Out of use lines where track remains

[exile]

Is this the line that goes over the Merseyrail electric line south of Seaforth and Litherland station then runs parallel to the line, but behind the railway stations at Bootle New Strand and Bootle Oriel Road. If so, what use would Network Rail make of it?

You can get onto it via a junction to the Bootle-Edge Hill line. It's not owned by Merseyrail AFAIK. It's a few years since I've visited the area so I don't know what state it's in or if any trains have used it recently.

By the way Spain seems to abound in long stretches of rusty track that haven't seen a train in years.

 

[fairysdad]

Surprised the Weymouth Quay branch hasn't been mentioned yet... the track is all still in place, though - having walked it not that long ago - I can't see it being used again without major work being done on it. By its very nature of what it was, people do use it as a footpath (or as a road as the case may be...)

 

[DavidBrown]

Surprised the Weymouth Quay branch hasn't been mentioned yet... the track is all still in place, though - having walked it not that long ago - I can't see it being used again without major work being done on it. By its very nature of what it was, people do use it as a footpath (or as a road as the case may be...)

Mentioned it on the first page.

 

[balne-wonderer]

I'm not sure what the line was, because to be honest, i'm not an expert at all, I just have an interest in railways and trains but.....

Someone here will know....

On the A1041 into the Selby there used to be a railway bridge above the road until recently, it has now been removed. It is immediatley right of the village of Burn, the line of tree's make it easy to spot where the railway once was on google maps. A couple of years ago I was walking the dogs around the area (not trepassing I might add) and I noticed that random sections of line were still in place. These only lasted a couple of metres a time but it was extremley strange, I wish now I had taken some pictures.

The line appears to be run towards Drax power station, I wonder if it was a freight only line that isn't needed now because there is a busy freight only line running to Drax just south of Camblesforth....

Sorry i'm terrible with line names and general railway jargon. Apologies.

 

[exile]

Glazebrook East Junction - a couple of long rusty sidings no longer connected to the main line.

 

[shedman]

There is a spur from the Kirkgate-Barnsley line a few miles south of Horbury Junction that joins with the the Huddersfield line just before Healy Mills. It's not connected at either end and a few small bit have been erm 'lifted' but the track is mainly in situ. It features a couple of bridges, a tunnel, an impressive bridge over the canal, a few plate layers huts and a signal post still with signal number plate on it! About 15 years ago I can remember a few more signals on it and still lit! Not sure how long it's been out of use but a HM driver told me years ago the Royal train would stable there at night!

 

[sprinterguy]

I'm not sure what the line was, because to be honest, i'm not an expert at all, I just have an interest in railways and trains but.....

Someone here will know....

On the A1041 into the Selby there used to be a railway bridge above the road until recently, it has now been removed. It is immediatley right of the village of Burn, the line of tree's make it easy to spot where the railway once was on google maps. A couple of years ago I was walking the dogs around the area (not trepassing I might add) and I noticed that random sections of line were still in place. These only lasted a couple of metres a time but it was extremley strange, I wish now I had taken some pictures.

The line appears to be run towards Drax power station, I wonder if it was a freight only line that isn't needed now because there is a busy freight only line running to Drax just south of Camblesforth....

Sorry i'm terrible with line names and general railway jargon. Apologies.

That's an old railway line that used to link Selby and Goole, opened in 1910 and closed in 1964. It had three intermediate stations, at Barlow, Drax and Armyn.

The current branch into Drax Power station is itself a short section of the Hull and Barnsley Railway which opened in 1885 and lost its' passenger train service in 1931 before closure in 1959.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

There is a spur from the Kirkgate-Barnsley line a few miles south of Horbury Junction that joins with the the Huddersfield line just before Healy Mills. It's not connected at either end and a few small bit have been erm 'lifted' but the track is mainly in situ. It features a couple of bridges, a tunnel, an impressive bridge over the canal, a few plate layers huts and a signal post still with signal number plate on it! About 15 years ago I can remember a few more signals on it and still lit! Not sure how long it's been out of use but a HM driver told me years ago the Royal train would stable there at night!

That line closed in 1991.

The Royal Train used to use some pretty obscure sections of disused line to stable overnight, another being the remaining stretch of line over Seaton Bank on the Ryhope to Durham/Hartlepool route which remained in use as far as South Hetton Colliery until '91. All since lifted now though.

 

[shedman]

Thanks Sprinterguy!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I think that the sidings on the Manchester bound side on the line beween Bolton and Moses Gate, which have two abandoned ballast waggons still full of ballast, are now permanently locked out of use from the national network.

 

[Rugd1022]

The stub of the Rugby - Leamington line is still intact alongside Rugby Cement Works, and has recently been severed by a new road junction. I passed it this morning and felt a twinge of nostalgia, one of my first jobs on the railway in 1982 before moving onto the footplate was ridng shotgun with the travelling shunter on the Southam trippers along there, usually with a 25 and forty odd rusty 16 tonners. Happy days

 

[paulb1973]

The stub of the Rugby - Leamington line is still intact alongside Rugby Cement Works, and has recently been severed by a new road junction. I passed it this morning and felt a twinge of nostalgia, one of my first jobs on the railway in 1982 before moving onto the footplate was ridng shotgun with the travelling shunter on the Southam trippers along there, usually with a 25 and forty odd rusty 16 tonners. Happy days

Passing Rugby on a Pendolino a few months ago - seems there is one new OHLE mast (a sort of end section) on that line, well, the beginning of it leaving the Rugby station area in the westerly direction.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

thers some old rail in ellesmere port by the stanlow oil refinery that hasnt seen a train for some years now even the level crossing still has the track on it but you cant walk on it because there are too much trees and crap on it

 

[bnm]

The Croxley Green branch.

I had a poke around the Croxley Green Branch earlier this year. Very overgrown, but tracks still in situ. As is the NSE signage!

http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bnm/WatWst3.jpg
http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bnm/WatWst2.jpg
http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bnm/WatWst.jpg

 

[Rugd1022]

Passing Rugby on a Pendolino a few months ago - seems there is one new OHLE mast (a sort of end section) on that line, well, the beginning of it leaving the Rugby station area in the westerly direction.

Yes - it was put in when the WCML remodelling was done and a few on track machines were stabled there during the works. I little firther on is a locked compound where the odd loco was stabled during the possessions too, I had to go and start one up there just before it all finished

 

[exile]

Helsby - long rusty overgrown sidings featuring a mineral wagon. Llandudno Junction - sidings leading to somewhere or other with gates across them.

 

[Anonywave]

I'm sure that track remains on the Bristol & N Somerset railway (from Radstock to Frome)

 

[1018509]

After leaving Totton heading towards Bournemouth on the Weymouth line there is a junction branches off left to what google maps shows as a massive oil refinery/chemical works ending at Fawley.

There appears to be plenty of railway vehicles dotted about but the only national rail connection seems to be Totton which looks like it hasn't seen a train for years.

Is this huge railway site all disused now or is there a connection to the rail network I have missed?

 

[Anonywave]

http://www.portisheadrailwaygroup.org/

There is still some better condition track though further east isn't there?

 

[1018509]

Which all still leaves the question - why is all this still there and not taken up?

Is the route being retained for future use?

 

[paulb1973]

I was intending to drag up an old thread in regards to the Euston Downside Carriage Shed and associated Up Empty Carriage Line - but will add the post here as it is appropriate. I came across this website [link below] specifically look at the last 2 pictures uploaded very recently by 'Els2007' which appear to show the insides of the abandoned (and I thought flooded?) "rat hole". The disused line linking just beyond the Downside Carriage Depot to near Primrose Hill station via a burrowing tunnel. I presume these pics were taken where permission was not obtained to do so, although I don't know for sure, so possibly this should be frowned upon. It looks quite clean and dry in there bearing in mind it is supposed to be full of water! Els2007 also suggests the line wasn't electrified as no OHLE can be seen on the tunnel roof, although I believe that it is/was 25kV wired in the 1960's.

http://www.urbexforums.co.uk/showth...ods-Depot-Western-Horse-Tunnels-LON-July-2011

 

[Anonywave]

Is the route being retained for future use?

If you are refering to my post above, then, as mentioned earlier, there is a proposed reopening of the Bristol - Portishead line.

 

[WillPS]

Which all still leaves the question - why is all this still there and not taken up?

Is the route being retained for future use?

The value of scrap metal has rocketed in the last 10 years. I'd suggest perhaps when the lines were closed there might have been a cost involved in collecting it.

 

[balne-wonderer]

thanks for the reply sprinterguy, superb information.

 

[sonorguy]

This might be of interest to some people: http://www.cumbrialife.co.uk/viaduct-walkers-warned-1.782715?referrerPath=2.7602

I used to walk across there on some Christmas days, including in a blizzard. it really was becoming unsafe though, with large holes due to rust appearing on some of the decking in places, prior to the rebuild. The police were lurking this year apparently too.

 

[1018509]

If you are refering to my post above, then, as mentioned earlier, there is a proposed reopening of the Bristol - Portishead line.

I was in my posts referring only to the Fawley branch from Totton. Because it all appears to be still intact I wondered if it was being kept with an eye on future re-opening.

The google maps puzzled me as, although they are a year or two out of date, the Fawley area looked like it is still in use, but I can't find a NR connection, other than Totton, which has been closed for years.

 

[boing_uk]

About 50% of the Killingholme to Goxhill branch was still in situ last time I looked. Dont know how much of that is out of use or how much remains beyond the Coal Terminal.

 

[E&W Lucas]

Northampton to Brackmills, complete with 2 level crossings (both in quite a bad state)!

Anyone know when anything last traversed this?

 

[bILLOO]

Anyone know when anything last traversed this?

I believe the last train to travel over Bridge Street level crossing was in 2005. As for anything beyond that (to Brackmills) was in 1994, however I remember that a "one off" trip was made to Brackmills and back in 2000; they had to close the road over the level crossing there as it had been heavily vandalised.

 

[E&W Lucas]

I believe the last train to travel over Bridge Street level crossing was in 2005. As for anything beyond that (to Brackmills) was in 1994, however I remember that a "one off" trip was made to Brackmills and back in 2000; they had to close the road over the level crossing there as it had been heavily vandalised.

Thanks. I saw that Bridge st "Crossing" is just chained up fence panels for gates now - partly what made me ask the question!

 

[Noguidedbus]

I went up Tytherington about 9 months ago, it's all still very much in place. A very odd little line with rough rock lined narrow tunnels leading up to the quarry.

I think the tracks are still there in the undergrowth right to the tunnel under the A38.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Ashton Gate former sidings to behind M Shed in Bristol is still there. It was disconnected from the (now) goods line to Portbury dock, and the sidings were lifted, some years back. Part of it is used by the Bristol Harbour railway, and was also used as a test-bed for the Parry People Movers, now successfully operating to Stourbridge as Class 139. There is a bridge over the New Cut that would need strengthening, but with that done, and an extension to a nearby park-and-ride, it would be an excellent light rail route into the centre of Bristol. A new Ashton Gate halt on a re-opened Portishead line would link to it. Which is why the local councils want to rip it up, and build a guided busway, so they can try to emulate some of Cambridgeshire's success with the concept.