Posted 15th June 2009 | 24 Comments

Beeching era closures proposed for re-opening

New platforms at Milton Keynes are ready to accommodate trains from Oxford.

RE-OPENING rail lines and stations closed over 40 years during the “Beeching cuts” figure prominently in new proposals from Britain’s train operating companies to expand capacity for the growing number of passengers.

Michael Roberts, chief executive of the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), told BBC News: “We have established that there is a strong business case for investment to bring a number of towns back on to the rail network.

"Now we need to safeguard these routes and develop the detailed case for investment."

A report by ATOC proposes 14 lines re-connecting 40 stations to the national rail network, improving access to trains for up to a million people. It also calls for seven park-and-ride stations to be built on existing lines and identifies 20 more lines whose reopening could be justified on employment grounds.

The report says the case for reopening local stations and building ‘parkways’ has been strengthened by lack of parking at main stations and congestion on roads leading to them.

The areas that would be served by the 14 lines identified in the report are:

• Cranleigh in Surrey
• Bordon, Hythe and Ringwood in Hampshire
• Brixham in Devon
• Aldridge and Brownhills in the West Midlands
• Wisbech in Cambridgeshire
• Leicester to Burton in the East Midlands
• Fleetwood, Rawtenstall and Skelmersdale — all in Lancashire
• Washington in Tyne and Wear
• Ashington and Blyth in Northumberland

"They are all large towns which have changed radically since the railways went 40 years ago. Many were old coal mining or manufacturing centres, which now generate large numbers of commuters who need to use the train" said the report’s author Chris Austin, who retired earlier this year from the post of ATOC’s Director of Public Policy.

"In total the 14 schemes would cost about £500 million. At the very least the land needs to left as a possible rail corridor, rather than being built on,” he said. "All the schemes, with support from national and local government, could be completed over the next two decades."

ATOC is also examining the case for additional lines to improve connections within the existing network. These include one between Oxford and Milton Keynes which, by linking into existing routes, would improve access to two of the eco-towns proposed by the Government.

•  When the British Railways Board was created in the 1960s its first chairman was Dr Richard Beeching, a director of ICI.  His report on the re-shaping of the railway industry led to the network being cut by a third, with 2,000 stations and 5,000 miles of track closed down. Over 200 stations were re-opened in the 1980s and early 1990s, before privatisation, but few have come on stream since then

Despite the overall reduction in track and station capacity in the past 45 years, the rail system today carries around 30 per cent more passengers than it did then. The Government expects that passenger numbers will increase by another 22 per cent by 2014, with yet more growth in the following five years.


Reader Comments:

Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.

  • m. capewell, brixham.

    Yes, good idea to run trains through to Brixham again. In the summer the road in and out of the town, and there is only ONE, can often be boggothed up with the tourist traffic, which of course we do need. Might be a few objecters whose gardens have extended over the old line, but they must remember the railway was there well before their housed were built. Surely with the right compensation offered they would allow there gardens to be put back to its original length. But there again some people are bloody minded just for the sake of it, don-t bother about the majority.

  • Sam Craddock, rugeley, england

    Instead of the goverment investing in the waste of time and money high speed rail link it could improve journey times by opening the old routes closed during the beeching cuts, this would improve journey times and offer the much needed extra capacity, and diversion routes when engineering work is required, also they have been already half built surely thats cheaper than building a whole new railway line that people don't want?

  • Roy gillett, Sunderland, Uk

    Not a lot will be done on rail openings because the biggest obstacle is wheres the funding going to come from ,train companies are not going to be willing to part with vast sums unless they are quite sure of getting a good return on thier profits.The best way forward would be full re-nationalisation .Can anyone remember when ED BURGHART came on the scene to take over railfreight under the E.W.S branding,he promised a transformation of freight picking wagons up from hundreds of sidings ,some american dreamer he must be . Just look at his amazing dream ED it wont happen .

  • Peter Lloyd Harvey, Aberaeron, Wales

    I strongly believe that rail cruise tourism should also be factored in when considering the reopening old rail routes.Wales is a case in point. I would like to see the Heart-of-Wales line upgraded as part of a new rail axis strategic route, with a link line from Llandrindod Wells via St Harmon, Llanidloes to Caersws (a re-profiled Moat Lane Junction) and a completely new scenic link with an end-on connection at Trawsfynydd, down the Eden Valley (Station at Coed-y-Brenin Forest Centre) to Ganllwyd, thence joining the Mawddach section of the old Ruabon route to Barmouth Junction. Wales is never going to get a high-speed western route because of the terrain, so why not build in rail tourism at the outset? I have been Vice-Chair of Mid Wales Tourism and an attractions operator in Wales for over 30 years, so that industry is quite well-known to me! Just look what Scotland achieves!

  • chris railton, lincoln, lincolnshire

    reopening old railway lines is a waste of time it s better make them in to cycle paths

  • Francis, Stone, England

    As mentioned in the letters above, what has happened to the towns and cities that formerly had excellent rail services?

    Liverpool which formerly had intercity services nationwide is now reduced to Virgins London service, other routes being served by what are basically nothing more than "beefed up" motor buses that rock and roll and take 2 or 3 times the time taken by former intercity services!

    Cheapskate arguements about reopening the Halton Link, or electrifying a few miles of track between Liverpool and the West Coast Mainline to Scotland and the North,

    Yet billions of pounds are spent on the Manchester - Stoke - Euston route which can never be a high speed route until the West Coast route proper is reached at Colwich!

    What happened to the overnight services? they appear to have vanished completely leaving the passengers to the coach services! OOPS I forgot many of the rail companies are Coach Operators arent they? Which is why they cant run railways except by bus company formulas!

    Lets get rid of the Political skulduggery and if not national the railway at least have a independent body with the power to control the railway companies

  • David fishwick, nottingham, uk

    Good idea on paper though i doubt any of it will happen. If we really want to build a better rail that people will actually leave their car behind for we should do the following:
    1. Re-open unused lines that link places with which the alternative is a long detour: the east-west link is i think the favourite for this one.
    2. Have local services that actually stop at the village stations. Where i live (nottingham) i think only one train a day serves Elton Ederton..hardly an encouragment to leave your car behind! Many vilages also have poor buses so people have no choice but to drive. It also wastes money becuase the tations have to be manned but no one now uses them as thier is only a couple of trains a day!
    3. Improve Cross country links. The existing network is not suffitient. Bring in cities presently not in the network eg liverpool, brighton, blackpool, hull, sunderland, portsmouth, dover and have routes that avoid changing at birmingham to provide an alternative to motorways and planes. One idea would be to have alternate hourly stopping and fast services so small towns actually get served. Also some areas are poorly served (nottingham good example poor links north and south except to london) have services that run on other routes eg via east west link, manchester etc; rather than all through birmnigham.
    Do these and make it not too expensive and the increase number of passengers will quickly make it profitable

  • hugo rogers, Newbury, Berkshire UK

    I would like to see also a couple of schemes done which i believ could help the A3 corridor and also the A338/345 corridor in wiltshire and berkshire... I think didcot to Newbury would be an ideal candidate who uses the A34 in oeak hours from north to newbury and further south have you seen how snarled up that can get? this also could be used as a diversionary route in case of accidents and engineering. This could also be extended to provide direct access to Winchester and the South West Main Line. Another Scheme that could start with the resumption of passenger services to ludgershall from andover and maybe even extension to marlborough and further north to swindon. thats all many thanks... oh and also great central reopening and the somerset and dorest

  • Meic Batten, Maesteg, Wales

    Interregnum1642, London, UK wrote

    'What we really require is a national body responsible for rail development in England and Wales, not just maintaing the network'.

    I don't think so. The problem with such a body is that it would, inevitably, favour English schemes, such is the inequity in size. All such bodies or 'think tanks' in the past have looked at what benefit would accrue to London. Just look at Crossrail, enormously expensive and not serving any purpose except for comparatively short journeys within Greater London.

    Look then at the Ebbw Vale re-opening which has been a runaway success because road travel to and from the South Wales valleys is awkward and time consuming compared to rail which serves the centre of the Welsh Capital and its network of local, Cross Country and Inter City services. Without the support of the Welsh Assembly Government such a service would still be a very low priority for any English based authority and likely to remain on the wish list of many thousands of people for the foreseeable future. Towards the end of BR's existance, re-openings, in Wales, were pushed through by enthusiastic management with good local knowledge. The break up of the National system stymied this for a few years but devolved government has proved that local knowledge and local needs are not ignored and has led to further re-openings.

    I have nothing against the English but I think we know what we need rather than wait for crumbs from the 'rich man's table'.

  • Meic Batten, Maesteg, Wales

    Newport-Caerffili is an obvious contender, offering passengers from the Rhymney Valley new and better journey opportunities avoiding the Cardiff bottleneck. Up until the time that Caerffili Works closed, there was an unadvertised workmans' service over the line and those 'in the know' , myself included, made use of it and the proverbial blind eye was turned by railway staff.

    Then there is an exisiting service that doesn't really fulfill its purpose: The City Line. This runs between Radyr, just Northwest of Cardiff to Coryton, also just Northwest of Cardiff. A short length of new railway could be laid to connect both current termini and form a proper 'Circle Line'. By re-doubling about two miles of track between Heath Junction and Coryton a clockwise and anti-clockwise service could be introduced which would transform the line's usefulness. (There is no obstacle to redoubling, the formation is all there; even the platforms are in place beneath undergrowth). Such a service would put a huge population within twenty minutes of both City Centre stations. It could even be used as a diversionary route, if necessary.

  • andrew blurton, STAFFORD, UK

    Where Are The Closed Community Railway Lines In North & Mid Wales That Beeching Once Closed In Wales Today????
    Should We Be Making 200 Mile Journeys To Cardiff Or Swansea Or Bangor From Pwllheli, Aberystwyth Or Gobowen Via Shrewsbury Or Crewe????
    If Trains To London Reach Shrewsbury Or Aberstwyth & Birmingham Why Can't The Welsh Government Re-open Those Mid Wales Lines Between Cardiff & Herefordshire & Anglesea????
    If Electrification Becomes A Reality & With No Diversionary Routes Or No New Lines Re-Opened In WALES WILL THERE BE AN ACCIDENT OR A CRASH WAITING TO HAPPEN ON CONGESTED LINES BETWEEN NEWPORT & CREWE????
    TRANSPORT IN WALES NORTH & MID WALES IS POOR SPECIALLY FROM SHROPSHIRE & SHREWSBURY & THE WELSH GOVERMENT SHOULD LOOK IN AN 1890 RAIL ATLAS FOR CLOSED LINES & THE COMMUNITIES & TOWNS THEY ONCE SERVED!!!!!

  • Interregnum1642, London, UK

    Top down Government in England has demonstrated a complete inability to meet local transport needs and requirements and demands for regional investment and infrastructure development ar enot heard by the politicans in London or indeed Network Rail, who only seem interested in glossy high speed projects rather than taslking to commuities to see what they want. They don't even support commercially viable re-opening projects.

    Personally I don't think anything will happen until there has been a major shift in political power and finances away from London to the regions so that local communities in England can decide on how to develop their local public tranport and rail infrastructure, along the same lines as the devolved assemblies in Scotland and to a lesser extent in Wales. The Scottish Executive has invested in some major rail re-openings in the last few years and is re-building the northern end of the Waverley route - nothing of this magnitude has happened in England because of inefficiency, bureacracy and lack of vision at Government and Network Rail level. The heritage railways are the only expanding rail business in England at the moment.

    What we really require is a national body responsible for rail development in England and Wales, not just maintaing the network. One that has the budgets and statutory powers to where necessary compulsory re-purchase land and properities to re-build the strategic rail corridors and rural lines that, if they still existed, would be well used by the expanding commuter populations. The French and Germans have the best rail network in Europe, where are we????

  • steve suddaby, stockport, england

    what about the woodhead line reopening???,the rumours have been circulating around now for a number of years,it should have never shut in the first place and it would restore a good link between manchester and sheffield

  • D.Croft, boston, UK

    The large county of Lincolnshire has poor rail services. The line from Grimsby/ Cleethorpes via Louth Boston and Skegness should be re-opened to serve agricultural freight carrying and the increasingly populous coastal strip. This area is also a major tourist region and links from Peterborough and other East midlands towns would be of great benefit, A direct link to London avoiding most of the East Coast mainline would be possible through Spalding and Peterborough.
    A great deal of travel into and out of Lincolnshire is of the East- West variety and increased train services are needed towards the West midland and beyond

  • val lynch, guildford, england

    How about the Maiden Newton - Bridport line - extended to Dorchester ?? Bridport grows fast, and there is no rail connexion at all west of Dorchester.

  • Michael Sewell, Whitstable, UK

    Whitstable to Canterbury in Kent is the worst crime of line closures. The traffic through the town is awful, especially in the summer, I can sit at the end of my parents road for up to 10 mins waiting to pull out, and parking in Canterbury is know better. Many of our local children go to school in Canterbury and the buses are extremly over crowded.

  • Paul Davis, Birmingham, England

    As others have noted, this is good news indeed. It takes note of people who are not currently rail passengers (where are they in the passenger surveys?) and begins to address John Massey's point about the inevitability of modal shift. Some of these schemes are incredibly modest in terms of their capex. What will kill these and all of the proposals taken together - plus those tabled by Campaign for Better Transport among others - is the literal application of the GRIP process. Local inquiries, plus possible national legislation requirements will inflate transaction costs massively. What is needed, alongside technical and marketing appraisals, is a way of treating these together as an omnibus proposition, while maintaining public accountability needs. Any offers, Lord Adonis?

  • TC, Shropshire

    How about the Stafford to Wellington line, in Shropshire/Staffordshire? Some of it's been built on, but to the east of Newport, the route is largely intact, and Telford council spent some money recently reinstating part of the link from Wellington to their new rail freight terminal.

    The line is mentioned in one of the appendices to the ATOC report, I wonder what investigations they did into it?

  • andrew ganley, Cheam, united kingdom

    Well read it all now! talk about 'what goes round come round' bet Network Rail
    wish those main lines that Beeching closed were still there,the old GC line would have made a superb freight line.

  • ERIC GRIBBLE, St Privat, France

    At the age of 62 , and knowing the way that people would start to object , will I ever see one new line open. Lets take the bull by the horns and start re-opening work today.If you look what is happening in Europe new rail or tram line work has already started , with dates for opening in 2012-2014. Iknowthis email will fall on deaf ears

  • John Massey, Tiverton DEVON, UK

    Beeching's remit was far too narrow - motivated by political spite. The privatisation of the railways in the 90s was done for the same reason. The current so-called Labour government has completely muffed the chance to re-nationalise them - so it won't happen. But the requirements for public transport have changed since the 60s - the days of the private car are numbered. Re-opening of railway lines on a considered basis with a sound business case - this is the way to go.

  • Mike, Crowborough

    What about the Uckfield - Lewes (Wealden Link). Only seven miles and an alternative route to London from the South Coast. Come on ATOC - get your act together and do something about this missing link.

  • Watcherzero, Wigan

    I would say "What about Leigh? largest town in the country (60,000) without a train station, but its likely it will inevitably get a Manchester metrolink station instead which may be more conveniant for commuters if not long distance travellers.

  • Paul Herrits, Caerphilly, United Kingdom

    I would like to see the Newport to Caerphilly railway line restored Newport is now a city there should of at the time when the line was axed been more than one station serving Newport this is still the case the route is twelve miles long six miles still exist which is from a Quarry in Machen to Newport it wouldn't be too much of a problem relaying the six miles that have been removed and this line would help people in the Rhymney Valley have easier access to Newport for jobs and shopping we as a Nation need to plan ahead and we do need more railway lines to get more and more people off our very crowded roads.