Island railways and lift / swing rail bridges

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Motorists are being advised that the Kingsferry Bridge to Sheppey will be fully lifted at 4.10pm today.

The bridge is being lifted to let a large ship under it on the afternoon tide. The bridge will be lowered at around 4.55pm.

Drivers are advised to use the A249 Sheppey Crossing instead. Train services to, and from the island will be affected

from Kent News

Set me thinking - where else do trains run onto Islands off the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) (Anglesey and Holy Isle are the obvious pair) and where else do bridge openings disrupt rail services?

[chrisr_75]

Going off on a bit of a tangent, there are quite a number of opening bridges in the Netherlands that carry railways across waterways, large and small. As I recall, there is a fairly substantial example on the main line from Rotterdam/the Hague to Amsterdam.

And to be really really pedantic, the N.Wales coast line is actually carried by a causeway from Anglesey to Holyhead, so I'm not sure if that really counts? 

[Richard Fairhurst]

There are railway swing bridges on the Norfolk Broads at Reedham, Somerleyton and Trowse. Trowse has overhead electrification!

There's also one at Keadby on the Stainforth & Keadby Canal - I took this pic the other year just before we boated through it.



There used to be another over the (tidal) Trent at Keadby, but that's now fixed in place. The big one at Goole on the Yorkshire Ouse, however, still swings.

They're the only ones I can think of off the top of my head, but you might find a few more by scouring http://www.movablebridges.org.uk/ ...

[grahame]

Is Barry ISLAND an Island?

[paul7575]

I wonder then if Portsea Island (Portsmouth) has the most complex railway infrastructure and service patterns on an island?

Although the bridge has never opened as far as I can work out, there was some sort of security gate that was raised or lowered in the northern fortifications of the island.

Paul

[paul7575]

Is Barry ISLAND an Island?

I think it is usually explained that the building of the docks at Barry meant it lost its status, i.e. no longer had the sea running round it.

[bobm]

There is one at Banavie just outside Fort William next to Neptune's Staircase on the Caledonian Canal.

[JayMac]

Should the OP^▸ (Original Poster / topic starter) question not be, "Where else do trains run onto islands off Great Britain?" The UK^▸ (United Kingdom) as an entity includes all the islands around it with the exception of the Isle of Man and most of the island of Ireland.

Thanks to the River Yare, River Waveney and Oulton Broad, you could argue that Somerlayton, Oulton Broad North and Lowestoft stations are on an island.

Then there's the canal system between the River Clyde and the Firth of Forth which arguably makes most of mainland Scotland an island.  

[Worcester_Passenger]

Allowing for canals makes things far too complicated. If you do that, then I live on an island formed by the Worcester and Birmingham Canal, the Stratford Canal, and the rivers Avon and Severn.

The original Act for the construction of what became the Furness Railway was "To connect Roa Island with the neighbouring Island of Great Britain". Alas, the connection was a causeway rather than a bridge.

[grahame]

Should the OP^▸ (Original Poster / topic starter) question not be, "Where else do trains run onto islands off Great Britain?"

Pedant alert - No, it says "onto" and allows for islands off islands, but not isolated rail systems like the Isle of Wight.

[Adelante_CCT]

Thanet is (or was) technically an island, boats from London to Mainland Europe used to cut through the Wantsum channel therefore stations in the Margate/Ramsgate area could be added to the list

[ellendune]

Great Britain is an island and trains serve it from mainland Europe.

[JayMac]

Again, with the debateable use of a canal, Wirral could also be an island. Lots of stations there. 

[PhilWakely]

Again, with the debateable use of a canal, Wirral could also be an island. Lots of stations there. 

And, for that same reason, stations to the north and west of the Caledonian Canal twixt Fort William and Inverness   

Oops - apologies! Should read rest of thread before posting 

[Rhydgaled]

And to be really really pedantic, the N.Wales coast line is actually carried by a causeway from Anglesey to Holyhead, so I'm not sure if that really counts? 

And the bridge over the Menai Strait onto Anglesey isn't an openning one, it is high enough that boats can pass under without having to disrupt the railway and road above.