Talk:Main line (railway)

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Single track main lines?[edit]

I'm interested in this New Zealand case. Obviously they are 'main lines' in their country context, but are they definitely mostly single track? I couldn't find anything with a quick look at the NZ rail article (perhaps its just common knowledge?). I'd be interested to know if NZ is the exception that proves the rule or whether there are other significant systems with single track main lines? MickMacNee (talk) 14:30, 5 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, almost all railways in New Zealand are single track. With the obvious exclusion of crossing loops, yards, etc., the Main North Line is single track for almost its entire length - just have a look at the picture on its page and you can see it narrows to single track almost immediately after its junction. The only significant double tracking of main lines occurs in Auckland and Wellington; the double track on Christchurch and Dunedin's main lines was actually ripped up and they reverted to single track. I don't think it's exceptional either. You'll find that a number of Australian trunk routes are single track; the Trans-Australian Railway, the only transcontinental route, certainly is not double tracked across the Nullarbor Plain, and I can't even begin to imagine how duplicating the Adelaide-Darwin Railway could be economic. - Axver (talk) 22:11, 5 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]