Lines that started off on Council land

[GrogSmuggler]

Hello

Are there any examples of railways that started off on Council land?

Historically there's been heritage railways that began anywhere from leasing a field from a farmer, or a gardening order with Network Rail, up to taking over a mothballed, defunct line. I'm just wondering if there's any instances where a railway started from absolutely nothing, where the former line they're trying to restore fell into the ownership of the local authority.

 

[pdeaves]

Swanage and West Somerset I think both run (or ran) on land owned by the local authority.

 

[Journeyman]

Hello

Are there any examples of railways that started off on Council land?

Historically there's been heritage railways that began anywhere from leasing a field from a farmer, or a gardening order with Network Rail, up to taking over a mothballed, defunct line. I'm just wondering if there's any instances where a railway started from absolutely nothing, where the former line they're trying to restore fell into the ownership of the local authority.

The Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway's Bo'ness terminus is much closer to the town than the original station, and was built from scratch on derelict former industrial land near the old harbour, that I think was owned by the local council. They've certainly provided quite a lot of support to the railway over the years, as it's brought a lot of visitors to an area quite badly affected by industrial decline.

 

[Worf]

Llanberis Lake Railway runs on the trackbed of part of the Padarn Railway, and now through Padarn Country Park up to Llanberis village (a completely new section, built on Council land.) The railway itself owns the trackbed from Cei Llydan (half way down the lake) to Penllyn, at the far end of the lake.

 

[Midnight Sun]

Swanage and West Somerset I think both run (or ran) on land owned by the local authority.

The Swanage station site as far as the first bridge is owned by the Town council with the rest of the line as far as the Junction is owned by the County Council. The park and ride site at Norden is owned by Purbeck Council.

 

[ffm]

East Lancashire Railway is another with Local Authorities being the owners of the track where they run

 

[BigB]

The Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway's Bo'ness terminus is much closer to the town than the original station, and was built from scratch on derelict former industrial land near the old harbour, that I think was owned by the local council. They've certainly provided quite a lot of support to the railway over the years, as it's brought a lot of visitors to an area quite badly affected by industrial decline.

The station, yard and museum at Bo'ness are long term leased from Falkirk Council, but the line itself is owned by the Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway, so a bit of both. The original site in Falkirk was either leased by BR or the council prior to the move to Bo'ness.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

I believe that the land the Ruislip Lido Railway operates over is owned by the London Borough of Hillingdon

http://www.ruisliplidorailway.org/