Train going backwards

[marmaduke]

How can a train that is moving forwards into a station then reverse out of the station and carry on moving backwards but still be heading for the same final destination?

[Skids]

Imagine, if you will, two railway tracks converging in the form of a Y shape.  The station is situated at the bottom of the Y.  The train comes into the area from the left hand arm of the Y and continues to the station at the bottom of the Y.  When it leaves, the track points at the intersection change over, and the train can leave the area from the right hand arm of the Y.

[Loosehead]

Skids is correct, this often happens when the final destination station is not on the same line so it goes into the staion at the bottom of the Y and the points are changed and it goes out again.

[ianess]

If you can imagine that the main line runs along the  top of the Y, this is what the "anoraks" call a triangle arrangement and was often used to turn steam engines around without need for a turntable.

[slimjim]

All trains to/from Cheltenham do this if they stop at Gloucester.

[MORELLO]

Preston to Edinburgh, via carlisle...

[sddsddean]

London to Leeds, then reverse to Bradford

[Sasha13]

Dunno, but this happens on the Birmingham to Norwich train too - you get into Ely, then the train goes "backwards" to Norwich

[PhilD]

Don't they have an engine at each end?

[littleoldme]

Trains between Guildford and Ascot do this at Aldershot. Yes, PhilD, there is an engine at each end. The driver doesn't really drive in reverse for half the journey! :-)

[douggym]

Take a train from London to Plymouth via Exeter.Travel Southern region to Exeter, then reverse out of the station on Western region to take you on to Plymouth 

[marmaduke]

I have to say, I still have no idea how this works. Maybe I need diagrams.

My friend Clive was on a train from Munich to M�nster, and it went into Cologne, then reversed and was going completely back on itself (the same sights were out of the window, but in reverse) but was still going to M�nster.