Main line (railway) explained

The main line, or mainline in American English, of a railway is a track that is used for through trains or is the principal artery of the system[1] [2] [3] from which branch lines, yards, sidings, and spurs are connected. It generally refers to a route between towns,[4] [5] as opposed to a route providing suburban or metro services. It may also be called a trunk line, for example the Grand Trunk Railway in Canada, or the Trunk Line in Norway.

For capacity reasons, main lines in many countries have at least a double track and often contain multiple parallel tracks. Main line tracks are typically operated at higher speeds than branch lines and are generally built and maintained to a higher standard than yards and branch lines.[6] Main lines may also be operated under shared access by a number of railway companies, with sidings and branches operated by private companies or single railway companies.

Railway points (UK) or switches (US) are usually set in the direction of the main line by default. Failure to do so has been a factor in several fatal railway accidents, for example the Buttevant Rail Disaster in Ireland,[7] and the Graniteville train crash in the US.[8]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Railroad Dictionary: M. CSX Corporation. April 17, 2019.
  2. Book: National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report 773: Capacity Modeling Guidebook for Shared-Use Passenger and Freight Rail Operations. 87. 2014. Justin. Fox. Paula. Hirsch. CDM. Smith. Om. Kanike. Transportation Research Board. Washington, D.C.. 10.17226/22245. 978-0-309-30816-8. April 17, 2019.
  3. Web site: Kansas Railroad Terms. Kansas Department of Transportation. 8 January 2014. April 17, 2019. Cites the following as its sources: Encarta 2000 Encyclopedia, The World Book Encyclopedia, UPRR-Railroad Terms, and Webster's New World Dictionary.
  4. Web site: Glossary of Terms. Trains.com: World's Greatest Hobby. Kalmbach Publishing. Waukesha, WI. April 17, 2019. August 6, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200806000745/http://wgh.trains.com/get-started/glossary. dead.
  5. Web site: Parts of railway and tram systems - thesaurus. Macmillan Dictionary. Macmillan Education. April 17, 2019.
  6. Web site: National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet - Railroads in Minnesota, 1862-1956 - Glossary. 302. December 31, 2005. United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service. April 17, 2019.
  7. Web site: Report of the Investigation into the Accident on the CIE Railway at Buttevant, Co. Cork, on 1st August, 1980. April 1981. December 5, 2007. 31. Department of Transport. November 19, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20071119054718/http://www.transport.ie/upload/general/6559-0.pdf. dead.
  8. Web site: United States National Transportation Safety Board. November 29, 2005. Report of Railroad Accident: Collision of Norfolk Southern Freight Train 192 with Standing Norfolk Southern Local Train P22 With Subsequent Hazardous Materials Release. Graniteville, South Carolina; January 6, 2005. NTSB/RAR-05/04. November 29, 2005.

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