Engineers line reference
Encyclopedia
An Engineers' line reference (ELR) is a three or four-character code used in the British rail network
to refer to a section of a track or route. These references are unique across the whole rail network, allowing identification of any part of the network. Occasionally ELRs are used to refer to other railway infrastructure such as depots.
ELRs are usually made up of three letters, identifying the route. Any place on that route can then be referred to by using a combination of the ELR and the mileage of the place, e.g. EJM 13m 16c refers to Plessey Road Level Crossing on the Earsdon Junction to Morpeth North Junction route (in Blyth, Northumberland.)
Where a route is long or made up of a combination of several pre-existing routes, the ELR is suffixed with a number that refers to a particular section of the route - e.g. the East Coast Main Line route (with a reference of ECM) has sections ECM1 (King's Cross to Shaftholme Junction) through to ECM9 (Edinburgh Waverley Station.)
ELRs are generally abbreviated forms of the names of the primary locations they connect. For example XTD is the line which runs from Charing Cross
to Dover
. Sometimes the ELRs are less obvious - NKL, for example, runs from North Kent East junction to Dartford junction but is known as the North Kent line, hence its ELR.
ELRs differ from LORs (lines of route), not only in their use and format, but also in what they demarcate. Lines of route refer to strategic rail routes, and can be made up of several ELRs. For example, SBJ is the ELR for the line between Swanley
and Ashford
B junction. At Otford
junction, the line diverges to Sevenoaks
with an ELR of OJS. The line of route which covers Swanley to Sevenoaks is SO140.
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
to refer to a section of a track or route. These references are unique across the whole rail network, allowing identification of any part of the network. Occasionally ELRs are used to refer to other railway infrastructure such as depots.
Where a route is long or made up of a combination of several pre-existing routes, the ELR is suffixed with a number that refers to a particular section of the route - e.g. the East Coast Main Line route (with a reference of ECM) has sections ECM1 (King's Cross to Shaftholme Junction) through to ECM9 (Edinburgh Waverley Station.)
ELRs are generally abbreviated forms of the names of the primary locations they connect. For example XTD is the line which runs from Charing Cross
Charing Cross
Charing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian...
to Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
. Sometimes the ELRs are less obvious - NKL, for example, runs from North Kent East junction to Dartford junction but is known as the North Kent line, hence its ELR.
ELRs differ from LORs (lines of route), not only in their use and format, but also in what they demarcate. Lines of route refer to strategic rail routes, and can be made up of several ELRs. For example, SBJ is the ELR for the line between Swanley
Swanley
Swanley is a town and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. It is located on the south-eastern outskirts of London, north of Sevenoaks town. The town boundaries encompass the settlements of Swanley itself, Hextable and Swanley Village...
and Ashford
Ashford, Kent
Ashford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
B junction. At Otford
Otford
Otford is a village and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent known for its classically British countryside. The village is located on the River Darent, flowing north down its valley from its source on the North Downs...
junction, the line diverges to Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks is a commuter town situated on the London fringe of west Kent, England, some 20 miles south-east of Charing Cross, on one of the principal commuter rail lines from the capital...
with an ELR of OJS. The line of route which covers Swanley to Sevenoaks is SO140.