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Are there any National Rail lines which reopened after a periods of closure, which went on to become profitable?

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Brush 4

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............here we are

This is purely from memory so please fill in any gaps. Since the outbreak of reopenings by BR from the mid 80's on, the following lines have had passenger services restored:-

Oxford-Bicester both BR and Chiltern but, before it became a through route to London.
Nottingham - Worksop
the line via Hednesford
Maesteg
Aberdare
Barry - Bridgend
Bathgate (in 1986 when it was a branch)
Alloa
Edinburgh-Galashiels (Tweedbank)

I'm sure there are more out there
Any of these making a surplus or covering their costs?
 
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steamybrian

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In London-
Whitechapel- Shoreditch- Dalston Western Jn
Blackfriars- Farringdon reopened 1986 rebuilt in 1990 with opening of City Thameslink station
Surrey Quays- Old Kent Road Jn
The regular passenger service between Clapham Jn to Willesden Jn introduced in the 1980s
 

The Planner

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Be amazed if Bicester Oxford pre-Evergreen did. 30mph trundle all the way I think, a bus would have beaten it Id expect. Id expect the Chase Line and the VOG to be doing alright.
 

edwin_m

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Some may be profitable in the sense of covering their direct operating costs. But none will go anywhere near repaying the money spent on reopening them.
 

Djgr

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Some may be profitable in the sense of covering their direct operating costs. But none will go anywhere near repaying the money spent on reopening them.
And I am not sure they were ever intended to as that's not the methodology used to determine rail reopening. Is it?
 

edwin_m

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And I am not sure they were ever intended to as that's not the methodology used to determine rail reopening. Is it?
Essentially the benefits need to significantly outweigh the costs in the infamous Benefit to Cost Ratio, although this can be over-ridden on strategic/political grounds. BCR is evaluated over a 60-year period brought back to Net Present Value. Costs are mainly financial (capital, operating, maintenance, renewals) and benefits will include fares but also socio-economic benefits.

Which is why the OP's question is fairly meaningless.
 

Brush 4

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I was expecting the answer to be along the lines of eg not relevant or meaningless. Which is good because that means that aspect is now put to bed. There are other 'benefits' that are not purely financial. Having finally got that out of the way, let's get those other lines reopened.......
 

Ianno87

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Be amazed if Bicester Oxford pre-Evergreen did. 30mph trundle all the way I think, a bus would have beaten it Id expect. Id expect the Chase Line and the VOG to be doing alright.

Pre-Evergreen, the Day Return was only about £3 or something fairly ridiculously good value.
 

Doctor Fegg

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Not sure how this can be answered without direct access to TOC finances. But anyway, Corby mkII.
 

Greybeard33

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But none will go anywhere near repaying the money spent on reopening them.
I don't think that was true for the BR reopening of Altrincham - Stockport to passenger traffic. The track and signalling alterations between Altrincham and Deansgate Junction were needed for the on-going freight traffic, and were paid for by the budget for converting Altrincham - Cornbrook to Metrolink. And AFAIK no infrastructure changes were needed between Deansgate Junction and Edgeley Junction, to upgrade the line from freight-only.

I believe the original plan was for passenger services from Chester to terminate at Altrincham for interchange with Metrolink, on the model of Wigan - Kirkby and Preston - Ormskirk. The extension to Piccadilly via Stockport has likely generated more than enough extra farebox revenue to cover the additional operating costs, and so reduced the operating subsidy needed for the service as a whole.
 

edwin_m

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I don't think that was true for the BR reopening of Altrincham - Stockport to passenger traffic. The track and signalling alterations between Altrincham and Deansgate Junction were needed for the on-going freight traffic, and were paid for by the budget for converting Altrincham - Cornbrook to Metrolink. And AFAIK no infrastructure changes were needed between Deansgate Junction and Edgeley Junction, to upgrade the line from freight-only.

I believe the original plan was for passenger services from Chester to terminate at Altrincham for interchange with Metrolink, on the model of Wigan - Kirkby and Preston - Ormskirk. The extension to Piccadilly via Stockport has likely generated more than enough extra farebox revenue to cover the additional operating costs, and so reduced the operating subsidy needed for the service as a whole.
That may be true, mainly because BR would have got out of the costs of running and maintaining the line converted to Metrolink. A shorter and simpler section with a less frequent service, which would have had to be kept open for freight anyway, would cost very little extra.
 

Ridercross

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Also reopened was the Birmingham Snow Hill to Smethwick line in 1995. Pre Covid there was a West Midlands Trains service every 10 minutes in each direction, plus the AM and PM Chilterns. Also the occasional freight train too. So track access fees paid over must have been significant.
 

Djgr

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Also reopened was the Birmingham Snow Hill to Smethwick line in 1995. Pre Covid there was a West Midlands Trains service every 10 minutes in each direction, plus the AM and PM Chilterns. Also the occasional freight train too. So track access fees paid over must have been significant.
But track access fees aren't really real money, if they just transfer from one part of the railway industry to another. They just cancel out.
 

Mikey C

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Be amazed if Bicester Oxford pre-Evergreen did. 30mph trundle all the way I think, a bus would have beaten it Id expect. Id expect the Chase Line and the VOG to be doing alright.
Agreed, the modern track bed is unrecognisable from the backwater line it was! Buses would usually be quicker, especially as they are able to go to the centre of Oxford where most people wanted to go.
 

Dr Hoo

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I don't know about actual £ profitability, but I would be surprised if the Glasgow low level lines didn't feature.
Pity that the finances of the Greater Glasgow/Strathclyde PTE went into collapse from the time that that the Argyle Line opened. As first evidenced by closure of the Kilmacolm/Paisley Canal line to save cash afterwards, then the 1983 Review.

(I realise that there were wider economic and industrial issues in that era.)
 

IanXC

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But track access fees aren't really real money, if they just transfer from one part of the railway industry to another. They just cancel out.

Track Access Fees are meaningfully the Train Operator's fee to the Infrastructure Provider. No funds pass from the Infrastructure Provider to the Train Operator other than those related to delays so I struggle to see what your point is.

Also reopened was the Birmingham Snow Hill to Smethwick line in 1995. Pre Covid there was a West Midlands Trains service every 10 minutes in each direction, plus the AM and PM Chilterns. Also the occasional freight train too. So track access fees paid over must have been significant.

I'm struggling to think of a line that has been reopened that supports the service frequency this line does.
 

steamybrian

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Track Access Fees are meaningfully the Train Operator's fee to the Infrastructure Provider. No funds pass from the Infrastructure Provider to the Train Operator other than those related to delays so I struggle to see what your point is.



I'm struggling to think of a line that has been reopened that supports the service frequency this line does.
Pre- coved
In addition to Farringdon to Blackfriars I also suggest Whitechapel-Shoreditch- Dalston Junction
Clapham Jn- Kensington Olympia- Willesden Jn also had a frequent service.
 
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