Re opening of disused railway lines.

[The Family Cyclist]

Was something about this on Jeremy Vine. Fully realising this is probably a story that occurs fairly regularly but just wondered what people thought. The guy from CTC/CUK I thought was really good as normally the JV show goes for the lowest available who will shout at each other. Personally I'd be gutted if the two former lines I cycle in went but the lines they were on would be a blooming good idea if brought back

[Ben T]

not going to be that many , only a handful in the whole country

[ElyDave]

They've been talking about Cambridge-Oxford for years, budget approved but still nothing visible happening. I'm not getting excited.

EDIT - no idea how that got spell-cheked to Cambridge-ish

[T42]

There's all those cycleways they could use. Nobody would miss them, after all.

[MikeFromLFE]

It's possible that a few might get considered as suburban light rail metro links or extensions, but even light rail (as opposed to normal heavy rail) ain't cheap and in case anyone hasn't noticed, there's not a lot of money around.
There was an opportunity to somehow use the heritage Great Central Railway south of Nottingham as a link into the Nottingham tram network at Ruddington - this fell through. The rail link (currently freight) linking Leicester with Coalville and Burton has been discussed for very many years and nothing happens. They keep wittering on about the missing link at Nuneaton which would link the East Midlands with Coventry, and again, nothing happens.
So - if relatively easy (I didn't say cheap) proposals like these which could have huge community and business benefits can't get off the ground, then I wouldn't worry too much about the loss of wildlife green corridors and wonderful cycle routes with easy gradients (and crap surfaces).

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

The one from York to Riccall is ex-railway line but ISTR it was abandoned because of mine subsidence. 

[pcolbeck]

There was talk for years about the Malton to Pickering line being reopened which would have allowed trains to run from York right through to the North Yorkshire Moors preserved railway. It would also have allowed "Steam Specials" to run from York through to Whitby (they already run York to Scarborough). Unfortunatley the council allowed a new supermarket to be built over the track bed just before Pickering station so now it can never be reopened.

[Karla]

It's only a Lidl too!  As a York-Pickering commuter, this is more than a lidl bit annoying.   Hey pcolbeck, you get the bombs, I'll get the fuses.

[madcow]

Anarchy aside , anythings possible if the money is available. Maybe the NYMR could give up some of the land round the back of the station for Lidl
if they really thought it was a realisable aim.
There is a group in Ripon that keeps looking at the possibility of re-opening the Harrogate to Ripon line and then completing the loop up to Northallerton.
As Notwork Rail  can't  upgrade the York to Harrogate line to dual track all the way to improve capacity ,I can't see how any of these branch lines will be re-instated .
The costs are eyewatering and will never be recovered in fares income. Most local authorities are still fixated with road building(as most of the costs are paid for by central government)  nothing will change.
The only hope would be that community infrastructure levy paid by developers of new houses is used for this type of project.

[Cudzoziemiec]

It's not just costs but the long drawn-out procedure we need to get a grip* on.

*Governance for Railway Investment Projects: https://www.kintecglobal.com/news/what-is-the-grip-process-41806/
https://www.transwilts.org/images/pdf/Guide_to_Rail_Investment_Process-1.pdf

[mllePB]

They've been talking about Cambridge-Oxford for years, budget approved but still nothing visible happening. I'm not getting excited.

EDIT - no idea how that got spell-cheked to Cambridge-ish

This now goes by the rather ambiguous name East West Rail and it is going ahead, or at least the Oxford to Bletchley and Bedford part.  Further toward Cambridge gets more difficult as much of the old route has been lost.
Excitement: try you tubing East West Rail: The Movie

[Cudzoziemiec]

For further ambiguity, there is East-West Rail East, East-West Rail West and East-West Rail Central.  I think the Western section is already open.

[Ivo]

I do suspect that one of the reasons whey disused railway lines are converted into bikepaths is that in this way they are still ranked as used for transport. So in case of a peak oil scenario, they  can be reconverted to railway lines without too much legal hassle.

[mllePB]

I do suspect that one of the reasons whey disused railway lines are converted into bikepaths is that in this way they are still ranked as used for transport. So in case of a peak oil scenario, they  can be reconverted to railway lines without too much legal hassle.

Nah that's conspiracy theory thinking.

[mllePB]

For further ambiguity, there is East-West Rail East, East-West Rail West and East-West Rail Central.  I think the Western section is already open.

Only as far as the designer shopping village at Bicester. Cue conspiracy theories regarding Chinese involvement....

[Ivo]

I do suspect that one of the reasons whey disused railway lines are converted into bikepaths is that in this way they are still ranked as used for transport. So in case of a peak oil scenario, they  can be reconverted to railway lines without too much legal hassle.

Nah that's conspiracy theory thinking.

I would say proper foresight and planning

[Canardly]

'Course on the continent track beds are protected for fifty years, just in case.

[Cunobelin]

There's all those cycleways they could use. Nobody would miss them, after all.

Some of these are already under threat as they are victims of their own success. They become commuter routes and then someone decides that all those cyclists and pedestrians would love to use a Bus / Tram or even a car

Gosport had the defeated light rapid transit scheme, which became a Bus Rapid Transit Scheme. It took a lot of campaigning to get cyclist access to the route. We did however fail with pedestrian access.

The next section is along a more used access route that has schools, recreation grounds and other amenities. A failure to implement pedestrian access will be adverse as it will put children on a busy dual carriageway and to cross a busy main road

[rogerzilla]

I'd take a railway over a crappy Sustrans path any day.

[MikeFromLFE]

I'd take a railway over a crappy Sustrans path any day.

This is the problem - lack of consistent design and maintenance.
Take Route 6 : between the centre of Leicester and Blaby it's an excellent, well used, well maintained disused railway  with an asphalt surface; between Market Harborough and Northampton it's a poor, badly maintained disused railway with 'dust and stone' surfacing.
The Leicester section -admittedly in commuter territory - is used by cyclists, horse riders, joggers, dog walkers etc; the Northampton section - much more rural - only sees a significant amount of use on sunny Sundays.
I'm sure if the Northampton section had a bit of investment there is potential for greater use (cycle commuting from Brixworth; and Park&Cycle into Market H).


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[Dave_C]

The big thing I like about using disused railway lines as cycle routes is they are level. I see a few disused lines on my rides and mourn their disuse for cycle infra. I did ride over one line last spring here, and looked it up when I got to my destination.

I work in Edinburgh and much of the disused railway suburban lanes are now cycle paths. Great for getting in and out of the city without having to battle traffic, avoid poor surfaces and be held up by junctions and lights.

There was talk of extending the Edinburgh Tram 'network' up the Roseburn path, and they even made a spur off when they build the current line at Haymarket but that is al it has remained, a disused spur.

[mllePB]

I'd take a railway over a crappy Sustrans path any day.

This is the problem - lack of consistent design and maintenance.
Take Route 6 : between the centre of Leicester and Blaby it's an excellent, well used, well maintained disused railway  with an asphalt surface; between Market Harborough and Northampton it's a poor, badly maintained disused railway with 'dust and stone' surfacing.
The Leicester section -admittedly in commuter territory - is used by cyclists, horse riders, joggers, dog walkers etc; the Northampton section - much more rural - only sees a significant amount of use on sunny Sundays.
I'm sure if the Northampton section had a bit of investment there is potential for greater use (cycle commuting from Brixworth; and Park&Cycle into Market H).


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You'll know if the northants end has been improved when it starts appearing as a Strava segment, then speed bumps will be installed

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[arabella]

Take Route 6 : between the centre of Leicester and Blaby it's an excellent, well used, well maintained disused railway  with an asphalt surface; between Market Harborough and Northampton it's a poor, badly maintained disused railway with 'dust and stone' surfacing.
...
I'm sure if the Northampton section had a bit of investment there is potential for greater use (cycle commuting from Brixworth; and Park&Cycle into Market H).

heh.  when I was young that was a real railway, I'd cross it twice daily on schooldays.  There was a (wo)manned* level crossing with a signal-box alike structure for the people on duty.  Then there was a footbridge a bit further down if you used the footpath instead of the road, though tbh if on the footpath mostly we skipped across the track paying careful attention.
*tbh all the staff I saw were male, it was the 1970s after all.

[MikeFromLFE]

Take Route 6 : between the centre of Leicester and Blaby it's an excellent, well used, well maintained disused railway  with an asphalt surface; between Market Harborough and Northampton it's a poor, badly maintained disused railway with 'dust and stone' surfacing.
...
I'm sure if the Northampton section had a bit of investment there is potential for greater use (cycle commuting from Brixworth; and Park&Cycle into Market H).

heh.  when I was young that was a real railway, I'd cross it twice daily on schooldays.  There was a (wo)manned* level crossing with a signal-box alike structure for the people on duty.  Then there was a footbridge a bit further down if you used the footpath instead of the road, though tbh if on the footpath mostly we skipped across the track paying careful attention.
*tbh all the staff I saw were male, it was the 1970s after all.

Completely OT - my grandmother was a Crossing Keeper in the 1960s on the line between Leighton Buzzard & Dunstable - I used to spend most of my summer holidays 'helping' her, or trailing after the gangs of (Polish) platelayers.
So female railway workers weren't completely unheard of!

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[MikeFromLFE]

Take Route 6 : between the centre of Leicester and Blaby it's an excellent, well used, well maintained disused railway  with an asphalt surface; between Market Harborough and Northampton it's a poor, badly maintained disused railway with 'dust and stone' surfacing.
...
I'm sure if the Northampton section had a bit of investment there is potential for greater use (cycle commuting from Brixworth; and Park&Cycle into Market H).

heh.  when I was young that was a real railway, I'd cross it twice daily on schooldays.  There was a (wo)manned* level crossing with a signal-box alike structure for the people on duty.  Then there was a footbridge a bit further down if you used the footpath instead of the road, though tbh if on the footpath mostly we skipped across the track paying careful attention.
*tbh all the staff I saw were male, it was the 1970s after all.

Equally OT - the last passenger service to travel along that line were sleeper services from Euston heading to Market Harborough to join up with the Leicester Line to Glasgow.
It's astonishing what rubbish fills my head.

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