by arrangement)<br />
* [http://www.nymr.co.uk/ North Yorkshire Moors Railway] operates timetabled steam trains through between Pickering/Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby during the summer.<br />
* [http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/ Swanage Railway] and West Coast Railways operated a service between Swanage and Wareham during the summer in 2017, but in 2018 and 2019 there was just a limited Saturday service by the local franchisee, South Western Railway. West Coast Railways again operates trains between Swanage and Wareham on behalf of Swanage Railway between April and September 2023. <br />
* [http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/ West Coast Railways] operates timetabled steam trains between Fort William and Mallaig during the summer, but in practice these get fully booked well in advance. <br />
<br />
All freight trains in Great Britain are operated by competing companies under "open access" conditions. The <i>principal</i> companies are: <br />
<br />
* [http://www.rail.dbschenker.co.uk/rail-uk-en/start/ DB Cargo UK] (formerly English Welsh and Scottish Railway, now a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn of Germany) <br />
* [https://www.freightliner.co.uk/ Freightliner] (owned by US railroad Genesee & Wyoming Inc) <br />
* [http://www.colasrail.co.uk/ Colas Rail] (part of the Bouygues group); <br />
* [http://www.directrailservices.com/ Direct Rail Services] (owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority) <br />
* [http://www.gbrailfreight.com/ GB Railfreight] (owned by Infracapital, an infrastructure equity investor). <br />
<br />
DB Cargo UK, in particular, and GB Railfreight, to a lesser extent, operate charter passenger trains. GB Railfreight also operates the Caledonian Sleeper trains on behalf of Caledonian Sleeper Limited.<br />
<br />
[https://www.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Rail Operations Group] concentrates on rolling stock moves for manufacturers, leasing companies and passenger operators, but started a parcels-carrying business, trading as [https://orion.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Orion] in 2021.<br />
<br />
There are no longer any revenue freight trains in Northern Ireland.<br />
<br />
Neither the Isle of Man nor the Channel Isles (îles Anglo-Normands) is legally part of the UK but the Isle of Man's active railways and tramways are to <br />
be found at the [http://www.heritagerailways.com/Visits_Map.php UK and Irish Heritage Railways website] and under [[#Trams/LRT-Systems|Trams/LRT-Systems]] respectively.<br />
<br />
==Official Website==<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ National Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink]<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
English. In addition Welsh is spoken in most parts of Wales, <br />
and Gaelic is used to a certain extent in north-west Scotland.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Pound sterling. Banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own notes, <br />
which are valid throughout the UK and usually accepted without question. Channel <br />
Islands and Manx notes (but not coins) are technically legal tender in the UK, <br />
but are best changed at banks.<br />
<br />
==UIC code==<br />
* United Kingdom: numeric 70; alpha GB<br />
* Eurotunnel: numeric 69 (used only for accounting purposes and not shown on rolling stock).<br />
<br />
Historically, the only British rolling stock to show UIC numbers were wagons passed to work on the now defunct train ferries from Harwich and Dover or through the Channel Tunnel. The Eurostar class 374 trains, which entered service in 2015, were the first UK-registered passenger stock to have UIC numbers, otherwise known as the European Vehicle Number (EVN). Rail Industry Standard RIS-2453-RST ''Vehicle Registration, Marking and Numbering'', introduced in December 2017, requires new vehicles in Great Britain to be identified by EVN. On passenger vehicles only an abbreviated version is normally show. UIC numbering is not used by NI Railways.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland)===<br />
The official National Rail timetable is published on Network Rail's website (see below), twice yearly (in mid December and mid May). Services on Mondays to Fridays, on Saturdays (or Mondays to Saturdays) and on Sundays are usually different and laid out separately in the timetable; there may be several alternative Sunday services, to allow for engineering work, during the currency of a timetable. [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe] provides a comprehensive guide to printed and on-line public transport timetables.<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
[http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/s/planjourney/query National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner]<br />
<br />
The [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites provide a quick-reference way of checking the latest schedule (or amendment) for any particular train<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetable====<br />
PDFs of the National Railway Timetable are available from the [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/electronic-national-rail-timetable-enrt/ Network Rail] website. These are maintained for Network Rail by [https://timetables.fabdigital.uk/nrt/ Fabdigital] and the version on their website may be more up to date.<br />
<br />
====Working (Staff) Timetables====<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/working-timetable/ Network Rail Working Timetables]<br />
<br />
You can also check for the latest variations to working timetable details for specific trains on the [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites.<br />
<br />
[http://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/working-timetables London Underground working timetables]. DLR is not included.<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
Since May 2020 there has been no comprehensive printed timetable for Great Britain and there are no printed timetable leaflets for most lines.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.html National Rail's future engineering works]<br />
<br />
===Northern Ireland===<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
On the [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink home page].<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetables====<br />
[https://www.translink.co.uk/timetables?LocationId=&Name=&LocationType=&TransportMode=Bus&page=1 Translink bus and rail timetables]<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
A series of four free leaflets is available.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/nirailways-travel-updates/ NIRailways Travel Updates]<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*The ''Rail Atlas Great Britain & Ireland'' gives detailed and accurate coverage of the UK railway system, and is widely available. It is mostly at 1:350,000, but with enlargements of many urban areas; an updated edition is published every 2-3 years.<br />
*[http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps] publish a series of track diagrams (formerly Quail Track Diagrams) in five regional volumes.<br />
*Northern Ireland Railways are in a volume covering the whole of Ireland also published by [http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps]<br />
*Historic atlases have been published by various other publishers.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] (see National Rail Passenger Operators' map) and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/united_kingdom_ireland.html British Isles and Ireland Map]. Last updated December 2022<br />
*[http://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php Rail Map online].<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
There is no distance-related fare tariff in the UK, and fares are charged on a market basis. Certain fares are regulated and the amount by which train companies can increase some fares is specified by the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
Standard walk-on fares are high, but a wide range of discounted fares is available. These are subject to restrictions as to days and times when they can be used. It can be difficult to obtain accurate information as to fares and their availability, even from official enquiry offices, because the pricing structure is complicated and the different train companies are all making their own special offers. The most heavily discounted fares usually oblige the passenger to travel on specified trains (with no opportunity to alter these) - and only a limited number of tickets may be issued for each service. Train operators are increasingly introducing special offers that can only be taken up through their website. Higher fares are charged for use of domestic trains on HS1, the high-speed line to Kent, except for through tickets between Kent and destinations beyond London. <br />
<br />
Tickets for any rail journey in the UK can be purchased from most train operators' websites, but the best price may be available from the operator whose service is being used. It is often possible to obtain a lower price for a journey by splitting it and buying a different ticket for each section. In such cases it is necessary to travel on a train that stops at stations where the validity of one ticket ends and another starts. This requirement does not apply if at least one of the tickets is a season ticket, rail rover or similar. It may also be found that a ticket to a station beyond one's destination is cheaper, but conditions need to be checked carefully. A break of journey may not be permitted, requiring an excess fare to be paid if exiting at an intermediate station. Various websites act as 'consolidators' and will compare what is available in order to offer the best deal, including split ticketing options. <br />
<br />
Various Railcards are available, usually giving a fare reduction of one third. These are available nationally to groups, such as young people, families, senior citizens, two people travelling together, those with a disability and military personnel. Some cards are available to all, but only valid for travel within a particular geographic area. The cost of a Railcard may be recouped immediately if a long-distance journey is planned or if purchasing a high-price ticket such as a national rail rover. Some Railcards only give a discount for off-peak travel. Details of Railcards are available at [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/National-Railcards.aspx National Rail]. Details can be found at the unofficial [http://www.railrover.org/ Rail Rover] website.<br />
<br />
Overseas visitors should endeavour to purchase a rover ticket, such as a [http://www.britrail.net/ BritRail] or InterRail pass, before travelling to the UK. Various rail rovers are available within the UK, but they do not offer the value or wide validity of those available to foreign visitors, and many are not valid until after the morning peak period.<br />
<br />
In various areas where all stations have automatic ticket machines, including on the London Underground and most other tram and metro networks, a penalty fares system applies. Passengers found without a ticket are likely to have to pay a fine on the spot.<br />
<br />
First class seating tends now to be found only on principal routes; in Northern Ireland it is limited to principal trains on the international route between Belfast and Dublin (where NIRailways call it &quot;First plus&quot; while partner Iarnród Éireann call it &quot;Premium&quot;). Eurostar maintain three classes: Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier. On some trains, including many of those operated by Gatwick Express, Great Northern and Southern, there is no difference between first class and standard class seating. If a train including first class seats is used on a service advertised as standard class only, holders of standard class tickets may use the first class seats.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Railways Company Limited, through a subsidiary NIR Networks Limited<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/network-statement/ Network Rail]. The Sectional Appendices are available <br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ here] (scroll down to list of PDFs).<br />
<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Corporate/About-Us/Publications/network-statement/ Translink]<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
*Great Britain: Standard<br />
*Northern Ireland: 1600 mm [5 feet 3 inches]<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
*Great Britain: Mostly 25 kV 50 Hz. 750 V dc third rail is used on some lines in south east England and around Liverpool. The third rail network in south east England is by a considerable margin the most extensive such system in the world and the only place when conductor rail trains operate at up to 100 mph (160 km/hr). The line between Pelaw and Sunderland is electrified at 1500V dc overhead, to allow use by Tyne & Wear Metro. The line between Tinsley North Junction and Rotherham Parkgate is electrified at 750V dc overhead, for use by Sheffield Supertram. Most tramway systems are 750 V dc with Blackpool being 600 V dc.<br />
*Northern Ireland: no electrified lines.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Left.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
*Distances are shown on Railway Track Diagrams published by [https://www.trackmaps.co.uk/ TRACKmaps]. Distances are also available in Network Rail's [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ Sectional Appendices] (scroll down for list of available PDFs).<br />
*Distances for Northern Ireland are also available on-line on the Signalling Record Society website:<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-nc.php Derry and Larne lines]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-bd.php Bangor line]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-gd.php Dublin line]<br />
<br />
==Other railways==<br />
*Core Valley Lines (Cardiff to Rhymney, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert): Owned by the Welsh Government and managed by a lessee, Amey Keolis Infrastructure/Seilwaith Amey Keolis Limited.<br />
*Crossrail Central Operating Section is the railway under Central London from Portobello Junction (Royal Oak) to Pudding Mill Lane Junction (Bow) and Abbey Wood. It is managed by Rail for London (Infrastructure) Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London.<br />
*East London Line: Owned by Rail for London Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London. <br />
*Eurotunnel: A partnership between the Channel Tunnel Group Limited and France-Manche S.A. that operates the Channel Tunnel under a long-term concession from the UK and French governments. <br />
*Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited owns the railway between London Heathrow Airport and the junction with the Great Western Main Line near Hayes & Harlington. <br />
*HS1 Ltd: The investor with a 30 years concession from the UK government to operate the high-speed line between London and the Channel Tunnel, though most aspects of day-to-day operation and maintenance are contracted out to Network Rail. <br />
<br />
Facilities exist for special through running between the national system and some tourist lines.<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
A map of UK heritage railways can be found at the "Heritage Rail - UK & Ireland" link on the [https://www.heritagerailways.com Heritage Railway Association website].<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
London, Newcastle, Glasgow. Although part of the national railway system, the Merseyrail Electrics <br />
network in Liverpool is like a Metro. There are two separate networks in London. The Underground system is 630V dc third and fourth rail; the Docklands Light Railway is a fully-automated 750V dc third rail system. London Overground operates under a contract let by the Mayor of London and uses Transport for London branding, but operates almost entirely on Network Rail lines. The Glasgow and Merseyrail systems are third <br />
rail and Newcastle is 1500 V dc overhead. Glasgow Subway is 4 feet (1,219mm) gauge and was originally cable-worked. There are several lines where London Underground and main line trains share the same tracks. The Tyne & Wear Metro (Newcastle) operates to Sunderland over the Network Rail line from Pelaw.<br />
<br />
The Core Valley Lines from Cardiff are being converted to a form of metro system.<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Birmingham/Wolverhampton (Midland Metro), Blackpool, Croydon, Edinburgh,<br />
Llandudno (cable worked), Manchester, Nottingham, Seaton (Devon) and Sheffield. The Croydon, <br />
Manchester, Midland Metro, Nottingham and Seaton systems include extensive running over <br />
routes that were previously part of the national railway system. The Manchester and Nottingham systems have been considerably extended in recent years. On the Manchester Metrolink system a second route through Manchester city centre came into use on 26 February 2017, and the 5.5 km Trafford Park line opened on 22 March 2020. The Midland Metro in Birmingham was extended to Edgbaston on 17 July 2022 and to Wolverhampton Station on 17 September 2023. The first stage of a line to Brierley Hill is expected to open, to Dudley, in 2024. The extension of the Edinburgh line to Leith and Newhaven opened on 21 June 2023 and plans have been announced for further lines in the city. The Blackpool system Talbot Gateway extension, to Blackpool North station, is expected to be fully open in 2023. A metro system is proposed in Glasgow, but this project is at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
The Seaton and Llandudno lines are essentially tourist operations, and both are narrow gauge. <br />
There are other tourist lines of a mile or more at the National Tramway Museum <br />
(Crich, near Matlock) and at Beamish Open Air Museum (near Gateshead), plus <br />
several other shorter lines. <br />
<br />
The Isle of Man has three narrow gauge tramways, which operate on a seasonal basis: Douglas Bay Horse Tramway - along the promenade in Douglas; the Manx Electric Railway - an inter-urban line between Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey; and the Snaefell Mountain Railway - from Laxey to Snaefell Summit. <br />
After a period of uncertainty, the threat that the horse tramway line in Douglas might be shortened seems to have been seen off by a vote in Tynwald (the Manx parliament) in January 2017. <br />
<br />
The Tinsley Chord, which connects the Sheffield tram system to a freight line near Meadowhall, allows tram-trains to run between Sheffield city centre and Rotherham Parkgate over Network Rail lines. Public services commenced on Thursday 25 October 2018. Sheffield tram-trains are dual voltage vehicles that can run on the 750 V Overhead Lines (OHLE) of the tram network and the 25 kV OHLE of the national rail network; however the line to Rotherham Parkgate is initially energised at 750 V because there is no 25 kV electrification in the area.<br />
<br />
Track plans for most of the significant tram systems in the United Kingdom are available on the [http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/line/diagrams0.shtm Railway Codes site] and also on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/index-e.php Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes== <br />
Some aspects of national railway operations are privatised, but infrastructure ownership has reverted to the public sector. There continues to be debate about the fragmented, expensive and complex nature of the system that has emerged, under the general oversight of the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
===Route Closures and Service Reductions===<br />
Having undergone extensive cut backs in the 1960s, the present passenger network seems relatively secure. The closure of a passenger railway in the UK normally involves a lengthy legal process, and short-notice closures usually occur only if there is a sudden and dramatic infrastructure failure, or if the closure is deemed a &quot;minor closure&quot;. However, a number of stations have closed and all passenger services over some lines have been withdrawn without the statutory procedure having been followed. Passenger services via the Channel Tunnel, or in connection with them, do not enjoy statutory protection from closure. <br />
<br />
Some routes have been reduced to just one or two trains per day (or, in some cases, per week) in order to reduce operating costs without having to go through the closure procedure. These are included in the list of [https://www.egtre.info/wiki/United_Kingdom_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services sparse services].<br />
<br />
A newly-introduced passenger service can be designated as "experimental" for a period up to five years, during which time it may be withdrawn without the usual closure procedure needing to be followed. The only "experimental" service at present is Thanet Parkway station, until 30 July 2028.<br />
<br />
====Passenger services to be withdrawn====<br />
* The railway between Nottingham and Worksop may be diverted at Whitwell to allow expansion of a dolomite quarry. This will eliminate Whitwell Tunnel. No date is set for this, but planning permission to expand the quarry was granted in 2018.<br />
<br />
* Planned diversion of trains between Belfast and Dublin to a new terminal facility - [http://www.translink.co.uk/Translink-Footer/the-hub/ the Belfast Hub] - being constructed close to Belfast Great Victoria Street may see the end of regular passenger services between Central Junction (Adelaide) and City Junction (City Hospital).<br />
<br />
====Closures and significant service reductions in recent years are==== <br />
<br />
'''Line closed'''<br />
<br />
* Old Oak Common West Junction - Park Royal - Greenford West Junction: Closed to passenger services in December 2018 to facilitate HS2 construction work; and has been partly dismantled.<br />
<br />
'''Passenger service withdrawn, line still open for other than regular passenger traffic:'''<br />
<br />
* Greenford LUL Bay Junction - Northolt Junction: The Wednesdays only train from West Ealing to West Ruislip ran for the last time on 7 December 2022.<br />
<br />
* Cowlairs East Junction - Cowlairs North Junction (Glasgow): The summer Sunday trains between Edinburgh and Oban start and terminate at Glasgow Queen Street in 2023. Last use of the curve by the ScotRail service was on 28 August 2022. It continues to be used by the [https://www.belmond.com/trains/europe/scotland/belmond-royal-scotsman/journeys Royal Scotsman] Western Scenic Wonders tour, but prices start at £5,800.<br />
<br />
* Barking Station Junction - Barking platform 1: No regular passenger traffic from 18 July 2022, when the line to Barking Riverside opened, but occasional diversions may be possible.<br />
<br />
* Dalmeny - Winchburgh Junction: Service withdrawn 23 March 2020, but without the statutory closure procedure having been followed. From 11 Dec 2022 the 22:31 FSSuX Dundee to Edinburgh and 22.58 SuO Glenrothes with Thornton to Edinburgh are scheduled to run this way with reversal at Linlithgow, but are likely to run direct via Edinburgh Gateway if there is no engineering work on that route.<br />
<br />
'''Significant service reduction'''<br />
<br />
* Glenrothes with Thornton - Thornton South Junction: The frequent service via Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy became Sundays only, except for one train each way Mondays to Fridays, with effect from 15 May 2022.<br />
<br />
====Temporary Closures:==== <br />
<br />
Work to upgrade the UK rail network is increasingly leading to lines being closed for extended periods. Severe weather and the age of much railway infrastructure has resulted in more temporary closures caused by landslips and other problems with earthworks. Current and planned temporary closures of four weeks or more, in approximate order of expected re-opening, are: <br />
<br />
* Prestwick Town to Girvan and Kilmarnock to Barassie: From 25 September 2023, probably for several weeks, because of a dangerous building at Ayr.<br />
* Bletchley to Bedford: From 1 December 2022, because the rolling stock provider is in administration. May reopen 4 November 2023.<br />
* Dovey Junction to Pwllheli: From 2 September to 3 December 2023, for work to Barmouth Bridge.<br />
* Ashford East Junction, connection to HS1: Eurostar ceased calling at Ashford on 19 March 2020 and will not resume before 2025/6.<br />
<br />
There are also extended closures of sections of the Valley Lines, north of Cardiff, at least until February 2024, for electrification work.<br />
<br />
===Re-openings and Openings===<br />
<br />
Most projects involve upgrading existing routes, but some openings have occurred or are about to do so. <br />
<br />
====New and reinstated passenger services in recent years:==== <br />
<br />
New passenger services are: <br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension - The Royal - Wolverhampton Station (17 September 2023). <br />
<br />
* Westbourne Park Junction - Paddington and Stepney Green Junction - Pudding Mill Lane Junction (full opening of Elizabeth line) (6 November 2022) <br />
<br />
* Barking - Barking Riverside (18 July 2022)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension - Library - Edgbaston Village (17 July 2022) <br />
<br />
*Paddington - Abbey Wood (Elizabeth line) (24 May 2022)<br />
<br />
* Newport (Gaer Junction) - Pye Corner (Park Junction) (on introduction of trains between Newport and Crosskeys, 12 December 2021)<br />
<br />
* Crediton - Okehampton (20 November 2021; there was previously a service on summer Sundays)<br />
<br />
* Kennington - Battersea Power Station (London Underground, Northern Line extension, opened September 2021)<br />
<br />
* Meadowhall South/Tinsley - Tinsley North Junction - Rotherham Central (Sheffield Tram Train operation substantially over a Network Rail freight line, opened on 25 October 2018) <br />
<br />
A daily service, generally hourly, was introduced between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester via Runcorn and Frodsham on 19 May 2019. Previously the curve between Halton Junction and Frodsham Junction had been used by a single unadvertised train in one direction only on summer Saturdays.<br />
<br />
On tourist / heritage railways:<br />
<br />
* Llangollen Railway extended passenger services from Carrog to a provisional terminus at Corwen in October 2014 and to the permanent terminus in June 2023. <br />
* the Mid-Norfolk Railway ran inaugural passenger trains to Worthing level crossing (North Elmham) on 19 and 20 May 2018, but regular services continue to terminate at Dereham. The railway aspires to continue to County School. <br />
* The first (very short) section of the Aln Valley Railway officially opened in October 2013, from a new station on the edge of Alnwick, with a longer run available from December 2017. It is planned that the railway will reach the National Rail station at Alnmouth.<br />
* The first section of the re-opened Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, a narrow gauge line, is in operation between Woody Bay and Killington Lane. Extensions towards Lynton and to Blackmoor Gate are planned as the next phase of reconstruction.<br />
<br />
====Projects authorised or under construction are:==== <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the railway between Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) and Levenmouth for passenger services in 2024. It is expected that some trains will run via Cowdenbeath, providing many more via the curve from Thornton West Junction than the current sparse service. <br />
<br />
A Transport & Works Act Order for the introduction of passenger trains over the freight line to Ashington was granted in June 2022 and the line is due to open by December 2024. The UK Government has announced plans to re-open the railway to Fleetwood, but this may become a tramway. The UK Government is also funding feasibility studies into re-opening a number of other lines, but these are at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
Work has started on construction of a high speed railway (HS2) from London to Birmingham, but the line will not be opened until 2026 at the earliest. A flythrough of the route is [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bkoGvw9kbA here]. It is to be followed by Phase 2a as far as Crewe. It is intended that the line will subsequently be extended to Manchester with completion in the mid-2030s. It was originally planned that there would be a branch to Leeds, but this has been cut back to East Midlands Parkway (near Nottingham). The UK Government has also announced that it intends to proceed with a high-speed line from Warrington to Marsden (for Huddersfield) via Manchester. <br />
<br />
<!---Preliminary work on construction of a link between the LUL Watford branch and the former Croxley Green branch was undertaken in 2016. However, the project has stalled, because of lack of agreement as to how further cost escalation would be funded, and can only be regarded as definitively dead, though there has been no formal announcement to this effect. Should the scheme continue, which seems increasingly unlikely, it will result in the closure of Watford LUL station, but the re-opening of most of the Croxley Green branch.---><br />
Plans were being developed for a second Crossrail line, linking south west and north east London. All work on this stopped in autumn 2020, as a result of economies made to deal with the Covid pandemic. It is questionable whether the scheme will be revived, if there is the expected permanent reduction in commuter traffic. <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the derelict line between Calvert and Bletchley. A Transport & Works Act Order for this scheme was granted in February 2020 and services between Oxford and Milton Keynes are scheduled to start in December 2024. The longer-term objective is to re-introduce trains between Oxford and Cambridge. <br />
<br />
[https://heathrowrail.com/ Heathrow Southern Railway] intends to build a new railway south-west from Heathrow Airport to link with the Staines to Windsor line, together with a branch to Virginia Water or Chertsey. <br />
<br />
In the private sector:<br />
* The Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway is constructing an extension from Glengonnar to Wanlockhead.<br />
* Moorland & City Railways have a stated intention to reopen the line between Stoke-on-Trent and Leek Brook Junction, to a junction with the Churnet Valley Railway, but progress seems to be languishing.<br />
* Most ambitiously, the two Great Central Railways at Loughborough are being linked by means of a reinstated bridge over the Midland Main Line. <br />
* The Rother Valley Railway has obtained a Transport and Works Act Order to rebuild the railway between Robertsbridge and Junction Road (Bodiam).<br />
* The Royal Deeside Railway is extending its line to Crathes West Lodge.<br />
* Strathspey Railway is extending to Grantown-on-Spey and during summer 2014 and 2015 offered a limited service between its normal terminus at Broomhill and the river bridge at Dulnain. Further work depends on obtaining statutory powers under the Transport and Works Act and constructing a new bridge to carry the railway over the A95 main road. <br />
* The Helston Railway provides a short ride near Prospidnick, but plans to extend to Helston and eventually to Gwinear Road.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
<br />
Main line electrification in Great Britain came to a virtual standstill following railway privatisation, because private-sector train operators and rolling stock companies preferred the flexibility of diesel traction. The only schemes to proceed were between Crewe and Kidsgrove (near Stoke on Trent) (electrified for diversionary use), the reconstructed Larkhall branch line in Scotland and High Speed 1 (the Channel Tunnel rail link) [see below].<br />
<br />
In 2009 Department for Transport policy shifted towards extending electrification, with significant schemes proposed and a few implemented. However, greatly increased costs have resulted in projects being curtailed and delayed. Poor cost estimating, increased safety standards, over-specification and loss of practical experience of electrification appear to be among the causes. In July 2017 the UK Government announced an end to plans for further railway electrification in England and Wales, with reliance instead on bi-mode diesel/electric trains. This will included converting some electric multiple-units to bi-mode working. There have also been experiments with battery operation. In contrast, the Scottish Government required Network Rail to develop an electrification technical specification that can deliver an "efficient and affordable rolling programme of electrification". <br />
<br />
Electrification schemes recently completed in England and Wales are:<br />
<br />
* Bedford to Corby (May 2021) <br />
<br />
* London (Heathrow Airport Junction) to Cardiff, Chippenham (Christian Malford) and Newbury (Phased introduction of electric services between May 2017 and January 2020). The scheme was cut back to omit Swansea, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Oxford and the Thames Valley branch lines.<br />
<br />
* Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley (May 2019)<br />
<br />
* Manchester to Preston via Bolton (February 2019)<br />
<br />
* Gospel Oak to Woodgrange Park via South Tottenham (January 2019, but limited electric service initially, because of delayed delivery of rolling stock)<br />
<br />
Schemes under way in England:<br />
<br />
* Kettering - Market Harborough<br />
<br />
* Manchester - Huddersfield - Leeds - York <br />
<br />
* Wigan North Western - Lostock Junction (near Bolton) (announced 1 September 2021, expected completion 2024/2025) <br />
<br />
The UK Government has announced that electrification of the Midland Main Line is to be completed to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield.<br />
<br />
The Welsh Government is sponsoring electrification of the Valley Lines from Cardiff to Bargoed, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert. Light rail vehicles are to be used from Cardiff to Coryton and on routes via Radyr. Tri-mode trains will be used from Rhymney to Penarth, Barry Island and the Vale of Glamorgan line, using battery power between Rhymney and Bargoed, and diesel south of Cardiff. <br />
<br />
Following an extensive programme of electrification completed between 2012 and 2019, most lines in Central Scotland are electrified, with recent schemes comprising:<br />
<br />
*Croy (Carmuirs West Jn) and Camelon (Carmuirs East Jn) to Stirling, Dunblane and Alloa (December 2018)<br />
<br />
*Holytown to Kirknewton (Midcalder Jn) via Shotts (Some electric services April 2019, full service May 2019) <br />
<br />
The line from Falkirk to Grangemouth has also been electrified for freight traffic, but there are proposals to reinstate a passenger service. <br />
<br />
Electric working to Barrhead is expected to start by December 2023, to be followed by East Kilbride. The line from Haymarket (Edinburgh) to Dalmeny is being electrified as the first phase of a scheme to electrify routes through Fife. Transport Scotland's [https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/rail-services-decarbonisation-action-plan/ ''Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan''], published in July 2020, envisages most lines in Scotland being electrified. Priorities are the Kilmarnock line; Edinburgh to Tweedbank; routes in Fife; and Dunblane to Aberdeen. Later extensions will take electrification to Girvan; Gretna via Dumfries; and Inverness to Perth, Aberdeen and Tain.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of changes more than five years ago see [[United_Kingdom - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special Notes==<br />
<br />
Train numbers in Great Britain follow an alpha-numeric format, thus 1A22. The first digit indicates the type of train (passenger trains are 1, 2 or 9), in most cases the letter indicates its route or destination and the remaining digits identify the particular train. Different trains can and do use the same number, so long as they do not conflict geographically or operate several hours apart. Since December 2021 train numbers have been shown in the National Rail Timetable, but they are not normally used for passenger information purposes. It is more usual for trains to be referred to by their schedule, for example as the "10:00 London King's Cross to Aberdeen". International trains have four digit numbers where the second figure is 0 or 1, which can be treated as letters O and I in the UK.<br />
<br />
Departure sheets listing trains from a station in chronological order are rarely used. The usual format is to list destinations in alphabetic order, and provide details of all trains to each, or to provide timetable posters. Most stations have electronic displays, which indicate all departures (and often arrivals) within the next hour or so.<br />
<br />
It is unusual for information displays and announcements at stations and on trains to be in any language other than English (and Welsh in Wales), though most station name signs in Scotland appear in Gaelic as well as English. Multi-lingual information is normally restricted to dedicated airport services and those using the Channel Tunnel.<br />
<br />
No stations sell international tickets or can make international reservations, though there are facilities to make through bookings from certain stations by Eurostar. <!---International tickets and reservations are available at the We Know London Tourist Services desk in the shopping mall at St Pancras International station.---> Even the range of tickets available from Eurostar is very limited. For guidance on booking travel to and from Europe visit [http://www.seat61.com/Europe.htm#How%20do%20I%20book? The Man in Seat Sixty-One]'s website or see advice from [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/European-Train-Travel.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Selective door opening is increasingly used, particularly in London and South East England. Trains are longer than some station platforms and only doors within the platform are unlocked. Announcements and visual displays advise passengers which carriages they need to be in if wishing to alight. This also happens to a limited extent on the London Underground, but usually only affecting the rearmost pair of doors. <br />
<br />
The only long-distance overnight trains in Great Britain are:<br />
<br />
* [https://www.sleeper.scot/ Caledonian Sleeper] from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness <br />
* Great Western's [https://www.gwr.com/travelling-with-us/night-riviera-sleeper Night Riviera] from London to Penzance<br />
<br />
Sleeping cars are provided, but not couchettes, and seating may be in saloons with non-reclinable seats, where passengers have no control of the lighting. <br />
<br />
Taking bicycles, other than folding ones, by train can be difficult. Space may be limited and some operators require advance reservations for bicycles. More information can be found at [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/cyclists.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Train services at weekends, and especially Saturday evening and Sunday until mid-afternoon, can be extensively altered because of [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.aspx engineering work]. With the paucity of alternative routes and a growing aversion to temporary single line working, buses frequently substitute for trains in such circumstances. There are an increasing number of initiatives to give extended overnight possessions Mondays to Thursdays, in order to reduce the extent of weekend closures. This results in late evening trains being replaced by buses. Trials are being undertaken of mid-week line closures. Blockades of a week or more are increasingly common.<br />
<br />
No trains run in the UK on Christmas Day and very few on Boxing Day, mostly on local services in the London and Glasgow areas. No domestic services run in Scotland on New Year's Day, but there are normally trains between England, Edinburgh and Glasgow. <br />
<br />
Very few stations have left luggage facilities. Unattended luggage may be removed by the police and processes to check that it is safe can be very destructive.<br />
<br />
Railway enthusiasts are welcomed on stations - for guidance when on and about stations refer to [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/railway-enthusiasts/railway-enthusiasts-and-photography-at-stations/ Network Rail's] advice.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox United Kingdom}}</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=United_Kingdom_-_General_Information&diff=54796United Kingdom - General Information2024-01-25T20:15:40Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* National Railway System */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland<br />
<br />
Nomenclature: &quot;Great Britain&quot; comprises the countries of England, Wales, and Scotland. &quot;United Kingdom&quot; (in full: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) comprises Great Britain and the Province of Northern Ireland. &quot;British Isles&quot; is a purely geographical description for the British mainland and the island of Ireland; the latter contains the Province of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are usually regarded as part of the British Isles, although independent of the UK government. All but the Republic of Ireland (which is entirely independent of the UK) are under the British Crown (monarchy).<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Most infrastructure in Great Britain is owned by [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail], a company controlled by the government's [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport Department for Transport] (DfT). Most passenger train services are provided by operators under contracts with DfT, [https://tfl.gov.uk/ Transport for London], [http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk Merseytravel], [http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/ Transport Scotland] or the [http://gov.wales/topics/transport/?lang=en Welsh Government]. Most operators are subsidiaries of major bus companies or national railways from other countries, principally Netherlands Railways and Trenitalia. A UK Government subsidiary, [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/dft-olr-holdings-limited/about DfT OLR Holdings Limited], operates services if the contractor is no longer able to do so, has had the contract terminated because of default or there has been no acceptable tender for provision of the service. [https://www.railholdings.scot/ Scottish Rail Holdings Limited] is the equivalent in Scotland. Full details of passenger train operators are given by links from the [http://www.raildeliverygroup.com/about-us/uk-rail-industry/passenger-freight-track.html Rail Delivery Group] website. Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites. Passenger train operations collectively are known as 'National Rail'. <br />
<br />
A new organisation, [https://gbrtt.co.uk/ Great British Railways] is being established to take strategic control of railways, in England at least, as well as taking over most of Network Rail's functions as infrastructure owner and operator throughout Britain. <br />
<br />
Railways in Northern Ireland are owned by Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (which remains state-owned) and are operated as the [http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/ N I Railways] (NIR) division of Translink.<br />
<br />
Most operators in Great Britain had a franchise agreement, under which they took most of the commercial risk. DfT was considering changes to franchising when the Covid-19 pandemic made the system uneconomic, due to greatly reduced fares income to the operators. Franchises were replaced by Emergency Recovery Management Agreements and subsequently by National Rail Contracts under which the Government meets operating costs and receives fares and other income. The operating company is paid a management fee. Transport for Wales, ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper, LNER, Northern and Southeastern are all being operated by public sector companies. <br />
<br />
The operator of each train is indicated in the electronic National Rail Timetable and <br />
its printed derivatives by means of two-letter codes; for a de-coder and a chronology of <br />
privatisation and transfer/re-branding of Great Britain's passenger railway franchises to <br />
date go to the [http://www.railchronology.free-online.co.uk/ Rail Chronology] website. Basic customer information about and links to the websites of each TOC are available through the [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tocs_maps/tocs/TrainOperators.aspx National Rail] website. Some further information about passenger train operators and past franchisees can be found in the [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-franchise-schedule DfT] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_operating_trains_in_the_United_Kingdom Wikipedia] websites. The Wikipedia list is usually more up to date and accurate than the DfT schedule!<br />
<br />
A small number of operators provide passenger services on the national network which are not under contract to the DfT. These include [http://www.eurostar.com/ ''Eurostar''] which is a unitary undertaking (Eurostar <br />
International Ltd) managed by SNCF, which has a 55% interest in the company. Private investors acquired the UK government's 40% stake in 2015 and SNCB/NMBS owns the remaining 5%. 'Open Access' passenger operators are: <br />
<br />
* [https://www.hulltrains.co.uk/ Hull Trains] between London and Hull <br />
* [https://www.grandcentralrail.com/ Grand Central] between London, Bradford and Sunderland<br />
* [https://www.lumo.co.uk/ Lumo] between London and Edinburgh <br />
<br />
[http://www.granduniontrains.co.uk/ Grand Union Trains] intends to start services between London and Carmarthen in 2025. <br />
<br />
In addition<br />
* [http://www.eurotunnel.com/ Eurotunnel] operates a shuttle service for motor vehicles through the Channel Tunnel; this does not carry foot-passengers (although cyclists can be carried by arrangement)<br />
* [http://www.nymr.co.uk/ North Yorkshire Moors Railway] operates timetabled steam trains through between Pickering/Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby during the summer.<br />
* [http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/ Swanage Railway] and West Coast Railways operated a service between Swanage and Wareham during the summer in 2017, but in 2018 and 2019 there was just a limited Saturday service by the local franchisee, South Western Railway. West Coast Railways again operates trains between Swanage and Wareham on behalf of Swanage Railway between April and September 2023. <br />
* [http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/ West Coast Railways] operates timetabled steam trains between Fort William and Mallaig during the summer, but in practice these get fully booked well in advance. <br />
<br />
All freight trains in Great Britain are operated by competing companies under "open access" conditions. The <i>principal</i> companies are: <br />
<br />
* [http://www.rail.dbschenker.co.uk/rail-uk-en/start/ DB Cargo UK] (formerly English Welsh and Scottish Railway, now a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn of Germany) <br />
* [https://www.freightliner.co.uk/ Freightliner] (owned by US railroad Genesee & Wyoming Inc) <br />
* [http://www.colasrail.co.uk/ Colas Rail] (part of the Bouygues group); <br />
* [http://www.directrailservices.com/ Direct Rail Services] (owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority) <br />
* [http://www.gbrailfreight.com/ GB Railfreight] (owned by Infracapital, an infrastructure equity investor). <br />
<br />
DB Cargo UK, in particular, and GB Railfreight, to a lesser extent, operate charter passenger trains. GB Railfreight also operates the Caledonian Sleeper trains on behalf of Caledonian Sleeper Limited.<br />
<br />
[https://www.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Rail Operations Group] concentrates on rolling stock moves for manufacturers, leasing companies and passenger operators, but started a parcels-carrying business, trading as [https://orion.railopsgroup.co.uk/ Orion] in 2021.<br />
<br />
There are no longer any revenue freight trains in Northern Ireland.<br />
<br />
Neither the Isle of Man nor the Channel Isles (îles Anglo-Normands) is legally part of the UK but the Isle of Man's active railways and tramways are to <br />
be found at the [http://www.heritagerailways.com/Visits_Map.php UK and Irish Heritage Railways website] and under [[#Trams/LRT-Systems|Trams/LRT-Systems]] respectively.<br />
<br />
==Official Website==<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ National Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink]<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
English. In addition Welsh is spoken in most parts of Wales, <br />
and Gaelic is used to a certain extent in north-west Scotland.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Pound sterling. Banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own notes, <br />
which are valid throughout the UK and usually accepted without question. Channel <br />
Islands and Manx notes (but not coins) are technically legal tender in the UK, <br />
but are best changed at banks.<br />
<br />
==UIC code==<br />
* United Kingdom: numeric 70; alpha GB<br />
* Eurotunnel: numeric 69 (used only for accounting purposes and not shown on rolling stock).<br />
<br />
Historically, the only British rolling stock to show UIC numbers were wagons passed to work on the now defunct train ferries from Harwich and Dover or through the Channel Tunnel. The Eurostar class 374 trains, which entered service in 2015, were the first UK-registered passenger stock to have UIC numbers, otherwise known as the European Vehicle Number (EVN). Rail Industry Standard RIS-2453-RST ''Vehicle Registration, Marking and Numbering'', introduced in December 2017, requires new vehicles in Great Britain to be identified by EVN. On passenger vehicles only an abbreviated version is normally show. UIC numbering is not used by NI Railways.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland)===<br />
The official National Rail timetable is published on Network Rail's website (see below), twice yearly (in mid December and mid May). Services on Mondays to Fridays, on Saturdays (or Mondays to Saturdays) and on Sundays are usually different and laid out separately in the timetable; there may be several alternative Sunday services, to allow for engineering work, during the currency of a timetable. [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe] provides a comprehensive guide to printed and on-line public transport timetables.<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
[http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/s/planjourney/query National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner]<br />
<br />
The [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites provide a quick-reference way of checking the latest schedule (or amendment) for any particular train<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetable====<br />
PDFs of the National Railway Timetable are available from the [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/electronic-national-rail-timetable-enrt/ Network Rail] website. These are maintained for Network Rail by [https://timetables.fabdigital.uk/nrt/ Fabdigital] and the version on their website may be more up to date.<br />
<br />
====Working (Staff) Timetables====<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/timetabling/working-timetable/ Network Rail Working Timetables]<br />
<br />
You can also check for the latest variations to working timetable details for specific trains on the [http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced Realtime Trains] and [http://www.opentraintimes.com/ OpenTrainTimes] websites.<br />
<br />
[http://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/working-timetables London Underground working timetables]. DLR is not included.<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
Since May 2020 there has been no comprehensive printed timetable for Great Britain and there are no printed timetable leaflets for most lines.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.html National Rail's future engineering works]<br />
<br />
===Northern Ireland===<br />
<br />
====Journey Planner====<br />
On the [http://www.translink.co.uk/ Translink home page].<br />
<br />
====Downloadable Timetables====<br />
[https://www.translink.co.uk/timetables?LocationId=&Name=&LocationType=&TransportMode=Bus&page=1 Translink bus and rail timetables]<br />
<br />
====Printed Timetable====<br />
A series of four free leaflets is available.<br />
<br />
====Engineering Information====<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Services/NI-Railways/nirailways-travel-updates/ NIRailways Travel Updates]<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*The ''Rail Atlas Great Britain & Ireland'' gives detailed and accurate coverage of the UK railway system, and is widely available. It is mostly at 1:350,000, but with enlargements of many urban areas; an updated edition is published every 2-3 years.<br />
*[http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps] publish a series of track diagrams (formerly Quail Track Diagrams) in five regional volumes.<br />
*Northern Ireland Railways are in a volume covering the whole of Ireland also published by [http://www.trackmaps.co.uk TrackMaps]<br />
*Historic atlases have been published by various other publishers.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*Maps showing where the operators ply are at [http://www.barrydoe.co.uk/ Barry Doe's] (see National Rail Passenger Operators' map) and [http://www.projectmapping.co.uk Project Mapping] websites.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/united_kingdom_ireland.html British Isles and Ireland Map]. Last updated December 2022<br />
*[http://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php Rail Map online].<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
There is no distance-related fare tariff in the UK, and fares are charged on a market basis. Certain fares are regulated and the amount by which train companies can increase some fares is specified by the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
Standard walk-on fares are high, but a wide range of discounted fares is available. These are subject to restrictions as to days and times when they can be used. It can be difficult to obtain accurate information as to fares and their availability, even from official enquiry offices, because the pricing structure is complicated and the different train companies are all making their own special offers. The most heavily discounted fares usually oblige the passenger to travel on specified trains (with no opportunity to alter these) - and only a limited number of tickets may be issued for each service. Train operators are increasingly introducing special offers that can only be taken up through their website. Higher fares are charged for use of domestic trains on HS1, the high-speed line to Kent, except for through tickets between Kent and destinations beyond London. <br />
<br />
Tickets for any rail journey in the UK can be purchased from most train operators' websites, but the best price may be available from the operator whose service is being used. It is often possible to obtain a lower price for a journey by splitting it and buying a different ticket for each section. In such cases it is necessary to travel on a train that stops at stations where the validity of one ticket ends and another starts. This requirement does not apply if at least one of the tickets is a season ticket, rail rover or similar. It may also be found that a ticket to a station beyond one's destination is cheaper, but conditions need to be checked carefully. A break of journey may not be permitted, requiring an excess fare to be paid if exiting at an intermediate station. Various websites act as 'consolidators' and will compare what is available in order to offer the best deal, including split ticketing options. <br />
<br />
Various Railcards are available, usually giving a fare reduction of one third. These are available nationally to groups, such as young people, families, senior citizens, two people travelling together, those with a disability and military personnel. Some cards are available to all, but only valid for travel within a particular geographic area. The cost of a Railcard may be recouped immediately if a long-distance journey is planned or if purchasing a high-price ticket such as a national rail rover. Some Railcards only give a discount for off-peak travel. Details of Railcards are available at [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/National-Railcards.aspx National Rail]. Details can be found at the unofficial [http://www.railrover.org/ Rail Rover] website.<br />
<br />
Overseas visitors should endeavour to purchase a rover ticket, such as a [http://www.britrail.net/ BritRail] or InterRail pass, before travelling to the UK. Various rail rovers are available within the UK, but they do not offer the value or wide validity of those available to foreign visitors, and many are not valid until after the morning peak period.<br />
<br />
In various areas where all stations have automatic ticket machines, including on the London Underground and most other tram and metro networks, a penalty fares system applies. Passengers found without a ticket are likely to have to pay a fine on the spot.<br />
<br />
First class seating tends now to be found only on principal routes; in Northern Ireland it is limited to principal trains on the international route between Belfast and Dublin (where NIRailways call it &quot;First plus&quot; while partner Iarnród Éireann call it &quot;Premium&quot;). Eurostar maintain three classes: Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier. On some trains, including many of those operated by Gatwick Express, Great Northern and Southern, there is no difference between first class and standard class seating. If a train including first class seats is used on a service advertised as standard class only, holders of standard class tickets may use the first class seats.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
*Great Britain: [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ Network Rail]<br />
*Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Railways Company Limited, through a subsidiary NIR Networks Limited<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/network-statement/ Network Rail]. The Sectional Appendices are available <br />
[https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ here] (scroll down to list of PDFs).<br />
<br />
[http://www.translink.co.uk/Corporate/About-Us/Publications/network-statement/ Translink]<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
*Great Britain: Standard<br />
*Northern Ireland: 1600 mm [5 feet 3 inches]<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
*Great Britain: Mostly 25 kV 50 Hz. 750 V dc third rail is used on some lines in south east England and around Liverpool. The third rail network in south east England is by a considerable margin the most extensive such system in the world and the only place when conductor rail trains operate at up to 100 mph (160 km/hr). The line between Pelaw and Sunderland is electrified at 1500V dc overhead, to allow use by Tyne & Wear Metro. The line between Tinsley North Junction and Rotherham Parkgate is electrified at 750V dc overhead, for use by Sheffield Supertram. Most tramway systems are 750 V dc with Blackpool being 600 V dc.<br />
*Northern Ireland: no electrified lines.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Left.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
*Distances are shown on Railway Track Diagrams published by [https://www.trackmaps.co.uk/ TRACKmaps]. Distances are also available in Network Rail's [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-commercial-partners/information-operating-companies/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/ Sectional Appendices] (scroll down for list of available PDFs).<br />
*Distances for Northern Ireland are also available on-line on the Signalling Record Society website:<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-nc.php Derry and Larne lines]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-bd.php Bangor line]<br />
**[https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/RailRef/ref-gd.php Dublin line]<br />
<br />
==Other railways==<br />
*Core Valley Lines (Cardiff to Rhymney, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert): Owned by the Welsh Government and managed by a lessee, Amey Keolis Infrastructure/Seilwaith Amey Keolis Limited.<br />
*Crossrail Central Operating Section is the railway under Central London from Portobello Junction (Royal Oak) to Pudding Mill Lane Junction (Bow) and Abbey Wood. It is managed by Rail for London (Infrastructure) Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London.<br />
*East London Line: Owned by Rail for London Limited, whose ultimate owner is Transport for London. <br />
*Eurotunnel: A partnership between the Channel Tunnel Group Limited and France-Manche S.A. that operates the Channel Tunnel under a long-term concession from the UK and French governments. <br />
*Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited owns the railway between London Heathrow Airport and the junction with the Great Western Main Line near Hayes & Harlington. <br />
*HS1 Ltd: The investor with a 30 years concession from the UK government to operate the high-speed line between London and the Channel Tunnel, though most aspects of day-to-day operation and maintenance are contracted out to Network Rail. <br />
<br />
Facilities exist for special through running between the national system and some tourist lines.<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
A map of UK heritage railways can be found at the "Heritage Rail - UK & Ireland" link on the [https://www.heritagerailways.com Heritage Railway Association website].<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
London, Newcastle, Glasgow. Although part of the national railway system, the Merseyrail Electrics <br />
network in Liverpool is like a Metro. There are two separate networks in London. The Underground system is 630V dc third and fourth rail; the Docklands Light Railway is a fully-automated 750V dc third rail system. London Overground operates under a contract let by the Mayor of London and uses Transport for London branding, but operates almost entirely on Network Rail lines. The Glasgow and Merseyrail systems are third <br />
rail and Newcastle is 1500 V dc overhead. Glasgow Subway is 4 feet (1,219mm) gauge and was originally cable-worked. There are several lines where London Underground and main line trains share the same tracks. The Tyne & Wear Metro (Newcastle) operates to Sunderland over the Network Rail line from Pelaw.<br />
<br />
The Core Valley Lines from Cardiff are being converted to a form of metro system.<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Birmingham/Wolverhampton (Midland Metro), Blackpool, Croydon, Edinburgh,<br />
Llandudno (cable worked), Manchester, Nottingham, Seaton (Devon) and Sheffield. The Croydon, <br />
Manchester, Midland Metro, Nottingham and Seaton systems include extensive running over <br />
routes that were previously part of the national railway system. The Manchester and Nottingham systems have been considerably extended in recent years. On the Manchester Metrolink system a second route through Manchester city centre came into use on 26 February 2017, and the 5.5 km Trafford Park line opened on 22 March 2020. The Midland Metro in Birmingham was extended to Edgbaston on 17 July 2022 and to Wolverhampton Station on 17 September 2023. The first stage of a line to Brierley Hill is expected to open, to Dudley, in 2024. The extension of the Edinburgh line to Leith and Newhaven opened on 21 June 2023 and plans have been announced for further lines in the city. The Blackpool system Talbot Gateway extension, to Blackpool North station, is expected to be fully open in 2023. A metro system is proposed in Glasgow, but this project is at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
The Seaton and Llandudno lines are essentially tourist operations, and both are narrow gauge. <br />
There are other tourist lines of a mile or more at the National Tramway Museum <br />
(Crich, near Matlock) and at Beamish Open Air Museum (near Gateshead), plus <br />
several other shorter lines. <br />
<br />
The Isle of Man has three narrow gauge tramways, which operate on a seasonal basis: Douglas Bay Horse Tramway - along the promenade in Douglas; the Manx Electric Railway - an inter-urban line between Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey; and the Snaefell Mountain Railway - from Laxey to Snaefell Summit. <br />
After a period of uncertainty, the threat that the horse tramway line in Douglas might be shortened seems to have been seen off by a vote in Tynwald (the Manx parliament) in January 2017. <br />
<br />
The Tinsley Chord, which connects the Sheffield tram system to a freight line near Meadowhall, allows tram-trains to run between Sheffield city centre and Rotherham Parkgate over Network Rail lines. Public services commenced on Thursday 25 October 2018. Sheffield tram-trains are dual voltage vehicles that can run on the 750 V Overhead Lines (OHLE) of the tram network and the 25 kV OHLE of the national rail network; however the line to Rotherham Parkgate is initially energised at 750 V because there is no 25 kV electrification in the area.<br />
<br />
Track plans for most of the significant tram systems in the United Kingdom are available on the [http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/line/diagrams0.shtm Railway Codes site] and also on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/index-e.php Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes== <br />
Some aspects of national railway operations are privatised, but infrastructure ownership has reverted to the public sector. There continues to be debate about the fragmented, expensive and complex nature of the system that has emerged, under the general oversight of the Department for Transport.<br />
<br />
===Route Closures and Service Reductions===<br />
Having undergone extensive cut backs in the 1960s, the present passenger network seems relatively secure. The closure of a passenger railway in the UK normally involves a lengthy legal process, and short-notice closures usually occur only if there is a sudden and dramatic infrastructure failure, or if the closure is deemed a &quot;minor closure&quot;. However, a number of stations have closed and all passenger services over some lines have been withdrawn without the statutory procedure having been followed. Passenger services via the Channel Tunnel, or in connection with them, do not enjoy statutory protection from closure. <br />
<br />
Some routes have been reduced to just one or two trains per day (or, in some cases, per week) in order to reduce operating costs without having to go through the closure procedure. These are included in the list of [https://www.egtre.info/wiki/United_Kingdom_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services sparse services].<br />
<br />
A newly-introduced passenger service can be designated as "experimental" for a period up to five years, during which time it may be withdrawn without the usual closure procedure needing to be followed. The only "experimental" service at present is Thanet Parkway station, until 30 July 2028.<br />
<br />
====Passenger services to be withdrawn====<br />
* The railway between Nottingham and Worksop may be diverted at Whitwell to allow expansion of a dolomite quarry. This will eliminate Whitwell Tunnel. No date is set for this, but planning permission to expand the quarry was granted in 2018.<br />
<br />
* Planned diversion of trains between Belfast and Dublin to a new terminal facility - [http://www.translink.co.uk/Translink-Footer/the-hub/ the Belfast Hub] - being constructed close to Belfast Great Victoria Street may see the end of regular passenger services between Central Junction (Adelaide) and City Junction (City Hospital).<br />
<br />
====Closures and significant service reductions in recent years are==== <br />
<br />
'''Line closed'''<br />
<br />
* Old Oak Common West Junction - Park Royal - Greenford West Junction: Closed to passenger services in December 2018 to facilitate HS2 construction work; and has been partly dismantled.<br />
<br />
'''Passenger service withdrawn, line still open for other than regular passenger traffic:'''<br />
<br />
* Greenford LUL Bay Junction - Northolt Junction: The Wednesdays only train from West Ealing to West Ruislip ran for the last time on 7 December 2022.<br />
<br />
* Cowlairs East Junction - Cowlairs North Junction (Glasgow): The summer Sunday trains between Edinburgh and Oban start and terminate at Glasgow Queen Street in 2023. Last use of the curve by the ScotRail service was on 28 August 2022. It continues to be used by the [https://www.belmond.com/trains/europe/scotland/belmond-royal-scotsman/journeys Royal Scotsman] Western Scenic Wonders tour, but prices start at £5,800.<br />
<br />
* Barking Station Junction - Barking platform 1: No regular passenger traffic from 18 July 2022, when the line to Barking Riverside opened, but occasional diversions may be possible.<br />
<br />
* Dalmeny - Winchburgh Junction: Service withdrawn 23 March 2020, but without the statutory closure procedure having been followed. From 11 Dec 2022 the 22:31 FSSuX Dundee to Edinburgh and 22.58 SuO Glenrothes with Thornton to Edinburgh are scheduled to run this way with reversal at Linlithgow, but are likely to run direct via Edinburgh Gateway if there is no engineering work on that route.<br />
<br />
'''Significant service reduction'''<br />
<br />
* Glenrothes with Thornton - Thornton South Junction: The frequent service via Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy became Sundays only, except for one train each way Mondays to Fridays, with effect from 15 May 2022.<br />
<br />
====Temporary Closures:==== <br />
<br />
Work to upgrade the UK rail network is increasingly leading to lines being closed for extended periods. Severe weather and the age of much railway infrastructure has resulted in more temporary closures caused by landslips and other problems with earthworks. Current and planned temporary closures of four weeks or more, in approximate order of expected re-opening, are: <br />
<br />
* Prestwick Town to Girvan and Kilmarnock to Barassie: From 25 September 2023, probably for several weeks, because of a dangerous building at Ayr.<br />
* Bletchley to Bedford: From 1 December 2022, because the rolling stock provider is in administration. May reopen 4 November 2023.<br />
* Dovey Junction to Pwllheli: From 2 September to 3 December 2023, for work to Barmouth Bridge.<br />
* Ashford East Junction, connection to HS1: Eurostar ceased calling at Ashford on 19 March 2020 and will not resume before 2025/6.<br />
<br />
There are also extended closures of sections of the Valley Lines, north of Cardiff, at least until February 2024, for electrification work.<br />
<br />
===Re-openings and Openings===<br />
<br />
Most projects involve upgrading existing routes, but some openings have occurred or are about to do so. <br />
<br />
====New and reinstated passenger services in recent years:==== <br />
<br />
New passenger services are: <br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension - The Royal - Wolverhampton Station (17 September 2023). <br />
<br />
* Westbourne Park Junction - Paddington and Stepney Green Junction - Pudding Mill Lane Junction (full opening of Elizabeth line) (6 November 2022) <br />
<br />
* Barking - Barking Riverside (18 July 2022)<br />
<br />
* West Midlands Metro Extension - Library - Edgbaston Village (17 July 2022) <br />
<br />
*Paddington - Abbey Wood (Elizabeth line) (24 May 2022)<br />
<br />
* Newport (Gaer Junction) - Pye Corner (Park Junction) (on introduction of trains between Newport and Crosskeys, 12 December 2021)<br />
<br />
* Crediton - Okehampton (20 November 2021; there was previously a service on summer Sundays)<br />
<br />
* Kennington - Battersea Power Station (London Underground, Northern Line extension, opened September 2021)<br />
<br />
* Meadowhall South/Tinsley - Tinsley North Junction - Rotherham Central (Sheffield Tram Train operation substantially over a Network Rail freight line, opened on 25 October 2018) <br />
<br />
A daily service, generally hourly, was introduced between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester via Runcorn and Frodsham on 19 May 2019. Previously the curve between Halton Junction and Frodsham Junction had been used by a single unadvertised train in one direction only on summer Saturdays.<br />
<br />
On tourist / heritage railways:<br />
<br />
* Llangollen Railway extended passenger services from Carrog to a provisional terminus at Corwen in October 2014 and to the permanent terminus in June 2023. <br />
* the Mid-Norfolk Railway ran inaugural passenger trains to Worthing level crossing (North Elmham) on 19 and 20 May 2018, but regular services continue to terminate at Dereham. The railway aspires to continue to County School. <br />
* The first (very short) section of the Aln Valley Railway officially opened in October 2013, from a new station on the edge of Alnwick, with a longer run available from December 2017. It is planned that the railway will reach the National Rail station at Alnmouth.<br />
* The first section of the re-opened Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, a narrow gauge line, is in operation between Woody Bay and Killington Lane. Extensions towards Lynton and to Blackmoor Gate are planned as the next phase of reconstruction.<br />
<br />
====Projects authorised or under construction are:==== <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the railway between Kirkcaldy (Thornton North Junction) and Levenmouth for passenger services in 2024. It is expected that some trains will run via Cowdenbeath, providing many more via the curve from Thornton West Junction than the current sparse service. <br />
<br />
A Transport & Works Act Order for the introduction of passenger trains over the freight line to Ashington was granted in June 2022 and the line is due to open by December 2024. The UK Government has announced plans to re-open the railway to Fleetwood, but this may become a tramway. The UK Government is also funding feasibility studies into re-opening a number of other lines, but these are at a very early stage. <br />
<br />
Work has started on construction of a high speed railway (HS2) from London to Birmingham, but the line will not be opened until 2026 at the earliest. A flythrough of the route is [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bkoGvw9kbA here]. It is to be followed by Phase 2a as far as Crewe. It is intended that the line will subsequently be extended to Manchester with completion in the mid-2030s. It was originally planned that there would be a branch to Leeds, but this has been cut back to East Midlands Parkway (near Nottingham). The UK Government has also announced that it intends to proceed with a high-speed line from Warrington to Marsden (for Huddersfield) via Manchester. <br />
<br />
<!---Preliminary work on construction of a link between the LUL Watford branch and the former Croxley Green branch was undertaken in 2016. However, the project has stalled, because of lack of agreement as to how further cost escalation would be funded, and can only be regarded as definitively dead, though there has been no formal announcement to this effect. Should the scheme continue, which seems increasingly unlikely, it will result in the closure of Watford LUL station, but the re-opening of most of the Croxley Green branch.---><br />
Plans were being developed for a second Crossrail line, linking south west and north east London. All work on this stopped in autumn 2020, as a result of economies made to deal with the Covid pandemic. It is questionable whether the scheme will be revived, if there is the expected permanent reduction in commuter traffic. <br />
<br />
Work is under way to re-open the derelict line between Calvert and Bletchley. A Transport & Works Act Order for this scheme was granted in February 2020 and services between Oxford and Milton Keynes are scheduled to start in December 2024. The longer-term objective is to re-introduce trains between Oxford and Cambridge. <br />
<br />
[https://heathrowrail.com/ Heathrow Southern Railway] intends to build a new railway south-west from Heathrow Airport to link with the Staines to Windsor line, together with a branch to Virginia Water or Chertsey. <br />
<br />
In the private sector:<br />
* The Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway is constructing an extension from Glengonnar to Wanlockhead.<br />
* Moorland & City Railways have a stated intention to reopen the line between Stoke-on-Trent and Leek Brook Junction, to a junction with the Churnet Valley Railway, but progress seems to be languishing.<br />
* Most ambitiously, the two Great Central Railways at Loughborough are being linked by means of a reinstated bridge over the Midland Main Line. <br />
* The Rother Valley Railway has obtained a Transport and Works Act Order to rebuild the railway between Robertsbridge and Junction Road (Bodiam).<br />
* The Royal Deeside Railway is extending its line to Crathes West Lodge.<br />
* Strathspey Railway is extending to Grantown-on-Spey and during summer 2014 and 2015 offered a limited service between its normal terminus at Broomhill and the river bridge at Dulnain. Further work depends on obtaining statutory powers under the Transport and Works Act and constructing a new bridge to carry the railway over the A95 main road. <br />
* The Helston Railway provides a short ride near Prospidnick, but plans to extend to Helston and eventually to Gwinear Road.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
<br />
Main line electrification in Great Britain came to a virtual standstill following railway privatisation, because private-sector train operators and rolling stock companies preferred the flexibility of diesel traction. The only schemes to proceed were between Crewe and Kidsgrove (near Stoke on Trent) (electrified for diversionary use), the reconstructed Larkhall branch line in Scotland and High Speed 1 (the Channel Tunnel rail link) [see below].<br />
<br />
In 2009 Department for Transport policy shifted towards extending electrification, with significant schemes proposed and a few implemented. However, greatly increased costs have resulted in projects being curtailed and delayed. Poor cost estimating, increased safety standards, over-specification and loss of practical experience of electrification appear to be among the causes. In July 2017 the UK Government announced an end to plans for further railway electrification in England and Wales, with reliance instead on bi-mode diesel/electric trains. This will included converting some electric multiple-units to bi-mode working. There have also been experiments with battery operation. In contrast, the Scottish Government required Network Rail to develop an electrification technical specification that can deliver an "efficient and affordable rolling programme of electrification". <br />
<br />
Electrification schemes recently completed in England and Wales are:<br />
<br />
* Bedford to Corby (May 2021) <br />
<br />
* London (Heathrow Airport Junction) to Cardiff, Chippenham (Christian Malford) and Newbury (Phased introduction of electric services between May 2017 and January 2020). The scheme was cut back to omit Swansea, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Oxford and the Thames Valley branch lines.<br />
<br />
* Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley (May 2019)<br />
<br />
* Manchester to Preston via Bolton (February 2019)<br />
<br />
* Gospel Oak to Woodgrange Park via South Tottenham (January 2019, but limited electric service initially, because of delayed delivery of rolling stock)<br />
<br />
Schemes under way in England:<br />
<br />
* Kettering - Market Harborough<br />
<br />
* Manchester - Huddersfield - Leeds - York <br />
<br />
* Wigan North Western - Lostock Junction (near Bolton) (announced 1 September 2021, expected completion 2024/2025) <br />
<br />
The UK Government has announced that electrification of the Midland Main Line is to be completed to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield.<br />
<br />
The Welsh Government is sponsoring electrification of the Valley Lines from Cardiff to Bargoed, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert. Light rail vehicles are to be used from Cardiff to Coryton and on routes via Radyr. Tri-mode trains will be used from Rhymney to Penarth, Barry Island and the Vale of Glamorgan line, using battery power between Rhymney and Bargoed, and diesel south of Cardiff. <br />
<br />
Following an extensive programme of electrification completed between 2012 and 2019, most lines in Central Scotland are electrified, with recent schemes comprising:<br />
<br />
*Croy (Carmuirs West Jn) and Camelon (Carmuirs East Jn) to Stirling, Dunblane and Alloa (December 2018)<br />
<br />
*Holytown to Kirknewton (Midcalder Jn) via Shotts (Some electric services April 2019, full service May 2019) <br />
<br />
The line from Falkirk to Grangemouth has also been electrified for freight traffic, but there are proposals to reinstate a passenger service. <br />
<br />
Electric working to Barrhead is expected to start by December 2023, to be followed by East Kilbride. The line from Haymarket (Edinburgh) to Dalmeny is being electrified as the first phase of a scheme to electrify routes through Fife. Transport Scotland's [https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/rail-services-decarbonisation-action-plan/ ''Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan''], published in July 2020, envisages most lines in Scotland being electrified. Priorities are the Kilmarnock line; Edinburgh to Tweedbank; routes in Fife; and Dunblane to Aberdeen. Later extensions will take electrification to Girvan; Gretna via Dumfries; and Inverness to Perth, Aberdeen and Tain.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of changes more than five years ago see [[United_Kingdom - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special Notes==<br />
<br />
Train numbers in Great Britain follow an alpha-numeric format, thus 1A22. The first digit indicates the type of train (passenger trains are 1, 2 or 9), in most cases the letter indicates its route or destination and the remaining digits identify the particular train. Different trains can and do use the same number, so long as they do not conflict geographically or operate several hours apart. Since December 2021 train numbers have been shown in the National Rail Timetable, but they are not normally used for passenger information purposes. It is more usual for trains to be referred to by their schedule, for example as the "10:00 London King's Cross to Aberdeen". International trains have four digit numbers where the second figure is 0 or 1, which can be treated as letters O and I in the UK.<br />
<br />
Departure sheets listing trains from a station in chronological order are rarely used. The usual format is to list destinations in alphabetic order, and provide details of all trains to each, or to provide timetable posters. Most stations have electronic displays, which indicate all departures (and often arrivals) within the next hour or so.<br />
<br />
It is unusual for information displays and announcements at stations and on trains to be in any language other than English (and Welsh in Wales), though most station name signs in Scotland appear in Gaelic as well as English. Multi-lingual information is normally restricted to dedicated airport services and those using the Channel Tunnel.<br />
<br />
No stations sell international tickets or can make international reservations, though there are facilities to make through bookings from certain stations by Eurostar. <!---International tickets and reservations are available at the We Know London Tourist Services desk in the shopping mall at St Pancras International station.---> Even the range of tickets available from Eurostar is very limited. For guidance on booking travel to and from Europe visit [http://www.seat61.com/Europe.htm#How%20do%20I%20book? The Man in Seat Sixty-One]'s website or see advice from [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/European-Train-Travel.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Selective door opening is increasingly used, particularly in London and South East England. Trains are longer than some station platforms and only doors within the platform are unlocked. Announcements and visual displays advise passengers which carriages they need to be in if wishing to alight. This also happens to a limited extent on the London Underground, but usually only affecting the rearmost pair of doors. <br />
<br />
The only long-distance overnight trains in Great Britain are:<br />
<br />
* [https://www.sleeper.scot/ Caledonian Sleeper] from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness <br />
* Great Western's [https://www.gwr.com/travelling-with-us/night-riviera-sleeper Night Riviera] from London to Penzance<br />
<br />
Sleeping cars are provided, but not couchettes, and seating may be in saloons with non-reclinable seats, where passengers have no control of the lighting. <br />
<br />
Taking bicycles, other than folding ones, by train can be difficult. Space may be limited and some operators require advance reservations for bicycles. More information can be found at [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/cyclists.aspx National Rail].<br />
<br />
Train services at weekends, and especially Saturday evening and Sunday until mid-afternoon, can be extensively altered because of [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.aspx engineering work]. With the paucity of alternative routes and a growing aversion to temporary single line working, buses frequently substitute for trains in such circumstances. There are an increasing number of initiatives to give extended overnight possessions Mondays to Thursdays, in order to reduce the extent of weekend closures. This results in late evening trains being replaced by buses. Trials are being undertaken of mid-week line closures. Blockades of a week or more are increasingly common.<br />
<br />
No trains run in the UK on Christmas Day and very few on Boxing Day, mostly on local services in the London and Glasgow areas. No domestic services run in Scotland on New Year's Day, but there are normally trains between England, Edinburgh and Glasgow. <br />
<br />
Very few stations have left luggage facilities. Unattended luggage may be removed by the police and processes to check that it is safe can be very destructive.<br />
<br />
Railway enthusiasts are welcomed on stations - for guidance when on and about stations refer to [https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/railway-enthusiasts/railway-enthusiasts-and-photography-at-stations/ Network Rail's] advice.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox United Kingdom}}</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Italy_(Sardegna)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=53211Italy (Sardegna) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2023-12-16T17:00:37Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Ferrovie della Sardegna obscure services */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Italy Introduction 2010 2011}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services==<br />
<br />
===Ozieri-Chilivani avoiding line: Torralba (km 211.5) - Ardara (km 1.7)===<br />
[360] (ERA-E 85B3; ERA-R 159B4; S+W ''114D1'') IT24/211<br />
<br />
This south to west curve is used by trains between the Cagliari and Sassari lines if not calling at Ozieri-Chilivani.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| ''R4841''<br />
| 06:30 Sassari - Cagliari<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| ''R4853''<br />
| 19:00 Sassari - Cagliari<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| ''R4842''<br />
| Cagliari - 12:27 Macomer - Sassari<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| ''R4850''<br />
| Cagliari – 20:24 Macomer – Sassari<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==<div id="TreninoVerde"></div>''Ferrovie della Sardegna'' obscure services==<br />
Limited services, marketed as ''Il Trenino Verde della Sardegna'', normally operate over the following Ferrovie della Sardegna lines, mainly during the summer. There are less frequent public excursions at other times. Details are shown on website [http://www.treninoverde.com/ www.treninoverde.com], but it should be noted that these may vary in practice, particularly if there are insufficient advance bookings. It is also possible to charter trains.<br />
<br />
Proposals to close all lines which do not have year-round passenger traffic have been dropped in favour of plans to rehabilitate them, but some have been shut for over five years. Traffic was suspended from 24 June 2016 between Laconi and Sorgono and between Seui and Arbatax, because of the poor condition of some bridges. The line between Gairo and Arbatax re-opened for the 2017 season. Services resumed over the full length of the line between Macomer and Bosa Marina in 2021, but there was no service in 2022.<br />
<br />
Changes in 2023 were that the service from Tempio Pausiana was extended from Luras to Arzachena, but the line thence to Palau remained without a service. Macomer to Bosa Marina was reinstated. The service between Mandas and Seui was cut back to Flumendosa (between Villanova Tulo and Betilli) and the service between Arbatax and Gairo was cut back to Lanusei. <br />
<br />
The advertised service in 2023 was:<br />
<br />
===Tempio Pausania - Arzachena===<br />
(ERA-E 85B3; ERA-R 159C5-159B5; S+W ''113C1-113A3'') IT23/211<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D <br />
| FSO<br />
| <br />
| 06:40 & 16:00 Tempio Pausania - Arzachena<br />
|- <br />
| D<br />
| FSO<br />
| <br />
| 09:45 & 19:00 Arzachena - Tempio Pausania<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Macomer - Bosa Marina===<br />
(ERA-E 85B2; ERA-R 159A3; S+W ''114B3-114C3'') IT23/212<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D <br />
| WSO<br />
| <br />
| 09:00 Macomer - Bosa Marina<br />
|- <br />
| D<br />
| WSO<br />
| <br />
| 16:30 Bosa Marina - Macomer<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Mandas - Laconi===<br />
(ERA-E 85B1-B2; ERA-R 159B2; S+W ''117A3-117A2'') IT23/213<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D <br />
| SuO<br />
| <br />
| 09:00 Mandas - Laconi<br />
|- <br />
| D<br />
| SuO<br />
| <br />
| 16:30 Laconi - Mandas<br />
|}<br />
<br />
Trains run fortnightly, alternate weeks to those to Flumendosa<br />
<br />
===Mandas - Flumendosa===<br />
(ERA-E 85B1-B2; ERA-R 159B2; S+W ''117A3-117B2'') IT23/214<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D <br />
| SuO<br />
| <br />
| 09:00 Mandas - Flumendosa<br />
|- <br />
| D<br />
| SuO<br />
| <br />
| 11:40 Flumendosa - Mandas<br />
|}<br />
<br />
Trains run fortnightly, alternate weeks to those to Laconi<br />
<br />
===Arbatax - Lanusei===<br />
(ERA-E 85B2-C2; ERA-R 159C2; S+W ''117D1-117C2'') IT23/215<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D <br />
| SO<br />
| <br />
| 09:00 Arbatax - Lanusei<br />
|- <br />
| D<br />
| SO<br />
| <br />
| 16:00 Lanusei - Arbatax<br />
|}<br />
<br />
<br />
There are no passenger trains over the following ''Ferrovie della Sardegna'' lines.<br />
<br />
Palau Marina - Arzachena<br />
<br />
Sassari - Tempio Pausania<br />
<br />
Laconi - Sorgono <br />
<br />
Flumendosa - Lanusei<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Italy}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Italy_(Sardegna)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=53210Italy (Sardegna) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2023-12-16T16:59:08Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Ferrovie della Sardegna obscure services */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Italy Introduction 2010 2011}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services==<br />
<br />
===Ozieri-Chilivani avoiding line: Torralba (km 211.5) - Ardara (km 1.7)===<br />
[360] (ERA-E 85B3; ERA-R 159B4; S+W ''114D1'') IT24/211<br />
<br />
This south to west curve is used by trains between the Cagliari and Sassari lines if not calling at Ozieri-Chilivani.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| ''R4841''<br />
| 06:30 Sassari - Cagliari<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| ''R4853''<br />
| 19:00 Sassari - Cagliari<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| ''R4842''<br />
| Cagliari - 12:27 Macomer - Sassari<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| ''R4850''<br />
| Cagliari – 20:24 Macomer – Sassari<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==<div id="TreninoVerde"></div>''Ferrovie della Sardegna'' obscure services==<br />
Limited services, marketed as ''Il Trenino Verde della Sardegna'', normally operate over the following Ferrovie della Sardegna lines, mainly during the summer. There are less frequent public excursions at other times. Details are shown on website [http://www.treninoverde.com/ www.treninoverde.com], but it should be noted that these may vary in practice, particularly if there are insufficient advance bookings. It is also possible to charter trains.<br />
<br />
Proposals to close all lines which do not have year-round passenger traffic have been dropped in favour of plans to rehabilitate them, but some have been shut for over five years. Traffic was suspended from 24 June 2016 between Laconi and Sorgono and between Seui and Arbatax, because of the poor condition of some bridges. The line between Gairo and Arbatax re-opened for the 2017 season. Services resumed over the full length of the line between Macomer and Bosa Marina in 2021, but there was no service in 2022.<br />
<br />
Changes in 2023 are that the service from Tempio Pausiana is extended from Luras to Arzachena, but the line thence to Palau remains without service. Macomer to Bosa Marina is reinstated. The service between Mandas and Seui is cut back to Flumendosa (between Villanova Tulo and Betilli) and the service between Arbatax and Gairo is cut back to Lanusei. <br />
<br />
The advertised service in 2023 is:<br />
<br />
===Tempio Pausania - Arzachena===<br />
(ERA-E 85B3; ERA-R 159C5-159B5; S+W ''113C1-113A3'') IT23/211<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D <br />
| FSO<br />
| <br />
| 06:40 & 16:00 Tempio Pausania - Arzachena<br />
|- <br />
| D<br />
| FSO<br />
| <br />
| 09:45 & 19:00 Arzachena - Tempio Pausania<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Macomer - Bosa Marina===<br />
(ERA-E 85B2; ERA-R 159A3; S+W ''114B3-114C3'') IT23/212<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D <br />
| WSO<br />
| <br />
| 09:00 Macomer - Bosa Marina<br />
|- <br />
| D<br />
| WSO<br />
| <br />
| 16:30 Bosa Marina - Macomer<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Mandas - Laconi===<br />
(ERA-E 85B1-B2; ERA-R 159B2; S+W ''117A3-117A2'') IT23/213<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D <br />
| SuO<br />
| <br />
| 09:00 Mandas - Laconi<br />
|- <br />
| D<br />
| SuO<br />
| <br />
| 16:30 Laconi - Mandas<br />
|}<br />
<br />
Trains run fortnightly, alternate weeks to those to Flumendosa<br />
<br />
===Mandas - Flumendosa===<br />
(ERA-E 85B1-B2; ERA-R 159B2; S+W ''117A3-117B2'') IT23/214<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D <br />
| SuO<br />
| <br />
| 09:00 Mandas - Flumendosa<br />
|- <br />
| D<br />
| SuO<br />
| <br />
| 11:40 Flumendosa - Mandas<br />
|}<br />
<br />
Trains run fortnightly, alternate weeks to those to Laconi<br />
<br />
===Arbatax - Lanusei===<br />
(ERA-E 85B2-C2; ERA-R 159C2; S+W ''117D1-117C2'') IT23/215<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D <br />
| SO<br />
| <br />
| 09:00 Arbatax - Lanusei<br />
|- <br />
| D<br />
| SO<br />
| <br />
| 16:00 Lanusei - Arbatax<br />
|}<br />
<br />
<br />
There are no passenger trains over the following ''Ferrovie della Sardegna'' lines.<br />
<br />
Palau Marina - Arzachena<br />
<br />
Sassari - Tempio Pausania<br />
<br />
Laconi - Sorgono <br />
<br />
Flumendosa - Lanusei<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Italy}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Italy_(Sardegna)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=53209Italy (Sardegna) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2023-12-16T16:58:33Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Ozieri-Chilivani avoiding line: Torralba (km 211.5) - Ardara (km 1.7) */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Italy Introduction 2010 2011}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services==<br />
<br />
===Ozieri-Chilivani avoiding line: Torralba (km 211.5) - Ardara (km 1.7)===<br />
[360] (ERA-E 85B3; ERA-R 159B4; S+W ''114D1'') IT24/211<br />
<br />
This south to west curve is used by trains between the Cagliari and Sassari lines if not calling at Ozieri-Chilivani.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| ''R4841''<br />
| 06:30 Sassari - Cagliari<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| ''R4853''<br />
| 19:00 Sassari - Cagliari<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| ''R4842''<br />
| Cagliari - 12:27 Macomer - Sassari<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| ''R4850''<br />
| Cagliari – 20:24 Macomer – Sassari<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==<div id="TreninoVerde"></div>''Ferrovie della Sardegna'' obscure services==<br />
Limited services, marketed as ''Il Trenino Verde della Sardegna'', normally operate over the following Ferrovie della Sardegna lines, mainly during the summer. There are less frequent public excursions at other times. Details are shown on website [http://www.treninoverde.com/ www.treninoverde.com], but it should be noted that these may vary in practice, particularly if there are insufficient advance bookings. It is also possible to charter trains.<br />
<br />
Proposals to close all lines which do not have year-round passenger traffic have been dropped in favour of plans to rehabilitate them, but some have been shut for over five years. Traffic was suspended from 24 June 2016 between Laconi and Sorgono and between Seui and Arbatax, because of the poor condition of some bridges. The line between Gairo and Arbatax re-opened for the 2017 season. Services resumed over the full length of the line between Macomer and Bosa Marina in 2021, but there was no service in 2022.<br />
<br />
Changes in 2023 are that the service from Tempio Pausiana is extended from Luras to Arzachena, but the line thence to Palau remains without service. Macomer to Bosa Marina is reinstated. The service between Mandas and Seui is cut back to Flumendosa (between Villanova Tulo and Betilli) and the service between Arbatax and Gairo is cut back to Lanusei. <br />
<br />
The advertised service in 2023 is:<br />
<br />
===Tempio Pausania - Arzachena===<br />
(ERA-E 85B3; ERA-R 159C5-159B5; S+W ''113C1-113A3'') IT22/211<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D <br />
| FSO<br />
| <br />
| 06:40 & 16:00 Tempio Pausania - Arzachena<br />
|- <br />
| D<br />
| FSO<br />
| <br />
| 09:45 & 19:00 Arzachena - Tempio Pausania<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Macomer - Bosa Marina===<br />
(ERA-E 85B2; ERA-R 159A3; S+W ''114B3-114C3'') IT22/212<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D <br />
| WSO<br />
| <br />
| 09:00 Macomer - Bosa Marina<br />
|- <br />
| D<br />
| WSO<br />
| <br />
| 16:30 Bosa Marina - Macomer<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Mandas - Laconi===<br />
(ERA-E 85B1-B2; ERA-R 159B2; S+W ''117A3-117A2'') IT22/213<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D <br />
| SuO<br />
| <br />
| 09:00 Mandas - Laconi<br />
|- <br />
| D<br />
| SuO<br />
| <br />
| 16:30 Laconi - Mandas<br />
|}<br />
<br />
Trains run fortnightly, alternate weeks to those to Flumendosa<br />
<br />
===Mandas - Flumendosa===<br />
(ERA-E 85B1-B2; ERA-R 159B2; S+W ''117A3-117B2'') IT22/214<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D <br />
| SuO<br />
| <br />
| 09:00 Mandas - Flumendosa<br />
|- <br />
| D<br />
| SuO<br />
| <br />
| 11:40 Flumendosa - Mandas<br />
|}<br />
<br />
Trains run fortnightly, alternate weeks to those to Laconi<br />
<br />
===Arbatax - Lanusei===<br />
(ERA-E 85B2-C2; ERA-R 159C2; S+W ''117D1-117C2'') IT22/215<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D <br />
| SO<br />
| <br />
| 09:00 Arbatax - Lanusei<br />
|- <br />
| D<br />
| SO<br />
| <br />
| 16:00 Lanusei - Arbatax<br />
|}<br />
<br />
<br />
There are no passenger trains over the following ''Ferrovie della Sardegna'' lines.<br />
<br />
Palau Marina - Arzachena<br />
<br />
Sassari - Tempio Pausania<br />
<br />
Laconi - Sorgono <br />
<br />
Flumendosa - Lanusei<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Italy}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Italy_(Sicilia)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=53208Italy (Sicilia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2023-12-16T16:56:29Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Palermo Brancaccio - Palermo Guadagna */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Italy Introduction 2010 2011}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services==<br />
<br />
===Terme Vigliatore – Patti-S Piero Patti===<br />
[99] (ERA-E 88A4; ERA-R 168C5-168B5; S+W ''103D2-104A2'') IT24/201<br />
<br />
There is a new section of main line between Terme Vigliatore and Patti-S Piero Patti, but the old route remains in use to serve intermediate stations. All trains use the new line except the relatively small number calling at intermediate stations between Terme Vigliatore and Patti-S Piero Patti. Note there is a significant grade separated junction at Terme Vigliatore.<br />
<br />
===<div id="AGPE"></div>Agrigento Bassa – Porto Empedocle Succursale===<br />
[386] (ERA-E 88B2; ERA-R 167C2; S+W ''107C3'') IT24/202<br />
<br />
Trains usually run between Porto Empedocle and Agrigento Centrale in connection with the Sagra del Mandorlo in Fiore (almond blossom festival), which normally takes place late winter or early spring. <br />
<br />
Trains operated between Agrigento Centrale and Porto Empedocle Succursale on 5, 11 and 12 March 2023. The 2024 festival takes place between 9 and 17 March. If the previous service pattern is repeated, trains can be expected to run on 10, 16 and 17 March 2024. <br />
<br />
There are occasional other excursions to and from Porto Empedocle Succursale.<br />
<br />
===Palermo Brancaccio - Palermo Guadagna===<br />
[99] (ERA-R 167B1; S+W ''105C2'') IT24/203<br />
<br />
This curve allows trains to run between the Messina and Trapani lines without reversing at Palermo Centrale. In 2023 the line was used by through trains between Milazzo or Cefalu and Punta Raisi at summer weekends, generally every two hours (not Saturday before 11:45).<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Italy}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Italy_(Sicilia)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=53207Italy (Sicilia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2023-12-16T16:54:04Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Obscure services */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Italy Introduction 2010 2011}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services==<br />
<br />
===Terme Vigliatore – Patti-S Piero Patti===<br />
[99] (ERA-E 88A4; ERA-R 168C5-168B5; S+W ''103D2-104A2'') IT24/201<br />
<br />
There is a new section of main line between Terme Vigliatore and Patti-S Piero Patti, but the old route remains in use to serve intermediate stations. All trains use the new line except the relatively small number calling at intermediate stations between Terme Vigliatore and Patti-S Piero Patti. Note there is a significant grade separated junction at Terme Vigliatore.<br />
<br />
===<div id="AGPE"></div>Agrigento Bassa – Porto Empedocle Succursale===<br />
[386] (ERA-E 88B2; ERA-R 167C2; S+W ''107C3'') IT24/202<br />
<br />
Trains usually run between Porto Empedocle and Agrigento Centrale in connection with the Sagra del Mandorlo in Fiore (almond blossom festival), which normally takes place late winter or early spring. <br />
<br />
Trains operated between Agrigento Centrale and Porto Empedocle Succursale on 5, 11 and 12 March 2023. The 2024 festival takes place between 9 and 17 March. If the previous service pattern is repeated, trains can be expected to run on 10, 16 and 17 March 2024. <br />
<br />
There are occasional other excursions to and from Porto Empedocle Succursale.<br />
<br />
===Palermo Brancaccio - Palermo Guadagna===<br />
[99] (ERA-R 167B1; S+W ''105C2'') IT23/203<br />
<br />
This curve allows trains to run between the Messina and Trapani lines without reversing at Palermo Centrale. The line is used by through trains between Milazzo or Cefalu and Punta Raisi at summer weekends, generally every two hours (not Saturday before 11:45).<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Italy}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Italy_(Sicilia)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=53206Italy (Sicilia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2023-12-16T16:53:41Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Agrigento Bassa – Porto Empedocle Succursale */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Italy Introduction 2010 2011}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services==<br />
<br />
===Terme Vigliatore – Patti-S Piero Patti===<br />
[99] (ERA-E 88A4; ERA-R 168C5-168B5; S+W ''103D2-104A2'') IT23/201<br />
<br />
There is a new section of main line between Terme Vigliatore and Patti-S Piero Patti, but the old route remains in use to serve intermediate stations. All trains use the new line except the relatively small number calling at intermediate stations between Terme Vigliatore and Patti-S Piero Patti. Note there is a significant grade separated junction at Terme Vigliatore.<br />
<br />
===<div id="AGPE"></div>Agrigento Bassa – Porto Empedocle Succursale===<br />
[386] (ERA-E 88B2; ERA-R 167C2; S+W ''107C3'') IT24/202<br />
<br />
Trains usually run between Porto Empedocle and Agrigento Centrale in connection with the Sagra del Mandorlo in Fiore (almond blossom festival), which normally takes place late winter or early spring. <br />
<br />
Trains operated between Agrigento Centrale and Porto Empedocle Succursale on 5, 11 and 12 March 2023. The 2024 festival takes place between 9 and 17 March. If the previous service pattern is repeated, trains can be expected to run on 10, 16 and 17 March 2024. <br />
<br />
There are occasional other excursions to and from Porto Empedocle Succursale.<br />
<br />
===Palermo Brancaccio - Palermo Guadagna===<br />
[99] (ERA-R 167B1; S+W ''105C2'') IT23/203<br />
<br />
This curve allows trains to run between the Messina and Trapani lines without reversing at Palermo Centrale. The line is used by through trains between Milazzo or Cefalu and Punta Raisi at summer weekends, generally every two hours (not Saturday before 11:45).<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Italy}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Italy_(Calabria)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=53204Italy (Calabria) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2023-12-16T16:49:30Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Obscure Services */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Italy Introduction 2010 2011}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure Services==<br />
<br />
===Paola (Bivio Settimo) - Torana-Lattarico (Bivio S Antonello)===<br />
[355] (ERA-E 87B2; ERA-R 169B5; S+W ''94C3'') IT24/191<br />
<br />
This west to north curve allows trains to run between the Paola and Sibari lines without having to reverse at Castiglione Cosentino or Cosenza.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FR8519''<br />
| Bozen/Bolzano - 21:40 Paola - Sibari<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FR8509''<br />
| Sibari - 06:51/06:54 Torano-Lattarico - Bozen/Bolzano<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Camigliatello Silano – S Nicola-Silvana Mansio (''Ferrovie della Calabria'')===<br />
(ERA-E 87B3; ERA-R 169B5; S+W ''94D3-95A3'') IT24/192<br />
<br />
There are no through <I>Ferrovie della Calabria</I> passenger trains from Cosenza to the above entry which is an isolated preserved section of the 67km branch from Pedace to San Giovanni in Fiore. Regular services beyond Camigliatello Silano to San Giovanni in Fiore ceased in 1997, then from the junction station at Pedace to Camigliatello Silano on 31 January 2011. Occasional excursion traffic remained, then from August 2016 13km from Moccone to S Nicola-Silvana Mansio opened as a Tourist steam railway. However note their [http://www.trenodellasila.it/ Treno della Sila website] in November 2023 suggests they no longer operate on the 2.2 km section from Moccone to Camigliatello Silano so only as per the entry description. Booking, on line, is possible and trains may become fully booked in advance and they operate during the winter as well as the summer.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Italy}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Italy_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=53203Italy - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2023-12-16T16:48:50Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Deletions since previous edition */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
<br />
{{Italy Introduction 2010 2011}}<br />
<br />
Westbound and northbound trains normally have even train numbers. Eastbound and southbound trains normally have odd numbers. Trains may, therefore, have several numbers during the course of a journey. For example, the 07:13 Bergamo to Ventimiglia, which runs west to Milano, south to Genova and then west again, is successively ''IR1786'', ''IR1787'' and ''IR1788''. In the tables below the train number used is that applicable at the last stop before the route concerned. Where two train numbers are shown, that is because they vary with the day of operation. Trains running on only a few days during the Christmas and New Year holiday period are not included in the lists; none use lines without any other passenger service.<br />
<br />
When a train is being re-scheduled, to allow for engineering work or for other reasons, it is likely to be given an alternative train number, usually of five digits starting with 3. The last two digits are generally, but not always, the same as those of usual train number. For passenger reservation purposes the usual number may be used. Where a train is diverted via an obscure route that it does not normally use, the relevant 3xxxx train number is quoted in the lists. Many trains have alternative numbers because of diversions or retimings that do not affect use of obscure routes and in such cases only the usual number is quoted, in the interests of clarity and space. <br />
<br />
Lines are listed in geographic order, from north to south, grouped by region. However, the Firenze - Roma ''direttissima'' (which passes through the regions of Toscana, Umbria and Lazio) is shown as a separate group. [[#SN|Special Notes]] and details of [[#LAV|''Linea Alta Velocità'' (High Speed Lines)]], [[#OSS|Other Sparse Services]], [[#BST|Bus services in substitute for trains]], and [[#DSLE|Deletions since previous edition]] can be found at the end of this page.<br />
<br />
<div id="LR"></div>'''List of Regions''':-<br />
<br />
{| width="60%" | <br />
| [[Italy (Lombardia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Lombardia]] <br />
| Includes Milano<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/01<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Trentino Alto Adige) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Trentino Alto Adige]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/21<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Veneto) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Veneto]] <br />
| Includes Verona<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/31<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Friuli Venezia Giulia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Friuli Venezia Giulia]]<br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/41<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Piemonte) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Piemonte]] <br />
| Includes Torino<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/51<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Liguria) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Liguria]] <br />
| Includes Genova<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/61<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Emilia Romagna) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Emilia Romagna]] <br />
| Includes Bologna<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/71<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Toscana) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Toscana]] <br />
| Includes Firenze<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/91<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Marche) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Marche]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/111<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Firenze - Roma direttissima) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Firenze - Roma direttissima]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/121<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Lazio) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Lazio]] <br />
| Includes Roma<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/141<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Campania) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Campania]] <br />
| Includes Napoli<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/151<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Abruzzo and Molise) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Abruzzo and Molise]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/171<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Calabria) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Calabria]]<br />
| Includes Cosenza<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/191<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Sicilia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Sicilia]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/201<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Sardegna) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Sardegna]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/211<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following regions currently have no Obscure Services: Basilicata, Puglia and Valle d'Aosta.<br />
<br />
==<div id="SN"></div>Special Notes==<br />
The Trenitalia timetables suggest that on certain lines fast trains and stopping trains run via different routes, but in fact there is a quadruple line with station platforms on only one pair of tracks. Such lines include Prato Centrale to Firenze Rifredi and Padova to Venezia Mestre.<br />
<br />
==<span id="LAV"></span>''Linea Alta Velocità'' (High-Speed Lines)==<br />
<br />
The following high-speed lines, which are electrified at 25 KV 50 Hz rather than the standard Italian 3,000 Volts DC, are used by ''Alta Velocità'' trains. These are marketed as ''Frecciarossa'', ''Frecciabianca'' and ''Frecciargento''. High-speed services are also provided by open access operator Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori, trading as [http://www.italotreno.it ''Italo''].<br />
<br />
*Torino Stura - Milano (Rho Fiera)<br />
*Treviglio (Bivio Casirate) - Brescia (Scalo)<br />
*Milano (Bivio Melegnano) - Bologna - Firenze (Castello)<br />
*Roma (Prenestina) - Napoli (Gianturco)<br />
<br />
There are various intermediate connections between these lines and older routes, but many see limited or no use by passenger trains. Those with a passenger service are: <br />
<br />
*Piacenza Ovest: See [[Italy_(Emilia_Romagna)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#PIAO|IT23/71]]<br />
*Fidenza Ovest: See [[Italy_(Emilia_Romagna)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#FIDO|IT23/73]]<br />
*Castelfranco Est: See [[Italy_(Emilia_Romagna)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#ERBCE|IT23/76]]<br />
*Anzola dell'Emilia: See [[Italy_(Emilia_Romagna)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#ANZLAV|IT23/77]]<br />
*Anagni: See [[Italy_(Lazio)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#ANAG|IT23/147]]<br />
*Cassino Sud: See [[Italy_(Lazio)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#CASS|IT23/148]]<br />
*Caserta Nord: See [[Italy (Campania) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services#BI_CA_NO|IT23/152]]. <br />
<br />
Connections used while high-speed lines were under construction, but no longer with a passenger service are:<br />
<br />
*Bivio Novara Ovest - Novara Boschetto<br />
*Crossovers at Bologna S Viola<br />
*Bologna S Ruffillo - Bivio Emilia<br />
*Gricignano-Teverola - 1° Bivio Gricignano<br />
<br />
There are also high-speed lines electrified at 3,000 Volts DC, which may be used by other trains:<br />
<br />
*Milano Lambrate - Treviglio: See [[Italy (Lombardia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services#PI_LI_TREV|IT23/15]]<br />
*Milano Rogoredo - Tavazzano (Bivio Melegnano): See [[Italy (Lombardia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services#MIRO_TAVA|IT23/16]]<br />
*Padova - Venezia Mestre: This is effectively a quadrupling of the old main line. <br />
*Roma - Firenze Direttissima: This is an older high-speed line. See [https://egtre.info/wiki/Italy_(Firenze_-_Roma_direttissima)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services separate details].<br />
*Napoli - Salerno: See [[Italy (Campania) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services#LI_MO_VE|IT23/156]]<br />
<br />
It appears to be practice for DC high-speed lines to be known as ''Direttissima'' and for AC lines to be known as ''Linea AV/AC''.<br />
<br />
==Trams==<br />
See [[Italy_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Italy - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==<div id="OSS"></div>Other sparse services==<br />
The train service may well be suspended on some local lines for varying periods during the summer holidays between late June and early September, especially in northern Italy and Campania. It may be advisable to check services locally.<br />
<br />
The following lines not included in the regional pages have few trains (relative to service levels generally in Italy) - five trains or fewer each way on at least three days a week, or do not run each weekday. Lines with no Sunday trains are noted, but where there is a Sunday service it may be very limited on rural lines. Even on lines with more than five trains daily the service may be very irregular, with a few early morning journeys and then none until the afternoon.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 10<br />
| Bardonecchia - Modane (France) <br />
| ''TGV'' and ''Frecciarossa'' services only <br />
|- <br />
| 13<br />
| Trieste Centrale - Sežana (Slovenia)<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 15<br />
| Carnia - Tarvisio Boscoverde<br />
| Sparse weekday service; better at weekends<br />
|- <br />
| 26<br />
| Novi Ligure - Tortona<br />
| Scheduled to reopen 26 January; limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 91<br />
| Metaponto - Sibari<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 109 <br />
| Ventimiglia - Breil sur Roya (France) <br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 118<br />
| Casale Monferrato - Mortara<br />
| No weekend service<br />
|-<br />
| 120<br />
| Asti - Acqui Terme<br />
| No weekend service<br />
|-<br />
| 122<br />
| Asti - Alba<br />
| No weekend service<br />
|- <br />
| 125<br />
| Chivasso - Valenza<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 170<br />
| Como Camerlata - Molteno<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 220<br />
| Treviso Centrale - Portogruaro-Caorle<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 236<br />
| Casarsa - Portogruaro-Caorle<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 250<br />
| Fidenza - Fornovo<br />
| <br />
|- <br />
| 270<br />
| Lavezzola - Granarolo Faentino [- Faenza]<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 270<br />
| Russi - Granarolo Faentino [- Faenza]<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 273<br />
| Firenze Campo di Marte - Firenze S Marco Vecchio<br />
| Peak service Mon-Sat; one train on summer Sundays<br />
|-<br />
| 283<br />
| Buonconvento - Montepescali [- Grosseto]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 302<br />
| Viterbo Porta Fiorentina - Attigliano-Bomarzo<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 332<br />
| Foggia - Manfredonia<br />
| Summer service only<br />
|-<br />
| 346<br />
| Taranto - Brindisi<br />
| No Sunday service, except for one overnight train each way<br />
|-<br />
| 355<br />
| [Cosenza -] Castiglione Cosentino - Sibari<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 360<br />
| Sassari - Porto Torres Marittima<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 361<br />
| Olbia - Golfo Aranci<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 375<br />
| [Catania -] Lentini Diramazione - Caltagirone <br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 378<br />
| Caltanissetta Centrale - Canicattì<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 378<br />
| Canicattì - Aragona Caldare<br />
| <br />
|- <br />
| 388<br />
| Piraineto - Castelvetrano <br />
| <br />
|- <br />
| 392<br />
| Caltanissetta Xirbi - Canicattì<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 392<br />
| Canicattì - Ragusa<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 392<br />
| Ragusa - Siracusa<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 426<br />
| Venezia Mestre - Piove di Sacco<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 430<br />
| Modena - Sassuolo Terminal (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 434<br />
| [Bologna Centrale -] Bologna Roveri - Portomaggiore (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 435<br />
| Parma - Suzzara (''TPER'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 436 <br />
| Reggio Emilia - Reggio S Lazzaro (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service; this short section is not shown in ''InTreno''<br />
|- <br />
| 436<br />
| Reggio Emilia - Guastalla (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 437<br />
| Reggio Emilia - Sassuolo (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 438 <br />
| Reggio Emilia - Ciano d'Enza (''TPER'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 439 <br />
| Ferrara - Suzzara (''TPER'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 440 <br />
| Ferrara - Codigoro (''TPER'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 442<br />
| [Bologna Centrale -] Casalecchio Garibaldi - Vignola (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 445 <br />
| Arezzo - Sinalunga (''TFT'')<br />
| No Sunday service; line not shown in ''InTreno''<br />
|-<br />
| 446 <br />
| Arezzo - Pratavecchio Stia (''TFT'')<br />
| No Sunday service; only one train incorrectly shown in ''InTreno''<br />
|-<br />
| 460 to 465<br />
| ''Ferrovie del Sud Est'': Entire network<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 466<br />
| Bari - Gravina in Puglia and Matera Sud (''Ferrovie Appulo Lucane'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 468<br />
| [Foggia -] San Severo - San Nicandro Garganico (''Ferrovie del Gargano'')<br />
| No Sunday service except in the summer<br />
|- <br />
| 468<br />
| San Nicandro Garganico - Ischitella (''Ferrovie del Gargano'')<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat and no Sunday service, except in the summer<br />
|-<br />
| 468<br />
| Ischitella - Peschici Calenella (''Ferrovie del Gargano'')<br />
| Summer service only; bus service in the winter<br />
|-<br />
| -<br />
| Sassi - Superga (''Gruppo Torinese Trasporti'') <br />
| No trains on Wednesdays<br />
|-<br />
| -<br />
| Gravina in Puglia - Genzano (''Ferrovie Appulo Lucane'')<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Potenza - Avigliano Città (''Ferrovie Appulo Lucane'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| -<br />
| Catania Borgo - Randazzo (''Ferrovia Circumetnea'')<br />
| No Sunday service <br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Paterno - Randazzo - Riposto (''Ferrovia Circumetnea'')<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Sassari - Sorso (''Ferrovie della Sardegna'')<br />
| No Sunday service <br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Sassari - Alghero (''Ferrovie della Sardegna'')<br />
| No Sunday service during the winter<br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Macomer - Nuoro (''Ferrovie della Sardegna'')<br />
| No Sunday service <br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| San Gottardo (Cagliari) - Mandas (''Ferrovie della Sardegna'')<br />
| No Sunday service <br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Mandas - Isili (''Ferrovie della Sardegna'')<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==<div id="BST"></div>Bus services in substitute for trains==<br />
<br />
Services over the following lines have been replaced by buses, mostly owing to infrastructure problems. It is definitely intended that some routes will re-open to rail traffic, but others are in doubt. <br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 26<br />
| Novi Ligure - Tortona<br />
| Service suspended to facilitate construction of a Milano - Genova high-speed line; scheduled to reopen 26 January<br />
|-<br />
| 113<br />
| Ivrea - Aosta<br />
| Scheduled to close 3 January for electrification works, should reopen December 2026<br />
|-<br />
| 122<br />
| Bra - Cavallermaggiore<br />
| Train service suspended because of Covid-19 <br />
|-<br />
| 134 <br />
| Sesto Calende - Laveno-Mombello<br />
| Long-term, possible permanent, withdrawal of passenger trains<br />
|-<br />
| 155<br />
| Bozzolo - Mantova<br />
| Scheduled to close 14 January for doubling works; should reopen in 2026<br />
|-<br />
| 172 <br />
| Seregno - Carnate-Usmate<br />
| Trains replaced by buses, to provide a more reliable service on other lines; trains unlikely to resume soon<br />
|-<br />
| 172<br />
| Bergamo - Ponte San Pietro<br />
| Scheduled to close 5 February; should reopen in 2026<br />
|-<br />
| 226<br />
| Montbelluna - Feltre<br />
| Closed for electrification work from 28 February 2022<br />
|-<br />
| 233<br />
| Gemona del Friuli - Maniago<br />
| Service suspended in 2012, because of a landslide. There continues to be pressure for passenger trains to resume, but no early prospect of this.<br />
|-<br />
| 258<br />
| Pisa Centrale - Collesalvetti - Vada<br />
| See route [[Italy_(Toscana)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#PI_VA|IT23/101]] for occasional diversions<br />
|-<br />
| 259<br />
| Cecina - Volterra-Saline-Pomerance<br />
| Bus service instigated summer 2020, apparently for upgrades to the line, but train services have not resumed. See route [[Italy_(Toscana)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#Cecina - Volterra Saline-Pomarance|IT23/99]] for occasional diversions<br />
|-<br />
| 310 <br />
| Priverno-Fossanova - Terracina<br />
| Train service suspended because of landslides.<br />
|-<br />
| 312 <br />
| Sulmona - Castel di Sangro<br />
| See route [[Italy_(Abruzzo_and_Molise)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#SU_RO_CA|IT22/161]] for details of special excursions<br />
|-<br />
| 313 (part)<br />
| Termoli - Campobasso<br />
| Closed for infrastructure works, with planned re-opening in June 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 313 (part) <br />
| Isernia - Campobasso<br />
| Closed for electrification work; may re-open June 2025<br />
|-<br />
| 315<br />
| [Campbasso -] Bosco Redole - Benevento <br />
| See route [[Italy_(Campania)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#BE_MO|IT22/148]] for details of special excursions.<br />
|-<br />
| 330<br />
| Mercato S Severino - Avellino<br />
| Closed for electrification work; may reopen January 2026<br />
|-<br />
| 335<br />
| Avellino - Lioni<br />
| See route [[Italy_(Campania)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#AV_LI|IT22/149]] for details of special excursions.<br />
|- <br />
| 337<br />
| Rocchetta S Antonio Lacedonia - Gioia del Colle<br />
| Trains replaced by buses in 2011 on economic grounds, so unlikely to resume. Might have special excursions in the future<br />
|-<br />
| 339 <br />
| Barletta - Spinazzola<br />
| Closed for electrification works<br />
|-<br />
| 375 (part)<br />
| Caltagirone - Gela<br />
| Service suspended following collapse of a viaduct in 2011; should re-open December 2026<br />
|-<br />
| 382<br />
| [Catania -] Bicocca - Dittaino<br />
| Closed for doubling works in 2023; should reopen February 2025<br />
|-<br />
| 409 (part)<br />
| Rovato FN - Bornato-Calino<br />
| Trains replaced by buses in 2018 on economic grounds, so unlikely to resume. See route [[Italy_(Lombardia)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#ROV_BC|IT22/18]] for details of occasional excursions.<br />
|-<br />
| 414<br />
| Rivarolo Canavese - Pont Canavese (''GTT'')<br />
| Bus service not shown in ''In Treno'', but there are plans to electrify and reopen the line.<br />
|- <br />
| 426<br />
| Piove di Sacco - Adria<br />
| Closed for electrification works, with planned re-opening in June 2024; train service incorrectly shown in ''InTreno''<br />
|-<br />
| 434<br />
| Bologna Centrale - Bologna Roveri (''TPER'')<br />
| Closed in 2022 to be moved underground; should open in late 2025<br />
|-<br />
| 447<br />
| Città di Castello - Sansepolcro (''Ferrovia Centrale Umbra'')<br />
| The FCU lines are being modernised, but this is taking a long time and only the section between Perugia Ponte S Giovanni and Città di Castello has re-opened.<br />
|-<br />
| 448<br />
| Perugia Ponte S Giovanni - Terni (''Ferrovia Centrale Umbra'')<br />
|-<br />
| 449<br />
| Perugia Ponte S Giovanni - Perugia S Anna (''Ferrovia Centrale Umbra'')<br />
|-<br />
| 460a<br />
| Bari Mungivacca - Rutigliano - Putignano (''Ferrovie del Sud Est'')<br />
| Closed for modernisation<br />
|-<br />
| 463<br />
| Lecce - Zollino (''Ferrovie del Sud Est'')<br />
| Closed for modernisation; scheduled to reopen 2 November 2021<br />
|-<br />
| -<br />
| Licola - Torregáveta (''EAV srl'')<br />
|-<br />
| 494<br />
| Barletta Centrale - Corato (''Ferrotramviaria'')<br />
| Service suspended for resignalling following a serious collision.<br />
|-<br />
| -<br />
| Gravina in Puglia - Avigliano Lucania (''Ferrovie Appulo Lucane'')<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
A number of other bus services appear in ''In Treno'' either in substitution for long-closed lines or ''FrecciaLink'' coaches to towns not on the high-speed network.<br />
<br />
The following routes are shown on the ''Indice Grafico delle Relazioni'' (route diagram) in ''In Treno'', but have no ''Trenitalia'' service at all, train or bus. In a few cases, which are noted, there is a train service not shown in ''In Treno''.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 60 & 70 & M65<br />
| Ancona - Ancona Marittima<br />
|<br />
|- <br />
| 125<br />
| Vercelli - Casale Popolo<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 134<br />
| Sesto Calende - Oleggio<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 157<br />
| Piacenza - Castelvetro<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 286<br />
| Fabriano - Pergola<br />
| Special excursions regularly running on the line<br />
|-<br />
| 323<br />
| Napoli - Sorrento<br />
| Former bus service. Circumvesuviana services not included in ''In Treno'' <br />
|-<br />
| 325<br />
| Sarno - Codola<br />
| The north to east side of the triangle at Codola is closed to all traffic.<br />
|-<br />
| 338<br />
| Bari - Matera<br />
| Former bus service. Ferrovie Appulo-Lucane trains shown in table 466<br />
|-<br />
| 347<br />
| Lecce - Gallipoli - S Maria di Leuca<br />
| Former bus service. Ferrovie Sud Est trains shown in tables 462 and 464<br />
|-<br />
| 349<br />
| Lecce - Otranto<br />
| Former bus service. Ferrovie Sud Est trains shown in tables 463 and 465<br />
|-<br />
| 388<br />
| Alcamo Diramazione - Milo - Trapani<br />
| Should reopen electrified December 2026<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Services not shown in ''In Treno''==<br />
Timetables for the following services can be found at the websites shown. Urban metro systems are not included in this list.<br />
<br />
{| width=100%"<br />
| L’Assunta/Maria Himmelfahrt – Collalbo/Klobenstein<br />
| [http://www.sii.bz.it/ SAD Trasporto Locale SpA] (Table 160)<br />
|- <br />
| Trento - Mezzana<br />
| [https://www.trentinotrasporti.it/viaggia-con-noi/ferrovia Trentino trasporti esercizio SpA]<br />
|- <br />
| Sassi – Superga<br />
| [http://www.gtt.to.it/cms/turismo/sassisup Gruppo Torinese Trasporti]<br />
|-<br />
| Circumvesuviana network<br />
| [https://www.eavsrl.it/web/home EAV srl] Linee Vesuviane <br />
|- <br />
| Napoli Montesanto - Torregáveta and Licola<br />
| [https://www.eavsrl.it/web/home EAV srl] Linee Flegree<br />
|- <br />
| Cancello - Benevento and S Maria Capua Vetere - Piedimonte Matese<br />
| [https://www.eavsrl.it/web/home EAV srl] Linee Suburbane<br />
|-<br />
| Bari - Cecilia and Barletta via Bitonto<br />
| [https://www.ferrovienordbarese.it Ferrotramviaria]<br />
|-<br />
| Potenza Centrale - Avigliano Citta<br />
| [https://ferrovieappulolucane.it/ Ferrovie Appulo Lucane]<br />
|- <br />
| Catanzaro Lido - Soveria Mannelli <br />
| [http://www.ferroviedellacalabria.com/ Ferrovie della Calabria]<br />
|- <br />
| Catania Borgo - Randazzo - Riposto<br />
| [https://www.circumetnea.it/ Circumetnea]<br />
|- <br />
| Sassari - Alghero<br />
| [http://www.arst.sardegna.it Trasporti Regionali della Sardegna]<br />
|- <br />
| Sassari - Sorso<br />
| [http://www.arst.sardegna.it Trasporti Regionali della Sardegna]<br />
|- <br />
| Macomer - Nuoro<br />
| [http://www.arst.sardegna.it Trasporti Regionali della Sardegna]<br />
|- <br />
| San Gottardo (Cagliari) – Isili<br />
| [http://www.arst.sardegna.it Trasporti Regionali della Sardegna]<br />
|}<br />
<br />
In some cases it is only possible to use a search engine to look up trains available at a selected time. For some lines lists of train times are available on the [https://www.e656.net/ E656] website. Look for 'Orario' in the menu bar.<br />
<br />
==<div id="DSLE"></div>Deletions since previous edition==<br />
<br />
'''IT23/181: Bretella di Foggia: Cervaro (Bivio Cervaro No 1) – Incoronata (Bivio Cervaro No 2)'''<br />
<br />
This curve links the Benevento and Bari lines directly, enabling trains to avoid reversal at Foggia. The few trains between Roma and Bari that used this route have been scheduled to call at Foggia since December 2021.<br />
<br />
'''IT23/192 Castiglione Cosentino (Bivio Pantani) - S Lucido Marina'''<br />
<br />
This east to south curve allows trains to run between the Cosenza and Reggio di Calabria lines without having to reverse at Paola. Bivio Pantani is inside the Santomarco Tunnel. A peak hour service via this curve was reinstated on 11 September 2022, but was withdrawn three months later.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Italy}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Italy_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=53202Italy - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2023-12-16T16:48:09Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Deletions since previous edition */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
<br />
{{Italy Introduction 2010 2011}}<br />
<br />
Westbound and northbound trains normally have even train numbers. Eastbound and southbound trains normally have odd numbers. Trains may, therefore, have several numbers during the course of a journey. For example, the 07:13 Bergamo to Ventimiglia, which runs west to Milano, south to Genova and then west again, is successively ''IR1786'', ''IR1787'' and ''IR1788''. In the tables below the train number used is that applicable at the last stop before the route concerned. Where two train numbers are shown, that is because they vary with the day of operation. Trains running on only a few days during the Christmas and New Year holiday period are not included in the lists; none use lines without any other passenger service.<br />
<br />
When a train is being re-scheduled, to allow for engineering work or for other reasons, it is likely to be given an alternative train number, usually of five digits starting with 3. The last two digits are generally, but not always, the same as those of usual train number. For passenger reservation purposes the usual number may be used. Where a train is diverted via an obscure route that it does not normally use, the relevant 3xxxx train number is quoted in the lists. Many trains have alternative numbers because of diversions or retimings that do not affect use of obscure routes and in such cases only the usual number is quoted, in the interests of clarity and space. <br />
<br />
Lines are listed in geographic order, from north to south, grouped by region. However, the Firenze - Roma ''direttissima'' (which passes through the regions of Toscana, Umbria and Lazio) is shown as a separate group. [[#SN|Special Notes]] and details of [[#LAV|''Linea Alta Velocità'' (High Speed Lines)]], [[#OSS|Other Sparse Services]], [[#BST|Bus services in substitute for trains]], and [[#DSLE|Deletions since previous edition]] can be found at the end of this page.<br />
<br />
<div id="LR"></div>'''List of Regions''':-<br />
<br />
{| width="60%" | <br />
| [[Italy (Lombardia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Lombardia]] <br />
| Includes Milano<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/01<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Trentino Alto Adige) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Trentino Alto Adige]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/21<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Veneto) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Veneto]] <br />
| Includes Verona<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/31<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Friuli Venezia Giulia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Friuli Venezia Giulia]]<br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/41<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Piemonte) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Piemonte]] <br />
| Includes Torino<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/51<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Liguria) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Liguria]] <br />
| Includes Genova<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/61<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Emilia Romagna) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Emilia Romagna]] <br />
| Includes Bologna<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/71<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Toscana) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Toscana]] <br />
| Includes Firenze<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/91<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Marche) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Marche]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/111<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Firenze - Roma direttissima) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Firenze - Roma direttissima]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/121<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Lazio) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Lazio]] <br />
| Includes Roma<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/141<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Campania) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Campania]] <br />
| Includes Napoli<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/151<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Abruzzo and Molise) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Abruzzo and Molise]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/171<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Calabria) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Calabria]]<br />
| Includes Cosenza<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/191<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Sicilia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Sicilia]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/201<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Sardegna) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Sardegna]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/211<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following regions currently have no Obscure Services: Basilicata, Puglia and Valle d'Aosta.<br />
<br />
==<div id="SN"></div>Special Notes==<br />
The Trenitalia timetables suggest that on certain lines fast trains and stopping trains run via different routes, but in fact there is a quadruple line with station platforms on only one pair of tracks. Such lines include Prato Centrale to Firenze Rifredi and Padova to Venezia Mestre.<br />
<br />
==<span id="LAV"></span>''Linea Alta Velocità'' (High-Speed Lines)==<br />
<br />
The following high-speed lines, which are electrified at 25 KV 50 Hz rather than the standard Italian 3,000 Volts DC, are used by ''Alta Velocità'' trains. These are marketed as ''Frecciarossa'', ''Frecciabianca'' and ''Frecciargento''. High-speed services are also provided by open access operator Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori, trading as [http://www.italotreno.it ''Italo''].<br />
<br />
*Torino Stura - Milano (Rho Fiera)<br />
*Treviglio (Bivio Casirate) - Brescia (Scalo)<br />
*Milano (Bivio Melegnano) - Bologna - Firenze (Castello)<br />
*Roma (Prenestina) - Napoli (Gianturco)<br />
<br />
There are various intermediate connections between these lines and older routes, but many see limited or no use by passenger trains. Those with a passenger service are: <br />
<br />
*Piacenza Ovest: See [[Italy_(Emilia_Romagna)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#PIAO|IT23/71]]<br />
*Fidenza Ovest: See [[Italy_(Emilia_Romagna)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#FIDO|IT23/73]]<br />
*Castelfranco Est: See [[Italy_(Emilia_Romagna)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#ERBCE|IT23/76]]<br />
*Anzola dell'Emilia: See [[Italy_(Emilia_Romagna)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#ANZLAV|IT23/77]]<br />
*Anagni: See [[Italy_(Lazio)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#ANAG|IT23/147]]<br />
*Cassino Sud: See [[Italy_(Lazio)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#CASS|IT23/148]]<br />
*Caserta Nord: See [[Italy (Campania) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services#BI_CA_NO|IT23/152]]. <br />
<br />
Connections used while high-speed lines were under construction, but no longer with a passenger service are:<br />
<br />
*Bivio Novara Ovest - Novara Boschetto<br />
*Crossovers at Bologna S Viola<br />
*Bologna S Ruffillo - Bivio Emilia<br />
*Gricignano-Teverola - 1° Bivio Gricignano<br />
<br />
There are also high-speed lines electrified at 3,000 Volts DC, which may be used by other trains:<br />
<br />
*Milano Lambrate - Treviglio: See [[Italy (Lombardia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services#PI_LI_TREV|IT23/15]]<br />
*Milano Rogoredo - Tavazzano (Bivio Melegnano): See [[Italy (Lombardia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services#MIRO_TAVA|IT23/16]]<br />
*Padova - Venezia Mestre: This is effectively a quadrupling of the old main line. <br />
*Roma - Firenze Direttissima: This is an older high-speed line. See [https://egtre.info/wiki/Italy_(Firenze_-_Roma_direttissima)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services separate details].<br />
*Napoli - Salerno: See [[Italy (Campania) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services#LI_MO_VE|IT23/156]]<br />
<br />
It appears to be practice for DC high-speed lines to be known as ''Direttissima'' and for AC lines to be known as ''Linea AV/AC''.<br />
<br />
==Trams==<br />
See [[Italy_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Italy - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==<div id="OSS"></div>Other sparse services==<br />
The train service may well be suspended on some local lines for varying periods during the summer holidays between late June and early September, especially in northern Italy and Campania. It may be advisable to check services locally.<br />
<br />
The following lines not included in the regional pages have few trains (relative to service levels generally in Italy) - five trains or fewer each way on at least three days a week, or do not run each weekday. Lines with no Sunday trains are noted, but where there is a Sunday service it may be very limited on rural lines. Even on lines with more than five trains daily the service may be very irregular, with a few early morning journeys and then none until the afternoon.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 10<br />
| Bardonecchia - Modane (France) <br />
| ''TGV'' and ''Frecciarossa'' services only <br />
|- <br />
| 13<br />
| Trieste Centrale - Sežana (Slovenia)<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 15<br />
| Carnia - Tarvisio Boscoverde<br />
| Sparse weekday service; better at weekends<br />
|- <br />
| 26<br />
| Novi Ligure - Tortona<br />
| Scheduled to reopen 26 January; limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 91<br />
| Metaponto - Sibari<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 109 <br />
| Ventimiglia - Breil sur Roya (France) <br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 118<br />
| Casale Monferrato - Mortara<br />
| No weekend service<br />
|-<br />
| 120<br />
| Asti - Acqui Terme<br />
| No weekend service<br />
|-<br />
| 122<br />
| Asti - Alba<br />
| No weekend service<br />
|- <br />
| 125<br />
| Chivasso - Valenza<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 170<br />
| Como Camerlata - Molteno<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 220<br />
| Treviso Centrale - Portogruaro-Caorle<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 236<br />
| Casarsa - Portogruaro-Caorle<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 250<br />
| Fidenza - Fornovo<br />
| <br />
|- <br />
| 270<br />
| Lavezzola - Granarolo Faentino [- Faenza]<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 270<br />
| Russi - Granarolo Faentino [- Faenza]<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 273<br />
| Firenze Campo di Marte - Firenze S Marco Vecchio<br />
| Peak service Mon-Sat; one train on summer Sundays<br />
|-<br />
| 283<br />
| Buonconvento - Montepescali [- Grosseto]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 302<br />
| Viterbo Porta Fiorentina - Attigliano-Bomarzo<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 332<br />
| Foggia - Manfredonia<br />
| Summer service only<br />
|-<br />
| 346<br />
| Taranto - Brindisi<br />
| No Sunday service, except for one overnight train each way<br />
|-<br />
| 355<br />
| [Cosenza -] Castiglione Cosentino - Sibari<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 360<br />
| Sassari - Porto Torres Marittima<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 361<br />
| Olbia - Golfo Aranci<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 375<br />
| [Catania -] Lentini Diramazione - Caltagirone <br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 378<br />
| Caltanissetta Centrale - Canicattì<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 378<br />
| Canicattì - Aragona Caldare<br />
| <br />
|- <br />
| 388<br />
| Piraineto - Castelvetrano <br />
| <br />
|- <br />
| 392<br />
| Caltanissetta Xirbi - Canicattì<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 392<br />
| Canicattì - Ragusa<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 392<br />
| Ragusa - Siracusa<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 426<br />
| Venezia Mestre - Piove di Sacco<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 430<br />
| Modena - Sassuolo Terminal (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 434<br />
| [Bologna Centrale -] Bologna Roveri - Portomaggiore (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 435<br />
| Parma - Suzzara (''TPER'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 436 <br />
| Reggio Emilia - Reggio S Lazzaro (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service; this short section is not shown in ''InTreno''<br />
|- <br />
| 436<br />
| Reggio Emilia - Guastalla (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 437<br />
| Reggio Emilia - Sassuolo (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 438 <br />
| Reggio Emilia - Ciano d'Enza (''TPER'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 439 <br />
| Ferrara - Suzzara (''TPER'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 440 <br />
| Ferrara - Codigoro (''TPER'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 442<br />
| [Bologna Centrale -] Casalecchio Garibaldi - Vignola (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 445 <br />
| Arezzo - Sinalunga (''TFT'')<br />
| No Sunday service; line not shown in ''InTreno''<br />
|-<br />
| 446 <br />
| Arezzo - Pratavecchio Stia (''TFT'')<br />
| No Sunday service; only one train incorrectly shown in ''InTreno''<br />
|-<br />
| 460 to 465<br />
| ''Ferrovie del Sud Est'': Entire network<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 466<br />
| Bari - Gravina in Puglia and Matera Sud (''Ferrovie Appulo Lucane'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 468<br />
| [Foggia -] San Severo - San Nicandro Garganico (''Ferrovie del Gargano'')<br />
| No Sunday service except in the summer<br />
|- <br />
| 468<br />
| San Nicandro Garganico - Ischitella (''Ferrovie del Gargano'')<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat and no Sunday service, except in the summer<br />
|-<br />
| 468<br />
| Ischitella - Peschici Calenella (''Ferrovie del Gargano'')<br />
| Summer service only; bus service in the winter<br />
|-<br />
| -<br />
| Sassi - Superga (''Gruppo Torinese Trasporti'') <br />
| No trains on Wednesdays<br />
|-<br />
| -<br />
| Gravina in Puglia - Genzano (''Ferrovie Appulo Lucane'')<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Potenza - Avigliano Città (''Ferrovie Appulo Lucane'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| -<br />
| Catania Borgo - Randazzo (''Ferrovia Circumetnea'')<br />
| No Sunday service <br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Paterno - Randazzo - Riposto (''Ferrovia Circumetnea'')<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Sassari - Sorso (''Ferrovie della Sardegna'')<br />
| No Sunday service <br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Sassari - Alghero (''Ferrovie della Sardegna'')<br />
| No Sunday service during the winter<br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Macomer - Nuoro (''Ferrovie della Sardegna'')<br />
| No Sunday service <br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| San Gottardo (Cagliari) - Mandas (''Ferrovie della Sardegna'')<br />
| No Sunday service <br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Mandas - Isili (''Ferrovie della Sardegna'')<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==<div id="BST"></div>Bus services in substitute for trains==<br />
<br />
Services over the following lines have been replaced by buses, mostly owing to infrastructure problems. It is definitely intended that some routes will re-open to rail traffic, but others are in doubt. <br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 26<br />
| Novi Ligure - Tortona<br />
| Service suspended to facilitate construction of a Milano - Genova high-speed line; scheduled to reopen 26 January<br />
|-<br />
| 113<br />
| Ivrea - Aosta<br />
| Scheduled to close 3 January for electrification works, should reopen December 2026<br />
|-<br />
| 122<br />
| Bra - Cavallermaggiore<br />
| Train service suspended because of Covid-19 <br />
|-<br />
| 134 <br />
| Sesto Calende - Laveno-Mombello<br />
| Long-term, possible permanent, withdrawal of passenger trains<br />
|-<br />
| 155<br />
| Bozzolo - Mantova<br />
| Scheduled to close 14 January for doubling works; should reopen in 2026<br />
|-<br />
| 172 <br />
| Seregno - Carnate-Usmate<br />
| Trains replaced by buses, to provide a more reliable service on other lines; trains unlikely to resume soon<br />
|-<br />
| 172<br />
| Bergamo - Ponte San Pietro<br />
| Scheduled to close 5 February; should reopen in 2026<br />
|-<br />
| 226<br />
| Montbelluna - Feltre<br />
| Closed for electrification work from 28 February 2022<br />
|-<br />
| 233<br />
| Gemona del Friuli - Maniago<br />
| Service suspended in 2012, because of a landslide. There continues to be pressure for passenger trains to resume, but no early prospect of this.<br />
|-<br />
| 258<br />
| Pisa Centrale - Collesalvetti - Vada<br />
| See route [[Italy_(Toscana)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#PI_VA|IT23/101]] for occasional diversions<br />
|-<br />
| 259<br />
| Cecina - Volterra-Saline-Pomerance<br />
| Bus service instigated summer 2020, apparently for upgrades to the line, but train services have not resumed. See route [[Italy_(Toscana)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#Cecina - Volterra Saline-Pomarance|IT23/99]] for occasional diversions<br />
|-<br />
| 310 <br />
| Priverno-Fossanova - Terracina<br />
| Train service suspended because of landslides.<br />
|-<br />
| 312 <br />
| Sulmona - Castel di Sangro<br />
| See route [[Italy_(Abruzzo_and_Molise)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#SU_RO_CA|IT22/161]] for details of special excursions<br />
|-<br />
| 313 (part)<br />
| Termoli - Campobasso<br />
| Closed for infrastructure works, with planned re-opening in June 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 313 (part) <br />
| Isernia - Campobasso<br />
| Closed for electrification work; may re-open June 2025<br />
|-<br />
| 315<br />
| [Campbasso -] Bosco Redole - Benevento <br />
| See route [[Italy_(Campania)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#BE_MO|IT22/148]] for details of special excursions.<br />
|-<br />
| 330<br />
| Mercato S Severino - Avellino<br />
| Closed for electrification work; may reopen January 2026<br />
|-<br />
| 335<br />
| Avellino - Lioni<br />
| See route [[Italy_(Campania)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#AV_LI|IT22/149]] for details of special excursions.<br />
|- <br />
| 337<br />
| Rocchetta S Antonio Lacedonia - Gioia del Colle<br />
| Trains replaced by buses in 2011 on economic grounds, so unlikely to resume. Might have special excursions in the future<br />
|-<br />
| 339 <br />
| Barletta - Spinazzola<br />
| Closed for electrification works<br />
|-<br />
| 375 (part)<br />
| Caltagirone - Gela<br />
| Service suspended following collapse of a viaduct in 2011; should re-open December 2026<br />
|-<br />
| 382<br />
| [Catania -] Bicocca - Dittaino<br />
| Closed for doubling works in 2023; should reopen February 2025<br />
|-<br />
| 409 (part)<br />
| Rovato FN - Bornato-Calino<br />
| Trains replaced by buses in 2018 on economic grounds, so unlikely to resume. See route [[Italy_(Lombardia)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#ROV_BC|IT22/18]] for details of occasional excursions.<br />
|-<br />
| 414<br />
| Rivarolo Canavese - Pont Canavese (''GTT'')<br />
| Bus service not shown in ''In Treno'', but there are plans to electrify and reopen the line.<br />
|- <br />
| 426<br />
| Piove di Sacco - Adria<br />
| Closed for electrification works, with planned re-opening in June 2024; train service incorrectly shown in ''InTreno''<br />
|-<br />
| 434<br />
| Bologna Centrale - Bologna Roveri (''TPER'')<br />
| Closed in 2022 to be moved underground; should open in late 2025<br />
|-<br />
| 447<br />
| Città di Castello - Sansepolcro (''Ferrovia Centrale Umbra'')<br />
| The FCU lines are being modernised, but this is taking a long time and only the section between Perugia Ponte S Giovanni and Città di Castello has re-opened.<br />
|-<br />
| 448<br />
| Perugia Ponte S Giovanni - Terni (''Ferrovia Centrale Umbra'')<br />
|-<br />
| 449<br />
| Perugia Ponte S Giovanni - Perugia S Anna (''Ferrovia Centrale Umbra'')<br />
|-<br />
| 460a<br />
| Bari Mungivacca - Rutigliano - Putignano (''Ferrovie del Sud Est'')<br />
| Closed for modernisation<br />
|-<br />
| 463<br />
| Lecce - Zollino (''Ferrovie del Sud Est'')<br />
| Closed for modernisation; scheduled to reopen 2 November 2021<br />
|-<br />
| -<br />
| Licola - Torregáveta (''EAV srl'')<br />
|-<br />
| 494<br />
| Barletta Centrale - Corato (''Ferrotramviaria'')<br />
| Service suspended for resignalling following a serious collision.<br />
|-<br />
| -<br />
| Gravina in Puglia - Avigliano Lucania (''Ferrovie Appulo Lucane'')<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
A number of other bus services appear in ''In Treno'' either in substitution for long-closed lines or ''FrecciaLink'' coaches to towns not on the high-speed network.<br />
<br />
The following routes are shown on the ''Indice Grafico delle Relazioni'' (route diagram) in ''In Treno'', but have no ''Trenitalia'' service at all, train or bus. In a few cases, which are noted, there is a train service not shown in ''In Treno''.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 60 & 70 & M65<br />
| Ancona - Ancona Marittima<br />
|<br />
|- <br />
| 125<br />
| Vercelli - Casale Popolo<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 134<br />
| Sesto Calende - Oleggio<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 157<br />
| Piacenza - Castelvetro<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 286<br />
| Fabriano - Pergola<br />
| Special excursions regularly running on the line<br />
|-<br />
| 323<br />
| Napoli - Sorrento<br />
| Former bus service. Circumvesuviana services not included in ''In Treno'' <br />
|-<br />
| 325<br />
| Sarno - Codola<br />
| The north to east side of the triangle at Codola is closed to all traffic.<br />
|-<br />
| 338<br />
| Bari - Matera<br />
| Former bus service. Ferrovie Appulo-Lucane trains shown in table 466<br />
|-<br />
| 347<br />
| Lecce - Gallipoli - S Maria di Leuca<br />
| Former bus service. Ferrovie Sud Est trains shown in tables 462 and 464<br />
|-<br />
| 349<br />
| Lecce - Otranto<br />
| Former bus service. Ferrovie Sud Est trains shown in tables 463 and 465<br />
|-<br />
| 388<br />
| Alcamo Diramazione - Milo - Trapani<br />
| Should reopen electrified December 2026<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Services not shown in ''In Treno''==<br />
Timetables for the following services can be found at the websites shown. Urban metro systems are not included in this list.<br />
<br />
{| width=100%"<br />
| L’Assunta/Maria Himmelfahrt – Collalbo/Klobenstein<br />
| [http://www.sii.bz.it/ SAD Trasporto Locale SpA] (Table 160)<br />
|- <br />
| Trento - Mezzana<br />
| [https://www.trentinotrasporti.it/viaggia-con-noi/ferrovia Trentino trasporti esercizio SpA]<br />
|- <br />
| Sassi – Superga<br />
| [http://www.gtt.to.it/cms/turismo/sassisup Gruppo Torinese Trasporti]<br />
|-<br />
| Circumvesuviana network<br />
| [https://www.eavsrl.it/web/home EAV srl] Linee Vesuviane <br />
|- <br />
| Napoli Montesanto - Torregáveta and Licola<br />
| [https://www.eavsrl.it/web/home EAV srl] Linee Flegree<br />
|- <br />
| Cancello - Benevento and S Maria Capua Vetere - Piedimonte Matese<br />
| [https://www.eavsrl.it/web/home EAV srl] Linee Suburbane<br />
|-<br />
| Bari - Cecilia and Barletta via Bitonto<br />
| [https://www.ferrovienordbarese.it Ferrotramviaria]<br />
|-<br />
| Potenza Centrale - Avigliano Citta<br />
| [https://ferrovieappulolucane.it/ Ferrovie Appulo Lucane]<br />
|- <br />
| Catanzaro Lido - Soveria Mannelli <br />
| [http://www.ferroviedellacalabria.com/ Ferrovie della Calabria]<br />
|- <br />
| Catania Borgo - Randazzo - Riposto<br />
| [https://www.circumetnea.it/ Circumetnea]<br />
|- <br />
| Sassari - Alghero<br />
| [http://www.arst.sardegna.it Trasporti Regionali della Sardegna]<br />
|- <br />
| Sassari - Sorso<br />
| [http://www.arst.sardegna.it Trasporti Regionali della Sardegna]<br />
|- <br />
| Macomer - Nuoro<br />
| [http://www.arst.sardegna.it Trasporti Regionali della Sardegna]<br />
|- <br />
| San Gottardo (Cagliari) – Isili<br />
| [http://www.arst.sardegna.it Trasporti Regionali della Sardegna]<br />
|}<br />
<br />
In some cases it is only possible to use a search engine to look up trains available at a selected time. For some lines lists of train times are available on the [https://www.e656.net/ E656] website. Look for 'Orario' in the menu bar.<br />
<br />
==<div id="DSLE"></div>Deletions since previous edition==<br />
<br />
IT23/181: Bretella di Foggia: Cervaro (Bivio Cervaro No 1) – Incoronata (Bivio Cervaro No 2)<br />
<br />
This curve links the Benevento and Bari lines directly, enabling trains to avoid reversal at Foggia. The few trains between Roma and Bari that used this route have been scheduled to call at Foggia since December 2021.<br />
<br />
IT23/192 Castiglione Cosentino (Bivio Pantani) - S Lucido Marina<br />
<br />
This east to south curve allows trains to run between the Cosenza and Reggio di Calabria lines without having to reverse at Paola. Bivio Pantani is inside the Santomarco Tunnel. A peak hour service via this curve was reinstated on 11 September 2022, but was withdrawn three months later.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Italy}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Italy_(Calabria)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=53200Italy (Calabria) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2023-12-16T16:46:15Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Paola (Bivio Settimo) - Torana-Lattarico (Bivio S Antonello) */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Italy Introduction 2010 2011}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure Services==<br />
<br />
===Paola (Bivio Settimo) - Torana-Lattarico (Bivio S Antonello)===<br />
[355] (ERA-E 87B2; ERA-R 169B5; S+W ''94C3'') IT24/191<br />
<br />
This west to north curve allows trains to run between the Paola and Sibari lines without having to reverse at Castiglione Cosentino or Cosenza.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FR8519''<br />
| Bozen/Bolzano - 21:40 Paola - Sibari<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FR8509''<br />
| Sibari - 06:51/06:54 Torano-Lattarico - Bozen/Bolzano<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Castiglione Cosentino (Bivio Pantani) - S Lucido Marina===<br />
[88, 3545] (ERA-E 87B2; ERA-R 169A5; S+W ''94B3'') IT23/192<br />
<br />
This east to south curve allows trains to run between the Cosenza and Reggio di Calabria lines without having to reverse at Paola. Bivio Pantani is inside the Santomarco Tunnel. A peak hour service via this curve was reinstated on 11 September 2022, but was withdrawn three months later.<br />
<br />
===Camigliatello Silano – S Nicola-Silvana Mansio (''Ferrovie della Calabria'')===<br />
(ERA-E 87B3; ERA-R 169B5; S+W ''94D3-95A3'') IT23/193<br />
<br />
There are no through <I>Ferrovie della Calabria</I> passenger trains from Cosenza to the above entry which is an isolated preserved section of the 67km branch from Pedace to San Giovanni in Fiore. Regular services beyond Camigliatello Silano to San Giovanni in Fiore ceased in 1997, then from the junction station at Pedace to Camigliatello Silano on 31 January 2011. Occasional excursion traffic remained, then from August 2016 13km from Moccone to S Nicola-Silvana Mansio opened as a Tourist steam railway. However note their [http://www.trenodellasila.it/ Treno della Sila website] in November 2023 suggests they no longer operate on the 2.2 km section from Moccone to Camigliatello Silano so only as per the entry description. Booking, on line, is possible and trains may become fully booked in advance and they operate during the winter as well as the summer.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Italy}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Italy_(Puglia)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=53199Italy (Puglia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2023-12-16T16:44:12Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Obscure services */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Italy Introduction 2010 2011}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services==<br />
<br />
Currently there are no obscure services in Puglia.<br />
<br />
<!---===<div id="BC12"></div>Bretella di Foggia: Cervaro (Bivio Cervaro No 1) – Incoronata (Bivio Cervaro No 2)===<br />
[6] (ERA-E 86B1; ERA-R 165A5; S+W ''79B2'' not shown) IT23/181<br />
<br />
This curve links the Benevento and Bari lines directly, enabling trains to avoid reversal at Foggia. The few trains between Roma and Bari that used this route have been scheduled to call at Foggia since December 2021.<br />
<br />
ENTRY STORED IN CASE A SERVICE RESUMES---><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Italy}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Italy_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=53165Italy - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2023-12-16T10:33:27Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Introduction */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
<br />
{{Italy Introduction 2010 2011}}<br />
<br />
Westbound and northbound trains normally have even train numbers. Eastbound and southbound trains normally have odd numbers. Trains may, therefore, have several numbers during the course of a journey. For example, the 07:13 Bergamo to Ventimiglia, which runs west to Milano, south to Genova and then west again, is successively ''IR1786'', ''IR1787'' and ''IR1788''. In the tables below the train number used is that applicable at the last stop before the route concerned. Where two train numbers are shown, that is because they vary with the day of operation. Trains running on only a few days during the Christmas and New Year holiday period are not included in the lists; none use lines without any other passenger service.<br />
<br />
When a train is being re-scheduled, to allow for engineering work or for other reasons, it is likely to be given an alternative train number, usually of five digits starting with 3. The last two digits are generally, but not always, the same as those of usual train number. For passenger reservation purposes the usual number may be used. Where a train is diverted via an obscure route that it does not normally use, the relevant 3xxxx train number is quoted in the lists. Many trains have alternative numbers because of diversions or retimings that do not affect use of obscure routes and in such cases only the usual number is quoted, in the interests of clarity and space. <br />
<br />
Lines are listed in geographic order, from north to south, grouped by region. However, the Firenze - Roma ''direttissima'' (which passes through the regions of Toscana, Umbria and Lazio) is shown as a separate group. [[#SN|Special Notes]] and details of [[#LAV|''Linea Alta Velocità'' (High Speed Lines)]], [[#OSS|Other Sparse Services]], [[#BST|Bus services in substitute for trains]], and [[#DSLE|Deletions since previous edition]] can be found at the end of this page.<br />
<br />
<div id="LR"></div>'''List of Regions''':-<br />
<br />
{| width="60%" | <br />
| [[Italy (Lombardia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Lombardia]] <br />
| Includes Milano<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/01<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Trentino Alto Adige) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Trentino Alto Adige]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/21<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Veneto) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Veneto]] <br />
| Includes Verona<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/31<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Friuli Venezia Giulia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Friuli Venezia Giulia]]<br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/41<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Piemonte) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Piemonte]] <br />
| Includes Torino<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/51<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Liguria) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Liguria]] <br />
| Includes Genova<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/61<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Emilia Romagna) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Emilia Romagna]] <br />
| Includes Bologna<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/71<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Toscana) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Toscana]] <br />
| Includes Firenze<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/91<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Marche) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Marche]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/111<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Firenze - Roma direttissima) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Firenze - Roma direttissima]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/121<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Lazio) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Lazio]] <br />
| Includes Roma<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/141<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Campania) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Campania]] <br />
| Includes Napoli<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/151<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Abruzzo and Molise) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Abruzzo and Molise]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/171<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Calabria) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Calabria]]<br />
| Includes Cosenza<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/191<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Sicilia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Sicilia]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/201<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Sardegna) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Sardegna]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/211<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following regions currently have no Obscure Services: Basilicata, Puglia and Valle d'Aosta.<br />
<br />
==<div id="SN"></div>Special Notes==<br />
The Trenitalia timetables suggest that on certain lines fast trains and stopping trains run via different routes, but in fact there is a quadruple line with station platforms on only one pair of tracks. Such lines include Prato Centrale to Firenze Rifredi and Padova to Venezia Mestre.<br />
<br />
==<span id="LAV"></span>''Linea Alta Velocità'' (High-Speed Lines)==<br />
<br />
The following high-speed lines, which are electrified at 25 KV 50 Hz rather than the standard Italian 3,000 Volts DC, are used by ''Alta Velocità'' trains. These are marketed as ''Frecciarossa'', ''Frecciabianca'' and ''Frecciargento''. High-speed services are also provided by open access operator Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori, trading as [http://www.italotreno.it ''Italo''].<br />
<br />
*Torino Stura - Milano (Rho Fiera)<br />
*Treviglio (Bivio Casirate) - Brescia (Scalo)<br />
*Milano (Bivio Melegnano) - Bologna - Firenze (Castello)<br />
*Roma (Prenestina) - Napoli (Gianturco)<br />
<br />
There are various intermediate connections between these lines and older routes, but many see limited or no use by passenger trains. Those with a passenger service are: <br />
<br />
*Piacenza Ovest: See [[Italy_(Emilia_Romagna)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#PIAO|IT23/71]]<br />
*Fidenza Ovest: See [[Italy_(Emilia_Romagna)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#FIDO|IT23/73]]<br />
*Castelfranco Est: See [[Italy_(Emilia_Romagna)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#ERBCE|IT23/76]]<br />
*Anzola dell'Emilia: See [[Italy_(Emilia_Romagna)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#ANZLAV|IT23/77]]<br />
*Anagni: See [[Italy_(Lazio)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#ANAG|IT23/147]]<br />
*Cassino Sud: See [[Italy_(Lazio)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#CASS|IT23/148]]<br />
*Caserta Nord: See [[Italy (Campania) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services#BI_CA_NO|IT23/152]]. <br />
<br />
Connections used while high-speed lines were under construction, but no longer with a passenger service are:<br />
<br />
*Bivio Novara Ovest - Novara Boschetto<br />
*Crossovers at Bologna S Viola<br />
*Bologna S Ruffillo - Bivio Emilia<br />
*Gricignano-Teverola - 1° Bivio Gricignano<br />
<br />
There are also high-speed lines electrified at 3,000 Volts DC, which may be used by other trains:<br />
<br />
*Milano Lambrate - Treviglio: See [[Italy (Lombardia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services#PI_LI_TREV|IT23/15]]<br />
*Milano Rogoredo - Tavazzano (Bivio Melegnano): See [[Italy (Lombardia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services#MIRO_TAVA|IT23/16]]<br />
*Padova - Venezia Mestre: This is effectively a quadrupling of the old main line. <br />
*Roma - Firenze Direttissima: This is an older high-speed line. See [https://egtre.info/wiki/Italy_(Firenze_-_Roma_direttissima)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services separate details].<br />
*Napoli - Salerno: See [[Italy (Campania) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services#LI_MO_VE|IT23/156]]<br />
<br />
It appears to be practice for DC high-speed lines to be known as ''Direttissima'' and for AC lines to be known as ''Linea AV/AC''.<br />
<br />
==Trams==<br />
See [[Italy_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Italy - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==<div id="OSS"></div>Other sparse services==<br />
The train service may well be suspended on some local lines for varying periods during the summer holidays between late June and early September, especially in northern Italy and Campania. It may be advisable to check services locally.<br />
<br />
The following lines not included in the regional pages have few trains (relative to service levels generally in Italy) - five trains or fewer each way on at least three days a week, or do not run each weekday. Lines with no Sunday trains are noted, but where there is a Sunday service it may be very limited on rural lines. Even on lines with more than five trains daily the service may be very irregular, with a few early morning journeys and then none until the afternoon.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 10<br />
| Bardonecchia - Modane (France) <br />
| ''TGV'' and ''Frecciarossa'' services only <br />
|- <br />
| 13<br />
| Trieste Centrale - Sežana (Slovenia)<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 15<br />
| Carnia - Tarvisio Boscoverde<br />
| Sparse weekday service; better at weekends<br />
|- <br />
| 26<br />
| Novi Ligure - Tortona<br />
| Scheduled to reopen 26 January; limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 91<br />
| Metaponto - Sibari<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 109 <br />
| Ventimiglia - Breil sur Roya (France) <br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 118<br />
| Casale Monferrato - Mortara<br />
| No weekend service<br />
|-<br />
| 120<br />
| Asti - Acqui Terme<br />
| No weekend service<br />
|-<br />
| 122<br />
| Asti - Alba<br />
| No weekend service<br />
|- <br />
| 125<br />
| Chivasso - Valenza<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 170<br />
| Como Camerlata - Molteno<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 220<br />
| Treviso Centrale - Portogruaro-Caorle<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 236<br />
| Casarsa - Portogruaro-Caorle<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 250<br />
| Fidenza - Fornovo<br />
| <br />
|- <br />
| 270<br />
| Lavezzola - Granarolo Faentino [- Faenza]<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 270<br />
| Russi - Granarolo Faentino [- Faenza]<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 273<br />
| Firenze Campo di Marte - Firenze S Marco Vecchio<br />
| Peak service Mon-Sat; one train on summer Sundays<br />
|-<br />
| 283<br />
| Buonconvento - Montepescali [- Grosseto]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 302<br />
| Viterbo Porta Fiorentina - Attigliano-Bomarzo<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 332<br />
| Foggia - Manfredonia<br />
| Summer service only<br />
|-<br />
| 346<br />
| Taranto - Brindisi<br />
| No Sunday service, except for one overnight train each way<br />
|-<br />
| 355<br />
| [Cosenza -] Castiglione Cosentino - Sibari<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 360<br />
| Sassari - Porto Torres Marittima<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 361<br />
| Olbia - Golfo Aranci<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 375<br />
| [Catania -] Lentini Diramazione - Caltagirone <br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 378<br />
| Caltanissetta Centrale - Canicattì<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 378<br />
| Canicattì - Aragona Caldare<br />
| <br />
|- <br />
| 388<br />
| Piraineto - Castelvetrano <br />
| <br />
|- <br />
| 392<br />
| Caltanissetta Xirbi - Canicattì<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 392<br />
| Canicattì - Ragusa<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 392<br />
| Ragusa - Siracusa<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 426<br />
| Venezia Mestre - Piove di Sacco<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 430<br />
| Modena - Sassuolo Terminal (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 434<br />
| [Bologna Centrale -] Bologna Roveri - Portomaggiore (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 435<br />
| Parma - Suzzara (''TPER'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 436 <br />
| Reggio Emilia - Reggio S Lazzaro (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service; service not shown in ''InTreno''<br />
|- <br />
| 436<br />
| Reggio Emilia - Guastalla (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 437<br />
| Reggio Emilia - Sassuolo (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 438 <br />
| Reggio Emilia - Ciano d'Enza (''TPER'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 439 <br />
| Ferrara - Suzzara (''TPER'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 440 <br />
| Ferrara - Codigoro (''TPER'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 442<br />
| [Bologna Centrale -] Casalecchio Garibaldi - Vignola (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 445 <br />
| Arezzo - Sinalunga (''TFT'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 446 <br />
| Arezzo - Pratavecchio Stia (''TFT'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 460 to 465<br />
| ''Ferrovie del Sud Est'': Entire network<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 466<br />
| Bari - Gravina in Puglia and Matera Sud (''Ferrovie Appulo Lucane'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 468<br />
| Cagnano Varano - Peschici Calenella (''Ferrovie del Gargano'')<br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Sassi - Superga (''Gruppo Torinese Trasporti'') <br />
| No trains on Wednesdays<br />
|-<br />
| -<br />
| Gravina in Puglia - Genzano (''Ferrovie Appulo Lucane'')<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Potenza - Avigliano Città (''Ferrovie Appulo Lucane'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| -<br />
| Catania Borgo - Randazzo (''Ferrovia Circumetnea'')<br />
| No Sunday service <br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Paterno - Randazzo - Riposto (''Ferrovia Circumetnea'')<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Sassari - Sorso (''Ferrovie della Sardegna'')<br />
| No Sunday service <br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Sassari - Alghero (''Ferrovie della Sardegna'')<br />
| No Sunday service during the winter<br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Macomer - Nuoro (''Ferrovie della Sardegna'')<br />
| No Sunday service <br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| San Gottardo (Cagliari) - Mandas (''Ferrovie della Sardegna'')<br />
| No Sunday service <br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Mandas - Isili (''Ferrovie della Sardegna'')<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==<div id="BST"></div>Bus services in substitute for trains==<br />
<br />
Services over the following lines have been replaced by buses, mostly owing to infrastructure problems. It is definitely intended that some routes will re-open to rail traffic, but others are in doubt. <br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 26<br />
| Novi Ligure - Tortona<br />
| Service suspended to facilitate construction of a Milano - Genova high-speed line; scheduled to reopen 26 January<br />
|-<br />
| 113<br />
| Ivrea - Aosta<br />
| Scheduled to close 3 January for electrification works, should reopen December 2026<br />
|-<br />
| 122<br />
| Bra - Cavallermaggiore<br />
| Train service suspended because of Covid-19 <br />
|-<br />
| 134 <br />
| Sesto Calende - Laveno-Mombello<br />
| Long-term, possible permanent, withdrawal of passenger trains<br />
|-<br />
| 155<br />
| Bozzolo - Mantova<br />
| Scheduled to close 14 January for doubling works; should reopen in 2026<br />
|-<br />
| 172 <br />
| Seregno - Carnate-Usmate<br />
| Trains replaced by buses, to provide a more reliable service on other lines; trains unlikely to resume soon<br />
|-<br />
| 172<br />
| Bergamo - Ponte San Pietro<br />
| Scheduled to close 5 February; should reopen in 2026<br />
|-<br />
| 226<br />
| Montbelluna - Feltre<br />
| Closed for electrification work from 28 February 2022<br />
|-<br />
| 233<br />
| Gemona del Friuli - Maniago<br />
| Service suspended in 2012, because of a landslide. There continues to be pressure for passenger trains to resume, but no early prospect of this.<br />
|-<br />
| 258<br />
| Pisa Centrale - Collesalvetti - Vada<br />
| See route [[Italy_(Toscana)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#PI_VA|IT23/101]] for occasional diversions<br />
|-<br />
| 259<br />
| Cecina - Volterra-Saline-Pomerance<br />
| Bus service instigated summer 2020, apparently for upgrades to the line, but train services have not resumed. See route [[Italy_(Toscana)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#Cecina - Volterra Saline-Pomarance|IT23/99]] for occasional diversions<br />
|-<br />
| 310 <br />
| Priverno-Fossanova - Terracina<br />
| Train service suspended because of landslides.<br />
|-<br />
| 312 <br />
| Sulmona - Castel di Sangro<br />
| See route [[Italy_(Abruzzo_and_Molise)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#SU_RO_CA|IT22/161]] for details of special excursions<br />
|-<br />
| 313 (part)<br />
| Termoli - Campobasso<br />
| Closed for infrastructure works, with planned re-opening in June 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 313 (part) <br />
| Isernia - Campobasso<br />
| Closed for electrification work; may re-open June 2025<br />
|-<br />
| 315<br />
| [Campbasso -] Bosco Redole - Benevento <br />
| See route [[Italy_(Campania)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#BE_MO|IT22/148]] for details of special excursions.<br />
|-<br />
| 330<br />
| Mercato S Severino - Avellino<br />
| Closed for electrification work; may reopen January 2026<br />
|-<br />
| 335<br />
| Avellino - Lioni<br />
| See route [[Italy_(Campania)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#AV_LI|IT22/149]] for details of special excursions.<br />
|- <br />
| 337<br />
| Rocchetta S Antonio Lacedonia - Gioia del Colle<br />
| Trains replaced by buses in 2011 on economic grounds, so unlikely to resume. Might have special excursions in the future<br />
|-<br />
| 339 <br />
| Barletta - Spinazzola<br />
| Closed for electrification works<br />
|-<br />
| 375 (part)<br />
| Caltagirone - Gela<br />
| Service suspended following collapse of a viaduct in 2011; should re-open December 2026<br />
|-<br />
| 382<br />
| [Catania -] Bicocca - Dittaino<br />
| Closed for doubling works in 2023; should reopen February 2025<br />
|-<br />
| 409 (part)<br />
| Rovato FN - Bornato-Calino<br />
| Trains replaced by buses in 2018 on economic grounds, so unlikely to resume. See route [[Italy_(Lombardia)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#ROV_BC|IT22/18]] for details of occasional excursions.<br />
|-<br />
| 414<br />
| Rivarolo Canavese - Pont Canavese (''GTT'')<br />
| Bus service not shown in ''In Treno'', but there are plans to electrify and reopen the line.<br />
|- <br />
| 426<br />
| Piove di Sacco - Adria<br />
| Closed for electrification works, with planned re-opening in June 2024; train service incorrectly shown in ''InTreno''<br />
|-<br />
| 434<br />
| Bologna Centrale - Bologna Roveri (''TPER'')<br />
| Closed in 2022 to be moved underground; should open in late 2025<br />
|-<br />
| 447<br />
| Città di Castello - Sansepolcro (''Ferrovia Centrale Umbra'')<br />
| The FCU lines are being modernised, but this is taking a long time and only the section between Perugia Ponte S Giovanni and Città di Castello has re-opened.<br />
|-<br />
| 448<br />
| Perugia Ponte S Giovanni - Terni (''Ferrovia Centrale Umbra'')<br />
|-<br />
| 449<br />
| Perugia Ponte S Giovanni - Perugia S Anna (''Ferrovia Centrale Umbra'')<br />
|-<br />
| 460a<br />
| Bari Mungivacca - Rutigliano - Putignano (''Ferrovie del Sud Est'')<br />
| Closed for modernisation<br />
|-<br />
| 463<br />
| Lecce - Zollino (''Ferrovie del Sud Est'')<br />
| Closed for modernisation; scheduled to reopen 2 November 2021<br />
|-<br />
| -<br />
| Licola - Torregáveta (''EAV srl'')<br />
|-<br />
| 494<br />
| Barletta Centrale - Corato (''Ferrotramviaria'')<br />
| Service suspended for resignalling following a serious collision.<br />
|-<br />
| -<br />
| Gravina in Puglia - Avigliano Lucania (''Ferrovie Appulo Lucane'')<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
A number of other bus services appear in ''In Treno'' either in substitution for long-closed lines or ''FrecciaLink'' coaches to towns not on the high-speed network.<br />
<br />
The following routes are shown on the ''Indice Grafico delle Relazioni'' (route diagram) in ''In Treno'', but have no ''Trenitalia'' service at all, train or bus. In a few cases, which are noted, there is a train service not shown in ''In Treno''.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 60 & 70 & M65<br />
| Ancona - Ancona Marittima<br />
|<br />
|- <br />
| 125<br />
| Vercelli - Casale Popolo<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 134<br />
| Sesto Calende - Oleggio<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 157<br />
| Piacenza - Castelvetro<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 286<br />
| Fabriano - Pergola<br />
| Special excursions regularly running on the line<br />
|-<br />
| 323<br />
| Napoli - Sorrento<br />
| Former bus service. Circumvesuviana services not included in ''In Treno'' <br />
|-<br />
| 325<br />
| Sarno - Codola<br />
| The north to east side of the triangle at Codola is closed to all traffic.<br />
|-<br />
| 338<br />
| Bari - Matera<br />
| Former bus service. Ferrovie Appulo-Lucane trains shown in table 466<br />
|-<br />
| 347<br />
| Lecce - Gallipoli - S Maria di Leuca<br />
| Former bus service. Ferrovie Sud Est trains shown in tables 462 and 464<br />
|-<br />
| 349<br />
| Lecce - Otranto<br />
| Former bus service. Ferrovie Sud Est trains shown in tables 463 and 465<br />
|-<br />
| 388<br />
| Alcamo Diramazione - Milo - Trapani<br />
| Should reopen electrified December 2026<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Services not shown in ''In Treno''==<br />
Timetables for the following services can be found at the websites shown. Urban metro systems are not included in this list.<br />
<br />
{| width=100%"<br />
| L’Assunta/Maria Himmelfahrt – Collalbo/Klobenstein<br />
| [http://www.sii.bz.it/ SAD Trasporto Locale SpA] (Table 160)<br />
|- <br />
| Trento - Mezzana<br />
| [https://www.trentinotrasporti.it/viaggia-con-noi/ferrovia Trentino trasporti esercizio SpA]<br />
|- <br />
| Sassi – Superga<br />
| [http://www.gtt.to.it/cms/turismo/sassisup Gruppo Torinese Trasporti]<br />
|-<br />
| Circumvesuviana network<br />
| [https://www.eavsrl.it/web/home EAV srl] Linee Vesuviane <br />
|- <br />
| Napoli Montesanto - Torregáveta and Licola<br />
| [https://www.eavsrl.it/web/home EAV srl] Linee Flegree<br />
|- <br />
| Cancello - Benevento and S Maria Capua Vetere - Piedimonte Matese<br />
| [https://www.eavsrl.it/web/home EAV srl] Linee Suburbane<br />
|-<br />
| Bari - Cecilia and Barletta via Bitonto<br />
| [https://www.ferrovienordbarese.it Ferrotramviaria]<br />
|-<br />
| Potenza Centrale - Avigliano Citta<br />
| [https://ferrovieappulolucane.it/ Ferrovie Appulo Lucane]<br />
|- <br />
| Catanzaro Lido - Soveria Mannelli <br />
| [http://www.ferroviedellacalabria.com/ Ferrovie della Calabria]<br />
|- <br />
| Catania Borgo - Randazzo - Riposto<br />
| [https://www.circumetnea.it/ Circumetnea]<br />
|- <br />
| Sassari - Alghero<br />
| [http://www.arst.sardegna.it Trasporti Regionali della Sardegna]<br />
|- <br />
| Sassari - Sorso<br />
| [http://www.arst.sardegna.it Trasporti Regionali della Sardegna]<br />
|- <br />
| Macomer - Nuoro<br />
| [http://www.arst.sardegna.it Trasporti Regionali della Sardegna]<br />
|- <br />
| San Gottardo (Cagliari) – Isili<br />
| [http://www.arst.sardegna.it Trasporti Regionali della Sardegna]<br />
|}<br />
<br />
In some cases it is only possible to use a search engine to look up trains available at a selected time. For some lines lists of train times are available on the [https://www.e656.net/ E656] website. Look for 'Orario' in the menu bar.<br />
<br />
==<div id="DSLE"></div>Deletions since previous edition==<br />
<br />
IT23/181: Bretella di Foggia: Cervaro (Bivio Cervaro No 1) – Incoronata (Bivio Cervaro No 2)<br />
<br />
This curve links the Benevento and Bari lines directly, enabling trains to avoid reversal at Foggia. The few trains between Roma and Bari that used this route have been scheduled to call at Foggia since December 2021.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Italy}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Italy_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=53164Italy - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2023-12-16T10:32:56Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Introduction */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
<br />
{{Italy Introduction 2010 2011}}<br />
<br />
Westbound and northbound trains normally have even train numbers. Eastbound and southbound trains normally have odd numbers. Trains may, therefore, have several numbers during the course of a journey. For example, the 07:13 Bergamo to Ventimiglia, which runs west to Milano, south to Genova and then west again, is successively ''IR1786'', ''IR1787'' and ''IR1788''. In the tables below the train number used is that applicable at the last stop before the route concerned. Where two train numbers are shown, that is because they vary with the day of operation. Trains running on only a few days during the Christmas and New Year holiday period are not included in the lists; none use lines without any other passenger service.<br />
<br />
When a train is being re-scheduled, to allow for engineering work or for other reasons, it is likely to be given an alternative train number, usually of five digits starting with 3. The last two digits are generally, but not always, the same as those of usual train number. For passenger reservation purposes the usual number may be used. Where a train is diverted via an obscure route that it does not normally use, the relevant 3xxxx train number is quoted in the lists. Many trains have alternative numbers because of diversions or retimings that do not affect use of obscure routes and in such cases only the usual number is quoted, in the interests of clarity and space. <br />
<br />
Lines are listed in geographic order, from north to south, grouped by region. However, the Firenze - Roma ''direttissima'' (which passes through the regions of Toscana, Umbria and Lazio) is shown as a separate group. [[#SN|Special Notes]] and details of [[#LAV|''Linea Alta Velocità'' (High Speed Lines)]], [[#OSS|Other Sparse Services]], [[#BST|Bus services in substitute for trains]], and [[#DSLE|Deletions since previous edition]] can be found at the end of this page.<br />
<br />
<div id="LR"></div>'''List of Regions''':-<br />
<br />
{| width="60%" | <br />
| [[Italy (Lombardia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Lombardia]] <br />
| Includes Milano<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/01<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Trentino Alto Adige) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Trentino Alto Adige]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/21<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Veneto) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Veneto]] <br />
| Includes Verona<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/31<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Friuli Venezia Giulia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Friuli Venezia Giulia]]<br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/41<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Piemonte) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Piemonte]] <br />
| Includes Torino<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/51<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Liguria) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Liguria]] <br />
| Includes Genova<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/61<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Emilia Romagna) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Emilia Romagna]] <br />
| Includes Bologna<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/71<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Toscana) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Toscana]] <br />
| Includes Firenze<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/91<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Marche) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Marche]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/111<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Firenze - Roma direttissima) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Firenze - Roma direttissima]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/121<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Lazio) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Lazio]] <br />
| Includes Roma<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/141<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Campania) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Campania]] <br />
| Includes Napoli<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/151<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Abruzzo and Molise) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Abruzzo and Molise]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/171<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Calabria) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Calabria]]<br />
| Includes Cosenza<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/191<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Sicilia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Sicilia]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/201<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Sardegna) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Sardegna]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/211<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following regions currently have no Obscure Services: Basilicata and Valle d'Aosta.<br />
<br />
==<div id="SN"></div>Special Notes==<br />
The Trenitalia timetables suggest that on certain lines fast trains and stopping trains run via different routes, but in fact there is a quadruple line with station platforms on only one pair of tracks. Such lines include Prato Centrale to Firenze Rifredi and Padova to Venezia Mestre.<br />
<br />
==<span id="LAV"></span>''Linea Alta Velocità'' (High-Speed Lines)==<br />
<br />
The following high-speed lines, which are electrified at 25 KV 50 Hz rather than the standard Italian 3,000 Volts DC, are used by ''Alta Velocità'' trains. These are marketed as ''Frecciarossa'', ''Frecciabianca'' and ''Frecciargento''. High-speed services are also provided by open access operator Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori, trading as [http://www.italotreno.it ''Italo''].<br />
<br />
*Torino Stura - Milano (Rho Fiera)<br />
*Treviglio (Bivio Casirate) - Brescia (Scalo)<br />
*Milano (Bivio Melegnano) - Bologna - Firenze (Castello)<br />
*Roma (Prenestina) - Napoli (Gianturco)<br />
<br />
There are various intermediate connections between these lines and older routes, but many see limited or no use by passenger trains. Those with a passenger service are: <br />
<br />
*Piacenza Ovest: See [[Italy_(Emilia_Romagna)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#PIAO|IT23/71]]<br />
*Fidenza Ovest: See [[Italy_(Emilia_Romagna)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#FIDO|IT23/73]]<br />
*Castelfranco Est: See [[Italy_(Emilia_Romagna)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#ERBCE|IT23/76]]<br />
*Anzola dell'Emilia: See [[Italy_(Emilia_Romagna)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#ANZLAV|IT23/77]]<br />
*Anagni: See [[Italy_(Lazio)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#ANAG|IT23/147]]<br />
*Cassino Sud: See [[Italy_(Lazio)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#CASS|IT23/148]]<br />
*Caserta Nord: See [[Italy (Campania) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services#BI_CA_NO|IT23/152]]. <br />
<br />
Connections used while high-speed lines were under construction, but no longer with a passenger service are:<br />
<br />
*Bivio Novara Ovest - Novara Boschetto<br />
*Crossovers at Bologna S Viola<br />
*Bologna S Ruffillo - Bivio Emilia<br />
*Gricignano-Teverola - 1° Bivio Gricignano<br />
<br />
There are also high-speed lines electrified at 3,000 Volts DC, which may be used by other trains:<br />
<br />
*Milano Lambrate - Treviglio: See [[Italy (Lombardia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services#PI_LI_TREV|IT23/15]]<br />
*Milano Rogoredo - Tavazzano (Bivio Melegnano): See [[Italy (Lombardia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services#MIRO_TAVA|IT23/16]]<br />
*Padova - Venezia Mestre: This is effectively a quadrupling of the old main line. <br />
*Roma - Firenze Direttissima: This is an older high-speed line. See [https://egtre.info/wiki/Italy_(Firenze_-_Roma_direttissima)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services separate details].<br />
*Napoli - Salerno: See [[Italy (Campania) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services#LI_MO_VE|IT23/156]]<br />
<br />
It appears to be practice for DC high-speed lines to be known as ''Direttissima'' and for AC lines to be known as ''Linea AV/AC''.<br />
<br />
==Trams==<br />
See [[Italy_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Italy - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==<div id="OSS"></div>Other sparse services==<br />
The train service may well be suspended on some local lines for varying periods during the summer holidays between late June and early September, especially in northern Italy and Campania. It may be advisable to check services locally.<br />
<br />
The following lines not included in the regional pages have few trains (relative to service levels generally in Italy) - five trains or fewer each way on at least three days a week, or do not run each weekday. Lines with no Sunday trains are noted, but where there is a Sunday service it may be very limited on rural lines. Even on lines with more than five trains daily the service may be very irregular, with a few early morning journeys and then none until the afternoon.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 10<br />
| Bardonecchia - Modane (France) <br />
| ''TGV'' and ''Frecciarossa'' services only <br />
|- <br />
| 13<br />
| Trieste Centrale - Sežana (Slovenia)<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 15<br />
| Carnia - Tarvisio Boscoverde<br />
| Sparse weekday service; better at weekends<br />
|- <br />
| 26<br />
| Novi Ligure - Tortona<br />
| Scheduled to reopen 26 January; limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 91<br />
| Metaponto - Sibari<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 109 <br />
| Ventimiglia - Breil sur Roya (France) <br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 118<br />
| Casale Monferrato - Mortara<br />
| No weekend service<br />
|-<br />
| 120<br />
| Asti - Acqui Terme<br />
| No weekend service<br />
|-<br />
| 122<br />
| Asti - Alba<br />
| No weekend service<br />
|- <br />
| 125<br />
| Chivasso - Valenza<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 170<br />
| Como Camerlata - Molteno<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 220<br />
| Treviso Centrale - Portogruaro-Caorle<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 236<br />
| Casarsa - Portogruaro-Caorle<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 250<br />
| Fidenza - Fornovo<br />
| <br />
|- <br />
| 270<br />
| Lavezzola - Granarolo Faentino [- Faenza]<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 270<br />
| Russi - Granarolo Faentino [- Faenza]<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 273<br />
| Firenze Campo di Marte - Firenze S Marco Vecchio<br />
| Peak service Mon-Sat; one train on summer Sundays<br />
|-<br />
| 283<br />
| Buonconvento - Montepescali [- Grosseto]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 302<br />
| Viterbo Porta Fiorentina - Attigliano-Bomarzo<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 332<br />
| Foggia - Manfredonia<br />
| Summer service only<br />
|-<br />
| 346<br />
| Taranto - Brindisi<br />
| No Sunday service, except for one overnight train each way<br />
|-<br />
| 355<br />
| [Cosenza -] Castiglione Cosentino - Sibari<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 360<br />
| Sassari - Porto Torres Marittima<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 361<br />
| Olbia - Golfo Aranci<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 375<br />
| [Catania -] Lentini Diramazione - Caltagirone <br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 378<br />
| Caltanissetta Centrale - Canicattì<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 378<br />
| Canicattì - Aragona Caldare<br />
| <br />
|- <br />
| 388<br />
| Piraineto - Castelvetrano <br />
| <br />
|- <br />
| 392<br />
| Caltanissetta Xirbi - Canicattì<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 392<br />
| Canicattì - Ragusa<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 392<br />
| Ragusa - Siracusa<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 426<br />
| Venezia Mestre - Piove di Sacco<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 430<br />
| Modena - Sassuolo Terminal (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 434<br />
| [Bologna Centrale -] Bologna Roveri - Portomaggiore (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 435<br />
| Parma - Suzzara (''TPER'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 436 <br />
| Reggio Emilia - Reggio S Lazzaro (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service; service not shown in ''InTreno''<br />
|- <br />
| 436<br />
| Reggio Emilia - Guastalla (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 437<br />
| Reggio Emilia - Sassuolo (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 438 <br />
| Reggio Emilia - Ciano d'Enza (''TPER'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 439 <br />
| Ferrara - Suzzara (''TPER'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 440 <br />
| Ferrara - Codigoro (''TPER'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 442<br />
| [Bologna Centrale -] Casalecchio Garibaldi - Vignola (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 445 <br />
| Arezzo - Sinalunga (''TFT'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 446 <br />
| Arezzo - Pratavecchio Stia (''TFT'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 460 to 465<br />
| ''Ferrovie del Sud Est'': Entire network<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 466<br />
| Bari - Gravina in Puglia and Matera Sud (''Ferrovie Appulo Lucane'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 468<br />
| Cagnano Varano - Peschici Calenella (''Ferrovie del Gargano'')<br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Sassi - Superga (''Gruppo Torinese Trasporti'') <br />
| No trains on Wednesdays<br />
|-<br />
| -<br />
| Gravina in Puglia - Genzano (''Ferrovie Appulo Lucane'')<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Potenza - Avigliano Città (''Ferrovie Appulo Lucane'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| -<br />
| Catania Borgo - Randazzo (''Ferrovia Circumetnea'')<br />
| No Sunday service <br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Paterno - Randazzo - Riposto (''Ferrovia Circumetnea'')<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Sassari - Sorso (''Ferrovie della Sardegna'')<br />
| No Sunday service <br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Sassari - Alghero (''Ferrovie della Sardegna'')<br />
| No Sunday service during the winter<br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Macomer - Nuoro (''Ferrovie della Sardegna'')<br />
| No Sunday service <br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| San Gottardo (Cagliari) - Mandas (''Ferrovie della Sardegna'')<br />
| No Sunday service <br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Mandas - Isili (''Ferrovie della Sardegna'')<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==<div id="BST"></div>Bus services in substitute for trains==<br />
<br />
Services over the following lines have been replaced by buses, mostly owing to infrastructure problems. It is definitely intended that some routes will re-open to rail traffic, but others are in doubt. <br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 26<br />
| Novi Ligure - Tortona<br />
| Service suspended to facilitate construction of a Milano - Genova high-speed line; scheduled to reopen 26 January<br />
|-<br />
| 113<br />
| Ivrea - Aosta<br />
| Scheduled to close 3 January for electrification works, should reopen December 2026<br />
|-<br />
| 122<br />
| Bra - Cavallermaggiore<br />
| Train service suspended because of Covid-19 <br />
|-<br />
| 134 <br />
| Sesto Calende - Laveno-Mombello<br />
| Long-term, possible permanent, withdrawal of passenger trains<br />
|-<br />
| 155<br />
| Bozzolo - Mantova<br />
| Scheduled to close 14 January for doubling works; should reopen in 2026<br />
|-<br />
| 172 <br />
| Seregno - Carnate-Usmate<br />
| Trains replaced by buses, to provide a more reliable service on other lines; trains unlikely to resume soon<br />
|-<br />
| 172<br />
| Bergamo - Ponte San Pietro<br />
| Scheduled to close 5 February; should reopen in 2026<br />
|-<br />
| 226<br />
| Montbelluna - Feltre<br />
| Closed for electrification work from 28 February 2022<br />
|-<br />
| 233<br />
| Gemona del Friuli - Maniago<br />
| Service suspended in 2012, because of a landslide. There continues to be pressure for passenger trains to resume, but no early prospect of this.<br />
|-<br />
| 258<br />
| Pisa Centrale - Collesalvetti - Vada<br />
| See route [[Italy_(Toscana)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#PI_VA|IT23/101]] for occasional diversions<br />
|-<br />
| 259<br />
| Cecina - Volterra-Saline-Pomerance<br />
| Bus service instigated summer 2020, apparently for upgrades to the line, but train services have not resumed. See route [[Italy_(Toscana)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#Cecina - Volterra Saline-Pomarance|IT23/99]] for occasional diversions<br />
|-<br />
| 310 <br />
| Priverno-Fossanova - Terracina<br />
| Train service suspended because of landslides.<br />
|-<br />
| 312 <br />
| Sulmona - Castel di Sangro<br />
| See route [[Italy_(Abruzzo_and_Molise)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#SU_RO_CA|IT22/161]] for details of special excursions<br />
|-<br />
| 313 (part)<br />
| Termoli - Campobasso<br />
| Closed for infrastructure works, with planned re-opening in June 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 313 (part) <br />
| Isernia - Campobasso<br />
| Closed for electrification work; may re-open June 2025<br />
|-<br />
| 315<br />
| [Campbasso -] Bosco Redole - Benevento <br />
| See route [[Italy_(Campania)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#BE_MO|IT22/148]] for details of special excursions.<br />
|-<br />
| 330<br />
| Mercato S Severino - Avellino<br />
| Closed for electrification work; may reopen January 2026<br />
|-<br />
| 335<br />
| Avellino - Lioni<br />
| See route [[Italy_(Campania)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#AV_LI|IT22/149]] for details of special excursions.<br />
|- <br />
| 337<br />
| Rocchetta S Antonio Lacedonia - Gioia del Colle<br />
| Trains replaced by buses in 2011 on economic grounds, so unlikely to resume. Might have special excursions in the future<br />
|-<br />
| 339 <br />
| Barletta - Spinazzola<br />
| Closed for electrification works<br />
|-<br />
| 375 (part)<br />
| Caltagirone - Gela<br />
| Service suspended following collapse of a viaduct in 2011; should re-open December 2026<br />
|-<br />
| 382<br />
| [Catania -] Bicocca - Dittaino<br />
| Closed for doubling works in 2023; should reopen February 2025<br />
|-<br />
| 409 (part)<br />
| Rovato FN - Bornato-Calino<br />
| Trains replaced by buses in 2018 on economic grounds, so unlikely to resume. See route [[Italy_(Lombardia)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#ROV_BC|IT22/18]] for details of occasional excursions.<br />
|-<br />
| 414<br />
| Rivarolo Canavese - Pont Canavese (''GTT'')<br />
| Bus service not shown in ''In Treno'', but there are plans to electrify and reopen the line.<br />
|- <br />
| 426<br />
| Piove di Sacco - Adria<br />
| Closed for electrification works, with planned re-opening in June 2024; train service incorrectly shown in ''InTreno''<br />
|-<br />
| 434<br />
| Bologna Centrale - Bologna Roveri (''TPER'')<br />
| Closed in 2022 to be moved underground; should open in late 2025<br />
|-<br />
| 447<br />
| Città di Castello - Sansepolcro (''Ferrovia Centrale Umbra'')<br />
| The FCU lines are being modernised, but this is taking a long time and only the section between Perugia Ponte S Giovanni and Città di Castello has re-opened.<br />
|-<br />
| 448<br />
| Perugia Ponte S Giovanni - Terni (''Ferrovia Centrale Umbra'')<br />
|-<br />
| 449<br />
| Perugia Ponte S Giovanni - Perugia S Anna (''Ferrovia Centrale Umbra'')<br />
|-<br />
| 460a<br />
| Bari Mungivacca - Rutigliano - Putignano (''Ferrovie del Sud Est'')<br />
| Closed for modernisation<br />
|-<br />
| 463<br />
| Lecce - Zollino (''Ferrovie del Sud Est'')<br />
| Closed for modernisation; scheduled to reopen 2 November 2021<br />
|-<br />
| -<br />
| Licola - Torregáveta (''EAV srl'')<br />
|-<br />
| 494<br />
| Barletta Centrale - Corato (''Ferrotramviaria'')<br />
| Service suspended for resignalling following a serious collision.<br />
|-<br />
| -<br />
| Gravina in Puglia - Avigliano Lucania (''Ferrovie Appulo Lucane'')<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
A number of other bus services appear in ''In Treno'' either in substitution for long-closed lines or ''FrecciaLink'' coaches to towns not on the high-speed network.<br />
<br />
The following routes are shown on the ''Indice Grafico delle Relazioni'' (route diagram) in ''In Treno'', but have no ''Trenitalia'' service at all, train or bus. In a few cases, which are noted, there is a train service not shown in ''In Treno''.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 60 & 70 & M65<br />
| Ancona - Ancona Marittima<br />
|<br />
|- <br />
| 125<br />
| Vercelli - Casale Popolo<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 134<br />
| Sesto Calende - Oleggio<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 157<br />
| Piacenza - Castelvetro<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 286<br />
| Fabriano - Pergola<br />
| Special excursions regularly running on the line<br />
|-<br />
| 323<br />
| Napoli - Sorrento<br />
| Former bus service. Circumvesuviana services not included in ''In Treno'' <br />
|-<br />
| 325<br />
| Sarno - Codola<br />
| The north to east side of the triangle at Codola is closed to all traffic.<br />
|-<br />
| 338<br />
| Bari - Matera<br />
| Former bus service. Ferrovie Appulo-Lucane trains shown in table 466<br />
|-<br />
| 347<br />
| Lecce - Gallipoli - S Maria di Leuca<br />
| Former bus service. Ferrovie Sud Est trains shown in tables 462 and 464<br />
|-<br />
| 349<br />
| Lecce - Otranto<br />
| Former bus service. Ferrovie Sud Est trains shown in tables 463 and 465<br />
|-<br />
| 388<br />
| Alcamo Diramazione - Milo - Trapani<br />
| Should reopen electrified December 2026<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Services not shown in ''In Treno''==<br />
Timetables for the following services can be found at the websites shown. Urban metro systems are not included in this list.<br />
<br />
{| width=100%"<br />
| L’Assunta/Maria Himmelfahrt – Collalbo/Klobenstein<br />
| [http://www.sii.bz.it/ SAD Trasporto Locale SpA] (Table 160)<br />
|- <br />
| Trento - Mezzana<br />
| [https://www.trentinotrasporti.it/viaggia-con-noi/ferrovia Trentino trasporti esercizio SpA]<br />
|- <br />
| Sassi – Superga<br />
| [http://www.gtt.to.it/cms/turismo/sassisup Gruppo Torinese Trasporti]<br />
|-<br />
| Circumvesuviana network<br />
| [https://www.eavsrl.it/web/home EAV srl] Linee Vesuviane <br />
|- <br />
| Napoli Montesanto - Torregáveta and Licola<br />
| [https://www.eavsrl.it/web/home EAV srl] Linee Flegree<br />
|- <br />
| Cancello - Benevento and S Maria Capua Vetere - Piedimonte Matese<br />
| [https://www.eavsrl.it/web/home EAV srl] Linee Suburbane<br />
|-<br />
| Bari - Cecilia and Barletta via Bitonto<br />
| [https://www.ferrovienordbarese.it Ferrotramviaria]<br />
|-<br />
| Potenza Centrale - Avigliano Citta<br />
| [https://ferrovieappulolucane.it/ Ferrovie Appulo Lucane]<br />
|- <br />
| Catanzaro Lido - Soveria Mannelli <br />
| [http://www.ferroviedellacalabria.com/ Ferrovie della Calabria]<br />
|- <br />
| Catania Borgo - Randazzo - Riposto<br />
| [https://www.circumetnea.it/ Circumetnea]<br />
|- <br />
| Sassari - Alghero<br />
| [http://www.arst.sardegna.it Trasporti Regionali della Sardegna]<br />
|- <br />
| Sassari - Sorso<br />
| [http://www.arst.sardegna.it Trasporti Regionali della Sardegna]<br />
|- <br />
| Macomer - Nuoro<br />
| [http://www.arst.sardegna.it Trasporti Regionali della Sardegna]<br />
|- <br />
| San Gottardo (Cagliari) – Isili<br />
| [http://www.arst.sardegna.it Trasporti Regionali della Sardegna]<br />
|}<br />
<br />
In some cases it is only possible to use a search engine to look up trains available at a selected time. For some lines lists of train times are available on the [https://www.e656.net/ E656] website. Look for 'Orario' in the menu bar.<br />
<br />
==<div id="DSLE"></div>Deletions since previous edition==<br />
<br />
IT23/181: Bretella di Foggia: Cervaro (Bivio Cervaro No 1) – Incoronata (Bivio Cervaro No 2)<br />
<br />
This curve links the Benevento and Bari lines directly, enabling trains to avoid reversal at Foggia. The few trains between Roma and Bari that used this route have been scheduled to call at Foggia since December 2021.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Italy}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Italy_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=53163Italy - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2023-12-16T10:31:59Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Deletions since previous edition */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
<br />
{{Italy Introduction 2010 2011}}<br />
<br />
Westbound and northbound trains normally have even train numbers. Eastbound and southbound trains normally have odd numbers. Trains may, therefore, have several numbers during the course of a journey. For example, the 07:13 Bergamo to Ventimiglia, which runs west to Milano, south to Genova and then west again, is successively ''IR1786'', ''IR1787'' and ''IR1788''. In the tables below the train number used is that applicable at the last stop before the route concerned. Where two train numbers are shown, that is because they vary with the day of operation. Trains running on only a few days during the Christmas and New Year holiday period are not included in the lists; none use lines without any other passenger service.<br />
<br />
When a train is being re-scheduled, to allow for engineering work or for other reasons, it is likely to be given an alternative train number, usually of five digits starting with 3. The last two digits are generally, but not always, the same as those of usual train number. For passenger reservation purposes the usual number may be used. Where a train is diverted via an obscure route that it does not normally use, the relevant 3xxxx train number is quoted in the lists. Many trains have alternative numbers because of diversions or retimings that do not affect use of obscure routes and in such cases only the usual number is quoted, in the interests of clarity and space. <br />
<br />
Lines are listed in geographic order, from north to south, grouped by region. However, the Firenze - Roma ''direttissima'' (which passes through the regions of Toscana, Umbria and Lazio) is shown as a separate group. [[#SN|Special Notes]] and details of [[#LAV|''Linea Alta Velocità'' (High Speed Lines)]], [[#OSS|Other Sparse Services]], [[#BST|Bus services in substitute for trains]], and [[#DSLE|Deletions since previous edition]] can be found at the end of this page.<br />
<br />
<div id="LR"></div>'''List of Regions''':-<br />
<br />
{| width="60%" | <br />
| [[Italy (Lombardia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Lombardia]] <br />
| Includes Milano<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/01<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Trentino Alto Adige) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Trentino Alto Adige]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/21<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Veneto) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Veneto]] <br />
| Includes Verona<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/31<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Friuli Venezia Giulia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Friuli Venezia Giulia]]<br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/41<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Piemonte) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Piemonte]] <br />
| Includes Torino<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/51<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Liguria) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Liguria]] <br />
| Includes Genova<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/61<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Emilia Romagna) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Emilia Romagna]] <br />
| Includes Bologna<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/71<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Toscana) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Toscana]] <br />
| Includes Firenze<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/91<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Marche) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Marche]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/111<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Firenze - Roma direttissima) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Firenze - Roma direttissima]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/121<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Lazio) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Lazio]] <br />
| Includes Roma<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/141<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Campania) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Campania]] <br />
| Includes Napoli<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/151<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Abruzzo and Molise) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Abruzzo and Molise]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/171<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Puglia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Puglia]] <br />
| Includes Foggia<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/181<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Calabria) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Calabria]]<br />
| Includes Cosenza<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/191<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Sicilia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Sicilia]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/201<br />
|-<br />
| [[Italy (Sardegna) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Sardegna]] <br />
|<br />
| Entries referenced from ITxx/211<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following regions currently have no Obscure Services: Basilicata and Valle d'Aosta.<br />
<br />
==<div id="SN"></div>Special Notes==<br />
The Trenitalia timetables suggest that on certain lines fast trains and stopping trains run via different routes, but in fact there is a quadruple line with station platforms on only one pair of tracks. Such lines include Prato Centrale to Firenze Rifredi and Padova to Venezia Mestre.<br />
<br />
==<span id="LAV"></span>''Linea Alta Velocità'' (High-Speed Lines)==<br />
<br />
The following high-speed lines, which are electrified at 25 KV 50 Hz rather than the standard Italian 3,000 Volts DC, are used by ''Alta Velocità'' trains. These are marketed as ''Frecciarossa'', ''Frecciabianca'' and ''Frecciargento''. High-speed services are also provided by open access operator Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori, trading as [http://www.italotreno.it ''Italo''].<br />
<br />
*Torino Stura - Milano (Rho Fiera)<br />
*Treviglio (Bivio Casirate) - Brescia (Scalo)<br />
*Milano (Bivio Melegnano) - Bologna - Firenze (Castello)<br />
*Roma (Prenestina) - Napoli (Gianturco)<br />
<br />
There are various intermediate connections between these lines and older routes, but many see limited or no use by passenger trains. Those with a passenger service are: <br />
<br />
*Piacenza Ovest: See [[Italy_(Emilia_Romagna)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#PIAO|IT23/71]]<br />
*Fidenza Ovest: See [[Italy_(Emilia_Romagna)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#FIDO|IT23/73]]<br />
*Castelfranco Est: See [[Italy_(Emilia_Romagna)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#ERBCE|IT23/76]]<br />
*Anzola dell'Emilia: See [[Italy_(Emilia_Romagna)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#ANZLAV|IT23/77]]<br />
*Anagni: See [[Italy_(Lazio)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#ANAG|IT23/147]]<br />
*Cassino Sud: See [[Italy_(Lazio)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#CASS|IT23/148]]<br />
*Caserta Nord: See [[Italy (Campania) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services#BI_CA_NO|IT23/152]]. <br />
<br />
Connections used while high-speed lines were under construction, but no longer with a passenger service are:<br />
<br />
*Bivio Novara Ovest - Novara Boschetto<br />
*Crossovers at Bologna S Viola<br />
*Bologna S Ruffillo - Bivio Emilia<br />
*Gricignano-Teverola - 1° Bivio Gricignano<br />
<br />
There are also high-speed lines electrified at 3,000 Volts DC, which may be used by other trains:<br />
<br />
*Milano Lambrate - Treviglio: See [[Italy (Lombardia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services#PI_LI_TREV|IT23/15]]<br />
*Milano Rogoredo - Tavazzano (Bivio Melegnano): See [[Italy (Lombardia) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services#MIRO_TAVA|IT23/16]]<br />
*Padova - Venezia Mestre: This is effectively a quadrupling of the old main line. <br />
*Roma - Firenze Direttissima: This is an older high-speed line. See [https://egtre.info/wiki/Italy_(Firenze_-_Roma_direttissima)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services separate details].<br />
*Napoli - Salerno: See [[Italy (Campania) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services#LI_MO_VE|IT23/156]]<br />
<br />
It appears to be practice for DC high-speed lines to be known as ''Direttissima'' and for AC lines to be known as ''Linea AV/AC''.<br />
<br />
==Trams==<br />
See [[Italy_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Italy - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==<div id="OSS"></div>Other sparse services==<br />
The train service may well be suspended on some local lines for varying periods during the summer holidays between late June and early September, especially in northern Italy and Campania. It may be advisable to check services locally.<br />
<br />
The following lines not included in the regional pages have few trains (relative to service levels generally in Italy) - five trains or fewer each way on at least three days a week, or do not run each weekday. Lines with no Sunday trains are noted, but where there is a Sunday service it may be very limited on rural lines. Even on lines with more than five trains daily the service may be very irregular, with a few early morning journeys and then none until the afternoon.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 10<br />
| Bardonecchia - Modane (France) <br />
| ''TGV'' and ''Frecciarossa'' services only <br />
|- <br />
| 13<br />
| Trieste Centrale - Sežana (Slovenia)<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 15<br />
| Carnia - Tarvisio Boscoverde<br />
| Sparse weekday service; better at weekends<br />
|- <br />
| 26<br />
| Novi Ligure - Tortona<br />
| Scheduled to reopen 26 January; limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 91<br />
| Metaponto - Sibari<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 109 <br />
| Ventimiglia - Breil sur Roya (France) <br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 118<br />
| Casale Monferrato - Mortara<br />
| No weekend service<br />
|-<br />
| 120<br />
| Asti - Acqui Terme<br />
| No weekend service<br />
|-<br />
| 122<br />
| Asti - Alba<br />
| No weekend service<br />
|- <br />
| 125<br />
| Chivasso - Valenza<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 170<br />
| Como Camerlata - Molteno<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 220<br />
| Treviso Centrale - Portogruaro-Caorle<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 236<br />
| Casarsa - Portogruaro-Caorle<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 250<br />
| Fidenza - Fornovo<br />
| <br />
|- <br />
| 270<br />
| Lavezzola - Granarolo Faentino [- Faenza]<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 270<br />
| Russi - Granarolo Faentino [- Faenza]<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 273<br />
| Firenze Campo di Marte - Firenze S Marco Vecchio<br />
| Peak service Mon-Sat; one train on summer Sundays<br />
|-<br />
| 283<br />
| Buonconvento - Montepescali [- Grosseto]<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 302<br />
| Viterbo Porta Fiorentina - Attigliano-Bomarzo<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 332<br />
| Foggia - Manfredonia<br />
| Summer service only<br />
|-<br />
| 346<br />
| Taranto - Brindisi<br />
| No Sunday service, except for one overnight train each way<br />
|-<br />
| 355<br />
| [Cosenza -] Castiglione Cosentino - Sibari<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 360<br />
| Sassari - Porto Torres Marittima<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 361<br />
| Olbia - Golfo Aranci<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 375<br />
| [Catania -] Lentini Diramazione - Caltagirone <br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 378<br />
| Caltanissetta Centrale - Canicattì<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 378<br />
| Canicattì - Aragona Caldare<br />
| <br />
|- <br />
| 388<br />
| Piraineto - Castelvetrano <br />
| <br />
|- <br />
| 392<br />
| Caltanissetta Xirbi - Canicattì<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 392<br />
| Canicattì - Ragusa<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 392<br />
| Ragusa - Siracusa<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 426<br />
| Venezia Mestre - Piove di Sacco<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 430<br />
| Modena - Sassuolo Terminal (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 434<br />
| [Bologna Centrale -] Bologna Roveri - Portomaggiore (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 435<br />
| Parma - Suzzara (''TPER'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 436 <br />
| Reggio Emilia - Reggio S Lazzaro (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service; service not shown in ''InTreno''<br />
|- <br />
| 436<br />
| Reggio Emilia - Guastalla (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 437<br />
| Reggio Emilia - Sassuolo (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 438 <br />
| Reggio Emilia - Ciano d'Enza (''TPER'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 439 <br />
| Ferrara - Suzzara (''TPER'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 440 <br />
| Ferrara - Codigoro (''TPER'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 442<br />
| [Bologna Centrale -] Casalecchio Garibaldi - Vignola (''TPER'')<br />
| Limited Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 445 <br />
| Arezzo - Sinalunga (''TFT'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 446 <br />
| Arezzo - Pratavecchio Stia (''TFT'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 460 to 465<br />
| ''Ferrovie del Sud Est'': Entire network<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| 466<br />
| Bari - Gravina in Puglia and Matera Sud (''Ferrovie Appulo Lucane'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| 468<br />
| Cagnano Varano - Peschici Calenella (''Ferrovie del Gargano'')<br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Sassi - Superga (''Gruppo Torinese Trasporti'') <br />
| No trains on Wednesdays<br />
|-<br />
| -<br />
| Gravina in Puglia - Genzano (''Ferrovie Appulo Lucane'')<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Potenza - Avigliano Città (''Ferrovie Appulo Lucane'')<br />
| No Sunday service<br />
|-<br />
| -<br />
| Catania Borgo - Randazzo (''Ferrovia Circumetnea'')<br />
| No Sunday service <br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Paterno - Randazzo - Riposto (''Ferrovia Circumetnea'')<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Sassari - Sorso (''Ferrovie della Sardegna'')<br />
| No Sunday service <br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Sassari - Alghero (''Ferrovie della Sardegna'')<br />
| No Sunday service during the winter<br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Macomer - Nuoro (''Ferrovie della Sardegna'')<br />
| No Sunday service <br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| San Gottardo (Cagliari) - Mandas (''Ferrovie della Sardegna'')<br />
| No Sunday service <br />
|- <br />
| -<br />
| Mandas - Isili (''Ferrovie della Sardegna'')<br />
| Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==<div id="BST"></div>Bus services in substitute for trains==<br />
<br />
Services over the following lines have been replaced by buses, mostly owing to infrastructure problems. It is definitely intended that some routes will re-open to rail traffic, but others are in doubt. <br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 26<br />
| Novi Ligure - Tortona<br />
| Service suspended to facilitate construction of a Milano - Genova high-speed line; scheduled to reopen 26 January<br />
|-<br />
| 113<br />
| Ivrea - Aosta<br />
| Scheduled to close 3 January for electrification works, should reopen December 2026<br />
|-<br />
| 122<br />
| Bra - Cavallermaggiore<br />
| Train service suspended because of Covid-19 <br />
|-<br />
| 134 <br />
| Sesto Calende - Laveno-Mombello<br />
| Long-term, possible permanent, withdrawal of passenger trains<br />
|-<br />
| 155<br />
| Bozzolo - Mantova<br />
| Scheduled to close 14 January for doubling works; should reopen in 2026<br />
|-<br />
| 172 <br />
| Seregno - Carnate-Usmate<br />
| Trains replaced by buses, to provide a more reliable service on other lines; trains unlikely to resume soon<br />
|-<br />
| 172<br />
| Bergamo - Ponte San Pietro<br />
| Scheduled to close 5 February; should reopen in 2026<br />
|-<br />
| 226<br />
| Montbelluna - Feltre<br />
| Closed for electrification work from 28 February 2022<br />
|-<br />
| 233<br />
| Gemona del Friuli - Maniago<br />
| Service suspended in 2012, because of a landslide. There continues to be pressure for passenger trains to resume, but no early prospect of this.<br />
|-<br />
| 258<br />
| Pisa Centrale - Collesalvetti - Vada<br />
| See route [[Italy_(Toscana)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#PI_VA|IT23/101]] for occasional diversions<br />
|-<br />
| 259<br />
| Cecina - Volterra-Saline-Pomerance<br />
| Bus service instigated summer 2020, apparently for upgrades to the line, but train services have not resumed. See route [[Italy_(Toscana)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#Cecina - Volterra Saline-Pomarance|IT23/99]] for occasional diversions<br />
|-<br />
| 310 <br />
| Priverno-Fossanova - Terracina<br />
| Train service suspended because of landslides.<br />
|-<br />
| 312 <br />
| Sulmona - Castel di Sangro<br />
| See route [[Italy_(Abruzzo_and_Molise)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#SU_RO_CA|IT22/161]] for details of special excursions<br />
|-<br />
| 313 (part)<br />
| Termoli - Campobasso<br />
| Closed for infrastructure works, with planned re-opening in June 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 313 (part) <br />
| Isernia - Campobasso<br />
| Closed for electrification work; may re-open June 2025<br />
|-<br />
| 315<br />
| [Campbasso -] Bosco Redole - Benevento <br />
| See route [[Italy_(Campania)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#BE_MO|IT22/148]] for details of special excursions.<br />
|-<br />
| 330<br />
| Mercato S Severino - Avellino<br />
| Closed for electrification work; may reopen January 2026<br />
|-<br />
| 335<br />
| Avellino - Lioni<br />
| See route [[Italy_(Campania)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#AV_LI|IT22/149]] for details of special excursions.<br />
|- <br />
| 337<br />
| Rocchetta S Antonio Lacedonia - Gioia del Colle<br />
| Trains replaced by buses in 2011 on economic grounds, so unlikely to resume. Might have special excursions in the future<br />
|-<br />
| 339 <br />
| Barletta - Spinazzola<br />
| Closed for electrification works<br />
|-<br />
| 375 (part)<br />
| Caltagirone - Gela<br />
| Service suspended following collapse of a viaduct in 2011; should re-open December 2026<br />
|-<br />
| 382<br />
| [Catania -] Bicocca - Dittaino<br />
| Closed for doubling works in 2023; should reopen February 2025<br />
|-<br />
| 409 (part)<br />
| Rovato FN - Bornato-Calino<br />
| Trains replaced by buses in 2018 on economic grounds, so unlikely to resume. See route [[Italy_(Lombardia)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#ROV_BC|IT22/18]] for details of occasional excursions.<br />
|-<br />
| 414<br />
| Rivarolo Canavese - Pont Canavese (''GTT'')<br />
| Bus service not shown in ''In Treno'', but there are plans to electrify and reopen the line.<br />
|- <br />
| 426<br />
| Piove di Sacco - Adria<br />
| Closed for electrification works, with planned re-opening in June 2024; train service incorrectly shown in ''InTreno''<br />
|-<br />
| 434<br />
| Bologna Centrale - Bologna Roveri (''TPER'')<br />
| Closed in 2022 to be moved underground; should open in late 2025<br />
|-<br />
| 447<br />
| Città di Castello - Sansepolcro (''Ferrovia Centrale Umbra'')<br />
| The FCU lines are being modernised, but this is taking a long time and only the section between Perugia Ponte S Giovanni and Città di Castello has re-opened.<br />
|-<br />
| 448<br />
| Perugia Ponte S Giovanni - Terni (''Ferrovia Centrale Umbra'')<br />
|-<br />
| 449<br />
| Perugia Ponte S Giovanni - Perugia S Anna (''Ferrovia Centrale Umbra'')<br />
|-<br />
| 460a<br />
| Bari Mungivacca - Rutigliano - Putignano (''Ferrovie del Sud Est'')<br />
| Closed for modernisation<br />
|-<br />
| 463<br />
| Lecce - Zollino (''Ferrovie del Sud Est'')<br />
| Closed for modernisation; scheduled to reopen 2 November 2021<br />
|-<br />
| -<br />
| Licola - Torregáveta (''EAV srl'')<br />
|-<br />
| 494<br />
| Barletta Centrale - Corato (''Ferrotramviaria'')<br />
| Service suspended for resignalling following a serious collision.<br />
|-<br />
| -<br />
| Gravina in Puglia - Avigliano Lucania (''Ferrovie Appulo Lucane'')<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
A number of other bus services appear in ''In Treno'' either in substitution for long-closed lines or ''FrecciaLink'' coaches to towns not on the high-speed network.<br />
<br />
The following routes are shown on the ''Indice Grafico delle Relazioni'' (route diagram) in ''In Treno'', but have no ''Trenitalia'' service at all, train or bus. In a few cases, which are noted, there is a train service not shown in ''In Treno''.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 60 & 70 & M65<br />
| Ancona - Ancona Marittima<br />
|<br />
|- <br />
| 125<br />
| Vercelli - Casale Popolo<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 134<br />
| Sesto Calende - Oleggio<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 157<br />
| Piacenza - Castelvetro<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 286<br />
| Fabriano - Pergola<br />
| Special excursions regularly running on the line<br />
|-<br />
| 323<br />
| Napoli - Sorrento<br />
| Former bus service. Circumvesuviana services not included in ''In Treno'' <br />
|-<br />
| 325<br />
| Sarno - Codola<br />
| The north to east side of the triangle at Codola is closed to all traffic.<br />
|-<br />
| 338<br />
| Bari - Matera<br />
| Former bus service. Ferrovie Appulo-Lucane trains shown in table 466<br />
|-<br />
| 347<br />
| Lecce - Gallipoli - S Maria di Leuca<br />
| Former bus service. Ferrovie Sud Est trains shown in tables 462 and 464<br />
|-<br />
| 349<br />
| Lecce - Otranto<br />
| Former bus service. Ferrovie Sud Est trains shown in tables 463 and 465<br />
|-<br />
| 388<br />
| Alcamo Diramazione - Milo - Trapani<br />
| Should reopen electrified December 2026<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Services not shown in ''In Treno''==<br />
Timetables for the following services can be found at the websites shown. Urban metro systems are not included in this list.<br />
<br />
{| width=100%"<br />
| L’Assunta/Maria Himmelfahrt – Collalbo/Klobenstein<br />
| [http://www.sii.bz.it/ SAD Trasporto Locale SpA] (Table 160)<br />
|- <br />
| Trento - Mezzana<br />
| [https://www.trentinotrasporti.it/viaggia-con-noi/ferrovia Trentino trasporti esercizio SpA]<br />
|- <br />
| Sassi – Superga<br />
| [http://www.gtt.to.it/cms/turismo/sassisup Gruppo Torinese Trasporti]<br />
|-<br />
| Circumvesuviana network<br />
| [https://www.eavsrl.it/web/home EAV srl] Linee Vesuviane <br />
|- <br />
| Napoli Montesanto - Torregáveta and Licola<br />
| [https://www.eavsrl.it/web/home EAV srl] Linee Flegree<br />
|- <br />
| Cancello - Benevento and S Maria Capua Vetere - Piedimonte Matese<br />
| [https://www.eavsrl.it/web/home EAV srl] Linee Suburbane<br />
|-<br />
| Bari - Cecilia and Barletta via Bitonto<br />
| [https://www.ferrovienordbarese.it Ferrotramviaria]<br />
|-<br />
| Potenza Centrale - Avigliano Citta<br />
| [https://ferrovieappulolucane.it/ Ferrovie Appulo Lucane]<br />
|- <br />
| Catanzaro Lido - Soveria Mannelli <br />
| [http://www.ferroviedellacalabria.com/ Ferrovie della Calabria]<br />
|- <br />
| Catania Borgo - Randazzo - Riposto<br />
| [https://www.circumetnea.it/ Circumetnea]<br />
|- <br />
| Sassari - Alghero<br />
| [http://www.arst.sardegna.it Trasporti Regionali della Sardegna]<br />
|- <br />
| Sassari - Sorso<br />
| [http://www.arst.sardegna.it Trasporti Regionali della Sardegna]<br />
|- <br />
| Macomer - Nuoro<br />
| [http://www.arst.sardegna.it Trasporti Regionali della Sardegna]<br />
|- <br />
| San Gottardo (Cagliari) – Isili<br />
| [http://www.arst.sardegna.it Trasporti Regionali della Sardegna]<br />
|}<br />
<br />
In some cases it is only possible to use a search engine to look up trains available at a selected time. For some lines lists of train times are available on the [https://www.e656.net/ E656] website. Look for 'Orario' in the menu bar.<br />
<br />
==<div id="DSLE"></div>Deletions since previous edition==<br />
<br />
IT23/181: Bretella di Foggia: Cervaro (Bivio Cervaro No 1) – Incoronata (Bivio Cervaro No 2)<br />
<br />
This curve links the Benevento and Bari lines directly, enabling trains to avoid reversal at Foggia. The few trains between Roma and Bari that used this route have been scheduled to call at Foggia since December 2021.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Italy}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Italy_(Abruzzo_and_Molise)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=53162Italy (Abruzzo and Molise) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2023-12-16T10:28:30Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Sulmona - Roccaraso - Carpinone [- Isernia] */</p>
<hr />
<div>===<div id="SU-RO-CA"></div>Sulmona - Roccaraso - Carpinone [- Isernia]===<br />
(ERA-E 84A4-84B5; ERA-R 162A2-162A1; S+W ''71C2-77D1'') IT24/171<br />
<br />
Passenger trains are operated over this exceptionally scenic line by [http://www.lerotaie.com/ Amici della Ferrovia LeRotaie-Molise], generally twice a month. Most start from Sulmona and cover only part of the route, typically as far as Roccaraso. Trains can become fully booked, so advance reservation is strongly recommended.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Italy}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Italy_(Campania)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=53161Italy (Campania) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2023-12-16T10:26:34Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Obscure services */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Italy Introduction 2010 2011}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services==<br />
<br />
===<div id="CASS"></div>Rocca d'Evandro-S Vittore - Bivio Cassino Sud===<br />
[80] (ERA-E 84B4; ERA-R 164A5; S+W ''77B2'') IT24/151<br />
<br />
This route is partly in Lazio; see [[Italy_(Lazio)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#CASS|IT24/148]]<br />
<br />
===<div id="BI_CA_NO"></div>1º Bivio Caserta Nord - 2º Bivio Caserta Nord (Interconnessione Caserta Nord)===<br />
[6] (ERA-E 84C5; ERA-R 164A4; S+W ''77C4'') IT24/152<br />
<br />
This 6.1km connecting line allows trains on the AV/AC line from Roma to Napoli to connect with the old main line from Roma to Napoli via Caserta and is used by all high-speed services between Roma and Foggia, Bari and Lecce.<br />
<br />
===Aversa avoiding line: S. Marcellino-Frignano – Gricignano-Teverola===<br />
[3, 85] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163A3-163B3; S+W ''150C3-150D3'') IT24/153 <br />
<br />
This west to east curve is used by trains between the Formia and Caserta lines, to avoid reversal at Aversa. It is used by some trains between Roma and Caserta, because the Formia route is faster than the original main line via Cassino. However, ''Frecciargento'' and ''Frecciarosso'' trains between Roma, Bari and Lecce via Caserta use the new high speed line and not this route. It is also used by trains running direct to Cancello via IT24/154.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R21095<br />
| Roma Tiburtina - 10:00 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SO<br />
| R5897<br />
| Roma Termini - 14:54 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R5893<br />
| Roma Termini - 16:47 Villa Literno - Benevento<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| FO<br />
| IC705<br />
| 16:01 Roma Termini - Taranto<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R21254<br />
| Napoli Campi Flegrei - 19:45 S Marcellino-Frignano - Caserta<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
| <br />
| R5889/5895<br />
| Roma Termini - 21:44 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R5892<br />
| 03:50 Caserta - Formia-Gaeta<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuO<br />
| ICN788<br />
| Lecce - 04:07 MO Caserta - Roma Termini<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R5840<br />
| Napoli Centrale - 05:15 - Gricignano-Teverola - Roma Tiburtina<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R5894<br />
| Benevento - 06:17 Marcianise - Roma Termini<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Gricignano-Teverola – Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento – Cancello===<br />
[3, 85] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3-151C3'') IT23/154<br />
<br />
This line, opened in 1993, provides a connection between the Roma - Napoli main line via the coast and the inland main line via Cassino, bypassing Caserta and serving Maddaloni-Marcianise marshalling yard and freight terminal en route. Some overnight trains may use the Aversa avoiding line (IT24/153 above) and this route, but not every night.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D2<br />
| <br />
| ICN794<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 03:10 Salerno - Torino Porta Nuova<br />
|-<br />
| D3 <br />
| SuO<br />
| ICN1956<br />
| Siracusa - 01:08 Lamezia Terme - Roma Termini<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D2: From Reggio di Calabria SSuO 23 December 2023 to 30 April 2024, also 25 to 30 December 2023 and 1 to 5, 8 & 9 January 2024.<br />
<br />
D3: From Siracusa until 21 April 2024<br />
<br />
===Madonnelle - Volla (Circumvesuviana)===<br />
[508] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B2; S+W ''153A2'') IT24/155 <br />
<br />
This south to north route allows trains to run between the line to San Giorgio a Cremano via Villa Visconti and the line towards Baiano without reversal. <br />
<br />
There was an extended period when trains appeared in the [http://www.eavsrl.it Circumvesuviana] timetable but did not run. However, a service comprising one return trip on weekday afternoons was observed operating in January and March 2019 and appears to have continued until early 2020. <br />
<br />
'''No trains have been advertised via this route, or to Acerra, since 18 May 2020, if not earlier.''' It is not known if this is a temporary or permanent measure. <br />
<br />
As and when the line is extended from Volla to the new station on the high-speed line at Afragola, there may be a service throughout the day, but it could be many years before this happens.<br />
<br />
===<div id="LI_MO_VE"></div>''Linea Monte Vesuvio'': Napoli Centrale (Bivio/PC Casoria) – Salerno===<br />
[86] (ERA-E 86A4-86B5; ERA-R 164A4-164B3; S+W ''153A2-154D2'') IT24/156<br />
<br />
This line is normally used by trains between Napoli Centrale and Salerno which are not scheduled to stop intermediately. The southeast end of the line is also used thus:<br />
<br />
*Salerno – Bivio S Lucia: Trains between Salerno and Nocera Inferiore not scheduled to stop intermediately<br />
<br />
*Salerno – Bivio Sarno: All trains between Salerno and Sarno. This includes most overnight trains via Salerno which do not call at Napoli Centrale; these run via Cancello.<br />
<br />
===''Linea Monte Vesuvio'': Napoli avoiding line===<br />
[3, 86] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''153A1'') IT24/157 <br />
<br />
A north to east curve allows trains to run direct between the high-speed lines from Napoli to Roma and to Salerno without reversing at Napoli Centrale. <br />
<br />
'''Trains are diverted via Napoli Centrale and the old main line to Salerno, so do not use this route, 7 to 13 and 18 August 2023.'''<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FA8333<br />
| Roma Termini - 08:34 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FA8863''<br />
| Roma Termini - 10:03 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
|<br />
| FR9623<br />
| Milano Centrale - 15:22 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR8419<br />
| Venezia S Lucia - 17:38 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9639<br />
| Milano Centrale - 18:50 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FR8519''<br />
| Bolzano/Bozen - 19:23 Napoli Afragola - Sibari<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9547<br />
| Milano Centrale - 20:07 Napoli Afragola - Taranto<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| ''FR9608''<br />
| 05:16 Salerno - Milano Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FR8509''<br />
| Sibari - 09:11 Salerno - Bolzano/Bozen<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
|<br />
| FR9514<br />
| Taranto - 09:23 Salerno - Torino Porta Nuova<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR8418<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 09:59 Salerno - Venezia S Lucia<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9642<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 12:59/13:05 Salerno - Torino Porta Nuova<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9658<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 16:17 Salerno - Milano Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FA8868''<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 17:45 Salerno - Roma Termini<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|<br />
| FA8332<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 18:54 Salerno - Roma Termini<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===<div id="BE_MO"></div>Benevento - Morcone===<br />
(ERA-E 84B5-C5; ERA-R 164B5; S+W ''78B4-78B3'') IT24/158 <br />
<br />
This is part of the line from Benevento to Bosco Redole, which lost its passenger service in 2013, because of a landslide. Excursions are sometimes operated to Morcone, from Napoli Centrale and from Salerno. See the [http://www.fondazionefs.it Fondazione FS website] for more information.<br />
<br />
===<div id="AV_LI"></div>Avellino - Lioni===<br />
(EA-E 84C5-86C1; ERA-R 164B4-164C4; S+W ''83B1-83D2'') IT24/159 <br />
<br />
This is part of the line from Avellino to Rocchetta S Antonio Lacedonia, which lost its passenger service in 2010. Excursions are sometimes operated from Benevento to Lioni. See the [http://www.fondazionefs.it Fondazione FS website] for more information.<br />
<br />
==Routes used occasionally for diversions==<br />
<br />
===Gricignano-Teverola – Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento – Maddaloni Inferiore (Bivio Maddaloni)===<br />
[80] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3-151B3'') IT24/161 <br />
<br />
This is a variation on route IT23/154, but including the north-facing curve at the east end of Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento towards Caserta, instead of the south-facing one to Cancello. ''IC'' trains between Roma and Napoli were diverted this way on a number of occasions in 2019.<br />
<br />
===Casalnuovo di Napoli (Doppio Bivio Cassino) - Napoli S Giovanni-Barra (Doppio Bivio Marittima)===<br />
[86] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B2; S+W ''155D2-155D3'') IT24/162<br />
<br />
This line enables trains to run between the Cancello and Torre Annunziata lines without having to reverse at Napoli Centrale. <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D4<br />
| TWThFO<br />
| ICN795<br />
| Torino Porta Nuova - 23:44 Roma Ostiense - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D4: TWThO 9 January to 29 February, FO 12 January to 26 April 2024.<br />
<br />
=== [Roma] - 1o Bivio Gricignano - Gricignano-Teverola - [Napoli Centrale]===<br />
[1.2/85] (ERA-E 86A3; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3'') IR24/163<br />
<br />
This is the original connection off the end of the Linea AV/AC from Roma to Aversa and into Napoli Centrale, now with no regular use.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D5<br />
| <br />
| FR9304<br />
| 05:23 Napoli Centrale - Bardonecchia <br />
|}<br />
<br />
D5: 14 January 2024 only.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Italy}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Italy_(Campania)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=53160Italy (Campania) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2023-12-16T10:19:44Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Routes used occasionally for diversions */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Italy Introduction 2010 2011}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services==<br />
<br />
===<div id="CASS"></div>Rocca d'Evandro-S Vittore - Bivio Cassino Sud===<br />
[80] (ERA-E 84B4; ERA-R 164A5; S+W ''77B2'') IT24/151<br />
<br />
This route is partly in Lazio; see [[Italy_(Lazio)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#CASS|IT24/148]]<br />
<br />
===<div id="BI_CA_NO"></div>1º Bivio Caserta Nord - 2º Bivio Caserta Nord (Interconnessione Caserta Nord)===<br />
[6] (ERA-E 84C5; ERA-R 164A4; S+W ''77C4'') IT24/152<br />
<br />
This 6.1km connecting line allows trains on the AV/AC line from Roma to Napoli to connect with the old main line from Roma to Napoli via Caserta and is used by all high-speed services between Roma and Foggia, Bari and Lecce.<br />
<br />
===Aversa avoiding line: S. Marcellino-Frignano – Gricignano-Teverola===<br />
[3, 85] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163A3-163B3; S+W ''150C3-150D3'') IT24/153 <br />
<br />
This west to east curve is used by trains between the Formia and Caserta lines, to avoid reversal at Aversa. It is used by some trains between Roma and Caserta, because the Formia route is faster than the original main line via Cassino. However, ''Frecciargento'' and ''Frecciarosso'' trains between Roma, Bari and Lecce via Caserta use the new high speed line and not this route. It is also used by trains running direct to Cancello via IT24/154.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R21095<br />
| Roma Tiburtina - 10:00 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SO<br />
| R5897<br />
| Roma Termini - 14:54 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R5893<br />
| Roma Termini - 16:47 Villa Literno - Benevento<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| FO<br />
| IC705<br />
| 16:01 Roma Termini - Taranto<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R21254<br />
| Napoli Campi Flegrei - 19:45 S Marcellino-Frignano - Caserta<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
| <br />
| R5889/5895<br />
| Roma Termini - 21:44 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R5892<br />
| 03:50 Caserta - Formia-Gaeta<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuO<br />
| ICN788<br />
| Lecce - 04:07 MO Caserta - Roma Termini<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R5840<br />
| Napoli Centrale - 05:15 - Gricignano-Teverola - Roma Tiburtina<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R5894<br />
| Benevento - 06:17 Marcianise - Roma Termini<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Gricignano-Teverola – Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento – Cancello===<br />
[3, 85] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3-151C3'') IT23/154<br />
<br />
This line, opened in 1993, provides a connection between the Roma - Napoli main line via the coast and the inland main line via Cassino, bypassing Caserta and serving Maddaloni-Marcianise marshalling yard and freight terminal en route. Some overnight trains may use the Aversa avoiding line (IT24/153 above) and this route, but not every night.<br />
<br />
===Madonnelle - Volla (Circumvesuviana)===<br />
[508] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B2; S+W ''153A2'') IT24/155 <br />
<br />
This south to north route allows trains to run between the line to San Giorgio a Cremano via Villa Visconti and the line towards Baiano without reversal. <br />
<br />
There was an extended period when trains appeared in the [http://www.eavsrl.it Circumvesuviana] timetable but did not run. However, a service comprising one return trip on weekday afternoons was observed operating in January and March 2019 and appears to have continued until early 2020. <br />
<br />
'''No trains have been advertised via this route, or to Acerra, since 18 May 2020, if not earlier.''' It is not known if this is a temporary or permanent measure. <br />
<br />
As and when the line is extended from Volla to the new station on the high-speed line at Afragola, there may be a service throughout the day, but it could be many years before this happens.<br />
<br />
===<div id="LI_MO_VE"></div>''Linea Monte Vesuvio'': Napoli Centrale (Bivio/PC Casoria) – Salerno===<br />
[86] (ERA-E 86A4-86B5; ERA-R 164A4-164B3; S+W ''153A2-154D2'') IT24/156<br />
<br />
This line is normally used by trains between Napoli Centrale and Salerno which are not scheduled to stop intermediately. The southeast end of the line is also used thus:<br />
<br />
*Salerno – Bivio S Lucia: Trains between Salerno and Nocera Inferiore not scheduled to stop intermediately<br />
<br />
*Salerno – Bivio Sarno: All trains between Salerno and Sarno. This includes most overnight trains via Salerno which do not call at Napoli Centrale; these run via Cancello.<br />
<br />
===''Linea Monte Vesuvio'': Napoli avoiding line===<br />
[3, 86] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''153A1'') IT24/157 <br />
<br />
A north to east curve allows trains to run direct between the high-speed lines from Napoli to Roma and to Salerno without reversing at Napoli Centrale. <br />
<br />
'''Trains are diverted via Napoli Centrale and the old main line to Salerno, so do not use this route, 7 to 13 and 18 August 2023.'''<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FA8333<br />
| Roma Termini - 08:34 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FA8863''<br />
| Roma Termini - 10:03 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
|<br />
| FR9623<br />
| Milano Centrale - 15:22 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR8419<br />
| Venezia S Lucia - 17:38 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9639<br />
| Milano Centrale - 18:50 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FR8519''<br />
| Bolzano/Bozen - 19:23 Napoli Afragola - Sibari<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9547<br />
| Milano Centrale - 20:07 Napoli Afragola - Taranto<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| ''FR9608''<br />
| 05:16 Salerno - Milano Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FR8509''<br />
| Sibari - 09:11 Salerno - Bolzano/Bozen<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
|<br />
| FR9514<br />
| Taranto - 09:23 Salerno - Torino Porta Nuova<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR8418<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 09:59 Salerno - Venezia S Lucia<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9642<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 12:59/13:05 Salerno - Torino Porta Nuova<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9658<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 16:17 Salerno - Milano Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FA8868''<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 17:45 Salerno - Roma Termini<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|<br />
| FA8332<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 18:54 Salerno - Roma Termini<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===<div id="BE_MO"></div>Benevento - Morcone===<br />
(ERA-E 84B5-C5; ERA-R 164B5; S+W ''78B4-78B3'') IT24/158 <br />
<br />
This is part of the line from Benevento to Bosco Redole, which lost its passenger service in 2013, because of a landslide. Excursions are sometimes operated to Morcone, from Napoli Centrale and from Salerno. See the [http://www.fondazionefs.it Fondazione FS website] for more information.<br />
<br />
===<div id="AV_LI"></div>Avellino - Lioni===<br />
(EA-E 84C5-86C1; ERA-R 164B4-164C4; S+W ''83B1-83D2'') IT24/159 <br />
<br />
This is part of the line from Avellino to Rocchetta S Antonio Lacedonia, which lost its passenger service in 2010. Excursions are sometimes operated from Benevento to Lioni. See the [http://www.fondazionefs.it Fondazione FS website] for more information.<br />
<br />
==Routes used occasionally for diversions==<br />
<br />
===Gricignano-Teverola – Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento – Maddaloni Inferiore (Bivio Maddaloni)===<br />
[80] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3-151B3'') IT24/161 <br />
<br />
This is a variation on route IT23/154, but including the north-facing curve at the east end of Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento towards Caserta, instead of the south-facing one to Cancello. ''IC'' trains between Roma and Napoli were diverted this way on a number of occasions in 2019.<br />
<br />
===Casalnuovo di Napoli (Doppio Bivio Cassino) - Napoli S Giovanni-Barra (Doppio Bivio Marittima)===<br />
[86] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B2; S+W ''155D2-155D3'') IT24/162<br />
<br />
This line enables trains to run between the Cancello and Torre Annunziata lines without having to reverse at Napoli Centrale. <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D4<br />
| TWThFO<br />
| ICN795<br />
| Torino Porta Nuova - 23:44 Roma Ostiense - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D4: TWThO 9 January to 29 February, FO 12 January to 26 April 2024.<br />
<br />
=== [Roma] - 1o Bivio Gricignano - Gricignano-Teverola - [Napoli Centrale]===<br />
[1.2/85] (ERA-E 86A3; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3'') IR24/163<br />
<br />
This is the original connection off the end of the Linea AV/AC from Roma to Aversa and into Napoli Centrale, now with no regular use.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D5<br />
| <br />
| FR9304<br />
| 05:23 Napoli Centrale - Bardonecchia <br />
|}<br />
<br />
D5: 14 January 2024 only.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Italy}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Italy_(Campania)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=53117Italy (Campania) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2023-12-14T21:07:10Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Routes used occasionally for diversions */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Italy Introduction 2010 2011}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services==<br />
<br />
===<div id="CASS"></div>Rocca d'Evandro-S Vittore - Bivio Cassino Sud===<br />
[80] (ERA-E 84B4; ERA-R 164A5; S+W ''77B2'') IT24/151<br />
<br />
This route is partly in Lazio; see [[Italy_(Lazio)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#CASS|IT24/148]]<br />
<br />
===<div id="BI_CA_NO"></div>1º Bivio Caserta Nord - 2º Bivio Caserta Nord (Interconnessione Caserta Nord)===<br />
[6] (ERA-E 84C5; ERA-R 164A4; S+W ''77C4'') IT24/152<br />
<br />
This 6.1km connecting line allows trains on the AV/AC line from Roma to Napoli to connect with the old main line from Roma to Napoli via Caserta and is used by all high-speed services between Roma and Foggia, Bari and Lecce.<br />
<br />
===Aversa avoiding line: S. Marcellino-Frignano – Gricignano-Teverola===<br />
[3, 85] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163A3-163B3; S+W ''150C3-150D3'') IT24/153 <br />
<br />
This west to east curve is used by trains between the Formia and Caserta lines, to avoid reversal at Aversa. It is used by some trains between Roma and Caserta, because the Formia route is faster than the original main line via Cassino. However, ''Frecciargento'' and ''Frecciarosso'' trains between Roma, Bari and Lecce via Caserta use the new high speed line and not this route. It is also used by trains running direct to Cancello via IT24/154.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R21095<br />
| Roma Tiburtina - 10:00 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SO<br />
| R5897<br />
| Roma Termini - 14:54 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R5893<br />
| Roma Termini - 16:47 Villa Literno - Benevento<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| FO<br />
| IC705<br />
| 16:01 Roma Termini - Taranto<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R21254<br />
| Napoli Campi Flegrei - 19:45 S Marcellino-Frignano - Caserta<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
| <br />
| R5889/5895<br />
| Roma Termini - 21:44 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R5892<br />
| 03:50 Caserta - Formia-Gaeta<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuO<br />
| ICN788<br />
| Lecce - 04:07 MO Caserta - Roma Termini<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R5840<br />
| Napoli Centrale - 05:15 - Gricignano-Teverola - Roma Tiburtina<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R5894<br />
| Benevento - 06:17 Marcianise - Roma Termini<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Gricignano-Teverola – Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento – Cancello===<br />
[3, 85] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3-151C3'') IT23/154<br />
<br />
This line, opened in 1993, provides a connection between the Roma - Napoli main line via the coast and the inland main line via Cassino, bypassing Caserta and serving Maddaloni-Marcianise marshalling yard and freight terminal en route. Some overnight trains may use the Aversa avoiding line (IT24/153 above) and this route, but not every night.<br />
<br />
===Madonnelle - Volla (Circumvesuviana)===<br />
[508] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B2; S+W ''153A2'') IT24/155 <br />
<br />
This south to north route allows trains to run between the line to San Giorgio a Cremano via Villa Visconti and the line towards Baiano without reversal. <br />
<br />
There was an extended period when trains appeared in the [http://www.eavsrl.it Circumvesuviana] timetable but did not run. However, a service comprising one return trip on weekday afternoons was observed operating in January and March 2019 and appears to have continued until early 2020. <br />
<br />
'''No trains have been advertised via this route, or to Acerra, since 18 May 2020, if not earlier.''' It is not known if this is a temporary or permanent measure. <br />
<br />
As and when the line is extended from Volla to the new station on the high-speed line at Afragola, there may be a service throughout the day, but it could be many years before this happens.<br />
<br />
===<div id="LI_MO_VE"></div>''Linea Monte Vesuvio'': Napoli Centrale (Bivio/PC Casoria) – Salerno===<br />
[86] (ERA-E 86A4-86B5; ERA-R 164A4-164B3; S+W ''153A2-154D2'') IT24/156<br />
<br />
This line is normally used by trains between Napoli Centrale and Salerno which are not scheduled to stop intermediately. The southeast end of the line is also used thus:<br />
<br />
*Salerno – Bivio S Lucia: Trains between Salerno and Nocera Inferiore not scheduled to stop intermediately<br />
<br />
*Salerno – Bivio Sarno: All trains between Salerno and Sarno. This includes most overnight trains via Salerno which do not call at Napoli Centrale; these run via Cancello.<br />
<br />
===''Linea Monte Vesuvio'': Napoli avoiding line===<br />
[3, 86] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''153A1'') IT24/157 <br />
<br />
A north to east curve allows trains to run direct between the high-speed lines from Napoli to Roma and to Salerno without reversing at Napoli Centrale. <br />
<br />
'''Trains are diverted via Napoli Centrale and the old main line to Salerno, so do not use this route, 7 to 13 and 18 August 2023.'''<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FA8333<br />
| Roma Termini - 08:34 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FA8863''<br />
| Roma Termini - 10:03 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
|<br />
| FR9623<br />
| Milano Centrale - 15:22 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR8419<br />
| Venezia S Lucia - 17:38 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9639<br />
| Milano Centrale - 18:50 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FR8519''<br />
| Bolzano/Bozen - 19:23 Napoli Afragola - Sibari<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9547<br />
| Milano Centrale - 20:07 Napoli Afragola - Taranto<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| ''FR9608''<br />
| 05:16 Salerno - Milano Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FR8509''<br />
| Sibari - 09:11 Salerno - Bolzano/Bozen<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
|<br />
| FR9514<br />
| Taranto - 09:23 Salerno - Torino Porta Nuova<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR8418<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 09:59 Salerno - Venezia S Lucia<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9642<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 12:59/13:05 Salerno - Torino Porta Nuova<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9658<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 16:17 Salerno - Milano Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FA8868''<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 17:45 Salerno - Roma Termini<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|<br />
| FA8332<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 18:54 Salerno - Roma Termini<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===<div id="BE_MO"></div>Benevento - Morcone===<br />
(ERA-E 84B5-C5; ERA-R 164B5; S+W ''78B4-78B3'') IT24/158 <br />
<br />
This is part of the line from Benevento to Bosco Redole, which lost its passenger service in 2013, because of a landslide. Excursions are sometimes operated to Morcone, from Napoli Centrale and from Salerno. See the [http://www.fondazionefs.it Fondazione FS website] for more information.<br />
<br />
===<div id="AV_LI"></div>Avellino - Lioni===<br />
(EA-E 84C5-86C1; ERA-R 164B4-164C4; S+W ''83B1-83D2'') IT24/159 <br />
<br />
This is part of the line from Avellino to Rocchetta S Antonio Lacedonia, which lost its passenger service in 2010. Excursions are sometimes operated from Benevento to Lioni. See the [http://www.fondazionefs.it Fondazione FS website] for more information.<br />
<br />
==Routes used occasionally for diversions==<br />
<br />
===Gricignano-Teverola – Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento – Maddaloni Inferiore (Bivio Maddaloni)===<br />
[80] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3-151B3'') IT24/161 <br />
<br />
This is a variation on route IT23/154, but including the north-facing curve at the east end of Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento towards Caserta, instead of the south-facing one to Cancello. ''IC'' trains between Roma and Napoli were diverted this way on a number of occasions in 2019.<br />
<br />
===Casalnuovo di Napoli (Doppio Bivio Cassino) - Napoli S Giovanni-Barra (Doppio Bivio Marittima)===<br />
[86] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B2; S+W ''155D2-155D3'') IT24/162<br />
<br />
This line enables trains to run between the Cancello and Torre Annunziata lines without having to reverse at Napoli Centrale. <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D4<br />
| TWThFO<br />
| ICN795<br />
| Torino Porta Nuova - 23:44 Roma Ostiense - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D4: TWThO 9 January to 29 February, FO 12 January to 26 April 2024.<br />
<br />
=== [Roma] - 1o Bivio Gricignano - Gricignano-Teverola - [Napoli Centrale]===<br />
[1.2/85] (ERA-E 86A3; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3'') IR24/163<br />
<br />
This is the original connection off the end of the Linea AV/AC from Roma to Aversa and into Napoli Centrale, now with no regular use.<br />
On 11 and 25 March 2023 five late evening southbound high speed services to Napoli/Salerno were diverted via this route.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Italy}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Italy_(Campania)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=53116Italy (Campania) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2023-12-14T21:06:46Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Obscure services */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Italy Introduction 2010 2011}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services==<br />
<br />
===<div id="CASS"></div>Rocca d'Evandro-S Vittore - Bivio Cassino Sud===<br />
[80] (ERA-E 84B4; ERA-R 164A5; S+W ''77B2'') IT24/151<br />
<br />
This route is partly in Lazio; see [[Italy_(Lazio)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#CASS|IT24/148]]<br />
<br />
===<div id="BI_CA_NO"></div>1º Bivio Caserta Nord - 2º Bivio Caserta Nord (Interconnessione Caserta Nord)===<br />
[6] (ERA-E 84C5; ERA-R 164A4; S+W ''77C4'') IT24/152<br />
<br />
This 6.1km connecting line allows trains on the AV/AC line from Roma to Napoli to connect with the old main line from Roma to Napoli via Caserta and is used by all high-speed services between Roma and Foggia, Bari and Lecce.<br />
<br />
===Aversa avoiding line: S. Marcellino-Frignano – Gricignano-Teverola===<br />
[3, 85] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163A3-163B3; S+W ''150C3-150D3'') IT24/153 <br />
<br />
This west to east curve is used by trains between the Formia and Caserta lines, to avoid reversal at Aversa. It is used by some trains between Roma and Caserta, because the Formia route is faster than the original main line via Cassino. However, ''Frecciargento'' and ''Frecciarosso'' trains between Roma, Bari and Lecce via Caserta use the new high speed line and not this route. It is also used by trains running direct to Cancello via IT24/154.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R21095<br />
| Roma Tiburtina - 10:00 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SO<br />
| R5897<br />
| Roma Termini - 14:54 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R5893<br />
| Roma Termini - 16:47 Villa Literno - Benevento<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| FO<br />
| IC705<br />
| 16:01 Roma Termini - Taranto<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R21254<br />
| Napoli Campi Flegrei - 19:45 S Marcellino-Frignano - Caserta<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
| <br />
| R5889/5895<br />
| Roma Termini - 21:44 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R5892<br />
| 03:50 Caserta - Formia-Gaeta<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuO<br />
| ICN788<br />
| Lecce - 04:07 MO Caserta - Roma Termini<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R5840<br />
| Napoli Centrale - 05:15 - Gricignano-Teverola - Roma Tiburtina<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R5894<br />
| Benevento - 06:17 Marcianise - Roma Termini<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Gricignano-Teverola – Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento – Cancello===<br />
[3, 85] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3-151C3'') IT23/154<br />
<br />
This line, opened in 1993, provides a connection between the Roma - Napoli main line via the coast and the inland main line via Cassino, bypassing Caserta and serving Maddaloni-Marcianise marshalling yard and freight terminal en route. Some overnight trains may use the Aversa avoiding line (IT24/153 above) and this route, but not every night.<br />
<br />
===Madonnelle - Volla (Circumvesuviana)===<br />
[508] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B2; S+W ''153A2'') IT24/155 <br />
<br />
This south to north route allows trains to run between the line to San Giorgio a Cremano via Villa Visconti and the line towards Baiano without reversal. <br />
<br />
There was an extended period when trains appeared in the [http://www.eavsrl.it Circumvesuviana] timetable but did not run. However, a service comprising one return trip on weekday afternoons was observed operating in January and March 2019 and appears to have continued until early 2020. <br />
<br />
'''No trains have been advertised via this route, or to Acerra, since 18 May 2020, if not earlier.''' It is not known if this is a temporary or permanent measure. <br />
<br />
As and when the line is extended from Volla to the new station on the high-speed line at Afragola, there may be a service throughout the day, but it could be many years before this happens.<br />
<br />
===<div id="LI_MO_VE"></div>''Linea Monte Vesuvio'': Napoli Centrale (Bivio/PC Casoria) – Salerno===<br />
[86] (ERA-E 86A4-86B5; ERA-R 164A4-164B3; S+W ''153A2-154D2'') IT24/156<br />
<br />
This line is normally used by trains between Napoli Centrale and Salerno which are not scheduled to stop intermediately. The southeast end of the line is also used thus:<br />
<br />
*Salerno – Bivio S Lucia: Trains between Salerno and Nocera Inferiore not scheduled to stop intermediately<br />
<br />
*Salerno – Bivio Sarno: All trains between Salerno and Sarno. This includes most overnight trains via Salerno which do not call at Napoli Centrale; these run via Cancello.<br />
<br />
===''Linea Monte Vesuvio'': Napoli avoiding line===<br />
[3, 86] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''153A1'') IT24/157 <br />
<br />
A north to east curve allows trains to run direct between the high-speed lines from Napoli to Roma and to Salerno without reversing at Napoli Centrale. <br />
<br />
'''Trains are diverted via Napoli Centrale and the old main line to Salerno, so do not use this route, 7 to 13 and 18 August 2023.'''<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FA8333<br />
| Roma Termini - 08:34 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FA8863''<br />
| Roma Termini - 10:03 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
|<br />
| FR9623<br />
| Milano Centrale - 15:22 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR8419<br />
| Venezia S Lucia - 17:38 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9639<br />
| Milano Centrale - 18:50 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FR8519''<br />
| Bolzano/Bozen - 19:23 Napoli Afragola - Sibari<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9547<br />
| Milano Centrale - 20:07 Napoli Afragola - Taranto<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| ''FR9608''<br />
| 05:16 Salerno - Milano Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FR8509''<br />
| Sibari - 09:11 Salerno - Bolzano/Bozen<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
|<br />
| FR9514<br />
| Taranto - 09:23 Salerno - Torino Porta Nuova<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR8418<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 09:59 Salerno - Venezia S Lucia<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9642<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 12:59/13:05 Salerno - Torino Porta Nuova<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9658<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 16:17 Salerno - Milano Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FA8868''<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 17:45 Salerno - Roma Termini<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|<br />
| FA8332<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 18:54 Salerno - Roma Termini<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===<div id="BE_MO"></div>Benevento - Morcone===<br />
(ERA-E 84B5-C5; ERA-R 164B5; S+W ''78B4-78B3'') IT24/158 <br />
<br />
This is part of the line from Benevento to Bosco Redole, which lost its passenger service in 2013, because of a landslide. Excursions are sometimes operated to Morcone, from Napoli Centrale and from Salerno. See the [http://www.fondazionefs.it Fondazione FS website] for more information.<br />
<br />
===<div id="AV_LI"></div>Avellino - Lioni===<br />
(EA-E 84C5-86C1; ERA-R 164B4-164C4; S+W ''83B1-83D2'') IT24/159 <br />
<br />
This is part of the line from Avellino to Rocchetta S Antonio Lacedonia, which lost its passenger service in 2010. Excursions are sometimes operated from Benevento to Lioni. See the [http://www.fondazionefs.it Fondazione FS website] for more information.<br />
<br />
==Routes used occasionally for diversions==<br />
<br />
===Gricignano-Teverola – Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento – Maddaloni Inferiore (Bivio Maddaloni)===<br />
[80] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3-151B3'') IT23/161 <br />
<br />
This is a variation on route IT23/154, but including the north-facing curve at the east end of Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento towards Caserta, instead of the south-facing one to Cancello. ''IC'' trains between Roma and Napoli were diverted this way on a number of occasions in 2019.<br />
<br />
===Casalnuovo di Napoli (Doppio Bivio Cassino) - Napoli S Giovanni-Barra (Doppio Bivio Marittima)===<br />
[86] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B2; S+W ''155D2-155D3'') IT24/162<br />
<br />
This line enables trains to run between the Cancello and Torre Annunziata lines without having to reverse at Napoli Centrale. <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D4<br />
| TWThFO<br />
| ICN795<br />
| Torino Porta Nuova - 23:44 Roma Ostiense - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D4: TWThO 9 January to 29 February, FO 12 January to 26 April 2024.<br />
<br />
=== [Roma] - 1o Bivio Gricignano - Gricignano-Teverola - [Napoli Centrale]===<br />
[1.2/85] (ERA-E 86A3; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3'') IR23/163<br />
<br />
This is the original connection off the end of the Linea AV/AC from Roma to Aversa and into Napoli Centrale, now with no regular use.<br />
On 11 and 25 March 2023 five late evening southbound high speed services to Napoli/Salerno were diverted via this route.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Italy}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Italy_(Campania)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=53115Italy (Campania) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2023-12-14T21:05:38Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Casalnuovo di Napoli (Doppio Bivio Cassino) - Napoli S Giovanni-Barra (Doppio Bivio Marittima) */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Italy Introduction 2010 2011}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services==<br />
<br />
===<div id="CASS"></div>Rocca d'Evandro-S Vittore - Bivio Cassino Sud===<br />
[80] (ERA-E 84B4; ERA-R 164A5; S+W ''77B2'') IT24/151<br />
<br />
This route is partly in Lazio; see [[Italy_(Lazio)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#CASS|IT24/148]]<br />
<br />
===<div id="BI_CA_NO"></div>1º Bivio Caserta Nord - 2º Bivio Caserta Nord (Interconnessione Caserta Nord)===<br />
[6] (ERA-E 84C5; ERA-R 164A4; S+W ''77C4'') IT24/152<br />
<br />
This 6.1km connecting line allows trains on the AV/AC line from Roma to Napoli to connect with the old main line from Roma to Napoli via Caserta and is used by all high-speed services between Roma and Foggia, Bari and Lecce.<br />
<br />
===Aversa avoiding line: S. Marcellino-Frignano – Gricignano-Teverola===<br />
[3, 85] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163A3-163B3; S+W ''150C3-150D3'') IT23/153 <br />
<br />
This west to east curve is used by trains between the Formia and Caserta lines, to avoid reversal at Aversa. It is used by some trains between Roma and Caserta, because the Formia route is faster than the original main line via Cassino. However, ''Frecciargento'' and ''Frecciarosso'' trains between Roma, Bari and Lecce via Caserta use the new high speed line and not this route. It is also used by trains running direct to Cancello via IT24/154.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R21095<br />
| Roma Tiburtina - 10:00 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SO<br />
| R5897<br />
| Roma Termini - 14:54 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R5893<br />
| Roma Termini - 16:47 Villa Literno - Benevento<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| FO<br />
| IC705<br />
| 16:01 Roma Termini - Taranto<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R21254<br />
| Napoli Campi Flegrei - 19:45 S Marcellino-Frignano - Caserta<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
| <br />
| R5889/5895<br />
| Roma Termini - 21:44 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R5892<br />
| 03:50 Caserta - Formia-Gaeta<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuO<br />
| ICN788<br />
| Lecce - 04:07 MO Caserta - Roma Termini<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R5840<br />
| Napoli Centrale - 05:15 - Gricignano-Teverola - Roma Tiburtina<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R5894<br />
| Benevento - 06:17 Marcianise - Roma Termini<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Gricignano-Teverola – Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento – Cancello===<br />
[3, 85] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3-151C3'') IT23/154<br />
<br />
This line, opened in 1993, provides a connection between the Roma - Napoli main line via the coast and the inland main line via Cassino, bypassing Caserta and serving Maddaloni-Marcianise marshalling yard and freight terminal en route. Some overnight trains may use the Aversa avoiding line (IT24/153 above) and this route, but not every night.<br />
<br />
===Madonnelle - Volla (Circumvesuviana)===<br />
[508] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B2; S+W ''153A2'') IT23/155 <br />
<br />
This south to north route allows trains to run between the line to San Giorgio a Cremano via Villa Visconti and the line towards Baiano without reversal. <br />
<br />
There was an extended period when trains appeared in the [http://www.eavsrl.it Circumvesuviana] timetable but did not run. However, a service comprising one return trip on weekday afternoons was observed operating in January and March 2019 and appears to have continued until early 2020. <br />
<br />
'''No trains have been advertised via this route, or to Acerra, since 18 May 2020, if not earlier.''' It is not known if this is a temporary or permanent measure. <br />
<br />
As and when the line is extended from Volla to the new station on the high-speed line at Afragola, there may be a service throughout the day, but it could be many years before this happens.<br />
<br />
===<div id="LI_MO_VE"></div>''Linea Monte Vesuvio'': Napoli Centrale (Bivio/PC Casoria) – Salerno===<br />
[86] (ERA-E 86A4-86B5; ERA-R 164A4-164B3; S+W ''153A2-154D2'') IT23/156<br />
<br />
This line is normally used by trains between Napoli Centrale and Salerno which are not scheduled to stop intermediately. The southeast end of the line is also used thus:<br />
<br />
*Salerno – Bivio S Lucia: Trains between Salerno and Nocera Inferiore not scheduled to stop intermediately<br />
<br />
*Salerno – Bivio Sarno: All trains between Salerno and Sarno. This includes most overnight trains via Salerno which do not call at Napoli Centrale; these run via Cancello.<br />
<br />
===''Linea Monte Vesuvio'': Napoli avoiding line===<br />
[3, 86] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''153A1'') IT23/157 <br />
<br />
A north to east curve allows trains to run direct between the high-speed lines from Napoli to Roma and to Salerno without reversing at Napoli Centrale. <br />
<br />
'''Trains are diverted via Napoli Centrale and the old main line to Salerno, so do not use this route, 7 to 13 and 18 August 2023.'''<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FA8333<br />
| Roma Termini - 08:34 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FA8863''<br />
| Roma Termini - 10:03 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
|<br />
| FR9623<br />
| Milano Centrale - 15:22 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR8419<br />
| Venezia S Lucia - 17:38 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9639<br />
| Milano Centrale - 18:50 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FR8519''<br />
| Bolzano/Bozen - 19:23 Napoli Afragola - Sibari<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9547<br />
| Milano Centrale - 20:07 Napoli Afragola - Taranto<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| ''FR9608''<br />
| 05:16 Salerno - Milano Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FR8509''<br />
| Sibari - 09:11 Salerno - Bolzano/Bozen<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
|<br />
| FR9514<br />
| Taranto - 09:23 Salerno - Torino Porta Nuova<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR8418<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 09:59 Salerno - Venezia S Lucia<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9642<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 12:59/13:05 Salerno - Torino Porta Nuova<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9658<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 16:17 Salerno - Milano Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FA8868''<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 17:45 Salerno - Roma Termini<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|<br />
| FA8332<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 18:54 Salerno - Roma Termini<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===<div id="BE_MO"></div>Benevento - Morcone===<br />
(ERA-E 84B5-C5; ERA-R 164B5; S+W ''78B4-78B3'') IT23/158 <br />
<br />
This is part of the line from Benevento to Bosco Redole, which lost its passenger service in 2013, because of a landslide. Excursions are sometimes operated to Morcone, from Napoli Centrale and from Salerno. See the [http://www.fondazionefs.it Fondazione FS website] for more information.<br />
<br />
===<div id="AV_LI"></div>Avellino - Lioni===<br />
(EA-E 84C5-86C1; ERA-R 164B4-164C4; S+W ''83B1-83D2'') IT23/159 <br />
<br />
This is part of the line from Avellino to Rocchetta S Antonio Lacedonia, which lost its passenger service in 2010. Excursions are sometimes operated from Benevento to Lioni. See the [http://www.fondazionefs.it Fondazione FS website] for more information.<br />
<br />
==Routes used occasionally for diversions==<br />
<br />
===Gricignano-Teverola – Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento – Maddaloni Inferiore (Bivio Maddaloni)===<br />
[80] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3-151B3'') IT23/161 <br />
<br />
This is a variation on route IT23/154, but including the north-facing curve at the east end of Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento towards Caserta, instead of the south-facing one to Cancello. ''IC'' trains between Roma and Napoli were diverted this way on a number of occasions in 2019.<br />
<br />
===Casalnuovo di Napoli (Doppio Bivio Cassino) - Napoli S Giovanni-Barra (Doppio Bivio Marittima)===<br />
[86] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B2; S+W ''155D2-155D3'') IT24/162<br />
<br />
This line enables trains to run between the Cancello and Torre Annunziata lines without having to reverse at Napoli Centrale. <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D4<br />
| TWThFO<br />
| ICN795<br />
| Torino Porta Nuova - 23:44 Roma Ostiense - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D4: TWThO 9 January to 29 February, FO 12 January to 26 April 2024.<br />
<br />
=== [Roma] - 1o Bivio Gricignano - Gricignano-Teverola - [Napoli Centrale]===<br />
[1.2/85] (ERA-E 86A3; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3'') IR23/163<br />
<br />
This is the original connection off the end of the Linea AV/AC from Roma to Aversa and into Napoli Centrale, now with no regular use.<br />
On 11 and 25 March 2023 five late evening southbound high speed services to Napoli/Salerno were diverted via this route.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Italy}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Italy_(Campania)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=53114Italy (Campania) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2023-12-14T20:59:47Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Linea Monte Vesuvio: Napoli avoiding line */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Italy Introduction 2010 2011}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services==<br />
<br />
===<div id="CASS"></div>Rocca d'Evandro-S Vittore - Bivio Cassino Sud===<br />
[80] (ERA-E 84B4; ERA-R 164A5; S+W ''77B2'') IT24/151<br />
<br />
This route is partly in Lazio; see [[Italy_(Lazio)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#CASS|IT24/148]]<br />
<br />
===<div id="BI_CA_NO"></div>1º Bivio Caserta Nord - 2º Bivio Caserta Nord (Interconnessione Caserta Nord)===<br />
[6] (ERA-E 84C5; ERA-R 164A4; S+W ''77C4'') IT24/152<br />
<br />
This 6.1km connecting line allows trains on the AV/AC line from Roma to Napoli to connect with the old main line from Roma to Napoli via Caserta and is used by all high-speed services between Roma and Foggia, Bari and Lecce.<br />
<br />
===Aversa avoiding line: S. Marcellino-Frignano – Gricignano-Teverola===<br />
[3, 85] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163A3-163B3; S+W ''150C3-150D3'') IT23/153 <br />
<br />
This west to east curve is used by trains between the Formia and Caserta lines, to avoid reversal at Aversa. It is used by some trains between Roma and Caserta, because the Formia route is faster than the original main line via Cassino. However, ''Frecciargento'' and ''Frecciarosso'' trains between Roma, Bari and Lecce via Caserta use the new high speed line and not this route. It is also used by trains running direct to Cancello via IT24/154.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R21095<br />
| Roma Tiburtina - 10:00 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SO<br />
| R5897<br />
| Roma Termini - 14:54 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R5893<br />
| Roma Termini - 16:47 Villa Literno - Benevento<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| FO<br />
| IC705<br />
| 16:01 Roma Termini - Taranto<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R21254<br />
| Napoli Campi Flegrei - 19:45 S Marcellino-Frignano - Caserta<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
| <br />
| R5889/5895<br />
| Roma Termini - 21:44 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R5892<br />
| 03:50 Caserta - Formia-Gaeta<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuO<br />
| ICN788<br />
| Lecce - 04:07 MO Caserta - Roma Termini<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R5840<br />
| Napoli Centrale - 05:15 - Gricignano-Teverola - Roma Tiburtina<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R5894<br />
| Benevento - 06:17 Marcianise - Roma Termini<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Gricignano-Teverola – Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento – Cancello===<br />
[3, 85] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3-151C3'') IT23/154<br />
<br />
This line, opened in 1993, provides a connection between the Roma - Napoli main line via the coast and the inland main line via Cassino, bypassing Caserta and serving Maddaloni-Marcianise marshalling yard and freight terminal en route. Some overnight trains may use the Aversa avoiding line (IT24/153 above) and this route, but not every night.<br />
<br />
===Madonnelle - Volla (Circumvesuviana)===<br />
[508] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B2; S+W ''153A2'') IT23/155 <br />
<br />
This south to north route allows trains to run between the line to San Giorgio a Cremano via Villa Visconti and the line towards Baiano without reversal. <br />
<br />
There was an extended period when trains appeared in the [http://www.eavsrl.it Circumvesuviana] timetable but did not run. However, a service comprising one return trip on weekday afternoons was observed operating in January and March 2019 and appears to have continued until early 2020. <br />
<br />
'''No trains have been advertised via this route, or to Acerra, since 18 May 2020, if not earlier.''' It is not known if this is a temporary or permanent measure. <br />
<br />
As and when the line is extended from Volla to the new station on the high-speed line at Afragola, there may be a service throughout the day, but it could be many years before this happens.<br />
<br />
===<div id="LI_MO_VE"></div>''Linea Monte Vesuvio'': Napoli Centrale (Bivio/PC Casoria) – Salerno===<br />
[86] (ERA-E 86A4-86B5; ERA-R 164A4-164B3; S+W ''153A2-154D2'') IT23/156<br />
<br />
This line is normally used by trains between Napoli Centrale and Salerno which are not scheduled to stop intermediately. The southeast end of the line is also used thus:<br />
<br />
*Salerno – Bivio S Lucia: Trains between Salerno and Nocera Inferiore not scheduled to stop intermediately<br />
<br />
*Salerno – Bivio Sarno: All trains between Salerno and Sarno. This includes most overnight trains via Salerno which do not call at Napoli Centrale; these run via Cancello.<br />
<br />
===''Linea Monte Vesuvio'': Napoli avoiding line===<br />
[3, 86] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''153A1'') IT23/157 <br />
<br />
A north to east curve allows trains to run direct between the high-speed lines from Napoli to Roma and to Salerno without reversing at Napoli Centrale. <br />
<br />
'''Trains are diverted via Napoli Centrale and the old main line to Salerno, so do not use this route, 7 to 13 and 18 August 2023.'''<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FA8333<br />
| Roma Termini - 08:34 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FA8863''<br />
| Roma Termini - 10:03 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
|<br />
| FR9623<br />
| Milano Centrale - 15:22 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR8419<br />
| Venezia S Lucia - 17:38 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9639<br />
| Milano Centrale - 18:50 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FR8519''<br />
| Bolzano/Bozen - 19:23 Napoli Afragola - Sibari<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9547<br />
| Milano Centrale - 20:07 Napoli Afragola - Taranto<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| ''FR9608''<br />
| 05:16 Salerno - Milano Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FR8509''<br />
| Sibari - 09:11 Salerno - Bolzano/Bozen<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
|<br />
| FR9514<br />
| Taranto - 09:23 Salerno - Torino Porta Nuova<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR8418<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 09:59 Salerno - Venezia S Lucia<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9642<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 12:59/13:05 Salerno - Torino Porta Nuova<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9658<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 16:17 Salerno - Milano Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FA8868''<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 17:45 Salerno - Roma Termini<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|<br />
| FA8332<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 18:54 Salerno - Roma Termini<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===<div id="BE_MO"></div>Benevento - Morcone===<br />
(ERA-E 84B5-C5; ERA-R 164B5; S+W ''78B4-78B3'') IT23/158 <br />
<br />
This is part of the line from Benevento to Bosco Redole, which lost its passenger service in 2013, because of a landslide. Excursions are sometimes operated to Morcone, from Napoli Centrale and from Salerno. See the [http://www.fondazionefs.it Fondazione FS website] for more information.<br />
<br />
===<div id="AV_LI"></div>Avellino - Lioni===<br />
(EA-E 84C5-86C1; ERA-R 164B4-164C4; S+W ''83B1-83D2'') IT23/159 <br />
<br />
This is part of the line from Avellino to Rocchetta S Antonio Lacedonia, which lost its passenger service in 2010. Excursions are sometimes operated from Benevento to Lioni. See the [http://www.fondazionefs.it Fondazione FS website] for more information.<br />
<br />
==Routes used occasionally for diversions==<br />
<br />
===Gricignano-Teverola – Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento – Maddaloni Inferiore (Bivio Maddaloni)===<br />
[80] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3-151B3'') IT23/161 <br />
<br />
This is a variation on route IT23/154, but including the north-facing curve at the east end of Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento towards Caserta, instead of the south-facing one to Cancello. ''IC'' trains between Roma and Napoli were diverted this way on a number of occasions in 2019.<br />
<br />
===Casalnuovo di Napoli (Doppio Bivio Cassino) - Napoli S Giovanni-Barra (Doppio Bivio Marittima)===<br />
[86] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B2; S+W ''155D2-155D3'') IT23/162<br />
<br />
This line enables trains to run between the Cancello and Torre Annunziata lines without having to reverse at Napoli Centrale. <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D4<br />
| MSSuX<br />
| ICN795<br />
| Torino Porta Nuova - 23:44 Roma Ostiense - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D4: Until 28 July 2023 (the curve at Napoli is traversed next morning)<br />
<br />
=== [Roma] - 1o Bivio Gricignano - Gricignano-Teverola - [Napoli Centrale]===<br />
[1.2/85] (ERA-E 86A3; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3'') IR23/163<br />
<br />
This is the original connection off the end of the Linea AV/AC from Roma to Aversa and into Napoli Centrale, now with no regular use.<br />
On 11 and 25 March 2023 five late evening southbound high speed services to Napoli/Salerno were diverted via this route.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Italy}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Italy_(Campania)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=53111Italy (Campania) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2023-12-14T20:31:17Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Gricignano-Teverola – Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento – Cancello */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Italy Introduction 2010 2011}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services==<br />
<br />
===<div id="CASS"></div>Rocca d'Evandro-S Vittore - Bivio Cassino Sud===<br />
[80] (ERA-E 84B4; ERA-R 164A5; S+W ''77B2'') IT24/151<br />
<br />
This route is partly in Lazio; see [[Italy_(Lazio)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#CASS|IT24/148]]<br />
<br />
===<div id="BI_CA_NO"></div>1º Bivio Caserta Nord - 2º Bivio Caserta Nord (Interconnessione Caserta Nord)===<br />
[6] (ERA-E 84C5; ERA-R 164A4; S+W ''77C4'') IT24/152<br />
<br />
This 6.1km connecting line allows trains on the AV/AC line from Roma to Napoli to connect with the old main line from Roma to Napoli via Caserta and is used by all high-speed services between Roma and Foggia, Bari and Lecce.<br />
<br />
===Aversa avoiding line: S. Marcellino-Frignano – Gricignano-Teverola===<br />
[3, 85] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163A3-163B3; S+W ''150C3-150D3'') IT23/153 <br />
<br />
This west to east curve is used by trains between the Formia and Caserta lines, to avoid reversal at Aversa. It is used by some trains between Roma and Caserta, because the Formia route is faster than the original main line via Cassino. However, ''Frecciargento'' and ''Frecciarosso'' trains between Roma, Bari and Lecce via Caserta use the new high speed line and not this route. It is also used by trains running direct to Cancello via IT24/154.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R21095<br />
| Roma Tiburtina - 10:00 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SO<br />
| R5897<br />
| Roma Termini - 14:54 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R5893<br />
| Roma Termini - 16:47 Villa Literno - Benevento<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| FO<br />
| IC705<br />
| 16:01 Roma Termini - Taranto<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R21254<br />
| Napoli Campi Flegrei - 19:45 S Marcellino-Frignano - Caserta<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
| <br />
| R5889/5895<br />
| Roma Termini - 21:44 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R5892<br />
| 03:50 Caserta - Formia-Gaeta<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuO<br />
| ICN788<br />
| Lecce - 04:07 MO Caserta - Roma Termini<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R5840<br />
| Napoli Centrale - 05:15 - Gricignano-Teverola - Roma Tiburtina<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R5894<br />
| Benevento - 06:17 Marcianise - Roma Termini<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Gricignano-Teverola – Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento – Cancello===<br />
[3, 85] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3-151C3'') IT23/154<br />
<br />
This line, opened in 1993, provides a connection between the Roma - Napoli main line via the coast and the inland main line via Cassino, bypassing Caserta and serving Maddaloni-Marcianise marshalling yard and freight terminal en route. Some overnight trains may use the Aversa avoiding line (IT24/153 above) and this route, but not every night.<br />
<br />
===Madonnelle - Volla (Circumvesuviana)===<br />
[508] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B2; S+W ''153A2'') IT23/155 <br />
<br />
This south to north route allows trains to run between the line to San Giorgio a Cremano via Villa Visconti and the line towards Baiano without reversal. <br />
<br />
There was an extended period when trains appeared in the [http://www.eavsrl.it Circumvesuviana] timetable but did not run. However, a service comprising one return trip on weekday afternoons was observed operating in January and March 2019 and appears to have continued until early 2020. <br />
<br />
'''No trains have been advertised via this route, or to Acerra, since 18 May 2020, if not earlier.''' It is not known if this is a temporary or permanent measure. <br />
<br />
As and when the line is extended from Volla to the new station on the high-speed line at Afragola, there may be a service throughout the day, but it could be many years before this happens.<br />
<br />
===<div id="LI_MO_VE"></div>''Linea Monte Vesuvio'': Napoli Centrale (Bivio/PC Casoria) – Salerno===<br />
[86] (ERA-E 86A4-86B5; ERA-R 164A4-164B3; S+W ''153A2-154D2'') IT23/156<br />
<br />
This line is normally used by trains between Napoli Centrale and Salerno which are not scheduled to stop intermediately. The southeast end of the line is also used thus:<br />
<br />
*Salerno – Bivio S Lucia: Trains between Salerno and Nocera Inferiore not scheduled to stop intermediately<br />
<br />
*Salerno – Bivio Sarno: All trains between Salerno and Sarno. This includes most overnight trains via Salerno which do not call at Napoli Centrale; these run via Cancello.<br />
<br />
===''Linea Monte Vesuvio'': Napoli avoiding line===<br />
[3, 86] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''153A1'') IT23/157 <br />
<br />
A north to east curve allows trains to run direct between the high-speed lines from Napoli to Roma and to Salerno without reversing at Napoli Centrale. <br />
<br />
'''Trains are diverted via Napoli Centrale and the old main line to Salerno, so do not use this route, 7 to 13 and 18 August 2023.'''<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FA8333<br />
| Roma Termini - 08:34 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FA8863''<br />
| Roma Termini - 10:01 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
|<br />
| FR9623<br />
| Milano Centrale - 15:22 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR8419<br />
| Venezia S Lucia - 17:38 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9639<br />
| Milano Centrale - 18:50 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FA8519''<br />
| Bolzano/Bozen - 19:23 Napoli Afragola - Sibari<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| ''FR9608''<br />
| 05:15 Salerno - Milano Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FA8509''<br />
| Sibari - 09:13 Salerno - Bolzano/Bozen<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR8418<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 09:59 Salerno - Venezia S Lucia<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9642<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 12:59 Salerno - Torino Porta Nuova<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9658<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 16:17 Salerno - Milano Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FA8868''<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 17:45 Salerno - Roma Termini<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|<br />
| FA8332<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 18:54 Salerno - Roma Termini<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===<div id="BE_MO"></div>Benevento - Morcone===<br />
(ERA-E 84B5-C5; ERA-R 164B5; S+W ''78B4-78B3'') IT23/158 <br />
<br />
This is part of the line from Benevento to Bosco Redole, which lost its passenger service in 2013, because of a landslide. Excursions are sometimes operated to Morcone, from Napoli Centrale and from Salerno. See the [http://www.fondazionefs.it Fondazione FS website] for more information.<br />
<br />
===<div id="AV_LI"></div>Avellino - Lioni===<br />
(EA-E 84C5-86C1; ERA-R 164B4-164C4; S+W ''83B1-83D2'') IT23/159 <br />
<br />
This is part of the line from Avellino to Rocchetta S Antonio Lacedonia, which lost its passenger service in 2010. Excursions are sometimes operated from Benevento to Lioni. See the [http://www.fondazionefs.it Fondazione FS website] for more information.<br />
<br />
==Routes used occasionally for diversions==<br />
<br />
===Gricignano-Teverola – Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento – Maddaloni Inferiore (Bivio Maddaloni)===<br />
[80] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3-151B3'') IT23/161 <br />
<br />
This is a variation on route IT23/154, but including the north-facing curve at the east end of Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento towards Caserta, instead of the south-facing one to Cancello. ''IC'' trains between Roma and Napoli were diverted this way on a number of occasions in 2019.<br />
<br />
===Casalnuovo di Napoli (Doppio Bivio Cassino) - Napoli S Giovanni-Barra (Doppio Bivio Marittima)===<br />
[86] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B2; S+W ''155D2-155D3'') IT23/162<br />
<br />
This line enables trains to run between the Cancello and Torre Annunziata lines without having to reverse at Napoli Centrale. <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D4<br />
| MSSuX<br />
| ICN795<br />
| Torino Porta Nuova - 23:44 Roma Ostiense - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D4: Until 28 July 2023 (the curve at Napoli is traversed next morning)<br />
<br />
=== [Roma] - 1o Bivio Gricignano - Gricignano-Teverola - [Napoli Centrale]===<br />
[1.2/85] (ERA-E 86A3; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3'') IR23/163<br />
<br />
This is the original connection off the end of the Linea AV/AC from Roma to Aversa and into Napoli Centrale, now with no regular use.<br />
On 11 and 25 March 2023 five late evening southbound high speed services to Napoli/Salerno were diverted via this route.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Italy}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Italy_(Campania)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=53110Italy (Campania) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2023-12-14T20:27:56Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Gricignano-Teverola – Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento – Cancello */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Italy Introduction 2010 2011}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services==<br />
<br />
===<div id="CASS"></div>Rocca d'Evandro-S Vittore - Bivio Cassino Sud===<br />
[80] (ERA-E 84B4; ERA-R 164A5; S+W ''77B2'') IT24/151<br />
<br />
This route is partly in Lazio; see [[Italy_(Lazio)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#CASS|IT24/148]]<br />
<br />
===<div id="BI_CA_NO"></div>1º Bivio Caserta Nord - 2º Bivio Caserta Nord (Interconnessione Caserta Nord)===<br />
[6] (ERA-E 84C5; ERA-R 164A4; S+W ''77C4'') IT24/152<br />
<br />
This 6.1km connecting line allows trains on the AV/AC line from Roma to Napoli to connect with the old main line from Roma to Napoli via Caserta and is used by all high-speed services between Roma and Foggia, Bari and Lecce.<br />
<br />
===Aversa avoiding line: S. Marcellino-Frignano – Gricignano-Teverola===<br />
[3, 85] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163A3-163B3; S+W ''150C3-150D3'') IT23/153 <br />
<br />
This west to east curve is used by trains between the Formia and Caserta lines, to avoid reversal at Aversa. It is used by some trains between Roma and Caserta, because the Formia route is faster than the original main line via Cassino. However, ''Frecciargento'' and ''Frecciarosso'' trains between Roma, Bari and Lecce via Caserta use the new high speed line and not this route. It is also used by trains running direct to Cancello via IT24/154.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R21095<br />
| Roma Tiburtina - 10:00 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SO<br />
| R5897<br />
| Roma Termini - 14:54 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R5893<br />
| Roma Termini - 16:47 Villa Literno - Benevento<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| FO<br />
| IC705<br />
| 16:01 Roma Termini - Taranto<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R21254<br />
| Napoli Campi Flegrei - 19:45 S Marcellino-Frignano - Caserta<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
| <br />
| R5889/5895<br />
| Roma Termini - 21:44 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R5892<br />
| 03:50 Caserta - Formia-Gaeta<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuO<br />
| ICN788<br />
| Lecce - 04:07 MO Caserta - Roma Termini<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R5840<br />
| Napoli Centrale - 05:15 - Gricignano-Teverola - Roma Tiburtina<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R5894<br />
| Benevento - 06:17 Marcianise - Roma Termini<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Gricignano-Teverola – Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento – Cancello===<br />
[3, 85] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3-151C3'') IT23/154<br />
<br />
This line, opened in 1993, provides a connection between the Roma - Napoli main line via the coast and the inland main line via Cassino, bypassing Caserta and serving Maddaloni-Marcianise marshalling yard and freight terminal en route. Some overnight trains may use the Aversa avoiding line (IT23/153 above) and this route, but not every night. <br />
<br />
Trains via this route include<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D1<br />
| MTWThO<br />
| ICN1959<br />
| 23:00 Roma Termini - Siracusa<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| MTWThO<br />
| ICN795<br />
| Torino Porta Nuova - 23:44 Roma Ostiense - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| MTWThO<br />
| ICN1963<br />
| Milano Centrale - 00:23 Firenze Campo di Marte - Siracusa<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| <br />
| FR9573<br />
| Milano Centrale - Firenze S Maria Novella - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| MTWThO<br />
| ICN1962<br />
| Siracusa - 23:33 Salerno - Milano Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICN794<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 03:10 Salerno - Torino Porta Nuova<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICN1956<br />
| Siracusa - 01:08 Lamezia Terme Centrale - Roma Termini<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: MO 8 January to 26 February, MTWThO 4 March to 29 April, not 1, 24 and 25 April 2024 (dates apply to the start of the train's journey)<br />
<br />
D2: 27 & 28 March and 2 April 2024<br />
<br />
===Madonnelle - Volla (Circumvesuviana)===<br />
[508] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B2; S+W ''153A2'') IT23/155 <br />
<br />
This south to north route allows trains to run between the line to San Giorgio a Cremano via Villa Visconti and the line towards Baiano without reversal. <br />
<br />
There was an extended period when trains appeared in the [http://www.eavsrl.it Circumvesuviana] timetable but did not run. However, a service comprising one return trip on weekday afternoons was observed operating in January and March 2019 and appears to have continued until early 2020. <br />
<br />
'''No trains have been advertised via this route, or to Acerra, since 18 May 2020, if not earlier.''' It is not known if this is a temporary or permanent measure. <br />
<br />
As and when the line is extended from Volla to the new station on the high-speed line at Afragola, there may be a service throughout the day, but it could be many years before this happens.<br />
<br />
===<div id="LI_MO_VE"></div>''Linea Monte Vesuvio'': Napoli Centrale (Bivio/PC Casoria) – Salerno===<br />
[86] (ERA-E 86A4-86B5; ERA-R 164A4-164B3; S+W ''153A2-154D2'') IT23/156<br />
<br />
This line is normally used by trains between Napoli Centrale and Salerno which are not scheduled to stop intermediately. The southeast end of the line is also used thus:<br />
<br />
*Salerno – Bivio S Lucia: Trains between Salerno and Nocera Inferiore not scheduled to stop intermediately<br />
<br />
*Salerno – Bivio Sarno: All trains between Salerno and Sarno. This includes most overnight trains via Salerno which do not call at Napoli Centrale; these run via Cancello.<br />
<br />
===''Linea Monte Vesuvio'': Napoli avoiding line===<br />
[3, 86] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''153A1'') IT23/157 <br />
<br />
A north to east curve allows trains to run direct between the high-speed lines from Napoli to Roma and to Salerno without reversing at Napoli Centrale. <br />
<br />
'''Trains are diverted via Napoli Centrale and the old main line to Salerno, so do not use this route, 7 to 13 and 18 August 2023.'''<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FA8333<br />
| Roma Termini - 08:34 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FA8863''<br />
| Roma Termini - 10:01 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
|<br />
| FR9623<br />
| Milano Centrale - 15:22 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR8419<br />
| Venezia S Lucia - 17:38 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9639<br />
| Milano Centrale - 18:50 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FA8519''<br />
| Bolzano/Bozen - 19:23 Napoli Afragola - Sibari<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| ''FR9608''<br />
| 05:15 Salerno - Milano Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FA8509''<br />
| Sibari - 09:13 Salerno - Bolzano/Bozen<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR8418<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 09:59 Salerno - Venezia S Lucia<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9642<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 12:59 Salerno - Torino Porta Nuova<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9658<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 16:17 Salerno - Milano Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FA8868''<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 17:45 Salerno - Roma Termini<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|<br />
| FA8332<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 18:54 Salerno - Roma Termini<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===<div id="BE_MO"></div>Benevento - Morcone===<br />
(ERA-E 84B5-C5; ERA-R 164B5; S+W ''78B4-78B3'') IT23/158 <br />
<br />
This is part of the line from Benevento to Bosco Redole, which lost its passenger service in 2013, because of a landslide. Excursions are sometimes operated to Morcone, from Napoli Centrale and from Salerno. See the [http://www.fondazionefs.it Fondazione FS website] for more information.<br />
<br />
===<div id="AV_LI"></div>Avellino - Lioni===<br />
(EA-E 84C5-86C1; ERA-R 164B4-164C4; S+W ''83B1-83D2'') IT23/159 <br />
<br />
This is part of the line from Avellino to Rocchetta S Antonio Lacedonia, which lost its passenger service in 2010. Excursions are sometimes operated from Benevento to Lioni. See the [http://www.fondazionefs.it Fondazione FS website] for more information.<br />
<br />
==Routes used occasionally for diversions==<br />
<br />
===Gricignano-Teverola – Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento – Maddaloni Inferiore (Bivio Maddaloni)===<br />
[80] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3-151B3'') IT23/161 <br />
<br />
This is a variation on route IT23/154, but including the north-facing curve at the east end of Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento towards Caserta, instead of the south-facing one to Cancello. ''IC'' trains between Roma and Napoli were diverted this way on a number of occasions in 2019.<br />
<br />
===Casalnuovo di Napoli (Doppio Bivio Cassino) - Napoli S Giovanni-Barra (Doppio Bivio Marittima)===<br />
[86] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B2; S+W ''155D2-155D3'') IT23/162<br />
<br />
This line enables trains to run between the Cancello and Torre Annunziata lines without having to reverse at Napoli Centrale. <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D4<br />
| MSSuX<br />
| ICN795<br />
| Torino Porta Nuova - 23:44 Roma Ostiense - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D4: Until 28 July 2023 (the curve at Napoli is traversed next morning)<br />
<br />
=== [Roma] - 1o Bivio Gricignano - Gricignano-Teverola - [Napoli Centrale]===<br />
[1.2/85] (ERA-E 86A3; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3'') IR23/163<br />
<br />
This is the original connection off the end of the Linea AV/AC from Roma to Aversa and into Napoli Centrale, now with no regular use.<br />
On 11 and 25 March 2023 five late evening southbound high speed services to Napoli/Salerno were diverted via this route.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Italy}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Italy_(Campania)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=53109Italy (Campania) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2023-12-14T19:58:54Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* Aversa avoiding line: S. Marcellino-Frignano – Gricignano-Teverola */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Italy Introduction 2010 2011}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services==<br />
<br />
===<div id="CASS"></div>Rocca d'Evandro-S Vittore - Bivio Cassino Sud===<br />
[80] (ERA-E 84B4; ERA-R 164A5; S+W ''77B2'') IT24/151<br />
<br />
This route is partly in Lazio; see [[Italy_(Lazio)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#CASS|IT24/148]]<br />
<br />
===<div id="BI_CA_NO"></div>1º Bivio Caserta Nord - 2º Bivio Caserta Nord (Interconnessione Caserta Nord)===<br />
[6] (ERA-E 84C5; ERA-R 164A4; S+W ''77C4'') IT24/152<br />
<br />
This 6.1km connecting line allows trains on the AV/AC line from Roma to Napoli to connect with the old main line from Roma to Napoli via Caserta and is used by all high-speed services between Roma and Foggia, Bari and Lecce.<br />
<br />
===Aversa avoiding line: S. Marcellino-Frignano – Gricignano-Teverola===<br />
[3, 85] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163A3-163B3; S+W ''150C3-150D3'') IT23/153 <br />
<br />
This west to east curve is used by trains between the Formia and Caserta lines, to avoid reversal at Aversa. It is used by some trains between Roma and Caserta, because the Formia route is faster than the original main line via Cassino. However, ''Frecciargento'' and ''Frecciarosso'' trains between Roma, Bari and Lecce via Caserta use the new high speed line and not this route. It is also used by trains running direct to Cancello via IT24/154.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R21095<br />
| Roma Tiburtina - 10:00 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SO<br />
| R5897<br />
| Roma Termini - 14:54 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R5893<br />
| Roma Termini - 16:47 Villa Literno - Benevento<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| FO<br />
| IC705<br />
| 16:01 Roma Termini - Taranto<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R21254<br />
| Napoli Campi Flegrei - 19:45 S Marcellino-Frignano - Caserta<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
| <br />
| R5889/5895<br />
| Roma Termini - 21:44 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R5892<br />
| 03:50 Caserta - Formia-Gaeta<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuO<br />
| ICN788<br />
| Lecce - 04:07 MO Caserta - Roma Termini<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R5840<br />
| Napoli Centrale - 05:15 - Gricignano-Teverola - Roma Tiburtina<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R5894<br />
| Benevento - 06:17 Marcianise - Roma Termini<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Gricignano-Teverola – Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento – Cancello===<br />
[3, 85] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3-151C3'') IT23/154<br />
<br />
This line, opened in 1993, provides a connection between the Roma - Napoli main line via the coast and the inland main line via Cassino, bypassing Caserta and serving Maddaloni-Marcianise marshalling yard and freight terminal en route. Some overnight trains may use the Aversa avoiding line (IT23/153 above) and this route, but not every night. <br />
<br />
Trains via this route include<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| ICN794<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 03:10 Salerno - Torino Porta Nuova<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| ICN1956<br />
| Siracusa - 01:08 Lamezia Terme Centrale - Roma Termini<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: SSuO 2 July to 5 August 2023 and daily 19 August to 17 September<br />
<br />
===Madonnelle - Volla (Circumvesuviana)===<br />
[508] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B2; S+W ''153A2'') IT23/155 <br />
<br />
This south to north route allows trains to run between the line to San Giorgio a Cremano via Villa Visconti and the line towards Baiano without reversal. <br />
<br />
There was an extended period when trains appeared in the [http://www.eavsrl.it Circumvesuviana] timetable but did not run. However, a service comprising one return trip on weekday afternoons was observed operating in January and March 2019 and appears to have continued until early 2020. <br />
<br />
'''No trains have been advertised via this route, or to Acerra, since 18 May 2020, if not earlier.''' It is not known if this is a temporary or permanent measure. <br />
<br />
As and when the line is extended from Volla to the new station on the high-speed line at Afragola, there may be a service throughout the day, but it could be many years before this happens.<br />
<br />
===<div id="LI_MO_VE"></div>''Linea Monte Vesuvio'': Napoli Centrale (Bivio/PC Casoria) – Salerno===<br />
[86] (ERA-E 86A4-86B5; ERA-R 164A4-164B3; S+W ''153A2-154D2'') IT23/156<br />
<br />
This line is normally used by trains between Napoli Centrale and Salerno which are not scheduled to stop intermediately. The southeast end of the line is also used thus:<br />
<br />
*Salerno – Bivio S Lucia: Trains between Salerno and Nocera Inferiore not scheduled to stop intermediately<br />
<br />
*Salerno – Bivio Sarno: All trains between Salerno and Sarno. This includes most overnight trains via Salerno which do not call at Napoli Centrale; these run via Cancello.<br />
<br />
===''Linea Monte Vesuvio'': Napoli avoiding line===<br />
[3, 86] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''153A1'') IT23/157 <br />
<br />
A north to east curve allows trains to run direct between the high-speed lines from Napoli to Roma and to Salerno without reversing at Napoli Centrale. <br />
<br />
'''Trains are diverted via Napoli Centrale and the old main line to Salerno, so do not use this route, 7 to 13 and 18 August 2023.'''<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FA8333<br />
| Roma Termini - 08:34 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FA8863''<br />
| Roma Termini - 10:01 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
|<br />
| FR9623<br />
| Milano Centrale - 15:22 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR8419<br />
| Venezia S Lucia - 17:38 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9639<br />
| Milano Centrale - 18:50 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FA8519''<br />
| Bolzano/Bozen - 19:23 Napoli Afragola - Sibari<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| ''FR9608''<br />
| 05:15 Salerno - Milano Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FA8509''<br />
| Sibari - 09:13 Salerno - Bolzano/Bozen<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR8418<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 09:59 Salerno - Venezia S Lucia<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9642<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 12:59 Salerno - Torino Porta Nuova<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9658<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 16:17 Salerno - Milano Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FA8868''<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 17:45 Salerno - Roma Termini<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|<br />
| FA8332<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 18:54 Salerno - Roma Termini<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===<div id="BE_MO"></div>Benevento - Morcone===<br />
(ERA-E 84B5-C5; ERA-R 164B5; S+W ''78B4-78B3'') IT23/158 <br />
<br />
This is part of the line from Benevento to Bosco Redole, which lost its passenger service in 2013, because of a landslide. Excursions are sometimes operated to Morcone, from Napoli Centrale and from Salerno. See the [http://www.fondazionefs.it Fondazione FS website] for more information.<br />
<br />
===<div id="AV_LI"></div>Avellino - Lioni===<br />
(EA-E 84C5-86C1; ERA-R 164B4-164C4; S+W ''83B1-83D2'') IT23/159 <br />
<br />
This is part of the line from Avellino to Rocchetta S Antonio Lacedonia, which lost its passenger service in 2010. Excursions are sometimes operated from Benevento to Lioni. See the [http://www.fondazionefs.it Fondazione FS website] for more information.<br />
<br />
==Routes used occasionally for diversions==<br />
<br />
===Gricignano-Teverola – Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento – Maddaloni Inferiore (Bivio Maddaloni)===<br />
[80] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3-151B3'') IT23/161 <br />
<br />
This is a variation on route IT23/154, but including the north-facing curve at the east end of Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento towards Caserta, instead of the south-facing one to Cancello. ''IC'' trains between Roma and Napoli were diverted this way on a number of occasions in 2019.<br />
<br />
===Casalnuovo di Napoli (Doppio Bivio Cassino) - Napoli S Giovanni-Barra (Doppio Bivio Marittima)===<br />
[86] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B2; S+W ''155D2-155D3'') IT23/162<br />
<br />
This line enables trains to run between the Cancello and Torre Annunziata lines without having to reverse at Napoli Centrale. <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D4<br />
| MSSuX<br />
| ICN795<br />
| Torino Porta Nuova - 23:44 Roma Ostiense - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D4: Until 28 July 2023 (the curve at Napoli is traversed next morning)<br />
<br />
=== [Roma] - 1o Bivio Gricignano - Gricignano-Teverola - [Napoli Centrale]===<br />
[1.2/85] (ERA-E 86A3; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3'') IR23/163<br />
<br />
This is the original connection off the end of the Linea AV/AC from Roma to Aversa and into Napoli Centrale, now with no regular use.<br />
On 11 and 25 March 2023 five late evening southbound high speed services to Napoli/Salerno were diverted via this route.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Italy}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Greg Beecrofthttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Italy_(Campania)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=53056Italy (Campania) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2023-12-14T14:50:48Z<p>Greg Beecroft: /* 1º Bivio Caserta Nord - 2º Bivio Caserta Nord (Interconnessione Caserta Nord) */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Italy Introduction 2010 2011}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services==<br />
<br />
===<div id="CASS"></div>Rocca d'Evandro-S Vittore - Bivio Cassino Sud===<br />
[80] (ERA-E 84B4; ERA-R 164A5; S+W ''77B2'') IT24/151<br />
<br />
This route is partly in Lazio; see [[Italy_(Lazio)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#CASS|IT24/148]]<br />
<br />
===<div id="BI_CA_NO"></div>1º Bivio Caserta Nord - 2º Bivio Caserta Nord (Interconnessione Caserta Nord)===<br />
[6] (ERA-E 84C5; ERA-R 164A4; S+W ''77C4'') IT24/152<br />
<br />
This 6.1km connecting line allows trains on the AV/AC line from Roma to Napoli to connect with the old main line from Roma to Napoli via Caserta and is used by all high-speed services between Roma and Foggia, Bari and Lecce.<br />
<br />
===Aversa avoiding line: S. Marcellino-Frignano – Gricignano-Teverola===<br />
[3, 85] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163A3-163B3; S+W ''150C3-150D3'') IT23/153 <br />
<br />
This west to east curve is used by trains between the Formia and Caserta lines, to avoid reversal at Aversa. It is used by some trains between Roma and Caserta, because the Formia route is faster than the original main line via Cassino. However, ''Frecciargento'' and ''Frecciarosso'' trains between Roma, Bari and Lecce via Caserta use the new high speed line and not this route. It is also used by trains running direct to Cancello via IT23/154.<br />
<br />
'''The routing of overnight trains between Roma and the Napoli area is particularly susceptible to variation.'''<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICN795<br />
| Torino Porta Nuova - 23:44 Roma Ostiense - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICN703<br />
| 07:31 Roma Termini - Bari<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R21095<br />
| Roma Tiburtina - 10:00 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SO<br />
| R5897<br />
| Roma Termini - 14:54 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| SuX<br />
| R5893<br />
| Roma Termini - 16:47 Villa Literno - Benevento<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| FO<br />
| IC705<br />
| 16:01 Roma Termini - Taranto<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| SuO<br />
| R5841<br />
| Roma Termini - 18:25 Formia-Gaeta - Caserta<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R21254<br />
| Napoli Campi Flegrei - 19:45 S Marcellino-Frignano - Caserta<br />
|- <br />
| D<br />
| SO<br />
| R5837<br />
| Roma Termini - 19:00 Formia-Gaeta - Caserta<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| SSuX<br />
| R5839<br />
| Roma Termini - 19:05 Formia-Gaeta - Caserta<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| R5889/5895<br />
| Roma Termini - 21:44 Villa Literno - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| R5899<br />
| Roma Termini - 23:04/23:07 S Marcellino-Frignano - Napoli Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R5892<br />
| 03:50 Caserta - Formia-Gaeta<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuO<br />
| ICN788<br />
| Lecce - 04:07 MO Caserta - Roma Termini<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R5840<br />
| Napoli Centrale - 05:15 - Gricignano-Teverola - Roma Tiburtina<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| SuX<br />
| R5834<br />
| 05:20 Caserta - Roma Termini<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| SuO<br />
| R5836<br />
| 06:00 Caserta - Roma Termini<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| R5894<br />
| Benevento - 06:17 Marcianise - Roma Termini<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| IC704<br />
| Bari Centrale - 19:58 Caserta - Roma Termini<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| SuO<br />
| IC710<br />
| Taranto - 20:49 Caserta - Roma Termini<br />
|}<br />
<br />
Trains via route IT23/154 also use this route.<br />
<br />
D1: 28 July 2023 only<br />
<br />
===Gricignano-Teverola – Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento – Cancello===<br />
[3, 85] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3-151C3'') IT23/154<br />
<br />
This line, opened in 1993, provides a connection between the Roma - Napoli main line via the coast and the inland main line via Cassino, bypassing Caserta and serving Maddaloni-Marcianise marshalling yard and freight terminal en route. Some overnight trains may use the Aversa avoiding line (IT23/153 above) and this route, but not every night. <br />
<br />
Trains via this route include<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| ICN794<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 03:10 Salerno - Torino Porta Nuova<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| ICN1956<br />
| Siracusa - 01:08 Lamezia Terme Centrale - Roma Termini<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: SSuO 2 July to 5 August 2023 and daily 19 August to 17 September<br />
<br />
===Madonnelle - Volla (Circumvesuviana)===<br />
[508] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B2; S+W ''153A2'') IT23/155 <br />
<br />
This south to north route allows trains to run between the line to San Giorgio a Cremano via Villa Visconti and the line towards Baiano without reversal. <br />
<br />
There was an extended period when trains appeared in the [http://www.eavsrl.it Circumvesuviana] timetable but did not run. However, a service comprising one return trip on weekday afternoons was observed operating in January and March 2019 and appears to have continued until early 2020. <br />
<br />
'''No trains have been advertised via this route, or to Acerra, since 18 May 2020, if not earlier.''' It is not known if this is a temporary or permanent measure. <br />
<br />
As and when the line is extended from Volla to the new station on the high-speed line at Afragola, there may be a service throughout the day, but it could be many years before this happens.<br />
<br />
===<div id="LI_MO_VE"></div>''Linea Monte Vesuvio'': Napoli Centrale (Bivio/PC Casoria) – Salerno===<br />
[86] (ERA-E 86A4-86B5; ERA-R 164A4-164B3; S+W ''153A2-154D2'') IT23/156<br />
<br />
This line is normally used by trains between Napoli Centrale and Salerno which are not scheduled to stop intermediately. The southeast end of the line is also used thus:<br />
<br />
*Salerno – Bivio S Lucia: Trains between Salerno and Nocera Inferiore not scheduled to stop intermediately<br />
<br />
*Salerno – Bivio Sarno: All trains between Salerno and Sarno. This includes most overnight trains via Salerno which do not call at Napoli Centrale; these run via Cancello.<br />
<br />
===''Linea Monte Vesuvio'': Napoli avoiding line===<br />
[3, 86] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''153A1'') IT23/157 <br />
<br />
A north to east curve allows trains to run direct between the high-speed lines from Napoli to Roma and to Salerno without reversing at Napoli Centrale. <br />
<br />
'''Trains are diverted via Napoli Centrale and the old main line to Salerno, so do not use this route, 7 to 13 and 18 August 2023.'''<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FA8333<br />
| Roma Termini - 08:34 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FA8863''<br />
| Roma Termini - 10:01 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
|<br />
| FR9623<br />
| Milano Centrale - 15:22 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR8419<br />
| Venezia S Lucia - 17:38 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9639<br />
| Milano Centrale - 18:50 Napoli Afragola - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FA8519''<br />
| Bolzano/Bozen - 19:23 Napoli Afragola - Sibari<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| ''FR9608''<br />
| 05:15 Salerno - Milano Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FA8509''<br />
| Sibari - 09:13 Salerno - Bolzano/Bozen<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR8418<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 09:59 Salerno - Venezia S Lucia<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9642<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 12:59 Salerno - Torino Porta Nuova<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
|<br />
| FR9658<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 16:17 Salerno - Milano Centrale<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ''FA8868''<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 17:45 Salerno - Roma Termini<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|<br />
| FA8332<br />
| Reggio di Calabria Centrale - 18:54 Salerno - Roma Termini<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===<div id="BE_MO"></div>Benevento - Morcone===<br />
(ERA-E 84B5-C5; ERA-R 164B5; S+W ''78B4-78B3'') IT23/158 <br />
<br />
This is part of the line from Benevento to Bosco Redole, which lost its passenger service in 2013, because of a landslide. Excursions are sometimes operated to Morcone, from Napoli Centrale and from Salerno. See the [http://www.fondazionefs.it Fondazione FS website] for more information.<br />
<br />
===<div id="AV_LI"></div>Avellino - Lioni===<br />
(EA-E 84C5-86C1; ERA-R 164B4-164C4; S+W ''83B1-83D2'') IT23/159 <br />
<br />
This is part of the line from Avellino to Rocchetta S Antonio Lacedonia, which lost its passenger service in 2010. Excursions are sometimes operated from Benevento to Lioni. See the [http://www.fondazionefs.it Fondazione FS website] for more information.<br />
<br />
==Routes used occasionally for diversions==<br />
<br />
===Gricignano-Teverola – Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento – Maddaloni Inferiore (Bivio Maddaloni)===<br />
[80] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3-151B3'') IT23/161 <br />
<br />
This is a variation on route IT23/154, but including the north-facing curve at the east end of Maddaloni-Marcianise Smistamento towards Caserta, instead of the south-facing one to Cancello. ''IC'' trains between Roma and Napoli were diverted this way on a number of occasions in 2019.<br />
<br />
===Casalnuovo di Napoli (Doppio Bivio Cassino) - Napoli S Giovanni-Barra (Doppio Bivio Marittima)===<br />
[86] (ERA-E 86A4; ERA-R 163B2; S+W ''155D2-155D3'') IT23/162<br />
<br />
This line enables trains to run between the Cancello and Torre Annunziata lines without having to reverse at Napoli Centrale. <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D4<br />
| MSSuX<br />
| ICN795<br />
| Torino Porta Nuova - 23:44 Roma Ostiense - Reggio di Calabria Centrale<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D4: Until 28 July 2023 (the curve at Napoli is traversed next morning)<br />
<br />
=== [Roma] - 1o Bivio Gricignano - Gricignano-Teverola - [Napoli Centrale]===<br />
[1.2/85] (ERA-E 86A3; ERA-R 163B3; S+W ''150D3'') IR23/163<br />
<br />
This is the original connection off the end of the Linea AV/AC from Roma to Aversa and into Napoli Centrale, now with no regular use.<br />
On 11 and 25 March 2023 five late evening southbound high speed services to Napoli/Salerno were diverted via this route.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Italy}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Greg Beecroft