Abandoned lines least likely to be reinstated.

[richard_S]

greyman42 Dumfries to Stranraer.​

This might reopen I read about it a wile back.

 

[Falcon1200]

Dumfries to Stranraer.

Yes indeed.

This might reopen I read about it a wile back.

The issue gets raised, mainly by politicians wanting their name in the papers, every now and again, but comes up against the two obstacles of a) Costing a huge amount, and b) Not serving any traffic need! The current level of service on the existing route to Stranraer should surely quash any suggestion of opening another one.

 

[bingleybong]

Yes indeed.



The issue gets raised, mainly by politicians wanting their name in the papers, every now and again, but comes up against the two obstacles of a) Costing a huge amount, and b) Not serving any traffic need! The current level of service on the existing route to Stranraer should surely quash any suggestion of opening another one.

The current Stranraer line closing would be more likely, only political factors keep it going.

 

[D6130]

Dumfries to Stranraer.

The main function of this line prior to its closure in 1965 was to carry through traffic - passenger, freight and mail - between London and the North East of England and Northern Ireland via the Stranraer-Larne ferries. Intermediate traffic was always very light and - with the exception of the three main towns (Castle Douglas, Dalbeattie and Newton Stewart) - most of the stations were miles away from the villages they purported to serve. Given the scarcity of traffic on the Girvan-Stranraer line since the re-routing of the ferries to Cairnryan, I'm afraid re-opening the 'Port Road', as it was known, would be a total non-starter. There may be a marginally-better case for re-opening Dumfries-Castle Douglas and possibly the branch to Kirkcudbright but, even then, the cost of rebuilding Tongland viaduct would almost certainly be prohibitive.

 

[Bald Rick]

There was a very entertaining thread on Dumfries - Stranraer a few years back.

Perhaps the mods can set up a section of the forum, sort of like a ‘Dave’ channel, for ‘another chance to see your old favourite reopening threads’

 

[leytongabriel]

How about the Crystal Palace and South London Junction Railway? A trifle redundant after the demise of Crystal Palace. And it's counterparts in North London leading towards Alexandra Palace - the North Heights Branch and the GE line from Seven Sisters to Palace Gates. None of which survived long enough to meet the Beeching axe.

 

[DM352]

Based on the number of past studies and nothing happening towards NR reinstatement:
-Lewis to Uckfield.
-Matlock to Great Rocks jct

 

[daodao]

Liverpool Central to Southport Lord Street (and its Barton branch) (Cheshire Lines)

The section from Liverpool Central to Hunt's Cross is still open as part of Merseyrail and there is a good case for re-opening the short section from Hunt's Cross to Gateacre. The further north one goes from Gateacre, the less likely any re-opening. The branch line from Meols Cop to Altcar & Hillhouse via Barton and run by the L&YR not the CLC, but is equally unlikely to re-open. Much of this area is at risk of inundation in the longer-term.

 

[JKF]

I’d offer the Spurn Point Railway, given it connected nowhere to nowhere and half of it is now in the sea. Are there any other lines that have lost sections to coastal erosion?

I have noted that some local councils were less protective of former track beds than others. Norfolk in particular seemed to love building roads over them.

 

[Kingston Dan]

Rosedale mineral railways?

 

[LUYMun]

Basingstoke to Alton - a crazy project that never made sense, but the rails came in useful in WW1!

Adding to that, the Bentley to Bordon line in its current status - the station was a mile away from the (then) Bordon village, but a diversion to the old Oakhanger Halt on the Longmoor Military Railway. That said, even that location is very unlikely due to the terrain and the ring road being built on the former trackbed. Perhaps a new westerly approach from Alton could be considered?

 

[Nottingham59]

the Manifold Valley line?

Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[RichJF]

Tunbridge Wells - Tunbridge Wells:

Site of T Wells West occupied by large Sainsburys/Homebase.

Triangular junction at Groombridge private land & bridge removed.

Very new housing development built on site of trackbed at Hartfield. Station platform/land owned by preschool.

Station site at Forest Row redeveloped with commercial & industrial private buildings. Large viaduct over A22 demolished.

Massive redevelopment in East Grinstead: Trackbed filled in & tunnels removed near Herontye. Cutting filled in & used by A22. Bridge over Station Approach demolished. Double-deck car park built on site of high level station.

Large housing estate & parade of shops built on the trackbed & station site at Crawley Down.

Large COLAS road depot occupying Rowfant station/trackbed.

Cutting filled in between Worth/Rowfant.

Thameslink depot/stabling built on much of site of junction/trackbed at Three Bridges.

 

[yorksrob]

The main function of this line prior to its closure in 1965 was to carry through traffic - passenger, freight and mail - between London and the North East of England and Northern Ireland via the Stranraer-Larne ferries. Intermediate traffic was always very light and - with the exception of the three main towns (Castle Douglas, Dalbeattie and Newton Stewart) - most of the stations were miles away from the villages they purported to serve. Given the scarcity of traffic on the Girvan-Stranraer line since the re-routing of the ferries to Cairnryan, I'm afraid re-opening the 'Port Road', as it was known, would be a total non-starter. There may be a marginally-better case for re-opening Dumfries-Castle Douglas and possibly the branch to Kirkcudbright but, even then, the cost of rebuilding Tongland viaduct would almost certainly be prohibitive.

I suspect that Stranrear to Portpatrick must be quite low down on the list of reopening priorities as well.

 

[Ken H]

Holyhead pier railway. Not connected to the national system

Hotel curve under Great Northern Hotel at Kings Cross

Severn Bridge Railway which ran from Lydney to Sharpness including a bridge over the river Severn. Closed 1960 because the bridge collapsed after 2 barges ran into it in the fog.

Approaches to and Leeds Central Station.

Mottram Yard.

 

[zwk500]

Based on the number of past studies and nothing happening towards NR reinstatement:
-Lewis to Uckfield.

Lewes. There's been enough studies on it!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Based on the number of past studies and nothing happening towards NR reinstatement:
-Lewis to Uckfield.

Via Ullapool + Garve? Yep, can't see that happening!

 

[Dave S 56F]

Wensleydale line Hawes jct to Redmire?

 

[Welly]

Midland and Great Northern Joint line - a long part of the trackbed is now under the A17.

 

[Fast Track]

Travelling on the A34 Winchester & Newbury bypass section recently I wondered what might have been if a Winchester Newbury Didcot line was still in place?

Huge numbers of HGVs use this route presumably many Southampton to the Midlands. Too late now to revive the old route given development but what a missed opportunity to create a Southampton docks - Midlands link via Newbury and Didcot with track alongside the A34.

 

[rf_ioliver]

Quite a few in South Wales...Trefforest-Tonteg-Llantrisant and Tonteg-Efailsaf-Barry aren't ever going to come back.

There was also a line from Cardiff via Rhydyfelen to Pontypridd that only saw one train, before GWR sued the company...? That's not coming back either.

 

[Magdalia]

Midland and Great Northern Joint line - a long part of the trackbed is now under the A17.

South Lynn to Sutton Bridge, including the bridge over the River Nene.

Other examples of long sections of Fenland railway being taken for roads are the A16 between Algarkirk and Boston and the A141 between March and Chatteris.

 

[daodao]

Quite a few in South Wales...Trefforest-Tonteg-Llantrisant and Tonteg-Efailsaf-Barry aren't ever going to come back.

There was also a line from Cardiff via Rhydyfelen to Pontypridd that only saw one train, before GWR sued the company...? That's not coming back either.

There was talk years ago of re-opening the line from Pont-y-clun (formerly Llantrisant) towards Beddau; this part of the line was extant for coal traffic to Cwm Colliery until the 1980s. See closed thread at: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/beddau-line-in-principle-welsh-first-minister.109092/

The Cardiff Railway from the M4 junction 32 northwards will never be reinstated, but the section from Heath Junction to Coryton is still used for a half-hourly suburban passenger service and is in the process of being electrified (with some neutral gaps) as part of the South Wales Metro modernisation. There are suggestions to extend the service slightly further beyond Coryton to serve the new Velindre Hospital, and possibly to Radyr to provide a circular route using the City Line via Danescourt back to Cardiff Central.

For the record, the dispute about the use of the connection at Trefforest was between the Taff Vale Railway (which didn't want its coal traffic abstracted) and the Cardiff Railway, which built the then new line to Rhydyfelin with an expensive viaduct there that only ever saw 1 train.

 

[A0wen]

Travelling on the A34 Winchester & Newbury bypass section recently I wondered what might have been if a Winchester Newbury Didcot line was still in place?

Huge numbers of HGVs use this route presumably many Southampton to the Midlands. Too late now to revive the old route given development but what a missed opportunity to create a Southampton docks - Midlands link via Newbury and Didcot with track alongside the A34.

Been discussed before - wouldn't have been suitable without extensive rebuilding. In fact post #15 on this thread covers it.

 

[Silenos]

The Norfolk Orbital, despite the efforts of its proponents (An Orbital Railway for Norfolk)

 

[D6130]

Colne-Skipton

 

[Whistler40145]

Woodhead Line

 

[Glenn1969]

Halifax- Ovenden- Queensbury/Bradford

We lost our line pre Beeching before the urbanisation that led to my house and many others being built in the 60s/70s

 

[rf_ioliver]

There was talk years ago of re-opening the line from Pont-y-clun (formerly Llantrisant) towards Beddau; this part of the line was extant for coal traffic to Cwm Colliery until the 1980s. See closed thread at: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/beddau-line-in-principle-welsh-first-minister.109092/

The Cardiff Railway from the M4 junction 32 northwards will never be reinstated, but the section from Heath Junction to Coryton is still used for a half-hourly suburban passenger service and is in the process of being electrified (with some neutral gaps) as part of the South Wales Metro modernisation. There are suggestions to extend the service slightly further beyond Coryton to serve the new Velindre Hospital, and possibly to Radyr to provide a circular route using the City Line via Danescourt back to Cardiff Central.

For the record, the dispute about the use of the connection at Trefforest was between the Taff Vale Railway (which didn't want its coal traffic abstracted) and the Cardiff Railway, which built the then new line to Rhydyfelin with an expensive viaduct there that only ever saw 1 train.

The line to Beddau/Cwm has been talked about ever since it closed in 1984 (I remember the coal trains well) and any extension from Cardiff under the current proposals...I'm as optimistic as you are.

Thanks for the clarification: TVR not GWR.

 

[Dave S 56F]

The York Beverley via Market Weighton line always comes up now and again but like alot other disused lines it would never get reopened and also cos you can go via selby from York or via church Fenton Gascoigne Wood.