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Just to be clear: which reopenings are the most viable?

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backontrack

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There seems to be a lot of debate on this forum about whether or not a reopening/opening is viable. Altnabreac's famed Golden Rules go some way for covering that, but it does seem that there's a lot of squabbling about this due to the wide differences in opinion.

Personally, I think that these openings/reopenings have the best business cases (in order of importance):

-HS3 (York/Hull-Leeds-Bradford-Manchester-Liverpool and Sheffield-Manchester via Woodhead)
-A new main line from Edinburgh to Perth (serving Halbeath and Kinross, and with local services stopping at Kelty and Bridge of Earn/Oudenard too)
-Glasgow Crossrail
-Levenmouth
-Fleetwood
-Ashington
-Portishead
-Bridge of Weir/Kilmacolm
-Hawick (via Melrose)
-Penicuik (possibly Peebles, though more unlikely)
-Middlewich
-Caernarfon
-Hirwaun
-Abertillery
-Stocksbridge
-Kincardine
-Grangemouth
-Skelmersdale
 
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70014IronDuke

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That's nice. A 'let's be clear' thread about re-openings, something that's so rarely considered on here.

Except it immediately gets into unclear territory. Cmmon OP, let's do one or the other :)

I reckon there is a case for Freshwater on the IOW myself. And the Black Isle line, the one that used to use 16xx tanks :)
 

backontrack

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That's nice. A 'let's be clear' thread about re-openings, something that's so rarely considered on here.

Except it immediately gets into unclear territory. Cmmon OP, let's do one or the other :)

I reckon there is a case for Freshwater on the IOW myself. And the Black Isle line, the one that used to use 16xx tanks :)

I've sorted it out. :smile:

That's the first time anyone's suggested reopening the line to Fortrose, though I guess it could work. You'd call at Tore, Munlochy and Avoch, then Fortrose, then perhaps Rosemarkie and Cromarty.
 

Agent_c

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I don't think Glasgow Crossrail makes any sense at all, so I don't think we'll ever see that happen.
 

HowardGWR

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I've sorted it out. :smile:

That's the first time anyone's suggested reopening the line to Fortrose, though I guess it could work. You'd call at Tore, Munlochy and Avoch, then Fortrose, then perhaps Rosemarkie and Cromarty.

Well, BOT, do I detect a certain Scottish bias in your list? I mean, just a bit?:D
 

70014IronDuke

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I've sorted it out. :smile:

That's the first time anyone's suggested reopening the line to Fortrose, though I guess it could work. You'd call at Tore, Munlochy and Avoch, then Fortrose, then perhaps Rosemarkie and Cromarty.

I just love a "let's be clear reopenings" thread, me like. :)
 

backontrack

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Well, BOT, do I detect a certain Scottish bias in your list? I mean, just a bit?:D

Most of the English towns without rail links (Wisbech, Haverhill, Tavistock, Cranleigh, Market Weighton, Keswick, Ripon) are isolated and, despite their being demand for them, tend to receive much more flack on here then more overtly urban ones (like Levenmouth, for example). There do seem to be more disconnected urban places in Scotland than in England; Scotland - particularly Fife - lost a lot of lines in the late 60s under Barbara Castle that it should have kept. That's why there are more of these than there are English ones. However, there are still ones like Ashington, Fleetwood, Portishead, Skelmersdale and Stocksbridge that merit reopening. I'm just wary of talking of the more isolated ones. It's not that I wouldn't reopen them at all; I support the reopening of lines to Okehampton, Tavistock, Hawick, Market Weighton (York-Beverley), Ripon, Caernarfon and Keswick. But I just didn't really want to highlight them for now.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Newhaven Marine - I see a case for it

Nobody - and I mean nobody - wants that station reopened.
 

Harbornite

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Errm, I'd say:

Stratford- Honeybourne
Meldon- Bere Alston
Afonwen- Bangor
Tweedbank- Hawick
Monument Lane to Harborne

The last one is a joke by the way...
 

HowardGWR

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Just a thought. If you live in Somerton (just an example) you would justifiably consider your line closed. I think when comparing BCRs, one should consider reopened (new opened) stations as equally as important as the lost or absent lines.
 

Harbornite

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There seems to be a lot of debate on this forum about whether or not a reopening/opening is viable. Altnabreac's famed Golden Rules go some way for covering that, but it does seem that there's a lot of squabbling about this due to the wide differences in opinion.

Personally, I think that these openings/reopenings have the best business cases (in order of importance):

-HS3 (York/Hull-Leeds-Bradford-Manchester-Liverpool and Sheffield-Manchester via Woodhead)
-A new main line from Edinburgh to Perth (serving Halbeath and Kinross, and with local services stopping at Kelty and Bridge of Earn/Oudenard too)
-Glasgow Crossrail
-Levenmouth
-Fleetwood
-Ashington
-Portishead
-Bridge of Weir/Kilmacolm
-Hawick (via Melrose)
-Penicuik (possibly Peebles, though more unlikely)
-Hirwaun
-Stocksbridge
-Kincardine
-Grangemouth
-Skelmersdale


Isn't Portishead going ahead though? On another note, I'd like to see the line to Peebles reopened as well, or the line to West Linton and Dolphinton(which doesn't have a fantastic case)
 

Lankyline

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Fleetwood really ?? this is turning into a heritage line with no connection to the town itself due to development and NR's remodelling of the Poulton junction that will potentially sever the link to the mainline.

Skelmersdale looks like going ahead anyway, what about St Andrews, I believe there is a viable case for this link to be reopened ?

Thank god Colne Skipton isn't on this list !
 

Ianno87

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Fleetwood is far better served by the tram extension to Blackpool North. Might be a little slower than a train to/via Poulton-le-Fylde, but would offer a far better frequency than a train ever could, with a simple interchange in Blackpool.
 

backontrack

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Just a thought. If you live in Somerton (just an example) you would justifiably consider your line closed. I think when comparing BCRs, one should consider reopened (new opened) stations as equally as important as the lost or absent lines.

I agree, but there are just too many to list...

...I'll start us off with Haxby, Elland, Caerleon, Kintore, Cambus, Crosshills, Corsham, Newburgh, East Linton and Reston.
 

47802

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Fleetwood is far better served by the tram extension to Blackpool North. Might be a little slower than a train to/via Poulton-le-Fylde, but would offer a far better frequency than a train ever could, with a simple interchange in Blackpool.

Indeed I would think that the modernised tram system and extension to Blackpool North somewhat weakens any case for Fleetwood.
 
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Fleetwood really ?? this is turning into a heritage line with no connection to the town itself due to development and NR's remodelling of the Poulton junction that will potentially sever the link to the mainline.

Skelmersdale looks like going ahead anyway, what about St Andrews, I believe there is a viable case for this link to be reopened ?

Thank god Colne Skipton isn't on this list !

Fleetwood - NR propose to remove the junction at Poulton to increase line speed during electrification.
IMO turning the line into a tramway from Poulton to Fleetwood would be a good option, as it could use existing tramway in Fleetwood to Centre and Fleetwood Ferry.
Another option turn it into a cycleway!
Or a few miles of siding for Heritage rail enthusiasts?
 

Bald Rick

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How do you define viable? It's a rather important factor in answering the question.
 
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me123

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I don't think Glasgow Crossrail makes any sense at all

Agree. It doesn't fulfil the needs that its campaigners will claim it does. If the City Union Line wasn't already there, I doubt anyone would suggest that this is a viable route.

so I don't think we'll ever see that happen.

Don't be so sure. There's lots of support for it. I'm not quite sure why, but there is. And plenty of politicians support the idea. It could very well happen, although I think there's much better things to spend money on. Like actually solving the problems that Crossrail will fail to solve.

I will spare you my usual anti-Crossrail rant. For now.
 

DarloRich

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I am going to be boring and say:

Which ever one has a proper business case that returns the required economic benefit on the required investment AND passes all of the required GRIP stages AND secures third party funding AND secures money from the next control period funding pot, if not the pot after that.

None then ;)
 

RichmondCommu

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This idea is so bright you'll need to put your sunnies on. Why not reopen the line from Uttoxeter aka Utah to Hindlow and in the process take loads of traffic off the A515? Thanks.
 

clc

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How about the Botanics line in Glasgow? The tunnels are intact and the council is safeguarding land at the site of the old Kelvinbridge station. However there is a major problem in that they allowed flats to be built on the trackbed in Kirklee near the tunnel portal. Reopening as far as Maryhill would incur CPO costs running to many millions. They could avoid that by terminating the line at Botanic Gardens but I'm not sure if the business case would stack up with just 2 stations.
 

61653 HTAFC

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One reopening that I believe would have already happened if the formation had been protected is the Holmfirth line... unfortunately as the trackbed has been built on near the junction at Brockholes, and the viaduct at Thongsbridge has been partially demolished, it is a non-starter.

As for stations on existing lines, Wellington, Langport and Somerton (all in Somerset) would do well I think, along with Elland and possibly Horbury Bridge/Ossett.
 

Kentish Paul

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Just a thought. If you live in Somerton (just an example) you would justifiably consider your line closed. I think when comparing BCRs, one should consider reopened (new opened) stations as equally as important as the lost or absent lines.

My parents live in Somerton. It does grate that i have to get a lift from Castle Cary when I visit them. I can hear the HSTs zooming through from their house.
 

furnessvale

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Am I imagining, but wasn't there a list recently published (Rail Mag?) which gave all the potential reopenings listed by order of BCR?

If anyone could link it, it would surely put some more realistic numbers into this debate.
 

AndyHudds

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One reopening that I believe would have already happened if the formation had been protected is the Holmfirth line... unfortunately as the trackbed has been built on near the junction at Brockholes, and the viaduct at Thongsbridge has been partially demolished, it is a non-starter.

As for stations on existing lines, Wellington, Langport and Somerton (all in Somerset) would do well I think, along with Elland and possibly Horbury Bridge/Ossett.

Think you're probably right on Holmfirth, buses are slow out to Holmfirth, there are no express services, except the x11 in the morning and it would give the intermediate stations unto Brockholes another service, instead of the lamentable one an hour.

On Horbury/Ossett, I passed Healy Mills yesterday on the Wakefield service and i notice further demolition work had been carried out as well as track lifting. do you know what is happening? Has it been sold for housing? If so, a station there would be a good idea.

Again, not sure what the hold up with Elland is, is there any news on this? it's been in the pipeline, it was put forward for further exploration but nothing else concrete has been heard since. To me this is a no brainer and really should have been opened when Brighouse opened in 2000.
 
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