R A I LT R AC K - The Railways Archive

Route characteristics
DESCRIPTION This Cumbria Route Strategy covers the coastal route from
Carnforth to Carlisle via Barrow-in-Furness, and the line from Oxenholme to
Windermere. Windermere is seen as a key destination for tourism from both
North West and North East England.
The coastal route is mainly two track but has some single-line sections.
Most of the route runs beside the sea, and there are stretches vulnerable to sea
erosion, and several viaducts across estuaries.
Route vision
We want rail to play a central role in supporting the developing economy of
West Cumbria, and have already begun to demonstrate this by our considerable
investment in sea defences on the Cumbrian Coast Route. The rail network is
crucial for Cumbria’s internal communications and its links with the rest of the
UK and Europe.
We believe that the area’s industry and commerce, including tourism in the
Lake District, can only develop in an environmentally responsible way if rail plays
a key part. This is particularly the case as the area’s road network is relatively
poor, and major investment in roads is unlikely to be acceptable.
We think there is significant potential for increasing the capacity to secure
growth in passenger traffic on the Windermere branch, running directly into the
These are the route improvements we plan to deliver
The Windermere Line is single track, and the linespeed is generally 60mph. The
line operates at capacity with the current service pattern during most of the day.
The Cumbrian Coast Line carries freight traffic, with the most significant
flows, in terms of tonnage and traffic levels, being concentrated between
Carnforth–Sellafield, and Carlisle–Workington. The lines carry steel and
nuclear traffic.
heart of the Lake District. Electrification is not currently considered to be viable
for the branch, given that present and potential services originate from nonelectrified
routes.
We will also continue to develop the capability of the coastal route, to
encourage the growth of freight traffic. Other investment will be targeted at
securing the route’s long-term future and improving its performance, providing
the impetus for taking forward further options for enhancement as they become
economically viable.
Station regeneration work will continue, with schemes being developed at
Ulverston and Carnforth.
CAPACITY CHANGES TO MEET FRANCHISING DIRECTOR, PTE AND CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS AND DELIVER ROUTE VISION
LOCATION PROPOSED SOLUTION YEAR REF
Cumbria None required
CAPABILITY CHANGES TO ACHIEVE ROUTE VISION
JOURNEY TIMES km STOPS CURRENT POSITION 2001 POSITION SUSTAINING THE ROUTE ACHIEVING ROUTE VISION
Windermere–Oxenholme 16 3 30mph (20min) No change No change No change
Carlisle–Workington 53 5 41mph (48min) No change No change No change
Workington–Whitehaven 11 2 22mph (18min) No change No change No change
Whitehaven–Barrow-in-Furness 74 15 32mph (1hr 25min) No change No change No change
Barrow-in-Furness–Carnforth 46 8 35mph (48min) No change No change No change
LINESPEEDS (km of track)
Up to 35mph 32 32 32 32
40–75mph 333 333 333 333
80–105mph 0 0 0 0
110–125mph 0 0 0 0
Over 125mph 0 0 0 0
TOTAL 364 364 364 364
GAUGE (km of route)
W6A 201 201 201 201
W7 183 183 183 183
W8 52 52 52 52
W9 0 0 0 0
W10 0 0 0 0
AXLE WEIGHT (km of track)
Up to 20.3 tonnes 0 0 0 0
20.4 tonnes to 23.4 tonnes 364 364 364 364
23.5 tonnes to 25.4 tonnes 0 0 0 0
TOTAL 364 364 364 364
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