Lines That Have Closed Since 1970

[30907]

Unless I've missed this in the thread, an oddity:
the Thameslink route from Ludgate Hill (former station) to Snow Hill and Farringdon reopened following the closure of Holborn V, but was replaced in order to eliminate the bridge over Ludgate Hill (street).

Also, has anyone mentioned Wimbledon - West Croydon, now a tramway?

Or Northampton - Market Harborough, which was still open to freight around 1975?

Or March - Spalding, still open in 1982?

 

[LDECRexile]

Dont think its been Officially Closed yet but the St Helens Central - St Helens Junction Link Line was used for Freight until 1990s? I know the Local Green Party are currently fighting to get it re-opened tho

It's pretty remarkable if it hasn't been officially closed as all trackwork and signalling at the southern (St Helens Junction) end has been lifted for some years.

A stranger visiting St Helens Junction for the first time will scratch his or her head trying to figure out what joined and where. All that is plain to see are twin tracks running E-W.

On a happier note, the line (Stephenson's Liverpool to Manchester masterpiece) through St Helens Junction has recently been electrified at 25kV overhead.

 

[Strathclyder]

A small section of the former Lanarkshire & Dunbartonshire Railway (which was mostly closed in 1964) between Bowling Junction & Dumbarton Joint Line Junction was retained for the Bowling ESSO Oil Terminal. This small spur remained in use up until the 1980s.

A short section of the former spur leading into the former terminal (disconnected from the North Clyde Line) and a defunct signal can still be seen from passing trains.

 

[34104]

Coincidentally enough, the old gogglebox has just set me thinking-the Titfield Thunderbolt is being shown tonight C/W evocative shots of the Somerset and Dorset line. Did some of the S and D survive into the 1970's-maybe a connection at Radstock to the GWR Bristol Line and possibly at Highbridge?

 

[RichmondCommu]

Don't think the Sinfin branch has been mentioned yet, opened to passengers in 1976 and closed in 1998 although the last train ran in 1993. The branch is still used though to carry jet fuel though to Rolls Royce. Another one I don't think has been mentioned is the Croxley Green branch.

The Sinfin branch hadn't been mentioned previously because it never closed in 1998. I suspect what happened was that the service was officially removed from the timetable after the use of cabs had finished. Rolls Royce continued to receive aviation fuel after 1998 and indeed did so before 1976.

 

[The Planner]

Dont think its been Officially Closed yet but the St Helens Central - St Helens Junction Link Line was used for Freight until 1990s? I know the Local Green Party are currently fighting to get it re-opened tho

Its officially OOU and has been for years so closed by any other words. Gets permanently disconnected as part of St Helens resignalling as the signalling and everything gets ripped out.

 

[RichmondCommu]

The Foss islands branch line in York shut in the 80's

Was that the line that served the Rowntrees confectionery factory? I seem to remember that they had their own fleet of wagons.

 

[mirodo]

The section of the North Lancashire Loop from Rose Grove to Padiham Power Station remained open following the loop's closure to passenger traffic until the power station's closure in 1993.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Good call,remember working along that in my SM days.Wasn't there a sugar factory?...remember going in a yard near Woolwich which had something to do with a sugar factory plus a gate we had to manually open and close.

The sugar refinery was and indeed still is at Silvertown. From memory (and this is going back a long way!) I'm pretty sure one of the Model Railway Constructor annuals including an article on the line. Following on from this was the line officially known as a tramway due to the fact that some of the route was actually shared with road vehicles?
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The section of the North Lancashire Loop from Rose Grove to Padiham Power Station remained open following the loop's closure to passenger traffic until the power station's closure in 1993.

Ah yes I was only thinking about this today as my wife's family are from the East Lancs. I'm assuming that the track has now been lifted?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Coincidentally enough, the old gogglebox has just set me thinking-the Titfield Thunderbolt is being shown tonight C/W evocative shots of the Somerset and Dorset line. Did some of the S and D survive into the 1970's-maybe a connection at Radstock to the GWR Bristol Line and possibly at Highbridge?

Was there a coal mine at Radstock which remained rail served?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Good call,remember working along that in my SM days.Wasn't there a sugar factory?...remember going in a yard near Woolwich which had something to do with a sugar factory plus a gate we had to manually open and close.

Apologies for the stupid question but what does SM stand for?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

A massive amount around Shirebrook, Clipstone, Bolsover and all those branches went in the late 90s

Up until the colliery closed you could see MGR services loading at Markham Colliery from the M1.

 

[thenorthern]

There was a freight branch at RAF Stafford which I think closed in 1975.

And just within the 1970 period is the Hayfield Branch which closed in January of that year. The Keswick branch is also another one and I think that closed in 1972.

There was a branch from Mirehouse Junction near Whitehaven to Egremont which carried goods which I think closed in 1980 although most of the track is still there.

Finally if I remember correctly the Oakamoor Sand Sidings trains ceased in 1988 and I think there was a short branch from the Old Churnet line in Uttoxeter until about 1985 although I don't know what it was used for.

 

[34D]

Apologies for the stupid question but what does SM stand for?

SM is Silverlink Metro.

This is an enjoyable thread to read. My only suggestion that hasn't been stated is the curve near Horbury that allowed a train to go direct from Healey Mills to Darton.

I saw that Stocksbridge to almost Penistone was mentioned: I guess Penistone to Hadfield was also said?

Newhaven Marine?

Stalybridge to Stockport (in the direction only) which I believe last operated in 2006 ish?

 

[dcsprior]

Meadowbank Stadium Station has closed since the 70s, and some of the tracks through it, and the most direct route to it have been removed.

On the underground, there's Green Park to Charing Cross, but I think the tracks remain.

 

[34D]

Meadowbank Stadium Station has closed since the 70s, and some of the tracks through it, and the most direct route to it have been removed.

On the underground, there's Green Park to Charing Cross, but I think the tracks remain.

Indeed they do. I went on a railtour down there in 2007.

 

[Andyjs247]

Farringdon to Moorgate is another. Not sure if it's been mentioned yet.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

When was track lifted on the Taunton station avoiding line? Bizarrely, this passed closer to the commercial centre of Taunton than the station does, I believe work is now under way to use the trackbed for the new inner relief road.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Pantyffynon to Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen was restored for limited coal traffic use about 5 years ago - but the connection from Cwmgorse Banch Junction to Abernant Colliery (part of a much more ambitious scheme to reach Pontardawe and the Swansea valley was never built - this section closed in / around 1994)

Branch off the Central / Heart of Wales line.

 

[A0]

Also, going from Luton Bute Street along the trackbed of the Leighton Buzzard - Dunstable - Luton - Welwyn Garden City line in the opposite direction in the early 1970s (until the spring of 1971) you would have eventually come to Blackbridge Sidings at Wheathampstead which was accessed from the WGC end of the line. There was an old gravel quarry at Blackbridge which then became a landfill site, Blackbridge Tip, which was rail connected until it closed in 24th May 1971.

There is an article on Blackbridge Tip in www.disused-stations.org.uk (Although the last paragraph about the access road is incorrect).

The line was actually severed by the construction of the A1M between Welwyn and Hatfield which opened in 1973 as the A1M crossed the route of the line just north-east of Ayot Green.

Another survivor in that area would be the remaining 'stub' of the WGC-Hertford line into the industrial area in WGC which was still there and in use until the mid-1980s - I believe to just beyond the bridge on Bessemer Road.

In terms of the Nicky Line - I understood that lost its connection when the Bedpan line was electrified.

Another one - Peterborough - Oundle didn't close until 1972 according to Wikipedia.

 

[Buttsy]

Brechin line went in 1982 I think (now heritage)
Appleby - Hartley Quarry (cut back to Warcop in 1976) 1989?
Direct Heysham curve
Gateacre branch from Hunts Cross
Aintree - Fazackerley Junction

 

[dysonsphere]

not sure its being mentioned but Stoke on Trent to Oakmoor and Caldon Low part in use by Hertige Line but track and conection to the main line still in situ, think it closed in the 90`s when the sand trains stopped to Oakmoor.

 

[Springs Branch]

Some examples in South Lancashire....

Passenger lines:
- Bolton to Bury Knowsley St and Rochdale (DMU shuttle survived into the 1970s - just - and now part of ELR between Bury & Heywood).
- Bury Bolton St to Rawtenstall (line subsequently re-opened as ELR)
- Agecroft Jn to Brindle Heath Jn (short link in Salford, which allowed stopping trains on Bolton/Manchester line to serve Pendleton station, in the days before Salford Crescent)

Through freight lines:
- Sutton Oak Jn (St Helens) to Widnes (historic St Helens & Runcorn Gap Railway)
- Whelley Loop (WCML freight bypass line to the east of Wigan)
- Skelton Jn to Partington and Glazebrook (not sure if line to Partington is still in situ & OOU)

Freight branch lines:
- Bickershaw & Parkside colliery branches from WCML at Springs Branch Jn.
- Haydock Oil Terminal branch from WCML
- Blackrod to Horwich Works

 

[DarloRich]

May i add a couple:

Northallerton - Redmire
Bishop Auckland - Eastgate
Leamside
Selby ECML Diversion
Richmond (North Yorkshire) branch Line? MAY have been a 1969 closure
Hemel Hempstead - Harpenden Branch?
Dunstbale Branch?

There must be hundreds of North East colliery lines that have gone. There was once a network centered on Philadelphia (Tyne & Wear )near my grand parents house

Was that the line that served the Rowntrees confectionery factory? I seem to remember that they had their own fleet of wagons.

Yes by the end although there were other facilitates served form time to time and it did, of course, connect the Derwent Light Railway to the rest of the network:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foss_Islands_Branch_Line

In fact should we add the Derwent Valley Light Railway to the list?

 

[Springs Branch]

Has anyone mentioned Croxley Green? (or is that line just "resting"?)

 

[Buttsy]

Mickleover line - wasn't this the CEE test track?

 

[Altfish]

- Skelton Jn to Partington and Glazebrook (not sure if line to Partington is still in situ & OOU)

The line is in situ at the Skelton Junction end and is still connected to the Altrincham to Stockport line; but it is very overgrown in places and would take a lot of work to re-open

 

[plastictaffy]

Brackmills. .

Not sure this one counts as the branch is still passable from Castle station. In fact you can be signalled down there from platform 1. As part of route knowledge, we are told to expect a "U" in the theatre box. The other aspect it can show is "B".

 

[steamybrian]

A section of the Waverley route between Newtongrange to Millerhill closed completely in 1973

Penrith to Keswick closed in 1972
Skipton to Colne closed February 1970
Penistone to Hadfield (Woodhead route) closed to passengers on 5th January 1970

 

[The Planner]

Not sure this one counts as the branch is still passable from Castle station. In fact you can be signalled down there from platform 1. As part of route knowledge, we are told to expect a "U" in the theatre box. The other aspect it can show is "B".

Officially OOU, seen the paperwork. Doesnt mean anyone will spend the cash altering the signalling (I wouldnt want to try putting a train over that bridge either!)

 

[Altfish]

Not sure if this has been mentioned...

Last section of The Port Road from Dumfries to Maxwelltown Oil Terminal

...also, although little more than a siding was the connection to Newbie from the GSWR line just to the west of Annan

 

[infobleep]

Easington, County Durham had a colliery that closed in 1993. I'm not sure what line the station was on or when the line closed but I think it survived until the colliery closed. I remember doing a Geography field trip to that area.

I think passenger services closed in the 60s or earlier but not freight.

 

[desmo]

Lincoln - Bardney closed 1981. Now a cycle route.
Pyewipe Jcn (Lincoln) - Fledborough Viaduct on the Chesterfield line closed to freight 1980. Again, now a cycle route. The route the other side of the Trent stayed open to serve High Marnham PS until its closure. Now reinstated as a test track.
Sykes Junction (Saxilby) - Torksey Oil Terminal closed 1988.
Newark - Bottesford closed 1987?