Pocket track
A pocket track, tail track, or reversing siding (UK: centre siding, turnback siding) is a
Pocket tracks also allow for the
A pocket track can have a platform on it to permit turning back of trains and letting passengers change trains, such as Stevenage railway station where a new platform 5 was built on a turnback siding,[7] or Bachman station, where the pocket track is incorporated within the station to allow for trains to terminate before heading to the yard without disrupting traffic.
Typically there will be two tracks, one for each direction of travel. The pocket track will be positioned between the two tracks, linked to both by switches, usually on both sides. Although most trains will pass through the station and continue in the same direction, an individual train may be directed into the pocket track by the control tower, before later exiting the pocket track and running in the opposite direction back into the station. This procedure allows a greater frequency of trains on a section of track closer to the city center, and reduced frequency on the suburban sections by allowing certain trains to run from the city center to intermediate stations, using pocket tracks to change direction within the flow of trains.
References
- ^ Railway Technical Web Pages, UK. "Glossary: Centre Siding." Archived 2014-10-07 at the Wayback Machine Updated 2011-08-29.
- ^ Railway Technical Web Pages, UK. "US-UK Railway Terminology." Archived 2010-11-28 at the Wayback Machine Updated 2011-08-29.
- ^ TriMet MAX (Metropolitan Area Express), Portland, Oregon."Types of track layouts." Max FAQs. 2010-12-17.
- ^ "Pocket Tracks" (PDF). Metro 2025: Strategic Plan, 2013-2025 (Report). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. p. 67. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
- ^ "Orange Line". dart.org. Retrieved 2023-06-03.
- ^ "Northgate Station" (PDF). Sound Transit. July 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 2, 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
- ^ "Stevenage Turnback Siding, East Coast Mainline". Trackwork. Retrieved 2023-04-26.