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A quadruple-track railway (also known as a four-track railway) is a
railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
line consisting of four parallel
track Track or Tracks may refer to: Routes or imprints * Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity * Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across * Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...
s with two tracks used in each direction. Quadruple-track railways can handle large amounts of traffic, and so are used on very busy routes or sections. Such conversion is referred to as "quadruplication". A railway line with six parallel tracks, or a sextuple-track railway, has three tracks in each direction. The corresponding term is "sextuplication". There are also instances of railway lines or sections with eight tracks, and cases with three or five tracks.


Advantages

* Quadruple track can carry a larger amount of traffic, with usually at least twice the capacity of double track. It is often seen around large
metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big c ...
es or on busy inter-city corridors. * On quadruple track, faster trains can overtake slower ones, and so quadrupling help speed up trains.
High-speed rail High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail system that runs significantly faster than traditional rail, using an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and dedicated tracks. While there is no single standard that applies worldwide, lines ...
with 200 km/h average speed and
commuter rail Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are con ...
with 40 km/h average can co-exist on quadruple tracks without interrupting each other. * Maintenance and
engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
work are easier on tracks in quadruple line with little resulting delay because double-track service can continue even if the other two double tracks are halted during the work.


Disadvantages

* Quadruple track costs more, as it requires more materials and increased land acquisition costs. This also applies to
tunnel A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube cons ...
ling and
bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
costs. * Maintenance costs are higher and often more complex, as there may be more switches (points) on the track than on a two-track line (to facilitate switching from outer to inner tracks and vice versa). * For safety, costly
grade separation In civil engineering (more specifically highway engineering), grade separation is a method of aligning a junction of two or more surface transport axes at different heights (grades) so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other tran ...
s are almost always required.


Operation

In quadruple track, trains are sorted in various ways in order to make maximum use of track capacity. These can include one or a combination of: * Sorting by speed A faster express line and a stopping local line are separated, with each having a separate pair of tracks. Construction of new double tracks dedicated to
high-speed rail High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail system that runs significantly faster than traditional rail, using an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and dedicated tracks. While there is no single standard that applies worldwide, lines ...
alongside existing conventional double track used by regional and local passenger trains and freight trains is a form of quadruple track. It increases the capacity of that route significantly, and allows for significant increases in inter-city high-speed train frequency with reduced travel times. * Sorting by distance Long-distance
inter-city rail Inter-city rail services are express passenger train services that run services that connect cities over longer distances than commuter or regional trains. There is no precise definition of inter-city rail; its meaning may vary from country ...
and freight trains are separated from short distance commuter rail. This helps to prevent delays on one service affecting the other, and is commonly seen in metropolitan areas. Quadrupling may be necessary when a new commuter rail service begins to operate on an existing line. Sometimes the local trains have separate technology, such as electrical system or signalling, which requires strict separation, for example in
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
or
Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
. * Sorting by destination When a quadruple-track line divides to different destinations part way along, trains need to be sorted by their destination. * Sorting by passenger/ freight Passenger trains and freight trains can be separated with each different track. A variation of this can be found on the quadruple track section of the Main Northern line in
New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...
between
Waratah Waratah (''Telopea'') is an Australian-endemic genus of five species of large shrubs or small trees, native to the southeastern parts of Australia (New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania). The best-known species in this genus is ''Telopea speci ...
and
Maitland Maitland is an English and Scottish surname. It arrived in Britain after the Norman conquest of 1066. There are two theories about its source. It is either a nickname reference to "bad temper/disposition" (Old French, ''Maltalent''; Anglo Norm ...
where one pair of tracks are used exclusively for coal trains and the other pair are used for passenger trains and general freight. A similar process, but with all intercity and commuter passenger trains on the outer tracks and thru-freight trains on the inner tracks, was done by the
Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...
on its New YorkWashington and PhiladelphiaPittsburgh mainlines prior to the takeover of operations by
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
and
Conrail Conrail , formally the Consolidated Rail Corporation, was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeastern United States between 1976 and 1999. The trade name Conrail is a portmanteau based on the company's legal name. It continues to do busin ...
(and later
Norfolk Southern The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Railroad classes, Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway (U.S.), Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the ...
). This is somewhat still done to this day by NS,
CSX CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...
, and Conrail Shared Assets trains on Amtrak-owned trackage in the Philadelphia area. * Other modes Two separate double-track lines in proximity to each other, e.g., two double-track lines along opposite sides of a river, can operate as a quadruple track line. Examples of this can be found in Rhone in France and
Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...
in Germany.


Layouts

As it can be seen from the pictures below in the Gallery of diagrams, the four tracks can be paired either by direction (slow and fast in each pair) or by purpose (speed or direction in each pair). Pairing by direction allows the railway to interface to a double track more easily. With fast trains in centre, local stations can be on the outside, eliminating staircases for half the passengers. With slow trains in centre or when pairing by speed there can be a common platform for local trains with one staircase and one ticket booth. Sometimes two of the tracks go more straight and with a little distance from the two other. This is a design decision when widening a double track section, and allows higher speed on the faster tracks. File:Four Tracks Paired by Direction - Fast in Centre.jpg File:Four Tracks Paired by Direction - Platforms in Centre.jpg File:Four Tracks Paired by Direction - Slow in Centre.jpg File:Four Tracks Paired by Use.jpg File:Four Tracks Paired by Use SIS.jpg


Examples


Europe


Belgium

Several lines radiating from
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
are quadrupled, for instance the
Ghent Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded in ...
-
Ostend Ostend ( nl, Oostende, ; french: link=no, Ostende ; german: link=no, Ostende ; vls, Ostende) is a coastal city and municipality, located in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerk ...
line as far as Essene-Lombeek. Further quadrupling has recently been carried out as part of the development of the
Brussels Regional Express Network The Brussels S-train, also known as the Brussels Regional Express Network (french: Réseau Express Régional Bruxellois or RER); ( nl, Gewestelijk ExpresNet or GEN) is a suburban rail system in the Brussels Capital Region. It will offer fast conn ...
. The building of high-speed lines has also led to quadrupling - for instance the
HSL 2 The HSL 2 (french: Ligne à Grande Vitesse (LGV) 2, nl, Hogesnelheidslijn 2, en, High-Speed Line 2) is a Belgian high-speed rail line between Leuven and Ans (near Liège) and is long, all of it on dedicated high-speed tracks, which began serv ...
high-speed line between Brussels and
Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...
runs inside the local lines as far as
Leuven Leuven (, ) or Louvain (, , ; german: link=no, Löwen ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic ...
. Meanwhile since 1934 Brussels and
Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,
have been connected by two separate pairs of double track. Fast trains normally use line 25, while line 27 serves slow trains. In places they run parallel, but at times diverge and cross over each other.


Denmark

There are two places in Denmark with four tracks: * Between
Klampenborg Klampenborg is a northern suburb to Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located in Gentofte Municipality, directly on Øresund, between Taarbæk and Skovshoved. Like other neighbourhoods along the Øresund coast, Klampenborg is an affluent area with many ...
and Høje Taastrup, through Copenhagen, Denmark, there are four tracks; two are for the separated
S-train The S-Bahn is the name of hybrid urban- suburban rail systems serving a metropolitan region in German-speaking countries. Some of the larger S-Bahn systems provide service similar to rapid transit systems, while smaller ones often resemble co ...
s and two for mainline trains; where the two tracks closest to Copenhagen (the oldest and central parts of Copenhagen) are reserved for S-trains (on much the lines this is the Northern and Western two tracks). * Also between Høje Taastrup and
Roskilde Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 51,916 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...
, where the two center tracks are for InterCity, long distance commuter trains (further than
Roskilde Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 51,916 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...
or
Ringsted Ringsted is a city located centrally in the Danish island of Zealand. It is the seat of a municipality of the same name. Ringsted is situated approximately 60 km from Copenhagen. Tourism and transport Ringsted is one of Denmark's busiest ...
), while the outer two tracks are for commuter trains to/from
Ringsted Ringsted is a city located centrally in the Danish island of Zealand. It is the seat of a municipality of the same name. Ringsted is situated approximately 60 km from Copenhagen. Tourism and transport Ringsted is one of Denmark's busiest ...
or
Holbæk Holbæk () is a town in Denmark and the seat of Holbæk municipality with a population of 29,608 (1 January 2022).Helsinki–Riihimäki railway Helsinki–Riihimäki railway is a railway running between the Helsinki Central railway station and the Riihimäki railway station in Finland, and it is part of the Finnish Main Line. It was opened in 1862 as a part of the Finland's first railway b ...
has four tracks between Helsinki Central Station and
Kerava railway station Kerava railway station ( fi, Keravan rautatieasema, sv, Kervo järnvägsstation) is located in the town of Kerava, Finland. It is located approximately from Helsinki Central railway station. Six tracks run through the station, three of which ha ...
* Helsinki-Turku railway has four tracks between Helsinki Central Station and Leppävaara station


Germany

By definition German railway lines have one or two tracks. Where more tracks are running parallel to each other, they are considered two or more separate lines. Such routes include: * The
Berlin Stadtbahn The Berlin Stadtbahn ("city railway") is a major railway thoroughfare in the German capital Berlin, which runs through Berlin from east to west. It connects the eastern district of Friedrichshain with Charlottenburg in the west via 11 intermedia ...
, Germany, has four tracks. Two are for the separated
S-Bahn The S-Bahn is the name of hybrid urban- suburban rail systems serving a metropolitan region in German-speaking countries. Some of the larger S-Bahn systems provide service similar to rapid transit systems, while smaller ones often resemble co ...
and two for mainline trains. * The 112 km long
Hamm–Minden railway The Hamm–Minden Railway is an important and historically significant railway in Germany. It is completely quadruple track. It is a major axis for long distance passenger and freight trains between the Ruhr and the north and east of Germany. I ...
between Hamm and
Minden Minden () is a middle-sized town in the very north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the greatest town between Bielefeld and Hanover. It is the capital of the district (''Kreis'') of Minden-Lübbecke, which is part of the region of Detm ...
in Germany is completely quadruple-track with separate tracks for freight and passenger trains. * The 50 km long railway from Rastatt to Offenburg in Germany has four tracks. * The
Hohenzollern Bridge The Hohenzollern Bridge (german: Hohenzollernbrücke) is a bridge crossing the river Rhine in the German city of Cologne (German: ''Köln''). It crosses the Rhine at kilometre 688.5. Originally, the bridge was both a railway and road bridge. ...
, with six tracks * The line from Munich to Augsburg has four tracks and near Munich even more.


Ireland

* In
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, the busiest section of railway in the country, on the approach to Dublin's
Heuston station Heuston Station ( ; ga, Stáisiún Heuston; formerly Kingsbridge Station) also known as Dublin Heuston, is one of Dublin's largest railway stations and links the capital with the south, southwest and west of Ireland. It is operated by Iar ...
from Hazelhatch & Celbridge was quadrupled in 2009.


Italy

* The Rome–Naples high-speed railway and the Rome–Sulmona–Pescara railway in Italy combine to form a quadruple track section between Roma Prenestina railway station and Salone railway station. * The Milan-Chasso railway and the Milan-Lecco railway run parallel in a quadruple track section from Milan to Monza. * The main section of
Ferrovie Nord Milano 450px, Map of the main branch of the FNM lines. FNM operates also the Brescia-Edolo railway in eastern Lombardy">Edolo.html" ;"title="Brescia-Edolo">Brescia-Edolo railway in eastern Lombardy, not shown in map. Ferrovie Nord Milano (FNM S.p.A.) is ...
line between Milan and
Saronno Saronno (; lmo, Saronn ) is a ''comune'' of Lombardy, Italy, in the province of Varese. It received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree in 1960. With an estimated population of 39,351 inhabitants, it is the most densely populated ...
in Italy. Outer regional trains are segregated from the inner suburban trains.


Netherlands

* The Amsterdam–Rotterdam railway between Leiden via Den Haag HS to
Rijswijk Rijswijk (), formerly known as Ryswick ( ) in English, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. Its population was in , and it has an area of , of which is water. The municipality also includes th ...
was quadrupled between 1987 and 1996. , this is intended to extend to Rotterdam in the future. * The
Amsterdam–Arnhem railway The Amsterdam–Arnhem railway, also referred to as the Amsterdam–Elten railway or ''Rhijnspoorweg'' in Dutch language, Dutch (English: Rhine railway), is an important Rail transport, railway that connects Amsterdam in the Netherlands with Utre ...
between Amsterdam Bijlmer and
Utrecht Centraal Utrecht Centraal, officially Station Utrecht Centraal (), is the transit hub that integrates three bicycle parkings, two bus stations, two tram stops and the central railway station for the city of Utrecht in the province of Utrecht, Netherlands. ...
has been quadrupled between 1999 and 2008. * The
Breda–Eindhoven railway The Breda–Eindhoven railway is an important railway line in the Netherlands running from Breda railway station to Eindhoven railway station, passing through Tilburg railway station and Boxtel railway station. The line was opened between 1863 an ...
between Boxtel and
Eindhoven Eindhoven () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of North Brabant of which it is its largest. With a population of 238,326 on 1 January 2022,Breda–Rotterdam railway The Breda–Rotterdam railway is a heavily used railway line in the Netherlands running from Breda to Rotterdam, passing through Dordrecht. It is also called the ''Staatslijn I'' ("state line I") in Dutch. The line was opened between 1866 and 1877 ...
between Rotterdam and Dordrecht has been quadrupled.


Norway

There are some quadruple-track railways in the Oslo region. They are mostly two double tracks with slightly different routes, one older for local trains, and one newer mostly in tunnels for high-speed and regional trains. *
Drammen Line The Drammen Line ( no, Drammenbanen) is a railway line between Oslo and Drammen, Norway, which was opened on 7 October 1872. It serves all trains west of Oslo Central Station and is owned by Bane NOR. The line opened as a narrow gauge railway, ...
and
Asker Line The Asker Line ( no, Askerbanen) is a railway line between Asker and Lysaker in Norway. The line runs along the same corridor as the Drammen Line, offering increased capacity, speed and regularity on the rail network west of Oslo. The first p ...
between Asker and Lysaker. *
Trunk Line In telecommunications, trunking is a technology for providing network access to multiple clients simultaneously by sharing a set of circuits, carriers, channels, or frequencies, instead of providing individual circuits or channels for each clie ...
and
Gardermoen Line The Gardermoen Line ( no, Gardermobanen) is a high-speed railway line between Oslo and Eidsvoll, Norway, running past Lillestrøm and Oslo Airport, Gardermoen. The line is long and replaced the older Hoved Line as the main line north-east of Os ...
between Oslo and Lillestrøm. *
Østfold Line The Østfold Line ( no, Østfoldbanen) is a railway line which runs from Oslo through the western parts of Follo and Østfold to Kornsjø in Norway. It continues through Sweden as the Norway/Vänern Line. The northern half is double track and th ...
and
Follo Line The Follo Line ( no, Follobanen) is a high-speed railway between Oslo and Ski, Norway. The line runs parallel to the Østfold Line, and is dimensioned for . Most of the line, , runs in a twin-tube tunnel named the Blix Tunnel, which is the lon ...
(under construction to be finished at the end of 2022) between Oslo and Ski.


Portugal

* The sub-urban railway axis between Mira-Sintra and Alverca in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, part of the
Linha de Sintra Linha de Sintra is a railway line which connects the stations of Rossio and Sintra, in Portugal. The railway was one of the first to be planned in Portugal, and was opened on 2 April 1887. The southern terminus was changed from Alcântara-Terra ...
, Linha da Cintura and
Linha do Norte Linha do Norte is the Portuguese main railway line that connects the two main Portuguese cities, Lisbon and Porto. Its length is . It goes through some other important cities like Vila Franca de Xira, Santarém, Entroncamento, Pombal, Coim ...
. Portugal's busiest railway by number of passengers and trains.


Sweden

* All of the mainline railway through
Stockholm County Stockholm County ( sv, Stockholms län, link=no ) is a county or '' län'' (in Swedish) on the Baltic Sea coast of Sweden. It borders Uppsala County and Södermanland County. It also borders Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The city of Stockholm ...
(between Järna and Myrbacken north of
Märsta Märsta () is a suburb of Metropolitan Stockholm, a locality and the seat of Sigtuna Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 27,034 inhabitants in 2015. The town is situated close to Stockholm's main international airport, Arlanda. Even though ...
, ) has four tracks, sometimes having two routes. There are plans to widen Stockholm–
Bålsta Bålsta is a locality and the seat of Håbo Municipality, Uppsala County, Sweden with 13 138 inhabitants in 2015. Although not in Stockholm County, it has Bålsta Station, the north-western terminus of the Stockholm suburban rail system. Many in ...
and Myrbacken–
Uppsala Uppsala (, or all ending in , ; archaically spelled ''Upsala'') is the county seat of Uppsala County and the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, fourth-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. It had 177,074 inha ...
to quadruple track with parts finished or under construction. After this, the
Stockholm commuter rail Stockholm commuter rail ( sv, Stockholms pendeltåg) is the commuter rail system in Stockholm County, Sweden. The system is an important part of the public transport in Stockholm, and is controlled by Storstockholms Lokaltrafik. The tracks are ...
would have its own tracks everywhere. The
Swedish Transport Administration The Swedish Transport Administration ( sv, Trafikverket) is a government agency in Sweden, government agency in Sweden, controlled by the Riksdag and the Government of Sweden. It is responsible for long-term infrastructure planning for transport: ...
is currently planning on extending the quadruple track from a few kilometers north off
Upplands Väsby Upplands Väsby () is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Upplands Väsby Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 149,463 inhabitants in 2020. History The municipality has a long history with clear traces of settlements from t ...
to
Uppsala Central Station Uppsala Central Station is a railway station in Uppsala, Sweden. It lies on the East Coast Line, which runs south to Stockholm and north to Gävle and Sundsvall. It is also the southeastern terminus for the Dala Line which runs northwest ending ...
within the upcoming decade. When having four tracks the local trans go in the middle, which allows a common ticket booth per station. * The section between
Malmö Malmö (, ; da, Malmø ) is the largest city in the Swedish county (län) of Scania (Skåne). It is the third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the sixth-largest city in the Nordic region, with a municipal populat ...
and
Arlöv Arlöv () is the seat of Burlöv Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden. It is statistically not defined as a locality of its own, but forms part of the contiguous city of Malmö, 5 km northeast of downtown Malmö. Out of Malmö's 344,000 inh ...
on the
Southern Main Line The Southern Main Line ( sv, Södra stambanan) is a long standard gauge electrified railway between Malmö and Katrineholm in Sweden. The trains continue further on to Stockholm Central Station along the Western Main Line and terminate there (a ...
has four tracks. As of 2018, an extension to
Lund Lund (, , ) is a city in the southern Swedish provinces of Sweden, province of Scania, across the Øresund, Öresund strait from Copenhagen. The town had 91,940 inhabitants out of a municipal total of 121,510 . It is the seat of Lund Municipali ...
is expected to be finished in 2024. It will have local stations on the outside tracks, because staffed ticket booths are not used here.


Switzerland

* The 120 km long railway from Zürich to Olten contains long quadruple track sections from Zürich to Killwangen-Spreitenbach ( Zürich–Baden line) and from Rupperswil to Aarau ( Heitersberg line), currently being extended to Olten ( Olten–Aarau line).


United Kingdom

* Significant lengths of the
West Coast Main Line The West Coast Main Line (WCML) is one of the most important railway corridors in the United Kingdom, connecting the major cities of London and Glasgow with branches to Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Edinburgh. It is one of the busiest ...
,
Great Western Main Line The Great Western Main Line (GWML) is a main line railway in England that runs westwards from London Paddington to . It connects to other main lines such as those from Reading to Penzance and Swindon to Swansea. Opened in 1841, it was the or ...
,
South Wales Main Line The South Wales Main Line ( cy, Prif Linell De Cymru), originally known as the London, Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway or simply as the Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway, is a branch of the Great Western Main Line in Great Britain. ...
,
Midland Main Line The Midland Main Line is a major railway line in England from London to Nottingham and Sheffield in the Midlands. It comprises the lines from London's St Pancras station via Leicester, Derby/Nottingham and Chesterfield in the East Midlands. ...
,
South West Main Line The South West Main Line (SWML) is a 143-mile (230 km) major railway line between Waterloo station in central London and Weymouth on the south coast of England. A predominantly passenger line, it serves many commuter areas including south we ...
,
Brighton Main Line The Brighton Main Line (also known as the South Central Main Line) is a major railway line in the United Kingdom that links Brighton, on the south coast of England, with central London. In London the line has two branches, out of and station ...
,
Chatham Main Line The Chatham Main Line is a railway line in England that links London VictoriaQuail Map 5 – England South ages 2–13Sept 2002 (Retrieved 14 December 2011) and Dover Priory / Ramsgate, travelling via Medway (of which the town of Chatham is ...
, South London line,
Windsor Lines First MTR South Western Trains Limited, trading as South Western Railway (SWR), is a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup (70%) and MTR Corporation (30%) that operates the South Western franchise. During March 2017, it was anno ...
between Barnes railway station and
Clapham Junction railway station Clapham Junction railway station () is a major railway station and transport hub near St John's Hill in south-west Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is from and from ; it is on both the South West Main Line and Brighton Main L ...
and East Coast Main Line in Great Britain are quadruple track, with the remainder of the lines being double track. These lines are high capacity, intercity rail routes. * The
Metropolitan Line The Metropolitan line, colloquially known as the Met, is a London Underground line between in the City of London and and in Buckinghamshire, with branches to in Hertfordshire and in Hillingdon. Printed in magenta on the tube map, the line i ...
of the
London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent ceremonial counties of England, counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and He ...
generally features a four-tracked alignment between
Wembley Park Wembley Park is a district of the London Borough of Brent, England. It is roughly centred on Bridge Road, a mile northeast of Wembley town centre and northwest from Charing Cross. The name Wembley Park refers to the area that, at its broadest ...
and Moor Park. Additionally, from Wembley Park through
Finchley Road Finchley Road is a designated arterial road in north-west London, England. The Finchley Road starts in St John's Wood near central London as part of the A41; its southern half is a major dual carriageway with high traffic levels often freque ...
it shares a four-track alignment with the
Jubilee Line The Jubilee line is a London Underground line that runs between in east London and in the suburban north-west, via the Docklands, South Bank and West End. Opened in 1979, it is the newest line on the Underground network, although some secti ...
, with the Metropolitan Line providing fast (express) service in this section and the Jubilee Line making all local stops. Furthermore, the four-track alignment between the two lines essentially extends from Finchley Road to
Baker Street Baker Street is a street in the Marylebone district of the City of Westminster in London. It is named after builder William Baker, who laid out the street in the 18th century. The street is most famous for its connection to the fictional detec ...
. The two lines run parallel near each other, with the Jubilee Line making two additional stops and the Metropolitan Line running non-stop between the stations. The tracks on the
Piccadilly Piccadilly () is a road in the City of Westminster, London, to the south of Mayfair, between Hyde Park Corner in the west and Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is part of the A4 road that connects central London to Hammersmith, Earl's Court, ...
& District Lines between
Barons Court Barons Court is a London Underground station in West Kensington in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, Greater London. This station serves the District line and the Piccadilly line. Barons Court is between West Kensington and Hamme ...
&
Acton Town Acton Town is a London Underground station in the south-west corner of Acton, West London, in the London Borough of Ealing, close to the border with the London Borough of Hounslow. The station is served by the District and Piccadilly lines a ...
are also quadruplicated with the Piccadilly running fast and the District being the stopping line.


The Americas


United States


= East coast

= * The
New York Central The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected greater New York and Boston in the east with Chicago and St. Louis in the Midw ...
's Water Level Route across
upstate New York Upstate New York is a geographic region consisting of the area of New York State that lies north and northwest of the New York City metropolitan area. Although the precise boundary is debated, Upstate New York excludes New York City and Long Is ...
was four-tracked in the majority as early as 1876, claiming to be the earliest 4-tracked steel main. This was extended to Buffalo by 1936. Financial troubles and changing traffic patterns caused this to be downgraded to a
double track A double-track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single-track railway where trains in both directions share the same track. Overview In the earliest days of railways in the United Kingdom, most lin ...
by 1975. * The
Metro-North Railroad Metro-North Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, is a suburban commuter rail service run by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a New York State public benefit corporations, public authority of the U.S. state of New Yor ...
's
New Haven Line The Metro-North Railroad New Haven Line is a commuter rail line running from New Haven, Connecticut to New York City. It joins the Harlem Line at Mount Vernon, New York and continues south to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. The New Haven ...
is four-tracked from
Grand Central Terminal Grand Central Terminal (GCT; also referred to as Grand Central Station or simply as Grand Central) is a commuter rail terminal located at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Grand Central is the southern terminus ...
in New York City to
New Haven Union Station Union Station, also known as New Haven Railroad Station or simply New Haven, is the main railroad passenger station in New Haven, Connecticut. It is the third such station in the city of New Haven, preceded by both an 1848 built station in a di ...
in
New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...
, while the system's Hudson Line features quadruplicated tracks for most of its length between Croton-Harmon and Spuyten Duyvil. * Much of
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
's
Northeast Corridor The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is an electrified railroad line in the Northeast megalopolis of the United States. Owned primarily by Amtrak, it runs from Boston through Providence, New Haven, Stamford, New York City, Philadelphia, Wilmington, a ...
from Washington, D.C., to New Haven, Connecticut, is a four-track line, except for the segment between New Rochelle and the
Sunnyside Yard Sunnyside Yard is a large coach yard, a railroad yard for passenger cars, in Sunnyside, Queens in New York City. Description The yard is owned by Amtrak and is also used by New Jersey Transit. The shared tracks of the Long Island Rail Road (LIR ...
in
Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
, New York. In
The Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
, the Amtrak trains run separately from the former New Haven Line freight tracks. The right-of-way from
Woodside, Queens Woodside is a residential and commercial neighborhood in the western portion of the borough of Queens in New York City. It is bordered on the south by Maspeth, on the north by Astoria, on the west by Sunnyside, and on the east by Elmhurst, J ...
, over the
Hell Gate Bridge The Hell Gate Bridge, originally the New York Connecting Railroad Bridge or the East River Arch Bridge, is a steel through arch railroad bridge in New York City. Originally built for four tracks, the bridge currently carries two tracks of Amtr ...
to
Co-op City, Bronx Co-op City (short for Cooperative City) is a cooperative housing development located in the northeast section of the borough of the Bronx in New York City. It is bounded by Interstate 95 to the southwest, west, and north and the Hutchinson River ...
, is three-tracked due to the presence of the single-tracked, freight-only
New York Connecting Railroad The New York Connecting Railroad or NYCR is a rail line in the borough of Queens in New York City. It links New York City and Long Island by rail directly to the North American mainland. Amtrak, CSX, Canadian Pacific Railway, Providence a ...
. The
Hell Gate Bridge The Hell Gate Bridge, originally the New York Connecting Railroad Bridge or the East River Arch Bridge, is a steel through arch railroad bridge in New York City. Originally built for four tracks, the bridge currently carries two tracks of Amtr ...
was four-tracks before one of the freight tracks was lifted. The bridge was designed for an additional track on each side of the main arch for a trolley line. * The
Erie Lackawanna Railway The Erie Lackawanna Railway , known as the Erie Lackawanna Railroad until 1968, was formed from the 1960 merger of the Erie Railroad and the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad. The official motto of the line was "The Friendly Service Route" ...
had a four-track mainline on the former
Erie Railroad The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in the northeastern United States, originally connecting New York City — more specifically Jersey City, New Jersey, where Erie's Pavonia Terminal, long demolished, used to stand — with Lake Erie ...
, from its
Pavonia Terminal Pavonia Terminal was the Erie Railroad terminal on the Hudson River situated on the landfilled Harsimus Cove in Jersey City, New Jersey. The station opened in 1861 and closed in 1958 when the Erie Railroad moved its passenger services to nearby ...
in Jersey city to
Suffern Suffern is a Administrative divisions of New York#Village, village that was incorporated in 1796 in the town of Ramapo, New York, Ramapo in Rockland County, New York. Suffern is located 31 miles northwest of Manhattan. As of the 2010 census, Suf ...
yard in Rockland County, New York. This allowed the separation of freight and commuter trains. The EL Rwy also inherited former Lackawanna four-track
Boonton Boonton is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 8,815, an increase of 468 (+5.6%) from the 2010 census count of 8,347, which in turn reflected a decline of 149 (− ...
Main Line Mainline, ''Main line'', or ''Main Line'' may refer to: Transportation Railway * Main line (railway), the principal artery of a railway system * Main line railway preservation, the practice of operating preserved trains on an operational railw ...
from Dover, NJ, to Delawanna (Passaic), NJ. * The
Central Railroad of New Jersey The Central Railroad of New Jersey, also known as the Jersey Central or Jersey Central Lines , was a Class I railroad with origins in the 1830s. It was absorbed into Conrail in April 1976 along with several other prominent bankrupt railroads of ...
had a four-track main from the CNJ Terminal in Jersey City to
Phillipsburg, NJ Phillipsburg is a town located along the Delaware River in Warren County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located across the river directly east from Easton, Pennsylvania. Phillipsburg is the most populous municipality in Warren County w ...
, across from Easton, PA. * The Long Island Rail Road's
Main Line Mainline, ''Main line'', or ''Main Line'' may refer to: Transportation Railway * Main line (railway), the principal artery of a railway system * Main line railway preservation, the practice of operating preserved trains on an operational railw ...
is four-tracked from its
East River Tunnels The East River Tunnels are four single-track railroad passenger service tunnels that extend from the eastern end of Pennsylvania Station under 32nd and 33rd Streets in Manhattan and cross the East River to Long Island City in Queens. The tracks ...
portal in
Long Island City Long Island City (LIC) is a residential and commercial neighborhood on the extreme western tip of Queens, a borough in New York City. It is bordered by Astoria to the north; the East River to the west; New Calvary Cemetery in Sunnyside to the ...
to Queens Village, NY. * The
Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...
had a four-track mainline carrying freight from Pittsburgh to Harrisburg via the
Horseshoe Curve (Pennsylvania) Horseshoe Curve is a three-track railroad curve on Norfolk Southern Railway's Pittsburgh Line in Blair County, Pennsylvania. The curve is about long and in diameter. Completed in 1854 by the Pennsylvania Railroad as a way to reduce the westbou ...
. This was how the name ''
Broadway Limited The ''Broadway Limited'' was a passenger train operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) between New York City and Chicago. It operated from 1912 to 1995. It was the Pennsylvania's premier train, competing directly with the New York Central R ...
'' came about from the "Broadway of a 4-track main." Much of the route between Pittsburgh and Paoli has been downgraded to three or two tracks. * Many lines of the
New York City Subway The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the government of New York City and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, an affiliate agency of the state-run Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Opened on October 2 ...
are quadrupled – one of the few rapid transit systems in the United States to have extensive duplication. Hence, many express services are operated in the New York City Subway. Express trains and local trains are separated from each different track. *
SEPTA The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly 4 million people in five coun ...
's
Center City Commuter Connection 250px, The ASCE plaque in Jefferson Station 250px, City plaque in Jefferson Station The Center City Commuter Connection, (CCCC) commonly referred to as "the commuter tunnel", is a passenger railroad tunnel in Center City, Philadelphia, Penns ...
in Philadelphia is quadruple track, as is about half of Philadelphia's
Broad Street Subway The Broad Street Line (BSL), also known as the Broad Street subway (BSS), Orange Line, or Broad Line, is a subway line owned by the city of Philadelphia and operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). The line r ...
. *
Reading Company The Reading Company ( ) was a Philadelphia-headquartered railroad that provided passenger and commercial rail transport in eastern Pennsylvania and neighboring states that operated from 1924 until its 1976 acquisition by Conrail. Commonly called ...
's
New York Branch The New York Branch or the Bound Brook Route was a railway line in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It was operated by the Reading Company and owned by two of its subsidiaries, the North Pennsylvania Railroad and the Delaware and Bound Brook Railroad. ...
between Neshaminy Falls and
Yardley station Yardley station is a SEPTA Regional Rail station in Yardley, Pennsylvania. It is located at Main Street and Reading Avenue and serves the West Trenton Line to New Jersey. The station has off-street parking. In FY 2017, Yardley station had a wee ...
was originally quadruple-tracked before being reduced to three tracks between Neshaminy Falls and Woodbourne station and two tracks between Woodbourne and Yardley. In 2016, the third track between Woodbourne and Yardley was relaid by SEPTA in order to separate SEPTA's
West Trenton Line The West Trenton Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail service connecting Center City Philadelphia to the West Trenton section of Ewing Township, New Jersey. With around 12,000 riders every weekday, it is the third busiest line in the SEPTA Regional R ...
and CSX's Trenton Subdivision.


= Midwest

= * The
BNSF Railway Line The BNSF Line (also known informally as the "Racetrack") is a Metra commuter rail line operated by the BNSF Railway in Chicago and its western suburbs. In 2010, the BNSF Line continued to have the highest weekday ridership (average 64,600) of t ...
in
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
has a quadruple track section from
Union Station A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...
to LaVergne. * The
Chicago "L" The Chicago "L" (short for "elevated") is the rapid transit system serving the city of Chicago and some of its surrounding suburbs in the U.S. state of Illinois. Operated by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), it is the fourth-largest rapid tr ...
has a four-track section on the
North Side Main Line The North Side Main Line is a branch of the Chicago "L" system that is used by Red, Purple, and Brown Line trains. As of 2012, it is the network's busiest rail branch, serving an average of 123,229 passengers each weekday. The branch is long wi ...
(
Purple Purple is any of a variety of colors with hue between red and blue. In the RGB color model used in computer and television screens, purples are produced by mixing red and blue light. In the RYB color model historically used by painters, pu ...
,
Red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...
, and
Brown Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing or painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors orange and black. In the RGB color model used ...
Lines) between
Howard Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probabl ...
and Fullerton. * The Metra Electric District Line mainline in
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
is quadrupled between 11th street and 111th street.


= West coast

= *
Market Street Market Street may refer to: *Market Street, Cambridge, England *Market Street, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia * Market Street, George Town, Penang, Malaysia *Market Street, Manchester, England *Market Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia ...
in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
had quadruple track streetcars for much of its length in the early 1900s – two tracks operated by
United Railroads of San Francisco United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * United (2003 film), ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * United (2011 film) ...
and two tracks operated by the
San Francisco Municipal Railway The San Francisco Municipal Railway (SF Muni or Muni), is the public transit system for the City and County of San Francisco. It operates a system of bus routes (including trolleybuses), the Muni Metro light rail system, three historic cable ...
(Muni). As the streetcar system was acquired by the government and was modernized to light rail, capacity was maintained by tunneling an additional right-of-way for Muni vehicles parallel, under the surface. The
Market Street Subway The Market Street subway is a two-level subway tunnel that carries Muni Metro and BART trains under Market Street in San Francisco, California.standard gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), International gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge and European gauge in Europe, and SGR in Ea ...
and maintained by the
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA or San Francisco MTA) is an agency created by consolidation of the San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni), the Department of Parking and Traffic (DPT), and the Taxicab Commission. The agen ...
while the lower level is Indian gauge track operated by
Bay Area Rapid Transit Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is a rapid transit system serving the San Francisco Bay Area in California. BART serves 50 stations along six routes on of rapid transit lines, including a spur line in eastern Contra Costa County which uses ...
. *
Bay Area Rapid Transit Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is a rapid transit system serving the San Francisco Bay Area in California. BART serves 50 stations along six routes on of rapid transit lines, including a spur line in eastern Contra Costa County which uses ...
is quadruple tracked for a short section at the approaches to and at MacArthur station in
Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...
. The transit system had plans that called for
Market Street Subway The Market Street subway is a two-level subway tunnel that carries Muni Metro and BART trains under Market Street in San Francisco, California.Pacific Electric The Pacific Electric Railway Company, nicknamed the Red Cars, was a privately owned mass transit system in Southern California consisting of electrically powered streetcars, interurban cars, and buses and was the largest electric railway system ...
Watts Line The Watts Line was a local line of the Pacific Electric Railway that operated between the Pacific Electric Building in Downtown Los Angeles and the Watts Station at 103rd Street in Watts. It was the primary local service for the Southern District, ...
was the
interurban The Interurban (or radial railway in Europe and Canada) is a type of electric railway, with streetcar-like electric self-propelled rail cars which run within and between cities or towns. They were very prevalent in North America between 1900 a ...
system's quadruple-tracked southern trunk, running from
Downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) contains the central business district of Los Angeles. In addition, it contains a diverse residential area of some 85,000 people, and covers . A 2013 study found that the district is home to over 500,000 jobs. It is ...
to
Watts Watts is plural for ''watt'', the unit of power. Watts may also refer to: People *Watts (surname), list of people with the surname Watts Fictional characters *Watts, main character in the film '' Some Kind of Wonderful'' *Watts family, six chara ...
. After the line's discontinuance in 1958, two tracks were maintained for freight rail while two were converted to light rail for the
Los Angeles Metro Rail The Los Angeles Metro Rail is an urban rail transit system serving Los Angeles County, California, United States. It consists of seven lines, including five light rail lines (the A Line (Los Angeles Metro), A, C Line (Los Angeles Metro), C, E Li ...
Blue Line.


Asia


China

* Beijing–Baotou Railway is quadruplicated in 2012 between Hohhot East and
Baotou railway station Baotou railway station () is a railway station of Jingbao Railway, Baolan Railway, Baobai Railway and Baoshen Railway. The station located Baotou, Inner Mongolia, China. History The station opened in 1956. See also *List of stations on Ji ...
with one pair of tracks for conventional services of the Beijing–Baotou Railway and a pair for high speed trains that continue into the
Zhangjiakou–Hohhot High-Speed Railway The Zhangjiakou-Hohhot high-speed railway is a high-speed railway located in China. It connects Hohhot, the capital city of Inner Mongolia, to Zhangjiakou in Hebei province. The line has a length of 286 km as a double-tracked passenger dedicat ...
. * The Guangzhou–Shenzhen Railway is quadruplicated in 2007 for its entire length separating high-speed passenger with freight and conventional passenger services. It is the first railway in China to do so. The third track was added in 2000, but the mixing of services heading in one direction caused disruption in schedules, so the fourth track was built allowing for complete separation. * The
Shanghai–Nanjing Intercity Railway The Shanghai–Nanjing intercity railway or Huning intercity railway () is a -long high-speed rail line between Shanghai and Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province. and are shorthand Chinese names for Shanghai and Nanjing, respectively. The ...
follows the same alignment to the slower conventional Nanjing–Shanghai Railway between
Zhenjiang Zhenjiang, alternately romanized as Chinkiang, is a prefecture-level city in Jiangsu Province, China. It lies on the southern bank of the Yangtze River near its intersection with the Grand Canal. It is opposite Yangzhou (to its north) and b ...
and
Suzhou Suzhou (; ; Suzhounese: ''sou¹ tseu¹'' , Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Soochow, is a major city in southern Jiangsu province, East China. Suzhou is the largest city in Jiangsu, and a major economic center and focal point of trade ...
. In
Kunshan Kunshan is a county-level city in southeastern Jiangsu province with Shanghai bordering its eastern border and Suzhou on its western boundary. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Suzhou. Name There is a strong pos ...
it follows the
Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway The Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway (or Jinghu high-speed railway, from its name in Mandarin) is a high-speed railway that connects two major economic zones in the People's Republic of China: the Bohai Economic Rim and the Yangtze River ...
effectively making it a 4-track corridor for a majority of its length. * The Jiaozhou-Jinan Passenger Dedicated Line shares the same alignment to the slower conventional Jiaozhou–Jinan Railway, effectively making the Jiaoji Line as a quadruple track corridor. This is not to be confused with the Qingdao–Jinan High-Speed Railway which is another parallel railway running on a new alignment several kilometers north of the Jiaoji Line. * The Datong–Xi'an Passenger Railway and the
Zhengzhou–Xi'an High-Speed Railway The Zhengzhou–Xi'an high-speed railway, also known as the Zhengxi passenger line, is a high-speed railway line operated by China Railway High-speed connecting Zhengzhou and Xi'an, the provincial capitals of Henan and Shaanxi, respectively. It ...
parallel each other between
Xi'an Xi'an ( , ; ; Chinese: ), frequently spelled as Xian and also known by #Name, other names, is the list of capitals in China, capital of Shaanxi, Shaanxi Province. A Sub-provincial division#Sub-provincial municipalities, sub-provincial city o ...
and
Weinan Weinan () is a prefecture-level city in the east central Shaanxi province, China. The city lies on the lower section of the Wei River confluence into the Yellow River, about east of the provincial capital Xi'an, and borders the provinces of Shan ...
with a pair of tracks for each line. * The
Nanning–Guangzhou High-Speed Railway The Nanning–Guangzhou high-speed railway (), abbreviated as Nan–Guang railway (), connects Nanning, capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province, in China. Construction started on November 9, 2008; N ...
and Guiyang–Guangzhou High-Speed Railway run beside each other between
Guangzhou Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...
and Dinghu with a pair of tracks for each line. * The
Nanning–Guangzhou High-Speed Railway The Nanning–Guangzhou high-speed railway (), abbreviated as Nan–Guang railway (), connects Nanning, capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province, in China. Construction started on November 9, 2008; N ...
and Liuzhou–Nanning Intercity Railway run beside each other between
Nanning Nanning (; ; za, Namzningz) is the capital and largest city by population of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in Southern China. It is known as the "Green City" because of its abundance of lush subtropical foliage. Located in the South of ...
and Binyang with a pair of tracks for each line. *
Beijing–Kowloon Railway The Beijing–Kowloon railway, also known as the Jingjiu railway () is a railway connecting Beijing West railway station in Beijing to Shenzhen railway station in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. It is connected with Hong Kong's East Rail across th ...
(Nanchang–Jiujiang section) / Nanchang–Jiujiang Intercity Railway. Conventional long-distance trains run on both lines. * The
Chongqing–Wanzhou Intercity Railway Chongqing–Wanzhou intercity railway is a High-speed rail in China, high speed railway between urban Chongqing and its satellite district of Wanzhou District, Wanzhou. It is also known at the Yu-Wan Railway, which are abbreviations for Chongq ...
runs parallel to the Chongqing−Lichuan Railway between
Chongqing North railway station Chongqing North railway station is a railway station located in Yubei District, Chongqing, China. It is served by the Yuhuai Railway, Suining–Chongqing Railway and Yuli Railway, and operated by the China Railway Chengdu Group. Name Prior to ...
and Changshou North railway station with a pair of tracks for each line. * The
Beijing–Tianjin intercity railway The Beijing–Tianjin intercity railway () is a Chinese high-speed railway that runs 117 km line (72.7 statute miles) between Beijing and Tianjin. Designed for passenger traffic only, the Chinese government built the line to accommodate t ...
forms a 4-track corridor with the Beijing–Shanghai Railway between Wuqing railway station and Tianjin North Station then continuing to follow the Tianjin–Shanhaiguan Railway between Tianjin North Station and
Tanggu railway station Tanggu railway station () is a railway station located in Binhai District, Tianjin, China. It is on the Tianjin–Shanhaiguan railway and Beijing–Tianjin intercity railway The Beijing–Tianjin intercity railway () is a Chinese high-spee ...
. * The Shijiazhuang–Jinan high-speed railway and the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway parallel each other between
Jinan West railway station The Jinan West railway station () is a high-speed railway station in Jinan, the capital of Shandong province, People's Republic of China. Overview It is served by the Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway and Shijiazhuang-Jinan High Speed Rail ...
and Dezhou East railway station with a pair of tracks for each line. * The
Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway The Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway (or Jinghu high-speed railway, from its name in Mandarin) is a high-speed railway that connects two major economic zones in the People's Republic of China: the Bohai Economic Rim and the Yangtze River ...
runs beside the older Beijing–Shanghai Railway between
Beijing South railway station Beijingnan (Beijing South) railway station () is a large railway station (mainly serving high speed trains) in Fengtai District, Beijing, about south of central Beijing, between the 2nd and 3rd ring roads. The station in its present form opene ...
and
Langfang railway station The Langfang railway station () is a high-speed railway station in Anci District, Langfang, Hebei, situated between Beijing and Tianjin. It is served by the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway The Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway ( ...
with a pair of tracks for each line. * The Xian-Chengdu High Speed Railway runs beside the older Baoji–Chengdu Railway between
Deyang Deyang () is a prefecture-level city of Sichuan province, China. Deyang is a largely industrial city, with companies such as China National Erzhong Group and Dongfang Electric having major operations there. The city is rich in history, with the Sa ...
and
Guanghan Guanghan ( zh, s=广汉, t=廣漢, p=Guǎnghàn; formerly known as Hanchow) is a county-level city under the administration of Deyang in Sichuan province, southwest China, and only from Chengdu. The predominant industries are tourism, pharmaceut ...
. * The Harbin–Qiqihar intercity railway runs beside the older Harbin–Manzhouli railway between
Harbin Harbin (; mnc, , v=Halbin; ) is a sub-provincial city and the provincial capital and the largest city of Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China, as well as the second largest city by urban population after Shenyang and largest ...
and Houwujiacun. * The
Hangzhou–Huangshan intercity railway Hangzhou–Huangshan intercity railway () or Hanghuang ICR () is a dual-track, electrified, high-speed rail line between Hangzhou, Zhejiang and Huangshan, Anhui. The line runs through northwestern Zhejiang and southern Anhui and accommodates t ...
runs beside the Hefei–Fuzhou high-speed railway between Huangshan North and Jixi North with a pair of tracks for each line. * Six tracks run between Hangzhou East and Hangzhou South railway stations. * The
Xiamen–Shenzhen railway The Xiamen–Shenzhen railway, also known as the Xiashen railway, () is a dual-track, electrified, high-speed rail line connecting the major coastal cities of Xiamen in Fujian and Shenzhen in Guangdong. The line has a total length of and forms ...
runs beside the older Yingtan–Xiamen railway between Jiaomei and Xiamen North railway station, Xiamen North. * The Zhengzhou–Jiaozuo intercity railway runs beside the older Beijing–Guangzhou railway between the New Yellow River Jingguang Railway Bridge to Nanyangzhai railway station with a pair of tracks for each line. * The Hefei–Bengbu high-speed railway runs beside the Huainan Railway between Hefei railway station and Shuijiahu railway station. * Four tracks run between Yuci and Taiyuan East railway stations in Taiyuan. * The Shijiazhuang–Jinan passenger railway runs beside the older Shide Railway between Shijiazhuang railway station, Shijiazhuang and Shijiazhaung East stations. *Beijing–Kowloon railway and Shangqiu–Hangzhou high-speed railway form a four track corridor between Shangqiu South to Gucheng East railway station. *Chengdu Metro, Chengdu Metro's Line 1 (Chengdu Metro), Line 1 and Line 18 (Chengdu Metro), Line 18 run adjacent to each other for roughly 20 kilometers, essentially forming a four track subway between Chengdu South railway station, Chengdu South Railway Station and Western China International Expo City station, Western China International Expo City Station. Line 18 is typically the express route, while Line 1 is the local route.


Hong Kong

* The Tung Chung line and the Airport Express (MTR), Airport Express of the MTR in Hong Kong are quadruplicated between Kowloon station (MTR), Kowloon and Tsing Yi station, Tsing Yi stations, but share two tracks through the Airport Core Programme#Airport Railway, Western Immersed Tube tunnel and between Tsing Yi and Sunny Bay stations and between Sunny Bay station and Tai Ho Wan junction. * The West Rail line runs parallel to the Tung Chung line and the Airport Express near Nam Cheong station, meaning six tracks running side-by-side, though the three lines serve different destinations and passenger interchange is only possible between Tung Chung line and West Rail at Nam Cheong, and out-of-system across the three lines between Austin and Kowloon stations. * The Tung Chung line section between Lai King and Hong Kong (MTR), Hong Kong stations serves also as a short-cut to the section on the Tsuen Wan Line (MTR), Tsuen Wan line between Lai King and Pedder (MTR), Central stations. The same is true for the KCR West Rail, West Rail section between Mei Foo (KCR), Mei Foo and East Tsim Sha Tsui (KCR), East Tsim Sha Tsui stations, and the corresponding section on the Tsuen Wan line between Mei Foo and Tsim Sha Tsui (MTR), Tsim Sha Tsui stations. * The West Rail (KCR), West Rail and the KCR Light Rail, Light Rail between Siu Hong and Tuen Mun (KCR), Tuen Mun stations. * Between Shau Kei Wan Station, Shau Kei Wan and Sheung Wan stations, the Island line (MTR), Island line of the MTR runs underneath or in close proximity to the Hong Kong Tramway. * The Ocean Park Cable Car system has two pairs of ropeways. * Multiple sections on the KCR East Rail, East Rail, where Guangzhou–Kowloon through train, Intercity Through Trains may overtake domestic trains on the third or fourth track, as well as an extra pair of tracks near Racecourse (KCR), Racecourse station.


India

* The line between and on Howrah-Delhi line. * The line between and of Kolkata Suburban Railway * The line between and on Howrah-Chennai line. * The line between and . * The Central Line (Mumbai Suburban Railway), Central Line of Mumbai Suburban Railway, from to * The Western Line (Mumbai Suburban Railway), Western line of Mumbai Suburban Railway, from to . * The mainline between and . * The mainline between and on Delhi-Mumbai rail route. * The South Line, Chennai Suburban between and . * The West Line, Chennai Suburban between and .


Indonesia

* The line between and on Rajawali-Cikampek line is being quadrupled, with the first section between and opened on 14 April 2019.


Israel

* The Coastal railway line, Israel, Coastal Railway between Tel Aviv Savidor Central railway station, Tel Aviv Central and Herzliya railway station, Herzliya. In 2020 construction started on an NIS 5.5 billion (US$1.5 billion in 2018 dollars) project to extend the 4 track section along about 10 km south from Tel Aviv Central to Tel Aviv HaHagana railway station, Tel Aviv HaHagana and from there to the Ganot/Shapirim interchange on the Tel Aviv–Lod Railway. In the future, four tracking of the Coastal Railway is also planned to extend north of Herzliya to Haifa in stages.


Japan

* Hankyu Railway in Osaka has a sextuplicated section between Umeda and Juso stations (2.4 km). * Keihan Main Line in Osaka is quadruplicated between Temmabashi and Neyagawa Signal Box (~13 km). *Odakyū Odawara Line, Odakyu Odawara Line in Tokyo is quadruplicated between Mukōgaoka-Yūen Station, Mukogaoka-Yuen and Yoyogi-Hachiman Station, Yoyogi-Hachiman Stations. *Tōkyū Tōyoko Line, Tokyu Toyoko and Tōkyū Meguro Line, Meguro Lines in Tokyo run parallel beside each other between Hiyoshi Station (Kanagawa), Hiyoshi and Tamagawa Station (Tokyo), Tamagawa Stations. *Seibu Ikebukuro Line in Tokyo is quadruplicated between Shakujii-kōen Station, Shakujii-koen and Sakuradai Station (Tokyo), Sakuradai Stations. *Tōbu Tōjō Line, Tobu Tojo Line in Tokyo is quadruplicated between Wakōshi Station, Wakoshi and Shiki Station (Saitama), Shiki Stations. *Tobu Skytree Line in Tokyo is quadruplicated between Kita-Koshigaya Station, Kita-Koshigaya and Kita-Senju Station, Kita-Senju Stations. * Between Tokyo and Odawara (JR East) 83.9 km is paired by use (not including Shinkansen). ** Tokyo – Shinagawa 6.8 km: 6 tracks (8 if include Sobu-Yokosuka Line Underground) ** Shinagawa – Tsurumi 14.9 km: 4 tracks ** Tsurumi – Yokohama 7.1 km: 6 tracks ** Yokohama – Totsuka 12.1 km: 4 tracks ** Totsuka – Ofuna 5.6 km: 6 tracks ** Ofuna – Odawara 37.4 km: 4 tracks * Between and (JR East) is paired by use (not including Shinkansen) ** Tokyo – Akihabara: 6 tracks ** Akihabara – Ueno: 6 tracks *** (Tokyo – Ueno 3.6 km) ** Ueno – Nippori 2.2 km: 10 tracks (2 for Ueno Depot) ** Nippori – Tabata: 4 tracks ** Nippori – Oku: 4 tracks ** Tabata – Akabane: 4 tracks ** Oku – Akabane: 2 tracks *** (Nippori – Akabane 7.4 km) ** Akabane – Omiya 17.1 km: 6 tracks * Between and (JR West) 120.9 km (not including Shinkansen) ** Kusatsu – Kyoto 22.2 km is paired by direction: 4 tracks ** Kyoto – Umekoji – Mukomachi 6.4 km is paired by direction: 5 tracks ** Mukomachi – Ibaraki 21.8 km is paired by direction: 4 tracks ** Ibaraki – Suita is paired by use: 6 tracks ** Suita – Shin-Osaka is paired by use: 8 tracks ** Shin-Osaka – Osaka – Tsukamoto is paired by direction: 6 tracks *** (Ibaraki – Osaka 14.6 km) ** Shin-Osaka – Miyahara – Tsukamoto: 2 tracks ** Tsukamoto – Hyogo is paired by direction: 4 tracks ** Hyogo – Takatori is paired by direction: 5 tracks *** (Osaka – Takatori 38.2 km) ** Takatori – Nishi-Akashi Station, Nishi-Akashi 17.7 km is paired by use: 4 tracks * Between Ochanomizu and Mitaka (JR East) 21.5 km is paired by use. ** Ochanomizu – Yoyogi: 4 tracks ** Yoyogi – Shinjuku: 8 tracks ** Shinjuku – Mitaka: 4 tracks * Between Kinshicho and Chiba (JR East) 34.4 km is paired by use. ** Kinshicho – Nishi-Chiba: 4 tracks ** Nishi-Chiba – Chiba: 6 tracks * Between Ayase and Toride (JR East) 29.7 km: 4 tracks/paired by use * Between Osaki and Komagome (JR East) about 20 km is paired by use. (see Yamanote line) ** Osaki – Yoyogi: 4 tracks ** Yoyogi – Shinjuku: 8 tracks ** Shinjuku – Komagome Station, Komagome: 4 tracks * Between Souen and Heiwa (JR Hokkaido) about 9 km ** Souen – Sapporo is paired by use: 3 tracks ** Sapporo – Heiwa is paired by direction: 4 tracks * Between Niigata (city), Niigata and Kami-Nuttari (JR East) 1.9 km: 4 tracks/paired by direction''Japan Railfan Magazine'' (Koyusha) No. 478 p. 26 * Between Imamiya and Tennoji (JR West) 2.2 km: 4 tracks/paired by direction * Between Inazawa and Nagoya (JR Central) 11.1 km/paired by use: 4 tracks * Between Hiroshima and Kaitaichi (JR West) 6.4 km: 4 tracks/paired by direction * Between Orio and Moji (JR Kyushu) 24.6 km ** Orio – Kokura Station, Kokura: 4 tracks/paired by use ** Kokura – Higashi-Kokura 1.6 km/paired by direction: 6 tracks ** Higashi-Kokura – Moji is paired by direction: 4 tracks * Besides JR companies, the following private railway companies in Japan run their own quadruple (or more) tracked sections: ** Tobu Railway, Keikyu, Seibu Railway, Keisei Railway, Tokyu Corporation, Tokyu, Odakyu, Keio and Tokyo Metro in Greater Tokyo. ** Meitetsu and Kintetsu Railway, Kintetsu in Greater Nagoya ** Keihan Railway, Kintetsu Railway, Kintetsu, Hankyu Railway, Hanshin Railway and Nankai Railway in Keihanshin.


Philippines

The country never implemented a quadruple-track line throughout its history, but there are plans for sections of the North–South Commuter Railway (NSCR) to be quadruplicated. * The NSCR will run alongside the Metro Manila Subway between and Bicutan stations from ARCA Road to Mañalac Avenue. Length is . * A branch line to Clark International Airport will have a flyover interchange with the mainline, creating a quadruplicated section. ** A spur to the Mabalacat depot will diverge from the main branch, the latter heading underground. Length is .


South Korea

* The Gyeongbu Line in South Korea is quadruplicated on 84.9 km on its route, and sextuplicated on a further 11.7 km * The Gyeongin Line is quadruple track line, except 1.9 km of double track line between Dongincheon Station and Incheon Station.


Thailand

* The State Railway of Thailand, SRT Northern Line from Bang Sue Central Station to Rangsit Station is quadruplicated on 26 km., 2 tracks for local commuter SRT Red Lines trains and 2 tracks for Intercity trains. * The Airport Rail Link (Bangkok), SRT Airport Rail Link runs beside the older SRT Eastern Line between Phaya Thai station, Phaya Thai and Lat Krabang Station, Lat Krabang. Making quintuple tracks (5 tracks).


Turkey

* The Istanbul-Ankara railway has a long quadruple-track section between Sincan, Ankara, Sincan and Kayaş railway station, Kayaş in Ankara, Turkey.


Oceania


Australia

* Adelaide-Wolseley railway line, Adelaide-Wolseley line from Adelaide to Goodwood railway station, Goodwood * Bankstown railway line, Bankstown line from Marrickville to Campsie railway station, Campsie * East Hills railway line, East Hills line from Wolli Creek to Revesby railway station, Revesby * Illawarra railway line, Illawarra line from Illawarra Junction to Hurstville railway station, Hurstville * Main Line railway, Queensland, Main line, Queensland from Roma Street to Darra railway station, Darra * Main Northern line from North Strathfield to Rhodes railway station, Rhodes, West Ryde railway station, West Ryde to Epping railway station, Sydney, Epping & Waratah railway station, Islington Junction to
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* Main Suburban railway line, Main Suburban line from Redfern to Strathfield railway station, Strathfield (6 tracks) * Main Western railway line, Main Western line from Strathfield to St Marys railway station, Sydney, St Marys * The Eastern Railway (Western Australia), Eastern Railway (used by the Midland line, Perth, Midland line) and South Western Railway, Western Australia, South Western Railway (used by the Armadale and Thornlie lines and the Australind (train), Australind) run parallel in a quadruple track section from Perth railway station, Perth to Claisebrook railway station, Claisebrook. * North Coast railway line, Queensland, North Coast line from Roma Street to Northgate railway station, Brisbane, Northgate & Lawnton railway station, Lawnton to Petrie railway station, Petrie * Serviceton railway line, Serviceton line from Southern Cross to Sunshine railway station, Melbourne, Sunshine (6 as far as Footscray railway station, Footscray)


See also

* Dual gauge * Cross-platform interchange * Spanish solution


References

{{Railway track layouts, state=collapsed Railway line types