What preserved railway extension would you most like to see?

[Doctor Fegg]

If you were the Heritage Lottery Fund and could award (say) £30m to any preserved railway project for an extension, which one would it be?

Bear in mind engineering feasibility, tourism potential (no point extending a line for 20 miles if no-one will choose it for an afternoon out), and so on.

Personally I'd go for extending the Brecon Mountain Railway to Talybont-on-Usk - just over seven miles. The scenery is utterly spectacular - high on the hillside with reservoirs below, plus a journey through Britain's highest railway tunnel. Tourism-wise, it makes the railway accessible from the more touristy areas of the Beacons rather than just the Valleys, and Talybont is something of a tourism centre already with pubs, accommodation, cycle hire and the canal. In engineering terms it's not a walk in the park - you'd need a new bridge at the summit, and to drain Torpantau Tunnel - but it's not too complex. The trackbed is otherwise unobstructed, and even the road bridge just before Talybont station survives.

 

[gazthomas]

Welsh Highland Railway from Caernarfon to Bangor! Completely unauthentic but would create a complete rail circle in North West Wales

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Welsh Highland Railway from Caernarfon to Bangor! Completely unauthentic but would create a complete rail circle in North West Wales

+1 for this one.

I'd like to see the West Somerset get running rights into Taunton, possibly with a dedicated track from Norton Fitzwarren to a new west-facing bay platform on the Up side, to avoid having to cross over the main line.

 

[Ash Bridge]

I apologise for sounding boringly predictable having mentioned this one previously, but for me I would be delighted to see Boscarne Junction to Wadebridge and ultimately Padstow reinstated as an extension to the Bodmin & Wenford Railway. If I'm also allowed a couple more then Bideford to Barnstaple Junction and in the other direction to Torrington, and finally I'll add Llangollen to Ruabon.

The above two are good shouts also!

 

[Cowley]

It’s so hard to choose just one!
In order of preference (and this is just my local lines...)

1 The Lynton and Barnstaple rebuilt from end to end (might need to ask for a bit more money for that though)
2 The West Somerset operating into the bay platform in Taunton station.
3 The Bodmin and Wenford going all the way to Padstow.
4 The South Devon Railway getting back to Ashburton.

Any of those would do nicely thanks.

 

[Muzer]

+1 for this one.

I'd like to see the West Somerset get running rights into Taunton, possibly with a dedicated track from Norton Fitzwarren to a new west-facing bay platform on the Up side, to avoid having to cross over the main line.

That's quite a long stretch. I don't know how much of the trackbed is still intact; my biggest worry would be the Silk Mill Bridge which relatively recently replaced the level crossing of the same name.

I feel like a mainline shuttle operated by restored mainline-capable vehicles between Taunton and Bishops Lydeard is the most realistic; that is, something similar to the Swanage solution.

 

[duffield]

Peak Rail extended to Bakewell - possibly with through trains from Derby on Sundays when the Matlock service is every two hours.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

That's quite a long stretch. I don't know how much of the trackbed is still intact; my biggest worry would be the Silk Mill Bridge which relatively recently replaced the level crossing of the same name.

I feel like a mainline shuttle operated by restored mainline-capable vehicles between Taunton and Bishops Lydeard is the most realistic; that is, something similar to the Swanage solution.

Agree that might be more viable, but if my memory serves me right the Silk Mills bridge has a fair bit of space to spare, the crossing was 3 tracks I believe, of which only 2 were in regular use. Allowing the full WSR service to run would improve their offering to tourists as well as allowing direct interchange from National Rail. It may also encourage more tourists to start from that end, which would reduce congestion on the Taunton to Minehead road which is a fairly high accident route.

Another negative though, is that all that money and effort spent on the Norton Fitzwarren triangle would've been for naught!

 

[Calthrop]

If I might do a bit of speaking up for the sometimes despised-and-overlooked -- viz. here, in the often-regarded-as-dull more easterly parts of England where I was born and grew up -- something I'd love to see (it might well at this stage require magic, rather than a mere £30 million), would be: the Nene Valley Railway extended from its present western limit, the five or six miles or so onward to the station, in its proper and as-was site, at Oundle. For a good many years after the 1964 closure of the Peterborough -- Northampton through route, the line remained in use at the Peterborough end, as far as Oundle; for freight, and for beginning-and-end-of-term school trains serving Oundle's well-known public school. It's a beautiful little stone-built town: deserving in my view, more attention from visitors. And from my, admittedly verging-on-bigoted, type of railway-enthusiast POV -- this would make a preserved line of worthwhile length, and running from "somewhere to somewhere", rather than the present in my view rather absurd "somewhere to nowhere".

I do recognise reluctantly (having had this "take" expounded to me, by volunteers on this very line -- and as touched on by the OP) that re things pragmatic: very many of the visitors on whose fares preserved railways rely, prefer a "short-and-sweet" steam experience (say half a dozen miles each way) to a longer one -- and don't give a damn about sentimental old-style railway enthusiasts' concerns over "somewheres and nowheres".

 

[IanXC]

Does the railway in question have to want the extension?

North Yorkshire Moors Railways to Malton comes to mind!

 

[theageofthetra]

For me it's extending or if impracticle providing a regular bus (heritage or modern) to a national rail station.

The RVR/K & ESR extention to Robertsbridge will be the one I look most forward to.

 

[infobleep]

For purely selfish reasons, Horsteas Kynes to Hyawards Heath. I would electrify it and double track it, along with the double track sedionts of the line to East Grinstead. I'd also rebuild West Hoathly station.

 

[muddythefish]

If I might do a bit of speaking up for the sometimes despised-and-overlooked -- viz. here, in the often-regarded-as-dull more easterly parts of England where I was born and grew up -- something I'd love to see (it might well at this stage require magic, rather than a mere £30 million), would be: the Nene Valley Railway extended from its present western limit, the five or six miles or so onward to the station, in its proper and as-was site, at Oundle. .

The NVR could (and should) have bought the trackbed to Oundle including the station, which was still disused up until the mid 1990s and just ripe for preservation. Unfortunately the station and former goods yard is now an upmarket housing development and although the trackbed from Yarwell is clear as far as I know, I cannot see how you could get near Oundle itself now.

I've asked NVR members why they never bought the trackbed and they always say they had enough on their plate with the Pboro-Wansford section. Always smacked me as lacking ambition and foresight but preservation is hard work and expensive so you have to respect what they have achieved I suppose.

 

[muddythefish]

My wishlist

Bridgnorth - Ironbridge.
Bewdley - Tenbury Wells.
Ruabon - Llangollen
Cheltenham Racecourse - Cheltenham and Broadway - Honeybourne
Lynton - Barnstaple throughout including street running into Barnstaple BR station (not being too greedy!)

 

[bnm]

West Somerset Railway into Taunton is being actively evaluated again as part of Taunton's new 'Garden Town' status.

Garden Towns aren't, contrary to popular belief, just about house building. Amenities and tourist attractions are also part of the scheme that could attract funding.

There is a third line running all the way from Norton Fitzwarren to Taunton, on the down side, which is signalled for bi-directional running (DN/UP Relief). Trains from the WSR would need to cross the mainlines at Norton FW to this line. The bay platform on the down side at Taunton still has a connection to this line. Short term, heritage DMUs could run into and out of this bay. Longer term, there's plenty of unused railway land on the down side of Taunton Station that could see a run round loop and turntable installed so steam locos could run. Room enough too for dedicated WSR buildings, car parking and access from the new Inner Relief Road.

All of this could follow on from the planned 2 year trial of running GWR DMUs between Taunton and Bishops Lydeard, due to start this year.

 

[xc170]

Peak Rail extended to Bakewell - possibly with through trains from Derby on Sundays when the Matlock service is every two hours.

Not a bad call, that. Matlock - Bakewell would work quite well, I suspect, as Peak Rail would terminate somewhere people want to travel Rowsley doesn't have much going for it as a tourist destination.

On a similar note, how about reconnecting the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway back to the mainline and running services into Derby on Sundays... 101 powered of course!

 

[Spartacus]

I'd get the Wensleydale some proper facilities in the East at Northallerton, then Go West as far as possible!

 

[The Ham]

Watercress Line to Winchester, ideally to a bay platform. They could do very well it of it every time there's engineering works at Basingstoke (or anywhere between Winchester and nearly Brookwood) by running rail replacement trains.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

I think I would agree with all of these here. Some are planned already and others may happen in due course.

 

[mushroomchow]

I echo Duffield - Peak Rail really needs the Bakewell extension. If it gets it, it enters the Heritage Railway major league for me. Matlock to Bakewell is a potential tourism goldmine, and an actually useful railway at that - there's potential for extending the EMT service if it's considered feasible.

Honourable mention for the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway - I'd definitely like to see them get their mainline connection.

Last curveball - Rocks by Rail in Rutland - extend that, upgrade its permanent way and give it a mainline connection of its own.

EDIT - Oh, and a western extension to the North Norfolk Railway, at the very least to a more central Holt station and in pipedream terms as far as Fakenham. Lovely line, but too short for my liking. I'd settle on a happy medium of Melton Constable, since that was once an important junction.

 

[Cowley]

It’s interesting to think of which extensions would’ve topped the list a couple of decades ago but have or are in the process of being reinstated now - for instance the Welsh Highland, Swanage and GCR link.
I wonder how many of these dreams will start to happen in the next twenty?

 

[Steptoe]

To tie up with Mushroomchow's wish in post#20 a northern extension of the Mid-Norfolk Railway beyond the current limit at County School to Fakenham. Both station sites in Fakenham have been lost but by happy coincidence the former GE and M&GN cross over just east of Fakenham so a link as envisaged by the Norfolk Orbital Railway is feasible. Although the trackbed from County School to Fakenham has been sold it is protected from development (apart from at Gt Ryburgh!)

 

[Muzer]

Watercress Line to Winchester, ideally to a bay platform. They could do very well it of it every time there's engineering works at Basingstoke (or anywhere between Winchester and nearly Brookwood) by running rail replacement trains.

Quite a tricky one, I feel - in fact I suggested it in my post above but then thought it too unrealistic so deleted it! To contend with you have the M3; and a couple of modern houses in each of New Alresford, Itchen Abbas and Kings Worthy/Springvale. Then you still join to the mainline quite far north, far from Winchester town itself, and if you want a segregated line all the way to the station, you'll have to widen the bridge over the A34 among crossing other roads. Then when you get to Winchester itself, you could possibly persuade Network Rail to let you take over the siding there (though I this siding is currently well-used for turning back Southampton-area peak extras), but there's still no obvious room for a bay platform.

Would be great to have but just seems tricky.

 

[Spartacus]

I'm sure the Embsay would love some money thrown at it for an extension into Skipton into the old branch platforms.

 

[markindurham]

Does the railway in question have to want the extension?

North Yorkshire Moors Railways to Malton comes to mind!

I wondered how long it would be before that old canard rocked up!

 

[Chrisyd]

East Lancs Railway - Rawtenstall to Bacup.
5 miles along the Irwell Valley, plenty of bridges, under bridges, embankments, cuttings and tunnels, sounds like it would be interesting, if highly impractical to reopen!

 

[snakeeyes]

Royal Deeside Railway, rebuild east back to Aberdeen and west to Ballater, running a daily service.

 

[mushroomchow]

I'm sure the Embsay would love some money thrown at it for an extension into Skipton into the old branch platforms.

I'd back that one up too - I visited Skipton to ride the Tornado Plandampfs but for my sins I didn't even know about the E&BR at the time - I wish I'd visited now, looks like a great little line and there's little actually stopping them getting back into Skipton.

 

[billio]

East Lancs Railway - Rawtenstall to Bacup.
5 miles along the Irwell Valley, plenty of bridges, under bridges, embankments, cuttings and tunnels, sounds like it would be interesting, if highly impractical to reopen!

Doesn't Heywood to Castleton come first for the ELR ?. It would be nice to go to Bacup, but as an alternative why not a short branch from Stubbins towards Helmshore. I just want to see two steam trains, one on each of the parallel viaducts over the Irwell .

 

[Calthrop]

The NVR could (and should) have bought the trackbed to Oundle including the station, which was still disused up until the mid 1990s and just ripe for preservation. Unfortunately the station and former goods yard is now an upmarket housing development and although the trackbed from Yarwell is clear as far as I know, I cannot see how you could get near Oundle itself now.

I passed through Oundle, west-to-east, a few weeks ago -- first time I'd been to the place for decades. As per your words: no discernible trace whatever, of railway or station.

I've asked NVR members why they never bought the trackbed and they always say they had enough on their plate with the Pboro-Wansford section. Always smacked me as lacking ambition and foresight but preservation is hard work and expensive so you have to respect what they have achieved I suppose.

In agreement with you here -- while "armchair criticism" is easy and tempting: we should indeed, probably, tell ourselves that a more positive approach is to be glad of what has been achieved, rather than to whinge about what we wish had been, but hasn't .