page_title: Hull and Barnsley Railway
section_title: Hull Docks Branch
hierarchical_section_title: Hull and Barnsley Railway / History 1922–present / Post privatisation (1994–) / Hull Docks Branch
caption_attribution_description: English: The Christmas 2007 work on Hessle Road Junction, Hull, Humberside, England. The contractors, GrantRail Ltd, are installing a double junction with the Hull Docks Line (the former Hull and Barnsley Neptune Street Branch). This allowed more freight movements to the eastern docks; the partial re-doubling of the Hull Docks Line was completed during 2008. This junction was previously rationalised in 1984.
context_page_description: The Hull Barnsley & West Riding Junction Railway and Dock Company was opened on 20 July 1885. It had a total projected length of 66 miles but never reached Barnsley, stopping a few miles short at Stairfoot. The name was changed to The Hull and Barnsley Railway in 1905. Its Alexandra Dock in Hull opened 16 July 1885.
  The main line ran from Hull to Cudworth, with two other lines branching off at Wrangbrook Junction, the South Yorkshire Junction Railway to Denaby, and The Hull & South Yorkshire Extension Railway, an eight-mile branch to Wath-upon-Dearne, opened 31 March 1902. The company also had joint running powers on the Hull and Barnsley and Great Central Joint Railway.
  Before the Grouping of 1923, the line was taken over by the North Eastern Railway. Following incorporation into the London and North Eastern Railway, duplicated infrastructure was closed or reduced in function – notably Cannon Street station and the Springhead Locomotive Works.
  Closure of the greater part of the main line itself came during the time of British Railways.
context_section_description: In 2007 over £10 million was allocated to a project to increase capacity on the former Hull and Barnsley Railway branch to the Hull docks. Network Rail, Associated British Ports, Yorkshire Forward, Hull City Council and The Northern Way were involved in funding or supporting the scheme. The work was to include partial re-doubling of the line, remedial and replacement work on the numerous bridges, and signalling upgrades, and to increase the line speed to 30 mph (48 km/h) except at Hull Bridge. The capacity of the line was to be increased from 10 to 22 trains in each direction.
  In late 2007 the Network Rail gave the contract to GrantRail (now VolkerRail). Work carried out included the re-instatement of a double track junction at Hessle Road (the junction with the main line, previously singled in 1984), restoration of double track from New Bridge Road to King George Dock, and removal of Ella Street bridge along with strengthening of 15 others. The upgraded line was formally opened in June 2008 by the transport minister Rosie Winterton. Work continued on the line after the official opening; the upgraded signalling system began use in September 2008.
  Work on the ABP owned portion of the track was carried out by Trackwork Ltd. of Doncaster, at a cost of over £2.5 million.
  In 2013 two bridges were replaced on the docks branch: a minor bridge, over James Reckitt Avenue, replaced at a cost of about £1 million, and a major bridge replacement, over Spring Bank West, costing £3.2 million.
  In July 2014 an attempt to solve a pigeon roosting problem under the Chanterlands Avenue railway bridge led to "hundreds of inch long maggots" from the carcasses of dead birds falling off the bridge onto a footpath, described by one passer-by as "like something out of a horror film".
caption: Hessle Road Junction relaying Christmas 2007
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