Why are there so many disused railways in England?

Question

I'm just curious :P

Answer 1

Beeching Axe in the 1960s was a government plan to cut the number of railways in the UK because of the huge cost to the taxpayer. There were lines going to practically every village you can think of. About 90% of these lines were unprofitable because of the increase of people driving around. Lots of motorways got built too.

4,000 miles of railway and 3,000 stations were closed. That's about 50% of the railway network.

Originally, the railway was going to be changed so the only trains were the cross-country ones going out of London and Birmingham. Luckily people stepped in and the government promised to subsidise some of the lines.

Answer 2

Agree with Peter G.

But, disused is another word for opportunity.

Answer 3

Dr Beeching an advisor to the UK government many years ago rationalised the UK rail network and the decision was taken to close many of the least used sections.

Answer 4

There was massive closure of the railways in the years following WW2. The worst period was under Dr Beeching (1961-63) but there were closures both before and after then.

In its 1964 General Election Manifesto the Labour Party promised that they would stop all further rail closures pending a government Transport Review.

The Review never materialised and the closures went ahead, e.g. the Somerset & Dorset line (1966), the Glasgow-Carlisle 'Waverley' line and the Great Central (London Marylebone to the Midlands & the North, both 1969).

Further closures followed in the 1970's, the Corfe Castle-Swanage and Winchester-Alton lines in southern England being just two examples, though both these latter have since been rescued and restored as Heritage railways.

The asset-stripping of industry has also meant the closure of many industrial railways, that is sidings and branch lines owned by the industrial operator rather than the main network, but connected to and operating in conjunction with it.

For similar reasons there are also many disused railways in Wales and Scotland, while in Ireland there was also an extensive network of local, 3-foot gauge railways that were virtually obliteraed in the post-war era.