• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

TRIVIA: Hardest Rail lines to reinstate

Status
Not open for further replies.
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

shap summit

Member
Joined
24 Jul 2017
Messages
27
Location
Roslin
Whitstable Harbour to Canterbury. One of the first railway lines in the land. Health center built on the alignment at one end, bridges taken out, and Kent university slowly sinking into Tyler hill tunnel.
 

NorthernSpirit

Established Member
Joined
21 Jun 2013
Messages
2,184
how about kind of sinking the track in the road so cars could still use it?

That was done in Weymouth and its now no longer used, I suppose its still possible to do the same in Blackpool but you would have to build a short tunnel so that the line could continue up to the site of Central.
 

adamskiodp

Member
Joined
16 Sep 2011
Messages
207
Location
Buckinghamshire
Aylesbury High Street to Cheddington branch. New inner ring road on the track bed and a B&Q on the old station sitein Aylesbury. These B&Q’s seem to get everywhere
 

LOL The Irony

On Moderation
Joined
29 Jul 2017
Messages
5,335
Location
Chinatown, New York
That was done in Weymouth and its now no longer used, I suppose its still possible to do the same in Blackpool but you would have to build a short tunnel so that the line could continue up to the site of Central.
Hate to be a nay sayer but whats the point of that especially with the North upgrade & Tram extension.
 

Bevan Price

Established Member
Joined
22 Apr 2010
Messages
7,320
Housing or other buildings on old trackbeds are not a major problem if something is considered in the public interest - apart from the cost of compulsory purchase. After all, plenty of houses have been removed when motorways are built, and more will go if/when HS2 is built.

The bigger problem is the removal of viaducts, embankments, and the in-filling of tunnels & cuttings.

So, for example, it would be useful if the Micklehurst loop still existed, to boost line capacity between Stalybridge, Diggle & Huddersfield - but the long viaduct through Greenfield has gone.

In contrast, Blackpool South to Blackpool Central would be easy - if not cheap. Just a couple of bridges to restore, a line through a car park, and a basic station close to the site of the old Central station. Redoubling throughout to Kirkham (via Lytham) would also be fairly simple - mostly removal of one supermarket, and some reinstated / rebuilt platforms.
 

backontrack

Established Member
Joined
2 Feb 2014
Messages
6,383
Location
The UK
Cockermouth to Keswick, although theoretically it should be possible to sling a line just to the west of the A66, travelling through Thornthwaite and then the dual-carriageway's northbound lane.
 

markindurham

Member
Joined
1 Nov 2011
Messages
385
Whitby to Scarboro, part of it has gone into the sea.
Not that line - but Whitby to Boulby (on the way to Brotton & Saltburn) certainly has.

<All> that's stopping reinstatement of Scarvegas to Whitby is Falsgrave Tunnel (filled in), Gallows Close (Sainsburys now occupies the site), Scalby, where a sheltered housing development lies across the trackbed where the station was, plus infringement of the trackbed just north of the Sclby station site. Cloughton station is in use as tea rooms and accommodation, although the trackbed is clear, and Robin Hoods Bay station is also basically clear, although the buildings are in use for small workshops, I think. Hawsker station is a cycle hire place & cafe, but I think the trackbed itself is still clear. There's a couple of small bridges to replace too, but nothing else major.
 

LWB

Member
Joined
31 Dec 2009
Messages
240
Some serious bridge building over the Crake/Leven estuary to re-connect Lakeside to Plumpton and the outside world
 

philthetube

Established Member
Joined
5 Jan 2016
Messages
3,749
Croxley rail link, (Croxley to Watford Junction), must be difficult as they have been trying for 30 years with no sucess.
 

Buspilot

Member
Joined
4 Feb 2012
Messages
120
The Delph Donkey.
Oldham Clegg Street via Lees to Delph.
Then from Clegg Street to Park Bridge thence to Ashton Oldham Road
 

jonhewes

Member
Joined
8 Oct 2008
Messages
99
Whitby to Scarboro, part of it has gone into the sea.

I'd agree. I believe that Falsgrave tunnel has been compromised and partially filled in, to allow the construction of foundations for a new building. It's hard to believe that Scarborough once had an extensive goods yard, carriage sidings, and pool of shunting locomotive. Now it's little more than a guided bus way, though the 68 powered LHCS sets will be a big improvement!
 

swaldman

Member
Joined
19 Jan 2013
Messages
372
Agreed about Waterloo, although that is how it was done when there was a connection - probably fewer passengers milling around the concourse in those days. Mileages from Waterloo are still taken from the long closed junction.

I'm curious now - was the concourse shorter and on just one side of this link, or was there a level crossing type arrangement, or...?
I assume it used the track-level bridge that now seems to hold the wheeliebins for the station?
 

james60059

Member
Joined
6 Jul 2006
Messages
839
Location
Hinckley
Locally to me.

The Great Central Route especially through Leicester and Nottingham. Most of the viaducts in Leicester have all but gone, Nottingham's tunnels and cuttings are mostly filled in and of course the small matter of a shopping centre in the way as well as the preserved line :lol:.

The Coventry Loop Line now has the A444 running on the formation.

The Nuneaton & Ashby Joint Line is used partly as a proving ground by MIRA plus bit have been built on, not to mention that the Battlefield Line runs on part.

The line which linked Hinckley to the N&AJR at Stoke Golding now has the Tesco Hinckley Distribution Centre on the formation, or partly anyway.

The Leicester - Rugby line is built on at Wigston, Broughton Astley and Countesthorpe.
 

PeterC

Established Member
Joined
29 Sep 2014
Messages
4,069
I'm curious now - was the concourse shorter and on just one side of this link, or was there a level crossing type arrangement, or...?
I assume it used the track-level bridge that now seems to hold the wheeliebins for the station?
My understanding was that the track was covered over and the covers were lifted when a train needed to pass. I don't think that it saw a lot of use.
I believe that the oringal rail bridge is the one in place now.
 

FordFocus

Member
Joined
15 Apr 2015
Messages
918
Stratford-upon-Avon to Honeybourne I believe part of the track alignment now contains a road.
 

swaldman

Member
Joined
19 Jan 2013
Messages
372
My understanding was that the track was covered over and the covers were lifted when a train needed to pass. I don't think that it saw a lot of use.
I believe that the oringal rail bridge is the one in place now.

Hee, would love to have seen that. THanks :)
 

Doctor Fegg

Established Member
Joined
9 Nov 2010
Messages
1,814
Stratford-upon-Avon to Honeybourne I believe part of the track alignment now contains a road.

Eminently doable. There's space alongside the road. As per Wikipedia: "A 1996 study commissioned by Warwickshire County Council and Stratford-on-Avon District Council concluded that reinstatement to Stratford station is still feasible, but would require the re-modelling of Evesham Place roundabout and replacement of the cycleway alongside Seven Meadows Road and the footpath between Sandifield Road and Evesham Place to be converted into railway."
 

beeza1

Member
Joined
4 Oct 2012
Messages
358
Brockholes to Holmfirth branch off the Penistone Line, the viaduct was demolished years ago and most of the track bed now has houses built on it.
 

Dr_Paul

Established Member
Joined
3 Sep 2013
Messages
1,355
I'm curious now - was the concourse shorter and on just one side of this link, or was there a level crossing type arrangement, or...?
I assume it used the track-level bridge that now seems to hold the wheeliebins for the station?

Here's a link to a picture of the connection. Scroll down a bit and you'll find it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top