Lines That Have Closed Since 1970

[yorksrob]

I'm also shocked because its rare in the SE of England for a Network Rail station to be run down given the value of commuter traffic. Without wanting to be rude that's the kind of thing that you would expect to happen in the North.

Well, you would think so, but the channel tunnel had a profound effect on bits of the South Eastern network. I feel quite privileged to have experienced the full transition from CEP boat trains speeding through the old Ashford station to the present day when Eurostars whizz past.

 

[L+Y]

In my own neck of the woods, the East Lancs route into Preston from Moss Lane Junction on the Ormskirk line and Bamber Bridge on the Blackburn line closed in spring 1972, though I think a stub remained open to a gasworks until c.1976.

Burscough South Curve closed in about 1981, but was still down until at least 1986. The North Curve might have made it into the 1970s, just, but was certainly severed and out of use before the Ormskirk line was singled in July 1970

 

[RichmondCommu]

The ex-Midland Railway route from Swinton Junction to Normanton - this carried InterCity Sheffield - Leeds trains in the 1970s, but south of the Monk Bretton branch junction is now completely closed.

Many thanks for this. I guess the northern stretch exists to carry sand to the glass works.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

West Cheshire Junction to Mouldsworth closed in the 90's. The line used to see oil, oil byproducts, stone, fertiliser and cars plus the very rare odd multiple unit.

In the same area, Mickle Trafford to Dee Marsh closed in 1992.
It was retained after the closure of Chester Northgate in 1968, but could not survive the closure of Ravenscraig steel works which generated its traffic to Shotton.
It is now largely a cycleway.

Not far away the Skelton Jn-Lymm-Latchford route closed in 1985.
Passenger services from Manchester via Timperley were axed in 1962, but the line survived for freight, mainly coal to Fiddlers Ferry power station and as a southern by-pass for Manchester.
Traffic declined when the power station reduced taking coal from Yorkshire pits and the Woodhead route and its connecting lines were closed.
The final blow was that heavy repairs were necessary to the Ship Canal bridge at Latchford, so BR closed it.
The disused bridge and embankment remain a problematic feature of the Warrington landscape today.
Most of the route is now part of the Trans-Pennine Way.
Although it was a backwater, and the weakest of the four routes between Manchester and Liverpool, the area is prime Manchester commuter-land today.

 

[ac6000cw]

Gelderd Road Junc to Leeds station via the direct 'viaduct' route - closed upon ECML electrification.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Well, you would think so, but the channel tunnel had a profound effect on bits of the South Eastern network. I feel quite privileged to have experienced the full transition from CEP boat trains speeding through the old Ashford station to the present day when Eurostars whizz past.

I was on one of those boat trains! I remember the BREL works at Ashford and I think the Transfesa freight terminal at what I'm guessing was Tonbridge. Do the Javelin services operate from Folkestone?

Way off topic here but I remember traveling between Folkestone and Dover and seeing concrete sections piled up for what I think was an aborted attempt to tunnel to France in the 1970's. Memories!

 

[ac6000cw]

Many thanks for this. I guess the northern stretch exists to carry sand to the glass works.

Yes, AFAIK.

 

[Lankyline]

Preston to Longridge line finally closed completely in 1994 with the last coal freight to Maudland bank
Also Preston to Lostock Hall via Todd lane jct (east lancs) 1972

 

[RichmondCommu]

Preston to Longridge line finally closed completely in 1994 with the last coal freight to Maudland bank
Also Preston to Lostock Hall via Todd lane jct (east lancs) 1972

Thanks for this! Also was there a freight only line to a power station near Lostock Hall called Burn Naze?

 

[kevconnor]

The Fallowfield loop

 

[RichmondCommu]

The Fallowfield loop

Is that now part of the Manchester tram network?

 

[kevconnor]

Is that now part of the Manchester tram network?

The section from St Werberg's Road spit from where the tram now runs to Didsbury & the Airport with the loop running back through Fallowfield, Levenshulme and then up to Gorton and Guide Bridge.

 

[RichmondCommu]

The section from St Werberg's Road spit from where the tram now runs to Didsbury & the Airport with the loop running back through Fallowfield, Levenshulme and then up to Gorton and Guide Bridge.

Thanks for this. When did the original Fallowfield loop close?

 

[yorksrob]

I was on one of those boat trains! I remember the BREL works at Ashford and I think the Transfesa freight terminal at what I'm guessing was Tonbridge. Do the Javelin services operate from Folkestone?

Way off topic here but I remember traveling between Folkestone and Dover and seeing concrete sections piled up for what I think was an aborted attempt to tunnel to France in the 1970's. Memories!

Yes, the 1970's were before my time, but I remember lining parts for the present day channel tunnel stacked in Ashford works along side the Ashford - Hastings line in the early 90's (now where the designer outlet resides).

The Transfesa terminal was at Paddock Wood, next stop down from Tonbridge, but also had two through lines with platform loops alongside.

 

[kevconnor]

Thanks for this. When did the original Fallowfield loop close?

It was closed in 1988, in its final incarnation it was used as a demonstrator for what was to come with Manchester Metrolink by using a London Docklands Unit and wiring a short section near to Hyde Road station.

 

[adrock1976]

The ex-Midland Railway route from Swinton Junction to Normanton - this carried InterCity Sheffield - Leeds trains in the 1970s, but south of the Monk Bretton branch junction is now completely closed.

Is that the part of the former Midland Railway mainline route north of Sheffield to Leeds that suffered from lots of subsidence?

In peace

Adam

 

[snowball]

Has Paisley to Kilmacolm been mentioned? Closed 1983 according to Wikipedia.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Balloch Pier is another, the line being curtailed on the other side of the level crossing at what was Balloch Central (now suffix-less). Of a similar ilk is Ardrossan Winton Pier, but I'm not sure how much track was closed there!

 

[richard1976]

Watford to Croxley green

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

West Cheshire junction was West of Helsby on the line to Birkenhead. It took oil products to and from Stanlow refinery, cars from Vauxhall Motors, fertiliser from UKF/Shellstar (now Growhow) and stone from Buxton. The line linked the Mid Cheshire line to Ellesmere Port and Birkenhead. It closed due to a lack of traffic and that the signalbox serving the junction burnt down. As I understand things the trackbed is protected.

Is this the same line that once had two railway stations upon it:-
Manley
Helsby and Alvanley

 

[bnm]

Taunton to Minehead closed by BR in 1971, reopened as a heritage railway in 1976.

Royal Ordnance Factory branch, Huntspill. 1990s?

Paignton to Kingswear closed by BR in 1972 and taken over by heritage operator.

Lambourn Valley line from Newbury to RAF Welford, closed in 1973.

Wareham to Swanage, closed to passengers by BR in 1972.

 

[Marton]

Bright side to chapeltown GC route. I think it Was open for the coke works at smithy wood.

Someone mentioned Sheffield to Hadfield and was corrected. What did close was the Deepcar to Penistone line.

 

[GatwickDepress]

Balloch Pier is another, the line being curtailed on the other side of the level crossing at what was Balloch Central (now suffix-less). Of a similar ilk is Ardrossan Winton Pier, but I'm not sure how much track was closed there!

Speaking of that station, a 350 at Bletchley carriage sidings the other day was displaying "Balloch Pier Head" on the destination displays! Somebody was having a bit of a giggle.

 

[Bishopstone]

Tilbury Riverside closed in the early 90s, as another example of fairly rare closure of electrified line.

 

[zuriblue]

Dover Western Docks.

Also Rose Hill Marple to Macclesfield closed in 1971. As that was my local line I was pretty sad to see that one go.

 

[fsmr]

The Cottesmore Ironore branch in Rutland 1884-1974 was a couple of miles long from the Syston Peterborough line just North of Ashwell station and was owned and worked by BR up to the various companies exchange sidings at the site of the now preserved Rocks by Rail Museum Cottemore

beyond the exchange, the various standard and narrow gauge lines were provided over the years and ran extensively across North East Rutland around Exton Cottesmore Barrow and Burley on the Hill. the Exton park line being one of the most extensive ironstone Uk networks with its own crossing keepers and had at the time the largest electric dragline in the world, Sundew This being the subject of a famous walk in summer 1974 all the way to Corby and featured on Blue Peter

http://www.rocks-by-rail.org/

 

[scarby]

I'm guessing here that the last source of rail freight to use the goods yard was house hold fuel? That has tended to be the case with other similar examples.

Possibly. There was some kind of fuel depot elsewhere - up by Seamer Road near where the engine sheds used to be. I don't know if this even limped along for a little while after Gallows Close closed. I think some of the tracks - well, bits of them - there may even still be in situ.

 

[Andyjs247]

The last services from Birmingham Snow Hill to Wolverhampton Low Level and Langley Green finished in 1972. Snow Hill was rebuilt on a smaller scale and reopened in 1987 initially for local services to Leamington and Stratford. Later in 1995 a service towards Stourbridge and Kidderminster was reinstated and in 1999 Midland Metro began running through to Wolverhampton. Trams run to Wolverhampton city centre now, not the former GWR low level station.

Effectively closed, but still officially only mothballed, the last train between Claydon and Bletchley ran in 1993. Happily now being upgraded and due to reopen with East West Rail in 2019.

 

[dk1]

Yarmouth (Southtown) to Lowestoft.

 

[Kentish Paul]

I was on one of those boat trains! I remember the BREL works at Ashford and I think the Transfesa freight terminal at what I'm guessing was Tonbridge. Do the Javelin services operate from Folkestone?

Way off topic here but I remember traveling between Folkestone and Dover and seeing concrete sections piled up for what I think was an aborted attempt to tunnel to France in the 1970's. Memories!

Yes, Javelin services do operate from Folkestone. They basically operate over most East Kent lines except Dover to Faversham. (I think, not checked the timetable).

Depending when you travelled beteen Folkestone and Dover you may have been seeing the channel tunnel construction site at Shakespeare Cliff in the late 80's. The concrete segments basically covered most of the site.

Spent 5 years working on the project. Happy days.