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Branch Line




A branch line is a relatively minor Railway line which branches off a more important through route.


UNITED KINGDOM


Many British branch lines were closed as a result of the " Beeching Axe " in the 1960s , although some have been re-opened as Heritage Railway s.

The smallest branch line that is still in operation in the UK is the line from Stourbridge Junction going to Stourbridge Town . This only has one track. The journey is 1/3 of a mile and the train takes around 55 seconds to complete its journey.


NORTH AMERICA

In North America , little used branch lines are often spun off from larger railroads to become new Common Carrier Short-line Railroad s of their own.


NEW ZEALAND


, an extensive network of branch lines was built in rugged terrain to serve coal mines, while in the central North Island , lines were built inland to provide rail access to large logging operations.

Today, many of the branch lines have been closed, including almost all of the general-purpose country lines. Those that remain serve ports or industries not located near main lines such as coal mines, logging operations, large dairying factories, and steelworks. In Wellington , two branch lines exist solely for commuter passenger trains. For more, see the List Of New Zealand Railway Lines .