BBC 1 South: South Today. Beeching Review

[Tarquin88]

Today's 18.30 edition of South Today (about 20 mins in) included a 5 min item by Paul Clifton about the effect of Beeching on the South's railways. It mapped closed lines and, amongst others, included a feature on Somerset & Dorset Railway. Tomorrow's episode includes coverage of 2 closed lines. There might be further coverage Wednesday onwards. [South Today can usually be accessed via BBC iPlayer or Catch Up but sometimes only for the next 24 hours].

 

[yorksrob]

I wonder if he will cover the dreadful destruction of railways in Sussex through the closure programme.

 

[deltic]

I wonder if he will cover the dreadful destruction of railways in Sussex through the closure programme.

Most of the South got off lightly compared to the North of England

 

[yorksrob]

Most of the South got off lightly compared to the North of England

Most of the electrified South got off lightly.

Sussex, which had a large milage of diesel routes had it's railway comprehensively destroyed (see the chaos whenever there's a problem on the BML.

It is fair to say that the closure programme was a disaster for the whole country.

 

[RichJF]

Most of the electrified South got off lightly.

Sussex, which had a large milage of diesel routes had it's railway comprehensively destroyed (see the chaos whenever there's a problem on the BML.

It is fair to say that the closure programme was a disaster for the whole country.

With our roads already over saturation capacity & zero chance of any new major roads being built to relieve it despite West/East Sussex govts happily approving multiple massive town expansions.

 

[Beebman]

YouTubers Paul and Rebecca Whitewick are in tonight's report on the routes of the M&SWJR and the DN&SR.

 

[thedbdiboy]

YouTubers Paul and Rebecca Whitewick are in tonight's report on the routes of the M&SWJR and the DN&SR.

The closure of both pre-dated the Beeching report...
It's all academic now but one could see the DN&SR being a useful freight artery. The M&SWJR on the other hand, whilst a fascinating route, really doesn't stack up being any more viable now than it was back when it closed. Any 'lost' connections it could bridge could be more effectively made by tweaks elsewhere.

 

[PTR 444]

Tonight’s edition of South Today at 6:30pm will focus on the closed railways of the Isle of Wight. Definitely will be worth a watch.

 

[swt_passenger]

The closure of both pre-dated the Beeching report...

This confusion happens so often these news pieces lose credibility. Even the Wiki article on the DN&SR makes it quite clear the route was in significant decline by 1960 and its closure predated Beeching.

 

[yorksrob]

I hope they do an episode on the missing railways of Sussex.

 

[A0]

With our roads already over saturation capacity & zero chance of any new major roads being built to relieve it despite West/East Sussex govts happily approving multiple massive town expansions.

I'm not sure they're "happy" about it - the reality is there is a need to build housing and there needs to be a good reason for blocking a development. If a development is in line with the published local plans and meets the statutory requirements, it's not really possible for an authority to block such a development.

The capacity on the trunk roads though is an issue for central government, not local government. But I would argue that some of the key roads through East and West Sussex should see some improvements as part of such housing developments.

 

[Gloster]

There are a couple of short bits of archive film on Paul Clifton’s Twitter thingy (@PaulCliftonBBC). The latest two show Ryde Pier when all the world and his wife holidayed on the island.

 

[GT49er]

The closure of both pre-dated the Beeching report...
It's all academic now but one could see the DN&SR being a useful freight artery. The M&SWJR on the other hand, whilst a fascinating route, really doesn't stack up being any more viable now than it was back when it closed. Any 'lost' connections it could bridge could be more effectively made by tweaks elsewhere.

The DN&SR was a useful freight artery - in fact a massive freight artery in WWll leading up to D-Day. Considerable chunks of it were doubled for that purpose in the early 1940s.

 

[Gloster]

The DN&SR was a useful freight artery - in fact a massive freight artery in WWll leading up to D-Day. Considerable chunks of it were doubled for that purpose in the early 1940s.

It was doubled from Didcot to Newbury and from Enborne Junction for 2 1/4 miles to Woodhay. Further south loops were lengthened and a connection put in from Winchester Junction on the SR’s Southampton main line to Worthy Down, but this was only useable in the northbound direction. The main purpose of the work was as much to get trains from the north via Oxford on to the less busy Berks & Hants as providing better access to Southampton and the South Coast.

 

[A0]

I wonder if he will cover the dreadful destruction of railways in Sussex through the closure programme.

Unlikely as South Today only covers about half of West Sussex - basically from Worthing west.

The rest is covered by South East Today - a different programme from Tunbridge Wells.

 

[yorksrob]

Unlikely as South Today only covers about half of West Sussex - basically from Worthing west.

The rest is covered by South East Today - a different programme from Tunbridge Wells.

That's a shame as there's a story to be told there.