TRIVIA: Reopened lines and stations that were shut for the shortest length of time

[Pyreneenguy]

Not a contender for shortest closure - but were the tracks lifted on the ex-CLC line from Hunts Cross Jn to Liverpool Central between withdrawal of Gateacre trains in 1972 and re-opening as Merseyrail Northern Line to Garston in 1978?

I'm not sure whether long term plans for the Liverpool Loop & Link were already in place & approved at the time of closure of Central High Level (which had been part of the Beeching axe), or whether BR had done the usual thing and ripped up the track as quickly as possible.

Track was in place. A teenager at the time, I visited a number of the closed stations ( much vandalized) and walked along some of the track. There were some excellent photos on-line, taken by Dave Graham during electrification. ( on the now defunct Photopic). Perhaps they are lost forever.

 

[Springs Branch]

Track was in place. A teenager at the time, I visited a number of the closed stations ( much vandalized) and walked along some of the track.

Thanks for confirming this @Pyreneenguy.

Since posting my question I've found more info online in ex-BR driver Rod Dixon's very interesting account of working the Liverpool - Garston line in the 1970s (including works trains involved in construction of the new Merseyrail underground).

It's in the June 2018 issue of the Journal of the 8D Association (page 11 onwards) available online at:-
http://btckstorage.blob.core.windows.net/site3376/On Shed Archive/On Shed_Vol 8 No 2 - June 2018.pdf

In summary, after Liverpool Central - Gateacre DMUs stopped, the line stayed open for assorted freight manoeuvres between Garston and Brunswick Sidings, including trains moving fuel oil landed at Brunswick Dock.

When these ceased, the engineers moved in for relaying, construction of new tunnels down to Central Low Level and installation of third rail ahead of re-opening by Merseyrail in January 1978.

A list of official line closure dates has Cressington Junction to Brunswick Oil Sidings taken out of use by 30 June 1977. Re-opened to Liverpool Central Low Level on 3 Jan 1978 - just over 6 months later.

 

[Traveller54]

Wikipedia states that Stewarton (on the Glasgow-Kilmarnock line) was closed on 7 November 1966, and re-opened on 5 June 1967.

As was neighbouring Dunlop. Reopened due to “vehement local opposition and national press coverage “. Kilmaurs was closed at the same time and reopened in 1984.

I doubt there would have been anything like the amount of recent local house building if they remained closed.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Don't think it's been mentioned but two curves that reopened in 2000 had only been closed for around a decade. The Bradley curve (from Bradley junction on the Trans-pennine main line to Bradley Wood junction on the Calder Valley route) was used for Trans-Pennine diversions and occasional summer services until the late 1980s or early 1990s. As was the corresponding section from Greetland junction to Dryclough junction.

 

[AY1975]

Another potential contender for lines shut for the shortest length of time might be Radford Jn-Trowell Jn, which I think was closed for a short period in about the late 1980s/early '90s. I can't remember exactly when it closed, probably about 1988/89ish, but I seem to recall that it reopened at the start of the 1990 summer timetable.

Since it reopened it has always been the usual route for the Norwich-Liverpools and the odd St Pancras-Sheffield/Leeds via Alfreton train. During its closure all such trains ran via Toton, and I seem to recall that before its closure passenger trains sometimes went via the Radford Jn-Trowell Jn line and sometimes via Toton. Since it reopened, AFAIK there have been no booked passenger workings via Toton (except maybe the odd one to keep up route knowledge) but they are occasionally diverted that way.

 

[steamybrian]

The Bluebell line was originally closed by BR on 28 May 1955 and reopened 7 August 1956 closed finally on 17 March 1958
Reopened as a heritage railway between Sheffield Park and Bluebell Halt (South of Horsted Keynes) in August 1960.

 

[Journeyman]

Rogart station on the Far North Line was re-opened 9 months after closure (June 1960 - March 1961).

Duncraig was technically closed from Dec 1964 - Jan 1976 (11 years), but drivers stopped for people anyway. A similar situation existed at Glencarron platform, but that wasn't officially reinstated so it decayed into closure instead (I think the last time it was actually served was in the 1990s, 30 years after closure in '64).

Something very similar happened at Blake Hall on the Epping to Ongar line, which closed in the early 80s when the all-day service was reduced to peak hours only. Apparently the drivers were happy to stop and drop people off and it happened fairly regularly - when London Transport bigwigs caught wind of this, they had the platform demolished.

 

[WesternLancer]

I had a feeling that Falmer closed and then re-opened again very soon (maybe it only nearly closed) - struck me how much the element of govt's left had not knowing what right had was doing, if this was true, as at the time (early 60s) of any potential closure the plans by dept for education to build what even then would have been a multi million pound new university right next to the station, with potentially large passenger demand from both employees and students must have been at least on the drawing board.