Im assuming they mean Clapham up North.
Oh come on! Does no one want Foxfield to Coniston, Haverthwaite to Plumpton or Otley to Arthington, Clapham to WCML, Arnside to Hincaster Jn, Harrogate to Lofthouse in Nidderdale, Wennington to Green Eyre. I keep banging on about these but they have merit, two touristy and one commutor the rest train setty. I always thought that Bradford needed a Crossrail type project.
........., Harrogate to Lofthouse in Nidderdale,...........
...Harrogate to Lofthouse in Nidderdale...
That involves a change of gauge so really should count as two picks.
Another call for the Hull and Barnsley
.........Glasson Dock to Lancaster
Morecambe - Greenayre - ingleton
After that I'd move on to light railways and tramways...........
........Morecambe Promenade tramway
Lancaster City Tramway
...........
While I can't name 15, here is one that I would reopen if it was physically possible. Pontypridd-Caerphilly-Newport. The line itself, Pontypridd-Caerphilly section closed in 1956, the remainder from Machen into Newport closed in 1962. This was part of the Brecon and Merthyr Railway. ...
My 15. For various reasons.
Economic
1) Woodhead
2) Leamside Line
Socio-Economic
3) Curve at Burscough Bridge to allow Preston - Southport
4) East West Rail fully to Cambridge
5) Skelmersdale Link
6) York - Beverley
7) Church Fenton - Tadcaster
8) Leeds - Wetherby
9) Bere Alston - Tavistock
10) Blythe Area
Nostalgia
11) Penrith - Keswick
12) Matlock - Buxton
13) Harrogate - Ripon - Northallerton
14) Rugby - Peterborough via Market Harborough
15) Northallerton to Garsdale
I included both Foxfield-Coniston and Clapham-Tebay in my opening post. I also agree with the others, they would be niceOh come on! Does no one want Foxfield to Coniston, Haverthwaite to Plumpton or Otley to Arthington, Clapham to WCML, Arnside to Hincaster Jn, Harrogate to Lofthouse in Nidderdale, Wennington to Green Eyre. I keep banging on about these but they have merit, two touristy and one commutor the rest train setty. I always thought that Bradford needed a Crossrail type project.
Yes - Wennington to Lancaster Green Ayre / Morecambe would be worthwhile -- if one line had to close, it would have been better to save this and sacrifice Wennington - Carnforth. It would have allowed faster services between Morecamber / Lancaster & Leeds/Bradford than is now possible via Carnforth.
Several lines in Yorkshire would also have been worth saving, although possibly with some service revisions and closure of smaller stations.
(e.g. Bradford - Spen Valley - Mirfield - Huddersfield.
Bradford - Dewsbury Central - Wakefield, and maybe Hull to Withernsea or Hornsea)
I included Clapham-Tebay in my opening post.
That would have facilitated closure of the expensive-to-maintain Settle-Carlisle line. One solution now would be construction of a curve from the WCML just north of Carnforth to the Carnforth-Wennington line, electrification from Skipton to Carnforth, and introduction of regular 2 hourly express trains from Leeds to Glasgow.
Quite - when there exists superior Leeds to Scotland services via the ECML , serving considerable intermediate markets.I think that is a textbook case of a 'solution' looking for a problem.
Quite - when there exists superior Leeds to Scotland services via the ECML , serving considerable intermediate markets.
Indeed. I'm not sure what the Settle and Carlisle has done to irritate so many on here! It regularly ranks as one of the most scenic railways in Europe for a reason.Not to mention a superior regional service providing vital local connectivity.
It is indeed a well respected and decently used regional service , however there are constant "what if" comments on "new options" of services which are possibly do-able , but probably unaffordable or with low usage. Nice to have ideas , but they have to meet affordability , purpose , business case and operational viability.Indeed. I'm not sure what the Settle and Carlisle has done to irritate so many on here! It regularly ranks as one of the most scenic railways in Europe for a reason.
Indeed. I'm not sure what the Settle and Carlisle has done to irritate so many on here! It regularly ranks as one of the most scenic railways in Europe for a reason.
That would have facilitated closure of the expensive-to-maintain Settle-Carlisle line. One solution now would be construction of a curve from the WCML just north of Carnforth to the Carnforth-Wennington line, electrification from Skipton to Carnforth, and introduction of regular 2 hourly express trains from Leeds to Glasgow.
I think Matlock - Buxton is Economic and Socio-Economic also. It was an act of the purest stupidity to close it.
One of the Leicester-Rugby routes could do with re-opening (either the MCR or MR line), Leicester is criminally poorly connected for a city of its size (compare with nearby Nottingham; a city of approximately the same size). .... ..
Why is 15 too many? And what's with all this pragmatism and realism, eh? Where's the fun in that?Oh, oh, so easy to be the wise one, 50 years afterwards, isn't it?
In contrast to you, I'd say that given the economic losses and foreseable trends at the time, it was probably one of the most sensible closures BR ever made. It was, in today's parlance, a "no-brainer" I'd say.
True, [St Pancras] - Derby/Nottingham - Manchester trains took what, 20-25 mins or so longer for the journey, but they went via Chesterfield, a far more important traffic generator than Matlock. (As you may know, in 68 there was no such thing as an hourly Liverpool-Sheffield-Notthingham-Norwich service. It just didn't exist. So sending the 1 train per 2 hour service via Chesterfield and Dore south at least provided some sort of Chesterfield-Manchester service without going into Sheffield and walking to Victoria. )
Don't get me wrong: I'd love to see it re-opened today. I'd love to have seen it cut down to a single line with passing loops in 68, and thus the route saved. But at that time, with BR management under enormous pressure reduce losses and traffic falling away to the car and bus, I believe it looked like an easy saving with relatively little downside.
Anyway, your post has got me to contribute to this thread, which I originally refused to read. I'd rather see a thread titled something like: Five lines (15 is far too many) you would like to reopen, but on condition that you are prepared to stump up £1,000 for every million lost in annual operating costs out of your personal money once they are opened.
I was surprised while waiting at Carlisle to see one of the few remaining coal trains come through, from the Scottish opencast sites by Kilmarnock to Drax, and it was not routed by the S&C, which I would have thought a given, but on via Gateshead and the ECML.(Settle & Carlisle) Cannot see any much freight future , though the Sunday Times mentioned a tendancy for more coal burning as coal prices fall ,
Why is 15 too many? And what's with all this pragmatism and realism, eh? Where's the fun in that?
Surely in the History and Nostalgia section we can put economics aside and be sentimental on a thread like this one?
Surely though, if a proposal has any legs (even with enthusiasm bias) then the place for discussion of it is elsewhere. I interpreted this thread as being for discussion of those lines we missed out on or have good memories of. "I wish that line were still open" rather than "I think this line SHOULD re-open".It depends on how much time I've got. But for me, the problem with threads that cast the net far and wide is that there will probably be some good, interesting and valuable comment worth thinking about from posters who know their subject well, mixed in with large dollops of wish wish. If people want threads about Dreamland Rail Reopenings Ltd, ok, fine - I just wish it could be cordoned off in Dreamland threads.
Mind you, if certain reopening threads appear again that I dare not mention, I could have palpitations merely from the appearance of the title.
Start a new thread then. What 61653 HTAFC says is correct, though you can mention any line you want here.Anyway, your post has got me to contribute to this thread, which I originally refused to read. I'd rather see a thread titled something like: Five lines (15 is far too many) you would like to reopen, but on condition that you are prepared to stump up £1,000 for every million lost in annual operating costs out of your personal money once they are opened.