Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
North Downs Line
The North Downs Line is a railway line in South East England. It runs for 45 miles 40 chains (73.2 km) from Reading in Berkshire to Redhill in Surrey. It is named after the North Downs, a range of chalk hills that runs parallel to the eastern part of the route. The name was introduced in 1989 by Network SouthEast, the then operator. The North Downs Line serves the settlements in the Blackwater Valley as well as the towns of Guildford, Dorking and Reigate. It acts as an orbital route around the south-west of London and has direct connections to the Great Western Main Line at Reading, the Waterloo–Reading line at Wokingham, the Alton line at Ash, the Portsmouth Direct line at Guildford and the Brighton Main Line at Redhill.
Three different operators run passenger services on the North Downs Line. Great Western Railway runs services along the entire length of the line from Reading to Redhill, the majority of which continue along the Brighton Main Line to Gatwick Airport. Southern trains between Reigate and London Victoria use a 1 mi 67 ch (3.0 km) section west of Redhill. South Western Railway services between the capital and Reading use the line west of Wokingham and the same company operates between Guildford and Ash en route to Aldershot.
The majority of the North Downs Line was constructed by the independent Reading, Reigate and Guildford Railway company (RG&RR), although the section between Guildford and Ash Junction was built by the London and South Western Railway. The line opened in 1849 and services were run from the outset by the South Eastern Railway, which took over the RG&RR in 1852. Three sections of the line were electrified by the Southern Railway in the 1930s although around 29 route miles (47 km) remain unelectrified. In the early 21st century, infrastructure works to increase the capacity of the line were undertaken, including the provision of new platforms at Reading and Redhill.
The North Downs Line is a 45-mile-40-chain (73.2 km) railway line in South East England. It links Reading railway station on the Great Western Main Line in Berkshire to Redhill on the Brighton Main Line in Surrey. It serves the settlements in the Blackwater Valley on the borders of Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire, as well as the Surrey towns of Guildford, Dorking and Reigate. It acts as an orbital route bypassing the south-west of London and has direct connections to the Waterloo–Reading line at Wokingham, the Alton line at Ash and the Portsmouth Direct line at Guildford. The 2015 "Surrey Rail Strategy" noted that 56% of passengers on the route connect to services on other railway lines and that a quarter of journeys either start or end at Reading. Around 13% of passengers travel to or from Gatwick Airport.
The name "North Downs Line" was first used in 1989 by Network SouthEast, the then operator of the line. Between Redhill and Ash, the line runs roughly parallel with the North Downs, a range of chalk hills that runs from Farnham to the White Cliffs of Dover. Between Ash and Reading, the line crosses the sands, gravels and clays of the London Basin. The steepest gradients, 1 in 96, and the summit of the line are near Gomshall, where the route crosses the watershed between the Rivers Mole and Wey in Surrey. The distances along the line between Redhill (22 miles 40 chains) and Shalford Junction (41 mi 60 ch), and between Ash Junction (48 mi 34 ch) and Reading (68 mi 68 ch) are measured from Charing Cross station in London.
The North Downs Line is double track for the entirety of its 45 mi 40 ch (73.2 km) length and has a maximum operational line speed of 70 mph (110 km/h) for passenger trains. Three sections of the line, Redhill–Reigate, Guildford–Aldershot South Junction and Wokingham–Reading, are electrified using the 750 V DC third-rail system. Two sections, Reigate–Shalford Junction and Aldershot South Junction–Wokingham, together totalling 29 route miles (47 km), are unelectrified. The line has a W6 loading gauge, and overnight engineering possessions of up to 4+1⁄2 hours are available. In 2006, Network Rail classified the North Downs Line as "congested", but, following the construction of new infrastructure, this status was revoked in 2023.
The Reading to Guildford section of the North Downs Line is 25 mi 41 ch (41.1 km) in length and has 13 stations in total. Reading and Guildford stations are managed by Network Rail and have 15 and 7 operational platforms respectively. The other 11 stations have two platforms each. Earley, Winnersh Triangle, Winnersh, Wokingham, Ash and Wanborough stations are managed by South Western Railway (SWR). Crowthorne, Sandhurst, Blackwater, Farnborough North and North Camp stations are managed by Great Western Railway (GWR). The passenger train services that use this section of the North Downs Line are:
West of Wokingham Junction and east of Aldershot South Junction, this part of the line is electrified using the 750 V DC third-rail system, leaving an 11 mi 71 ch (19.1 km) unelectrified central section. Most services on the North Downs Line use platforms 4, 5 and 6 at Reading station, but access to other platforms is possible. The Reading station area is controlled from Thames Valley rail operating centre, the line from Earley to North Camp is controlled by Basingstoke rail operating centre, and the section from North Camp is controlled by Guildford signal box. The majority of this section has a line speed of 70 mph (110 km/h) with the exception of the approaches to Reading, Wokingham and Guildford stations, and a 40 mph (64 km/h) restriction at Ash Junction where the line curves sharply. The steepest gradient, to the west of Guildford, is 1 in 100.
Hub AI
North Downs Line AI simulator
(@North Downs Line_simulator)
North Downs Line
The North Downs Line is a railway line in South East England. It runs for 45 miles 40 chains (73.2 km) from Reading in Berkshire to Redhill in Surrey. It is named after the North Downs, a range of chalk hills that runs parallel to the eastern part of the route. The name was introduced in 1989 by Network SouthEast, the then operator. The North Downs Line serves the settlements in the Blackwater Valley as well as the towns of Guildford, Dorking and Reigate. It acts as an orbital route around the south-west of London and has direct connections to the Great Western Main Line at Reading, the Waterloo–Reading line at Wokingham, the Alton line at Ash, the Portsmouth Direct line at Guildford and the Brighton Main Line at Redhill.
Three different operators run passenger services on the North Downs Line. Great Western Railway runs services along the entire length of the line from Reading to Redhill, the majority of which continue along the Brighton Main Line to Gatwick Airport. Southern trains between Reigate and London Victoria use a 1 mi 67 ch (3.0 km) section west of Redhill. South Western Railway services between the capital and Reading use the line west of Wokingham and the same company operates between Guildford and Ash en route to Aldershot.
The majority of the North Downs Line was constructed by the independent Reading, Reigate and Guildford Railway company (RG&RR), although the section between Guildford and Ash Junction was built by the London and South Western Railway. The line opened in 1849 and services were run from the outset by the South Eastern Railway, which took over the RG&RR in 1852. Three sections of the line were electrified by the Southern Railway in the 1930s although around 29 route miles (47 km) remain unelectrified. In the early 21st century, infrastructure works to increase the capacity of the line were undertaken, including the provision of new platforms at Reading and Redhill.
The North Downs Line is a 45-mile-40-chain (73.2 km) railway line in South East England. It links Reading railway station on the Great Western Main Line in Berkshire to Redhill on the Brighton Main Line in Surrey. It serves the settlements in the Blackwater Valley on the borders of Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire, as well as the Surrey towns of Guildford, Dorking and Reigate. It acts as an orbital route bypassing the south-west of London and has direct connections to the Waterloo–Reading line at Wokingham, the Alton line at Ash and the Portsmouth Direct line at Guildford. The 2015 "Surrey Rail Strategy" noted that 56% of passengers on the route connect to services on other railway lines and that a quarter of journeys either start or end at Reading. Around 13% of passengers travel to or from Gatwick Airport.
The name "North Downs Line" was first used in 1989 by Network SouthEast, the then operator of the line. Between Redhill and Ash, the line runs roughly parallel with the North Downs, a range of chalk hills that runs from Farnham to the White Cliffs of Dover. Between Ash and Reading, the line crosses the sands, gravels and clays of the London Basin. The steepest gradients, 1 in 96, and the summit of the line are near Gomshall, where the route crosses the watershed between the Rivers Mole and Wey in Surrey. The distances along the line between Redhill (22 miles 40 chains) and Shalford Junction (41 mi 60 ch), and between Ash Junction (48 mi 34 ch) and Reading (68 mi 68 ch) are measured from Charing Cross station in London.
The North Downs Line is double track for the entirety of its 45 mi 40 ch (73.2 km) length and has a maximum operational line speed of 70 mph (110 km/h) for passenger trains. Three sections of the line, Redhill–Reigate, Guildford–Aldershot South Junction and Wokingham–Reading, are electrified using the 750 V DC third-rail system. Two sections, Reigate–Shalford Junction and Aldershot South Junction–Wokingham, together totalling 29 route miles (47 km), are unelectrified. The line has a W6 loading gauge, and overnight engineering possessions of up to 4+1⁄2 hours are available. In 2006, Network Rail classified the North Downs Line as "congested", but, following the construction of new infrastructure, this status was revoked in 2023.
The Reading to Guildford section of the North Downs Line is 25 mi 41 ch (41.1 km) in length and has 13 stations in total. Reading and Guildford stations are managed by Network Rail and have 15 and 7 operational platforms respectively. The other 11 stations have two platforms each. Earley, Winnersh Triangle, Winnersh, Wokingham, Ash and Wanborough stations are managed by South Western Railway (SWR). Crowthorne, Sandhurst, Blackwater, Farnborough North and North Camp stations are managed by Great Western Railway (GWR). The passenger train services that use this section of the North Downs Line are:
West of Wokingham Junction and east of Aldershot South Junction, this part of the line is electrified using the 750 V DC third-rail system, leaving an 11 mi 71 ch (19.1 km) unelectrified central section. Most services on the North Downs Line use platforms 4, 5 and 6 at Reading station, but access to other platforms is possible. The Reading station area is controlled from Thames Valley rail operating centre, the line from Earley to North Camp is controlled by Basingstoke rail operating centre, and the section from North Camp is controlled by Guildford signal box. The majority of this section has a line speed of 70 mph (110 km/h) with the exception of the approaches to Reading, Wokingham and Guildford stations, and a 40 mph (64 km/h) restriction at Ash Junction where the line curves sharply. The steepest gradient, to the west of Guildford, is 1 in 100.