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Abandoned lines least likely to be reinstated.

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zwk500

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richard_S

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zwk there are no more paths through Castlefield so any more freight will not happen. Market forces drive investment only time will tell.
 

daodao

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zwk there are no more paths through Castlefield so any more freight will not happen. Market forces drive investment only time will tell.
If more freight access to Trafford Park freight terminals is required, it would be cheaper to re-open the ex-GC line to Wigan north from Glazebrook via Culcheth as far as the Chat Moss line, ideally electrified at 25 kV AC along with the rest of the CLC line via Warrington. The re-opened line could even be used for passenger trains too.
 

Irascible

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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.

The Northenr Heights was meant to be part of the Northern line though, until WW2 got in the way - so a lack of investment isn't really surprising. I wouldn't rule out *something* happening in the future, there's a lot more unlikely things. The Palace gates line otoh, well there's not really anything left of that. I lived in the area for ages & didn't even know there used to be a railway there! incidentally that shut to passengers in 1963 - you might be thinking of the Highgate-Ally Pally line.

--

May I propose the Crromford & High Peak, and the Bideford, Appledore & Westward Ho! ( exclamation mark is part of the placename, that's not be being hyperbolic in any way ).
 

The Planner

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If more freight access to Trafford Park freight terminals is required, it would be cheaper to re-open the ex-GC line to Wigan north from Glazebrook via Culcheth as far as the Chat Moss line, ideally electrified at 25 kV AC along with the rest of the CLC line via Warrington. The re-opened line could even be used for passenger trains too.
Cheaper just to close and move Trafford Park terminal somehwere else.
 

Bald Rick

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zwk there are no more paths through Castlefield so any more freight will not happen. Market forces drive investment only time will tell.

there’s no paths through Cheadle Hulme either for 600m long freightliners to trundle around at 30mph.

That ‘business case’ is comical.

Cheaper just to close and move Trafford Park terminal somehwere else.

Trafford Park is, though, very conveniently located for it’s end users. Moving it is more likely than not to lead to a loss of traffic.
 

zwk500

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zwk there are no more paths through Castlefield so any more freight will not happen. Market forces drive investment only time will tell.
Cheapest option is to move traffic to an alternative site. A more realistic option for Trafford park is to build a chord off the Chat Moss at Culceth and reopen the line to Glazebrook so you approach TP from the other side.
 

Lucan

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The Croydon, Merstham and Godstone Railway.

The CM&GR was an extension of the Surrey Iron Railway, which would be a similar serious non-candidate for re-opening except that part of its trackbed (Mitcham to Croydon) it still in use by Tramlink. The CM&GR never reached Godstone anyway.
 
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snowball

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They are still arguing on how to put a line in there.
[Port Salford]
I thought it was just Peel unwilling to spend money on it. It's now a considerable number of years since the diversion of the A57 was built, including the abutments of a bridge to carry the line over it.
 

richard_S

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The airport are objecting to the line going over there due to its height including overhead electrics. They say its going to cause problems with aircraft landing and taking off.
 

Benters

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Stafford to Uttoxeter. The trackbed from Doxey to Beaconside in Stafford now forms part of the Isabel Trail footpath/cycle path. The line was closed to passenger traffic in the 1950s and was only kept open until the 1970s to service RAF Stafford. The tracks beyond RAF Stafford were lifted some time earlier. The tracks between RAF Stafford and Doxey were lifted at the end of 1975. The trackbed between Stafford and Uttoxeter is also breached in several locations due to demolition of bridges no longer required, and property development encroaching on it.
 

Bartsimho

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Why? Rail bikes in disused lines are a very popular holiday attraction in France, Belgium and several other countries. Unauthorized rail karting with one's own home-made vehicle is, of course, a slightly different proposition.
It looks brilliant and hilarious. I would absolutely try this if I could.
 

Llanigraham

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Something similar was proposed for the mothballed line between Blaenau Ffestiniog and Trawsfynydd.
 

6Gman

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The Caledonian Railway line from Kirtlebridge to the North British Silloth branch via Annan and the Solway Viaduct has to be pretty near the top of any list of "lines least likely to be reinstated" given it basically runs from the middle of nowhere to nowhere in particular via a massive bridge!
 

ChiefPlanner

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Something similar was proposed for the mothballed line between Blaenau Ffestiniog and Trawsfynydd.

Also in SW Wales for the extant - but heavily vegetated line from Burry Port towards Cwmmawr.

What is it within the UK - we cannot make simple things like this happen ?. Enjoyed several Velo-rails in France when my 3 children were younger.
 

GT49er

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Not convinced it would have been, had some very steep long gradients at 1 in 100 and would have needed some sort of grade separation at Didcot. Wasn't it also single track?
Didcot to Newbury always was, I believe, double track. Considerable chunks south of Newbury were drastically upgraded in 1942-3, including some double line sections, in preparation for D-Day, when it was a massively important transport link.
I don't think modern freight diesel locos would be too bothered about the gradients. However, too much in the way to allow re-instatement now, I'm sure.
 

GT49er

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Tell you what, the woodhead line would have been a great one to go railkarting on back in the 80s while the track was still down. I think the French have the right idea...
Not just the French, it seems. Whereas in the UK we just couldn't wait to tear up the track and build an industrial estate and a housing estate over the line to prevent it ever being re-opened, in the USA they generally just close the line; that means, one day the just stop running trains on it, and abandon it'
Railkarting - and trips with converted golf buggies - are popular with rail riders. Great idea - and if circumstances change in 20-30-50 years the line can be relaid and strengthened (obviously) and used again.

The GC main line perhaps? They could alwaays brand it as HS3....................
 

Killingworth

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I suspect that Stranrear to Portpatrick must be quite low down on the list of reopening priorities as well.
Boris Johnson seemed to have a vision of a rail bridge or tunnel to Northern Ireland, apparently with reinstated trains running from Carlisle to the Portpatrick area. Acquaintance with an OS map should have shown how far it was to go, and the roads that have been built on the old track bed. My grandfather used to take a boat train from Newcastle 100 years ago. Following in his footsteps to trace Irish roots I can confirm that improvements to the A75 are more important - and it's a very long way from the M6/A74(M).
 
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