A headshunt (or escape track in the United States) is a short length of

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 ...

provided to release

locomotive A locomotive or engine is a rail transport vehicle that provides the Power (physics), motive power for a train. If a locomotive is capable of carrying a payload, it is usually rather referred to as a multiple unit, Motor coach (rail), motor ...

s at terminal platforms, or to allow shunting to take place clear of main lines.

Terminal headshunt

A 'terminal headshunt' is a short length of track that allows a locomotive to uncouple from its train, move forward, and then run back past it on a parallel track. Such headshunts are typically installed at a terminal station to allow the locomotive of an arriving train to move to the opposite end of (in railway parlance, 'run around') its train so that it can then haul the same train out of the station in the other direction (assuming, of course, that it is a locomotive equipped to run in either direction; for locomotives that only operate in one direction, a wye or turntable needs to be provided to physically turn the engine around, as well as a run-around track).

Reversing headshunt

Found primarily on metro systems, rapid transit light rail networks, and tramways, a 'reversing headshunt' allows certain trains or trams to change direction, even on lines with high traffic flow, whilst others continue through the station. Typically there will be two running lines, one for each direction of travel, and the headshunt will be positioned between the two running lines, linked to both by

points Point or points may refer to: Places * Point, Lewis, a peninsula in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland * Point, Texas, a city in Rains County, Texas, United States * Point, the NE tip and a ferry terminal of Lismore, Inner Hebrides, Scotland * Point ...

. Although most trains will pass through the station and continue in the same direction, an individual train may be directed into the reversing headshunt, before exiting onto the other running line, in the opposite direction of travel. This procedure allows a greater frequency of trains on a city-centre section of the line, and reduced frequency on the suburban sections, by allowing certain trains to shuttle back and forth only on the city centre part, using the reversing headshunts to change direction within the flow of trains.

Shunting neck

The term headshunt may also refer to shunting neck or 'shunt spur': a short length of

laid parallel to the main line to allow a train to shunt back into a

siding Siding may refer to: * Siding (construction), the outer covering or cladding of a house * Siding (rail) A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line, branch l ...

or rail yard without occupying the main running-line.

Run round

A run round loop (or run-around loop) is a track arrangement that enables a locomotive to attach to the opposite end of the train. It is commonly used to haul wagons onto a siding, or at a terminal station to prepare for a return journey. This process is known as "running round a train". Although a common procedure for

passenger train A passenger train is a train used to transport people along a railroad line. These trains may consist of unpowered passenger railroad cars (also known as coaches or carriages) hauled by one or more locomotives, or may be self-propelled; self pr ...

s when the majority of them were locomotive-hauled, the maneuver is now becoming rarer on public service railways. Increased use of

multiple unit A multiple-unit train or simply multiple unit (MU) is a self-propelled train composed of one or more carriages joined together, which when coupled to another multiple unit can be controlled by a single driver, with multiple-unit train contr ...

and push-pull passenger services avoids the requirement for dedicated track and the need for railway staff to detach and reattach the locomotive at track level. However, on

heritage railway A heritage railway or heritage railroad (US usage) is a railway operated as living history to re-create or preserve railway scenes of the past. Heritage railways are often old railway lines preserved in a state depicting a period (or periods) i ...

s run-round loops are still usually more or less necessary at each end of the running line, partly because train services are usually locomotive-hauled, and partly because the run-round operation gives added interest to visitors. This practice is still very common on Intercity services in Victoria, Australia. Runaround tracks are used in

freight rail Rail freight transport is the use of railroads and trains to transport cargo as opposed to human passengers. A freight train, cargo train, or goods train is a group of freight cars (US) or goods wagons (International Union of Railways) hauled ...

service in order to back cars into spurs or to change directions to keep the locomotive at the front of the train for transport. In this case the runaround track must be as long as the longest set of cars that would be pulled. The locomotive leaves the cars on the runaround track or the main line, goes around, and hooks up to the other end of the train. It can then reverse the cars into a spur.

Examples

Stations which used to have run-rounds include: * UK ** Edinburgh Waverley railway station; The terminal platforms of this station featured locomotive release roads between two main platforms, connected by a three-way point to the crossover from each platform line. The same arrangement of a three-way point on a central release road was also installed at the now closed stations : *** Manchester Central. *** Liverpool Exchange. *** Leeds Central. **

St Ives railway station St Ives railway station is a railway station which serves the coastal town of St Ives, Cornwall, England. It was opened in 1877 as the terminus of the last new broad gauge passenger railway to be constructed in the country. Converted to standa ...

Matlock Riverside railway station Matlock Riverside was the terminus of Peak Rail, a preserved steam railway of approximately in length. For many years Peak Rail had planned to run trains into Matlock station, shared with the main line from Derby (the Derwent Valley Line). ...

, now closed **

Birmingham Moor Street Birmingham Moor Street is one of three main railway stations in the city centre of Birmingham, England, along with Birmingham New Street and Birmingham Snow Hill. Today's Moor Street station is a combination of the original station, opened in ...

. This station is on a confined site, so to save space the platform lines were equipped with traversers to allow locomotives to run round via the adjacent platform line (platforms 1 & 2) or an adjacent loop (platform 3). **

Withernsea Withernsea is a seaside resort and civil parish in Holderness, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Its white inland lighthouse, rising around above Hull Road, now houses a museum to 1950s actress Kay Kendall, who was born in the town. The Pr ...

, the terminal station on the now closed

Hull and Holderness Railway The Hull and Holderness Railway was a branch line in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England that connected the city of Kingston upon Hull with the seaside resort of Withernsea via the town of Hedon and the villages of Keyingham and Patrington. H ...

. At this station, instead of a crossover or points the run round loop was accessed from a turntable at the end of the platform line and run round loop.1891 1:2,500 OS map showing the layout of Withernsea stationDisused Stations in the UK
There was a similar arrangement at

Ventnor Ventnor () is a seaside resort and civil parish established in the Victorian era on the southeast coast of the Isle of Wight, England, from Newport. It is situated south of St Boniface Down, and built on steep slopes leading down to the sea. ...

and Bembridge railway stations on the Isle of Wight. File:Withernsea Railway Station.jpg, Turntable and run round loop at Withernsea File:Leeds Central Station geograph-2334667-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg, Leeds Central station showing the release crossovers * Australia **

Murwillumbah railway station The Murwillumbah railway station is a heritage-listed former terminus railway station located on the Murwillumbah line in South Murwillumbah, in the Tweed Shire local government area of New South Wales, Australia. The former railway station is ...

, now closed ** Toronto railway station, New South Wales, now closed **

Cronulla railway station Cronulla railway station is the heritage-listed terminus railway station on the Cronulla line in Cronulla in the Sutherland Shire local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed and built by the NSW Department of Railways du ...

, had run-round, but never had locomotives ** Newcastle railway station, New South Wales, now closed; run-round on Platform 1&2, not on Platform 3&4 Stations which still have run-rounds include: * UK ** Weymouth railway station ** Fort William railway station **

Morecambe railway station Morecambe is a railway station on the Morecambe Branch Line, which runs between and . The station, situated west of Lancaster, serves the town of Morecambe in Lancashire. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains. The curr ...

** Rowsley South railway station ** Mallaig railway station * Germany ** Hagen Hauptbahnhof * Australia (all in regular loco-hauled passenger use unless otherwise indicated) **

Central railway station, Sydney Central is a heritage-listed railway station located in the centre of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The station is the largest and busiest railway station in Australia and serves as a major transport interchange for NSW TrainLink inte ...

** Albury railway station ** Canberra railway station (run-around not in regular use) ** Southern Cross railway station (Melbourne) ** Shepparton railway station **

Bairnsdale railway station Bairnsdale railway station is the terminus of the Gippsland line in Victoria, Australia. It serves the city of Bairnsdale, and it opened on 8 May 1888.

** Geelong railway station **

South Geelong railway station South Geelong railway station is located on the Warrnambool line in Victoria, Australia. It serves the southern Geelong suburb of South Geelong, and it opened on 1 November 1883.

** Marshall railway station ** Warrnambool railway station **

Swan Hill railway station Swan Hill railway station is located on the Piangil line in Victoria, Australia. It serves the town of Swan Hill, and it opened on 30 May 1890.

** Seymour railway station ** Roma Street railway station (Brisbane) (not sure if run-around in use) **

Toowoomba railway station Toowoomba railway station is a heritage-listed railway station on the Western line at Russell Street, Toowoomba, Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia. It serves the city of Toowoomba, which is the junction for the Western, Main and Southe ...

** Charleville railway station ** Rockhampton railway station ** Longreach railway station ** Townsville railway station ** Mount Isa railway station ** Cairns railway station **

Kuranda railway station Kuranda may refer to: Places * Kuranda, Queensland, a town on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia ** Kuranda Butterfly Farm, the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, situated in the centre of Kuranda Village ** Kuranda Fig Tree A ...

** Adelaide Parklands Terminal **

Public Transport Centre The Public Transport Centre (formerly known as the Westrail Centre) is a terminal and administration building for public transport in Perth, Western Australia. It is the centerpiece of East Perth Terminal (formerly known as Perth Terminal), a ...

(East Perth terminal) ** Darwin railway station

No loop

If a terminal station does not have a run-round loop trains are restricted to multiple units or Top and Tail trains.

References

{{Rail tracks Railway sidings