Line closures

[Eyersey468]

How many lines closed 60 years ago this year? The one I can name is the Malton to Driffield line, now being reopened as the Yorkshire Wolds Railway.

 

[Calthrop]

One immediately comes to mind -- very recently discussed in another thread in this sub-forum: Whitby (West Cliff) -- Loftus. Passenger service withdrawn 5 / 5/ 58: some freight activity subsequently at the Loftus end.

If I'm right, Malton -- Driffield lost its passenger service in 1950: freight continued till final abandonment in 1958, as per OP.

 

[Eyersey468]

One immediately comes to mind -- very recently discussed in another thread in this sub-forum: Whitby (West Cliff) -- Loftus. Passenger service withdrawn 5 / 5/ 58: some freight activity subsequently at the Loftus end.

If I'm right, Malton -- Driffield lost its passenger service in 1950: freight continued till final abandonment in 1958, as per OP.

Yes the passenger service on the MDJR finished in 1950 with final closure in 1958

 

[Springs Branch]

One line that you might not expect ever to be closed, but was for a short period starting in 1958, was that between Manchester Oxford Road and Manchester Piccadilly (or London Road as it was at the time).

This section was closed, I believe, from 15 Sep 1958 until around 25 April 1960 as part of the 1st phase of the Euston - Manchester electrification scheme and the major re-construction of London Road into Piccadilly station.

During the closure the old MSJ&A line bridge and platforms were demolished and the current (relatively) modern curved bridge and platforms 13 & 14 were constructed over Fairfield Street. This realignment also allowed terminal platforms on the western side of the main station to be lengthened.

Also during closure the MSJ&A line's 1500V DC overhead electrification was converted to 25kV AC between Piccadilly and Oxford Rd - after re-opening in 1960, this allowed suburban trains from the Stockport / Crewe direction to terminate in the through platforms at Oxford Rd while the 1930s-era Altrincham EMUs continued to run on the DC system for another decade or so, terminating in the north-side bays at Oxford Road.

Probably not the sort of answer the OP was looking for, but it was a line closure during 1958!

 

[Eyersey468]

One line that you might not expect ever to be closed, but was for a short period starting in 1958, was that between Manchester Oxford Road and Manchester Piccadilly (or London Road as it was at the time).

This section was closed, I believe, from 15 Sep 1958 until around 25 April 1960 as part of the 1st phase of the Euston - Manchester electrification scheme and the major re-construction of London Road into Piccadilly station.

During the closure the old MSJ&A line bridge and platforms were demolished and the current (relatively) modern curved bridge and platforms 13 & 14 were constructed over Fairfield Street. This realignment also allowed terminal platforms on the western side of the main station to be lengthened.

Also during closure the MSJ&A line's 1500V DC overhead electrification was converted to 25kV AC between Piccadilly and Oxford Rd - after re-opening in 1960, this allowed suburban trains from the Stockport / Crewe direction to terminate in the through platforms at Oxford Rd while the 1930s-era Altrincham EMUs continued to run on the DC system for another decade or so, terminating in the north-side bays at Oxford Road.

Probably not the sort of answer the OP was looking for, but it was a line closure during 1958!

Thanks, I hadn't known about this one

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Two Devon examples - Teign Valley (Exeter - Heathfield) in June 1958 and Dart Valley (Totnes - Ashburton) in the November.

Freight continued on part of the Teign Valley until 1967 and on the Dart Valley until 1962. Happily the Dart Valley is still with us, but sadly not all the way to Ashburton.

 

[Eyersey468]

Two Devon examples - Teign Valley (Exeter - Heathfield) in June 1958 and Dart Valley (Totnes - Ashburton) in the November.

Freight continued on part of the Teign Valley until 1967 and on the Dart Valley until 1962. Happily the Dart Valley is still with us, but sadly not all the way to Ashburton.

Thanks. Are there any plans to extend the Dart Valley to Ashburton?

 

[Calthrop]

A number more 1958 passenger closures which I've found through book-consulting (I have no info on freight-only line abandonments in '58). More branch lines lost their passenger services in 1958, than I'd imagined. (Also many passenger closures that year, of stations on routes which themselves, stayed open.)

Abergavenny -- Merthyr 6/1/58

Lewes -- East Grinstead 17/3/58 (finally, after minimum-service reinstatement in 1956, following from legal proceedings. Now, of course, is the Bluebell Railway, north of Sheffield Park).

Nantymoel -- Tondu 5/5/58

Llantrisant -- Penygraig 9/6/58

Middleton Junction -- Oldham (Werneth) 9/6/58

Brynamman (West) -- Pantyffynon 18/8/58

Weedon -- Leamington Spa 15/9/58

Savernake -- Marlborough (ex-GWR branch, separate from MSWJR route) 15/9/58

Foxfield -- Coniston 6/10/58

Newnham -- Cinderford 3/11/58

 

[Calthrop]

Thanks. Are there any plans to extend the Dart Valley to Ashburton?

Per my understanding, the Buckfastleigh -- Ashburton section was obliterated by improvements to the parallel A38 main road, shortly after the preservation undertaking took over; so, not a chance. Unless anyone knows differently?

 

[Eyersey468]

That's a shame. Thanks

 

[Calthrop]

Just come to mind -- at the risk of encroaching on "International" territory: in the Irish Republic, the passenger service Drogheda -- Navan -- Oldcastle (this branch then belonging to the Great Northern Railway of Ireland) was withdrawn in 1958. Drogheda -- Navan at least, was retained for freight: to best of my knowledge, still in use thus today.

 

[A0wen]

According to Wikipedia only 150 miles were closed in 1958

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeching_cuts#Closures_by_year

 

[yorkguy]

How many lines closed 60 years ago this year? The one I can name is the Malton to Driffield line, now being reopened as the Yorkshire Wolds Railway.

The last passenger service on the Malton and Driffield was on June 3, 1950, the same day as services ended on the Pickering to Scarborough route. The M&D continued to see some summer excursions from the north east to Butlins at Filey. Goods services ceased on October 20, 1958. After that the track was lifted and the land sold off within 4 years

 

[Calthrop]

According to Wikipedia only 150 miles were closed in 1958

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeching_cuts#Closures_by_year

Interesting link -- thanks. Figures in the table look to be very definitely rounded-off; but give the general idea. Aligns with the general understanding: the new British Railways carried out a vigorous "purge" 1950 - 53, of little-used, seen as "futureless" branch passenger services (total 1,000 miles for those years); closures eased off in the mid-1950s (only 500 miles for the period 1954 - 57); then "up a bit" for 1958 as above -- 150; way up in 1959 (350 miles -- the Midland & Great Northern Joint system no doubt contributing substantially to that); after which the figures quickly become stratospheric.

 

[Calthrop]

The last passenger service on the Malton and Driffield was on June 3, 1950, the same day as services ended on the Pickering to Scarborough route. The M&D continued to see some summer excursions from the north east to Butlins at Filey. Goods services ceased on October 20, 1958. After that the track was lifted and the land sold off within 4 years

Trivia item: I gather that the Malton -- Driffield branch passenger train was known locally as the "Malton Dodger".

 

[Eyersey468]

Trivia item: I gather that the Malton -- Driffield branch passenger train was known locally as the "Malton Dodger".

Yes it was, no-one is sure why but it's thought it was because the line twisted and turned and most stations were nowhere near the villages they were meant to serve

 

[Calthrop]

I treasure the Malton -- Driffield line's principal and roughly-halfway intermediate station, Sledmere & Fimber: IIRC, two miles from the former and a mile and a half from the latter. Sometimes on our railways, that's the way it turned out...

 

[Bevan Price]

In addition to line closures, there was a slow but steady programme of closing smaller / lesser-used intermediate stations on routes that remained open.
For example, Wavertree (between Edge Hill & Mossley Hill) closed on 9 August 1958. Nearby Sefton Park station survived until 1960.

Marsh Lane (Leeds) closed on 15 September 1958.

Michael Quick's book "Railway Passenger Stations in Great Britain" is a useful reference for anyone interested in the history of stations (but a bit expensive if your interest is only casual)

 

[Calthrop]

Another Irish Republic 1958 closure has come to mind: Bray -- Dublin (Harcourt Street) -- the inland route -- closed to all traffic 31/12/58. Parts of the line's formation are now occupied by Dublin's new tram system.

 

[Pigeon]

Yes it was, no-one is sure why but it's thought it was because the line twisted and turned and most stations were nowhere near the villages they were meant to serve

"Dodger" was often used to refer to short-distance local services, shuttles, "noddy trains" and the like. Stourbridge Junction - Stourbridge Town would qualify as a "dodger", as would Oxenholme - Windermere locals, or the connecting services that used to exist between the various Yeovil stations.

 

[Eyersey468]

"Dodger" was often used to refer to short-distance local services, shuttles, "noddy trains" and the like. Stourbridge Junction - Stourbridge Town would qualify as a "dodger", as would Oxenholme - Windermere locals, or the connecting services that used to exist between the various Yeovil stations.

Thanks I didn't know that

 

[Calthrop]

Further to the subject of 1958 closures: hoping that a quick excursion to the Continent will be acceptable for its value as a curiosity -- concerning as it does, what must rate as one of Europe's most idiotic rail ventures ever.

The section of line involved, was in the far north-east of Germany -- in the erstwhile German Democratic Republic (East Germany). A "comedy of errors" occurred here, connected with the eastern parts of Europe falling rapidly under Soviet control in the aftermath of World War II -- a business which, while it featured much which was horrible, also came up now and again with farcical situations.

In the period immediately after the war, the Soviet authorities removed as war reparations, from their part of Germany, much industrial plant and equipment of all kinds; including the dismantling of many lesser rail lines, especially narrow-gauge ones, with their rails being taken off for use in the USSR. This happened to numerous parts of a large and intricate complex of lines on less-than-metre gauges which had thriven up to the end of the war, about 150km. north of Berlin. The town of Jarmen had been a meeting-point of lines of this complex: including one running about 20km. west to a junction with the standard gauge at Demmin; and another running about 20km. south, to a junction with further narrow-gauge routes, at Dennin. Shortly after the end of the war, both these routes (and all other lines serving Jarmen) had their track lifted for reparations to the USSR. A couple of years onward, however, the powers-that-were -- seeking for, at least, a little putting of things back together -- promulgated relaying and reopening the section from Jarmen southward to Dennin; whose narrow-gauge line running to other destinations, had remained intact and in use. This commendable plan was thwarted, however, by bureaucratic muddle on a considerable scale: reinstatement of track proceeded at some length, not on the line from Jarmen south to DeNNin; but on the other line, west toward DeMMin. It seems fairly amazing that this error was not caught at an early stage; one hypothesises about the involvement of high-ranking Russian officials who were not very clued-up about German place-names...

It can be figured that as often under Stalin's rule, something crazy went forward because the lesser people involved actually "on the ground", justifiably feared the consequences of pointing out that the folk at the top were fallible, and in danger of getting the matter concerned, badly wrong. The reinstatement of the wrong route (incidentally, on 600mm gauge when this line had previously been 750mm) went blithely ahead until Schmarsow, some 15km. west of Jarmen, was reached; where one envisages the dawning of thoughts along the lines of "oh, dear ! Never mind, we'll stop here, and run this line as a section isolated from the rest of the railway system".

And that, effectively, was what happened. For about a decade, this 600mm gauge line Jarmen -- Schmarsow solemnly ran with two mixed trains in each direction daily (with the line physically isolated from all other railways, heaven knows what was hauled in the way of freight). At last in 1958, the East German state railways bit the bullet, acknowledged that the whole thing was nonsensical, and abandoned the line. (The idea of railway preservation did not reach Eastern Europe until much later, which is perhaps a bit of a pity.)

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

Local lines to me that were closed:
Grimsby-Louth-Boston line (Avoiding Mablethorpe) (Closed 5.10.1970)
Mablethorpe Loop (Closed 5.10.1970)

The line from Louth to Boston was closed completely on the 5 October 1970 to both passengers and freight but the section between Grimsby and Louth (also closed to passengers on the same day) remained open to freight until 1980 when the line was lifted and the section between Grimsby and Waltham was built on. Today part of it is now preserved as the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway between North Thorsby and Ludborough and with plans to run from Louth North (new site due to the old site now being a housing estate) and Holton-le-Clay.

 

[Cowley]

Further to the subject of 1958 closures: hoping that a quick excursion to the Continent will be acceptable for its value as a curiosity -- concerning as it does, what must rate as one of Europe's most idiotic rail ventures ever.

The section of line involved, was in the far north-east of Germany -- in the erstwhile German Democratic Republic (East Germany). A "comedy of errors" occurred here, connected with the eastern parts of Europe falling rapidly under Soviet control in the aftermath of World War II -- a business which, while it featured much which was horrible, also came up now and again with farcical situations.

In the period immediately after the war, the Soviet authorities removed as war reparations, from their part of Germany, much industrial plant and equipment of all kinds; including the dismantling of many lesser rail lines, especially narrow-gauge ones, with their rails being taken off for use in the USSR. This happened to numerous parts of a large and intricate complex of lines on less-than-metre gauges which had thriven up to the end of the war, about 150km. north of Berlin. The town of Jarmen had been a meeting-point of lines of this complex: including one running about 20km. west to a junction with the standard gauge at Demmin; and another running about 20km. south, to a junction with further narrow-gauge routes, at Dennin. Shortly after the end of the war, both these routes (and all other lines serving Jarmen) had their track lifted for reparations to the USSR. A couple of years onward, however, the powers-that-were -- seeking for, at least, a little putting of things back together -- promulgated relaying and reopening the section from Jarmen southward to Dennin; whose narrow-gauge line running to other destinations, had remained intact and in use. This commendable plan was thwarted, however, by bureaucratic muddle on a considerable scale: reinstatement of track proceeded at some length, not on the line from Jarmen south to DeNNin; but on the other line, west toward DeMMin. It seems fairly amazing that this error was not caught at an early stage; one hypothesises about the involvement of high-ranking Russian officials who were not very clued-up about German place-names...

It can be figured that as often under Stalin's rule, something crazy went forward because the lesser people involved actually "on the ground", justifiably feared the consequences of pointing out that the folk at the top were fallible, and in danger of getting the matter concerned, badly wrong. The reinstatement of the wrong route (incidentally, on 600mm gauge when this line had previously been 750mm) went blithely ahead until Schmarsow, some 15km. west of Jarmen, was reached; where one envisages the dawning of thoughts along the lines of "oh, dear ! Never mind, we'll stop here, and run this line as a section isolated from the rest of the railway system".

And that, effectively, was what happened. For about a decade, this 600mm gauge line Jarmen -- Schmarsow solemnly ran with two mixed trains in each direction daily (with the line physically isolated from all other railways, heaven knows what was hauled in the way of freight). At last in 1958, the East German state railways bit the bullet, acknowledged that the whole thing was nonsensical, and abandoned the line. (The idea of railway preservation did not reach Eastern Europe until much later, which is perhaps a bit of a pity.)

That’s a great story thanks for that.

Re the Dart Valley ever getting back to Ashburton -
The trackbed was lost as you say under the A38. But there has been a route planned out over the last decade or so (which would involve a short tunnel under the A38) for the railway to get back into the town, along with a considerable battle with Dartmoor National Park to halt development around the original station.
I’m not sure how the land lies at the moment and I can’t look into it now unfortunately because I’m working, obviously it would cost millions to achieve but getting protection for future possible railway use could be a big stepping stone.

 

[Calthrop]

That’s a great story thanks for that.

I've sometimes thought it might have the makings of a black-comedy film -- a sort of Eastern Bloc "Titfield Thunderbolt gone extremely wrong".

Re the Dart Valley ever getting back to Ashburton -
The trackbed was lost as you say under the A38. But there has been a route planned out over the last decade or so (which would involve a short tunnel under the A38) for the railway to get back into the town, along with a considerable battle with Dartmoor National Park to halt development around the original station.
I’m not sure how the land lies at the moment and I can’t look into it now unfortunately because I’m working, obviously it would cost millions to achieve but getting protection for future possible railway use could be a big stepping stone.

Thanks for above info: I'm glad that there is at least the ghost of a chance, and that my basically vague impression (I'm geographically far removed from the area) was too pessimistic.

 

[Eyersey468]

Thanks Calthrop that's a great story