Post-Beeching Closures

[MidnightFlyer]

Anyone know of any rail closures that occured 1970s onwards... looking for curves/yards/SBs/platforms not just lines and stations?

 

[Failed Unit]

Anyone know of any rail closures that occured 1970s onwards... looking for curves/yards/SBs/platforms not just lines and stations?

Lincoln high level avoiding line, Elseham and Brockesby in the 1990's

Kings Cross Thameslink

Lincoln T&RMD - with the introduction of sprinters

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Lincoln high level avoiding line, Elseham and Brockesby in the 1990's

Kings Cross Thameslink

oh yeah i remember KGXTL... never photographed it before closure... anyway you cant live on regrets

 

[Geezertronic]

Duddeston train yard is no longer in use is it?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Duddeston train yard is no longer in use is it?

Erm... platforms 3 and 4 arent in use at Duddeston anymore, dont know if that has anything to do with the yard

 

[caughtonatrain]

The Woodhead line (Sheffield Victoria - Hadfield, 1981 I think) is to my mind one of the major post-Beeching closures, and in my opinion one of the most shortsighted.

 

[Proud Salopian]

1986: Broad Street, adjacent to Liverpool Street in London, and the line north of it towards Dalston.

 

[Failed Unit]

I think we may have been here before with the stations one, I will try and find the old thread as I recall mentioning Lincoln St Marks before which closed the line between Pelham St Junction and Boutham.

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=28649&highlight=closed+stations

Not quite the same, as no time restrictions

 

[merlodlliw]

The Cambrian Coast Line was due for closure,Post the quack, but saved, there is a book about this, saw it at Waterstones last week,while I was bookgrazing.

M

 

[CarterUSM]

I've a book titled 'A Guide to closed railway lines in Britain 1948-1975' by N.J Hill and A.O McDougall of the branch line society. It contains a chronological list of all known closures of BR and London Transport lines occurring between the above dates, not to mention some non BR lines of particular interest. It is a mine of info though not exactly a read with it being pages and pages of lists. I'd love to know if there was a newer edition.

 

[the sniper]

Duddeston train yard is no longer in use is it?

Yep, the yard itself is disused now, but a small part of the upper half of the site is a base for one of the construction/maintenance companies, maybe Carillion? The Castle Cement works which the yard served is now long gone, the site of that is now student accommodation.

Talking of Duddeston yard, wasn't/isn't it supposed to be become active again as a base for New Street construction trains? Also, aren't there/weren't there plans for it to become a stabling facility for DMU's or even EMU's?

As for another north-east Birmingham closure, Saltley TMD is of course no more, though I think it technically still exists in some minor capacity.

 

[LE Greys]

The Dereham Branch (1967) and Hunstanton Branch (1969) don't quite make it, but were not marked for closure by Beeching. Dereham, of course, used to be a through line, and is now part of the Mid-Norfolk Railway. Hunstanton might just about be able to cover its costs if it had survived, certainly in the summer months. Cambridge-St Ives lasted up until 1970, and really ought to reopen today if it were not for the plateway on top of it. March-Spalding lasted up until 1982, and would make a useful freight line to avoid Peterborough

That's all the East Anglian ones I can think of for now

 

[TheExmoorBeast]

The Minehead Branch closed in 1971, along with the Ilfracombe branch in 1970.

I wonder if they wished they'd kept it open now that there's a massive and highly popular Butlins there, it would certainly take the traffic off the A39 & A358!

 

[Greenback]

Across the UK there are large number sof lines and facilities that closed after Dr Beeching had departed.

The Alston branch and the Bridpoort branch were both closed in 1975. The Clayton West branch was shut in 1983.

In my area there has been a few closures of frieght lines. The Gwendraeth Valley line (rerouted from Burry Port to kidwelly in 1983 hasn't seen a train since 1996, and the Cynheidre branch was closed in 1989 after the colliery closed. I remember the old line through Swansea St Thomas station being dismantled in 1985, and the bridge at St thomas across Fabian Way being demolished.

In Llanelli itself, Mrs G tells me the line to the old New Dock was still in situ until the early 1990's. Llanelli traction depot shut in 1987.

 

[Capybara]

Yes, there was loads in the 70s. Most of east Lincolnshire went at the start of the 70s. Then there was Filey Holiday Camp. Cambridge to St Ives. Much of what is now the Tyne & Wear Metro was originally BR and there was a loop off it down by the riverside which had a couple of trains a day and not forgetting Kings Cross York Road and the tunnel to where Thameslink was and the tunnel on the other side. Since the 70s, March to Spalding has gone, as has Tilbury Riverside.

 

[devon_metro]

Farringdon - Moorgate

 

[LE Greys]

If we're going that far forward, Fawkham Junction-HS1 and Custom House-North Woolwich (both of which I've covered)

 

[furryfeet]

various freight lines around manchester in the 1980's
guide bridge to ashton moss south and godley to apethorne jn (woodley) both went around the time that Woodhead shut.

then woodley to northernden shut in 1982 after tivot dale tunnel collapsed.
latchford to timperley shut in 1985, because BR did not want to spend the money or repairs to latchford viaduct. It is still there - anyone know of its current condition ?

fairfield to old trafford via chorlton closed in 1988, although some of this will re-open as part of metrolink.

last of all, the route from man victoria to dean lane shut early 1990's i think and again, part of this will reopen as part of metrolink.

 

[WL113]

Walsall - Wolverhampton via Birchills, closed 1964.


Walsall - Lichfield, closed 1984.


Stourbridge - Walsall/Bescot via Wednesbury, the section from Round Oak to Bescot and Pleck Jcn, "mothballed" in 1994.

These routes would now be very useful.

How short sighted these closures were.

 

[yorksrob]

If we're going that far forward, Fawkham Junction-HS1 and Custom House-North Woolwich (both of which I've covered)

Come to think of it, is Fawkham Junction - HS1 the only route to be both a pre and a post beeching closure

 

[WillPS]

Corby station opened and closed at some point in the 80s I believe.

 

[NSEFAN]

The High Wycombe - Bourne End branch, a fair chunk of which would require the demolition of new houses to reopen. Funny how the spur to Marlow was kept. Anything to do with the people who live there? Hmmmmm. Ironically, when the Gerrards Cross tunnel collapsed, the route would have been perfect for diversions.

There's also the lines in south London which are now part of the Croydon Tramlink, although arguably that's more of an up/downgrade than a permanent closure.

Then there's the Croxley Green branch. A BR closure-by-stealth job.

 

[4SRKT]

I can think of loads of passenger lines other than those already mentioned, before I even start on stations or freight lines/curves.

Barnstaple > Ilfracombe

Carlisle > Edinburgh

Tunbridge Wells > Eridge

Clayton West Junction > Clayton West

Filey Holiday Camp branch

The section between Newcastle and Blaydon on the north bank of the Tyne

Balloch Central > Balloch Pier

Matlock > Chinley/Buxton

New Holland Pier branch

Dalston > Broad Street

Dover Western Docks branch

Folkestone Harbour branch

Weymouth Quay branch (I think)

Manors > Jesmond

 

[Proud Salopian]

In Shrewsbury there was the line to the Abbey station, which was in use until around 1990 as an oil depot.

 

[tbtc]

Then there's the Croxley Green branch. A BR closure-by-stealth job.

And the similar tale of the line in Derby (Pear Tree?), where they downgraded it to once a day, then a bus, then...

 

[Mex]

Airdrie - Edinburgh was closed in 1982.

Bathgate - Edinburgh was reinstated in 1986, Airdrie - Drumgelloch in 1989.

 

[tbtc]

Airdrie - Edinburgh was closed in 1982.

Bathgate - Edinburgh was reinstated in 1986, Airdrie - Drumgelloch in 1989.

When was the Glasgow - Airdrie line wired up?

 

[starrymarkb]

And the similar tale of the line in Derby (Pear Tree?), where they downgraded it to once a day, then a bus, then...

the Sinfin branch, it was only open to Rolls Royce employees.

Epping to Ongar

 

[Capybara]

Sinfin not only closed after Beeching but opened after as well. See also: Green Park to Charing Cross.

 

[damian]

Norwich Victoria (freight only) early 80s
Wroxham to Lenwade via Themelthorpe curve (freight) 85