Railways that were built in the 20th century (pre HS1)

[Harvester]

The Durham Coast line between Cemetery North junction (Hartlepool) and Ryhope Grange junction (Sunderland). This section was completed in 1905 after the construction of viaducts over Crimdon and Castle Eden Denes.

 

[lyndhurst25]

The South Yorkshire Joint Railway opened in 1909 and is still, just about, clinging on to life.

 

[Rescars]

Although originally constructed in the 1860s and closed in 1880, the Potteries, Shrewsbury and North Wales was resuscitated as the Shropshire and Montgomeryshire not once but twice in the 20th century. Col Stephens reopened the line in 1911 and, after closure to passengers in 1933, was rebuilt by the War Department in 1941. If not new, at least born again!

 

[krus_aragon]

The LNWR's Anglesey branch to Red Wharf Bay and Benllech opened and closed in the first half of the 20th century: 1908-1930 (freight until 1950)

 

[stuu]

To address Mcr Warrior in post #12, I am alright with including railways built in the 20th century which were then closed.

Anyway, it seems as though most of the railways that opened or were built in the 20th century were before 1920 (pre big four) or after 1980 (post Beeching) so I am ideally looking for those between those two dates but its fine if no one can find it.

Welsh Highland (1923), North Devon and Cornwall Junction Light Railway (1925)

The most significant new railways in the second half of the 20th century before HS1 are the extensions to the London Underground, and the urban lines/metros in Liverpool and Newcastle

 

[Djgr]

I don't know if it counts as a "new railway" but BR did a major rearrangement in the liverpool area to reduce the number of terminus stations and create what is now merseyrail.

The Liverpool Loop via Lime Street and Link (Exchange/Moorfields to Liverpool Central) certainly count.

 

[martinsh]

Ashover Light Railway (1923)

 

[Taunton]

GWR Westbury and Frome bypasses, 1930s. Southern Railway Chessington branch, 1939. Earthworks started for continuation of this to Leatherhead but abandoned due to WW2, afterwards the introduction of the Green Belt around London stopped further suburban development there.

 

[Rescars]

GWR Westbury and Frome bypasses, 1930s. Southern Railway Chessington branch, 1939. Earthworks started for continuation of this to Leatherhead but abandoned due to WW2, afterwards the introduction of the Green Belt around London stopped further suburban development there.

In similar vein, the Southern Heights Light Railway between Orpington and Sanderstead was authorised in 1928, but ultimately not constructed. In this case, interest faded away during the 1930s following the death of Col Stephens, who was the line's main promoter. It was in preparation for this route that the line to Sanderstead via Woodside was electrified.

 

[Lloyds siding]

GWR extended the line from Clarbeston Road through to the new Pembroke Dock station, to connect with the new steamers to Rosslare, sailing from the newly enlarged harbour. It fully opened in 1906, incorporating over 10 miles of new track.
Another nearby extension was the two and a half mile branch line to the new Royal Naval Armaments Depot at Trecwn, built in 1938. There were 58 storage tunnels hewn out of the rock, most had narrow gauge railway access. There were miles of narrow gauge around this extensive site. I was part of a guided tour around the site about 20 years ago....fascinating!

 

[JKF]

WC&P was C20 I think.

The isolated Spurn Point railway - possibly related to WW1?

Portbury shipyard branch - around 1917, never fully completed as the facility it was constructed to serve was never built.

Post-beeching, new connections were built at Cleckheaton (to connect a freight site on a closed line to a parallel open one) and I think something similar at Lenwade for the concrete products site? Not sure these were the only connections made to allow partial closure of routes.

 

[Mr. SW]

Bury Interchange pre-tram 1980.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

The isolated Spurn Point railway - possibly related to WW1?

Opened 1915, and closed post WW2, I believe. Was it (the Spurn Head railway) ever rail connected to the rest of the GB network?

 

[gordonthemoron]

Selby diversion in the 1980s

Did rerouting the Newcastle-Hexham service via Metrocentre require any new track?

 

[topydre]

Although originally constructed in the 1860s and closed in 1880, the Potteries, Shrewsbury and North Wales was resuscitated as the Shropshire and Montgomeryshire not once but twice in the 20th century. Col Stephens reopened the line in 1911 and, after closure to passengers in 1933, was rebuilt by the War Department in 1941. If not new, at least born again!

If we can have resurrections, then the Mawddwy railway was closed in 1908 due to the state of the track but rebuilt in 1911 by the Cambrian

 

[Sun Chariot]

Not railway routes in their own right: what about marshalling yards? And MGR loops for coal-fired power stations?

Edge Hill Gridiron in Liverpool (1882) marked a watershed in marshalling yard design.
More than 50 hump yards were built, 20 of them automated; the last of these (Scunthorpe) closed 1990.

 

[robert thomas]

GWR extended the line from Clarbeston Road through to the new Pembroke Dock station, to connect with the new steamers to Rosslare, sailing from the newly enlarged harbour. It fully opened in 1906, incorporating over 10 miles of new track.
Another nearby extension was the two and a half mile branch line to the new Royal Naval Armaments Depot at Trecwn, built in 1938. There were 58 storage tunnels hewn out of the rock, most had narrow gauge railway access. There were miles of narrow gauge around this extensive site. I was part of a guided tour around the site about 20 years ago....fascinating!

Fishguard Harbour surely!

 

[randyrippley]

Heysham branch ~1904

 

[edwin_m]

Calverton Colliery branch, early 1950s.

 

[Ken H]

Liverpool Link and Loop

Dornoch bridge

Can I have the flyovers at Norton Bridge, Rugby, Weaver Jct, Werrington, Aynho, Cogload etc

T&W metro tunnels under Newcastle.

Most of London Underground.

 

[contrex]

LBSCR Quarry Line misses the criteria by 19 days (12 Dec 1899)!

 

[Taunton]

Post-Beeching, new connections were built at Cleckheaton (to connect a freight site on a closed line to a parallel open one) and I think something similar at Lenwade for the concrete products site? Not sure these were the only connections made to allow partial closure of routes.

There were quite a number of 1960s low-volume freight connections built between adjacent lines. Radstock in Somerset connected the S&D to the adjacent ex-GWR Frome line to allow continued access to a colliery on the former. Like many such, it only lasted a few years before the whole set was closed.

These were commonly on existing railway land. In contrast, the various grand marshalling yards of the Modernisation Plan bought up considerable land, plus had a number of new links nearby to allow all routes to access them. Millerhill in Edinburgh, built on the Waverley Route, which closed pretty much at the yard's completion, but which also led to a range of new connections around Edinburgh.

Another not yet covered is about a 3 mile diversion of the North Stafford line south of Kidsgrove, to avoid a series of decaying tunnels, at electrification time in the mid-1960s. It diverts along an adjacent parallel valley. Always a puzzle to me why the original railway builders tunnelled under the low hills when this nearby level land was there all along.

 

[billio]

Derwent Valley Light Railway. 1912 - 1981
ROF Thorp Arch railway. 1943 - 1953

Midland Railway West Riding lines to Huddersfield and Bradford from Royston, much of which was not built. The built parts being:
Royston to Thornhill
Mirfield to Huddersfield
Thornhill to Saville Town, Dewsbury

LNWR Leeds New Line (Heaton Lodge and Wortley).1900 - 1965,

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Fishguard Harbour surely!

Yes. Mid 1900s? Fishguard Harbour station opened 1906.

What are we talking about? Half a mile or so of track?

 

[Taunton]

Yes. Mid 1900s? Fishguard Harbour station opened 1906.

What are we talking about? Half a mile or so of track?

No, it was quite an extensive new construction from Clarbeston Road on the Haverfordwest line. along the Cleddau valley and northwards towards Fishguard, until it met the "old" line to Fishguard, which had turned off previously at Clynderwen, a winding and lightly-laid single track quite unsuited to main line express boat trains. The remaining shared bit was doubled, and, as you describe, finally extended the half mile to the new harbour. All still in use, of course. The "old" line continued for a while, but has long gone.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

@Taunton. Thanks for clarifying. So, are we talking about the ten and a half miles, or so, of new (opened in 1906) railway from Clarbeston Road Junction to Letterston Junction (via Spittal tunnel) heading for Fishguard?

 

[Western 52]

Two short freight branches not mentioned yet, both off the Vale of Glamorgan line, one to the Ford plant at Bridgend and the other to Aberthaw power station. Both still there but disused.

 

[snowball]

Dornoch bridge

No rail crossing at Dornoch. There was a campaign for the new road bridge to be combined with a rail bridge, but it failed.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Part of the Robin Hood line between Hucknall and Kirkby-in-Ashfield is a new connection between the stumps of former Midland and GCR lines.

 

[W-on-Sea]

The Corringham Light Railway, in Essex, opened in 1901