How easy would it be to rebuild the railway lines closed by Dr Beeching in the 60s to cut down on road use.?

Question

How easy would it be to rebuild the railway lines closed by Dr Beeching in the 60s to cut down on road use.?

Answer 1

Most would be impossible to replace as the land was sold off for development and to buy it back at current prices would be far too much.

There are a lot of routes that could be put back reasonably cheaply...although there would have to be a good business plan required to show they would be financially viable.

The network owners Networkrail would have to be persuaded by the train operating companies to restore routes,but this would only happen if enough money was forthcomming from govenment and private backers.

Most of the lines closed in the 1960's went from no-where to no-where special anyway or were duplicate lines originally built by private companies when nearly all traveled by train.

A cheaper method of using old routes would be to use lightweight road construction on them with lightweight dedicated bus/trolly which can leave where the old rail route has been disrupted by new works/housing etc.

Answer 2

Dr. Beeching didn't close any lines, he only wrote a report on the economic viability of keeping lines open. The |Minister Of Transport did the ordering of closures, cannot remember his name,sorry.

Answer 3

Very expensive and time consuming. the problem is most towns have now expanded over the areas that railways used to travel on.

The Bluebell Railway Preservation society have been trying to connect East Grinstead Station to Horstead Keynes now for the past 15 years almost and although the are on the last leg of the plan it has cost them in the region of almost £1000 per foot of track from what i hear.

A number of TOC's have looked at old branch lines to see if they could reopen or persuade the goverment to purchase and support, but it is very unfeasable, look how long crossrail is taking (plans date back to the early 1980's), Thameslink 2000 plan for new lines from London Bridge to Blackfriars and relief for the Charing Cross Line have now been dubbed Thameslink 3000 it is still in planning 10 years after first draft was put in.

Many parts of the country still use Semaphore Signals and 'Absoloute Block' train running systems which if upgraded could make those lines hold a greater capacity of trains (In our area of Sussex, it has taken 8 years and 56 million to convert a 16 mile stretch of track from AB to coloured light system, nothing changed in the track, just signals). Portsmouth system for increased running of the trains failed just after Xmas last year after a big spend out and closure for conversion, 2 days later the lines are closed, the whole system has to be redone and the lines are still closed 8 months later and will be to Xmas they reckon, although a limited system is working just.

So I dont think it will be possible just yet.

Answer 4

Difficult in many places as money grubbers have sold off land, structures have deteriorated or been removed and it only needs one modern block of flats on the track bed to make it a very expensive exercise

Answer 5

Further to all the previous posts.  

Beeching became chair of the BTC (BR's parent Organisation). Succeeeding Gen Sir Brian Robertson.

The Transport Secretary of the day was one Ernest Marples, whose family business were making a mint building motorways at the time. (don't think a ministers family could do that these days!)

Answer 6

As many answers have said, the difficulty is that many sites were sold off and built on duing the 70s and 80s (although successive governments said the rights of way would be protected). The other major problem is the lack of political will. Governments talk ahbout cutting down on pollution from road transport but are just not prepared to put money in. Someone has mentioned the proposal to reopen part of the Waverley Route in Scotland between Edinburgh and Galashiels. Even this might be in doubt now as the Scottish Nats who control the Assembly are more in favour of guided buses. Someone else has mentioned routes in Sussex. There has long been a campaign to relay the track from Uckfield to Lewes to take some pressure off the main London to Brighton line. It was a nonsense that this relatively short piece of track was ever shut, bur will it be relaid? I doubt in my lifetime.

Answer 7

Hmm .The repurchasing of land ,the track ,signaling systems ,building of stations and the access roads, staffing and purchase of rolling stock, automated ticketing systems and a whole bunch of other stuff would be difficult but not impossible,

The two biggest problems would be the aplications for the planning as a lot of land would be under housing, roads,industry and agricultural use and would be vehermently opposed and the other would be the sheer cost of it all....Trillions I would guess.

Answer 8

The biggest problem would be rebuilding the bridges, which they demolished rather than maintain

Answer 9

Actually some of the old lines are getting re-opened, like the Bathgate to Airdry line (Please excuse my spelling!) then there are lings arround Nuneaton & Stafford which will be re-introduced/rebuilt.

Other line just cannot be re-opened as houses, factories & shops have been built on the site of the old lines.

Answer 10

easy, just needs the political will

Answer 11

They are doing this in some places.  Edinburgh to Galashiels, for example.

Answer 12

It would be much easier to lay tramlines on roads.

Answer 13

its very hard, the road structure is WAY different for a train then cars, train beds are made to move and flex under the weight, when roads do that they crack and break. then theres the "right of way" clause most tracks have on them. when the owners bought their right of ways through peoples lands there is usually a clause that states " if the railroad is decommissioned and tracks pulled up, the land is to go back to the original deed"(origina owners or whoever owns the land at the time), then you have the width of the right away is usually around 33 feet each way from outside rails

Answer 14

It would take a lot of capital to repair and upgrade the rail ine to a usable condition. There would also have to be an opportunity to create revenue on the line or it would be a lost cause. It would take some time and money, but often cities or shippers are willing to put up the money to keep business going or to grow it. www.railroadindustries.com A rail consutling firm that would assist with these matters.

Answer 15

It'd be wonderful if they could but, just one example, the Cuckoo Line which went from Polegate to Tunbridge Wells could have been reopened as recently as 1976 (easily) and 1986 (rebuilding a few bridges) but town planners in their infinite wisdom have built all over the line in Polegate and Hailsham. Stupid b******s!

Answer 16

I doubt it would be feasible or possible given that most of the lines are either none existant or built on. However, there are still railway lines made into national cycle tracks and this may work, but the costs would be prohibitive I fear..

Good question!

Answer 17

Although technically feasable, I believe the cost would be prohibitive.

The main problem is that much of the land has been built on, or earmarked for other usage, such as housing.

Perhaps a monorail on a raised level may be easier, something akin to the Docklands Light Railway, maybe.

The fact is, most people simply do not want to give up their cars.