Lines that survived Beeching

[Bittern]

We all know the story of the infamous Beeching Axe. He recommended many railways to be closed, and lots were but he didn't get his way with every line. From what I've read, all stations north of Inverness were to close, but yet, thankfully, both the Far North and Kyle lines survive.

So, anyone know what other lines that were threatened with the Axe still survive?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

We all know the story of the infamous Beeching Axe. He recommended many railways to be closed, and lots were but he didn't get his way with every line. From what I've read, all stations north of Inverness were to close, but yet, thankfully, both the Far North and Kyle lines survive.

So, anyone know what other lines that were threatened with the Axe still survive?

West Wales, Heart of Wales, Reast lancashire, most of Lincs, Norfolk BLs, basically everything that wasn't mainlines or routes like Manc-leeds. Most XC would have gone too.

 

[GNERman]

newcastle-edinburgh, settle-carlisle, hellifield-carnforth, most of wales...

 

[Drsatan]

The majority of branch lines in Devon and Cornwall would have been closed under Beeching.

 

[313103]

The North London Line was earmarked for closure and has survived to be a very important artery for travellers in this part of London Town. You could say that most of the North London Line is still open as the new East London Line extension reopens part of the line that was closed in 1984 between Dalston Junction and Broad Street.

 

[flymo]

A few maps showing some of the proposals as they were back then.

UK map

London area map

1961 BR map

1969 BR map

All from this very informative site

Certainly would have been a different rail network today if everything had gone ahead as planned.

 

[furryfeet]

marks tey to sudbury (i think this one even survived a closure attempt AFTER the beeching era.)

whitby branch - this one survived, but so badly maintained, at one point the civil engineer
had to spend 100k ( mid 1980's I think ) on sleeper replacement, otherwise the line would have had to close as being unsafe for traffic.

 

[northwichcat]

He had a whole second report that had never been actioned. The second report included lines such as Warrington Bank Quay to Chester. (Note at the time Chester to Manchester via Altrincham services ran express on what's now the Metrolink line rather than taking the longer via Stockport route.)

Basically he didn't want two lines between the same two cities so one was down to at least partly go in each case.

 

[merlodlliw]

The Junction to Llandudno line was saved due to a Minister living there, also known as the never on Sunday line for half the year.

 

[Zoe]

The majority of branch lines in Devon and Cornwall would have been closed under Beeching.

Even worse, there would have been no railways in Cornwall.

 

[jopsuk]

The UK map is interesting- it appears that the Dumferline-Stirling line would have been retained with full service under those plans, when in fact it ended up shut to passengers.
Any other lines marked to be retained on full service on that map that are/were closed?

 

[Bittern]

A few maps showing some of the proposals as they were back then.

UK map

It's not the clearest, is it? Especially in those areas with a lot of railways. I wouldn't mind knowing if there were any around Glasgow that survived, but I can't tell from this map because I'm unsure of what lines there are proposed for closure.

 

[Ivo]

Had the Second Report been implemented, the entire East Anglia area would have had only the GEML for a railway.

 

[flymo]

Sorry Bittern but not my maps, simply posting what I found online.

As for full service lines now closed the one that I feel for most is Haltwhistle to Alston. I only travelled on this line once as a kid (early 70's). Every time I pass through Haltwhistle I still see the viaduct and wonder - if only....

 

[yorksrob]

My favourite route of all between Ashford and Hastings would have been closed had Dr Beeching had his way, and I'm not sure whether I'd have ever got the railway bug, so important was this line to me in my formative years. Needless to say, it's now thriving, as probably would have been the Cukoo line through Hailsham and Heathfield, Horsham to Shoreham and of course Lewes to Uckfield. I suppose at least Lewes - Uckfield managed to outsurvive Beeching's tenure at BR even if not by much.

 

[furryfeet]

Any other lines marked to be retained on full service on that map that are/were closed?

skipton to colne

oxford to cambridge ( varsity line )

 

[yorksrob]

The UK map is interesting- it appears that the Dumferline-Stirling line would have been retained with full service under those plans, when in fact it ended up shut to passengers.
Any other lines marked to be retained on full service on that map that are/were closed?

The Hope Valley line is a major surviving route listed for closure by Beeching. But the Matlock - Chinley and the Woodhead routes (South and North of the Hope valley) weren't listed for closure but have since been axed!

 

[tbtc]

The Hope Valley line is a major surviving route listed for closure by Beeching. But the Matlock - Chinley and the Woodhead routes (South and North of the Hope valley) weren't listed for closure but have since been axed!

The daft thing is that if you were to close one of the three, you'd close the Hope Valley one. The Hope Valley line seems to have been kept as the "compromise" (Woodhead was faster from Sheffield to Manchester, and the Matlock line more useful for passengers from the East Midlands)

 

[yorksrob]

The daft thing is that if you were to close one of the three, you'd close the Hope Valley one. The Hope Valley line seems to have been kept as the "compromise" (Woodhead was faster from Sheffield to Manchester, and the Matlock line more useful for passengers from the East Midlands)

Yes indeed, as was Dr Beeching's plan. But then again, I suppose another factor may have been that the Hope valley went directly to Sheffield Midland allowing an easier closure of Victoria. Sad but possible.

 

[Any Permitted]

The East Suffolk line from Lowestoft to Ipswich was earmarked for closure. The Great Yarmouth via Reedham section of line has been mooted for closure several times since the 70s but community pressure kept it (and thus Berney Arms station) open.

 

[Z12XE]

marks tey to sudbury (i think this one even survived a closure attempt AFTER the beeching era.)

Thats correct.

Notice to close the line was posted in Nov 1968 - just 8 months after the bit between Sudbury and Great Shelford was closed, to quote the closure notice:

Any users of the rail service it is proposed to withdraw or of the stations which are proposed for closure, and anybody representing such users may lodge an objection In writing within six weeks of Friday, 27th December, 1969, i.e. not later than Friday, 7th Feb. 1969.[...]

If no objection is lodged to the proposal, the service will be withdrawn and the stations closed on and from Monday, 5th May 1969

In 1972 Permission was given to closed the line - but not before 1st July 74 and was supported financially by the local councils, the goverment then announced in Jan 74 that no railway lines would close until 1975, but then in 1975 the line was given a public service obligation grant (thanks partly to the fuel crisis at the time) and the closure order never implemented.

 

[tbtc]

Yes indeed, as was Dr Beeching's plan. But then again, I suppose another factor may have been that the Hope valley went directly to Sheffield Midland allowing an easier closure of Victoria. Sad but possible.

That's true. And it is a beautiful line (apart from when you're in the tunnels), but its frustrating to think that Sheffield used to have a fast electrified line to Manchester, rather than one that curves around so much

 

[furryfeet]

Hope valley's local services were approved for closure, but they were kept running, because it was cheaper to run the trains than the replacement bus service !

 

[LE Greys]

The Far North and Kyle, and probably the West Highland from Craigendoran Junction. They seem to have been forgotten about, and are still running now.

Beeching was on the record as saying that he would have closed the ECML north of Newcastle and used the WCML for Edinburgh traffic. Still, that's nothing to the Serpall Report, which might have left us with 1,630 route miles in total, no railway north of Edinburgh, west of Cardiff or Bristol, or east of Norwich. There would have been no branches whatsoever and the bare bones of a London commuter network.

 

[Bittern]

The Far North and Kyle, and probably the West Highland from Craigendoran Junction. They seem to have been forgotten about, and are still running now.

I mentioned the Far north and Kyle in the opening post.

 

[TheExmoorBeast]

In the SE where I used to work it surprised me that the North Downs Line between Reading and as it was then Tonbridge escaped the axe, yet two lines which would have been highly useful now between Shoreham-By-Sea & Christ's Hospital via Bramber and Southwater and the Christ's Hospital to Guildford line, they used to be linked via a triangle at Christ's Hospital.

I'm sure that it would be a useful route for trains to/from Brighton to not only London, but the Midlands & the North too.

As for down here in Somerset, the line from Langport to Yeovil for Axminster/Salisbury would be quite busy now as it's a convoluted route to get there by rail, it's either down to Exeter & up or up to Westbury & down to Yeovil via the infrequent Weymouth service or at times it's even up to Brizzol and back across to Salisbury.

The Somerset & Dorset was another great route, that was lost to the idiot Beeching, it breaks my heart to see it gradually returning to nature; I'd love to see it return, however its been built on so much it would I think be impossible to return it to use.

 

[Bevan Price]

We all know the story of the infamous Beeching Axe. He recommended many railways to be closed, and lots were but he didn't get his way with every line. From what I've read, all stations north of Inverness were to close, but yet, thankfully, both the Far North and Kyle lines survive.

So, anyone know what other lines that were threatened with the Axe still survive?

Liverpool Lime Street to Wigan North Western via St. Helens Shaw Street (serving a population of 105,000) was in Beeching's proposals for closure, whilst Lime St. to Manchester Exchange would have been mainly reduced to a (limited) express service with few intermediate stations. Indeed the service via Leigh (population about 45,000) was withdrawn, and for several years thereafter, the service for Eccles and Patricroft became a bit sparse. Fortunately, Greater Manchester & Merseyside PTE's became able to sponsor local services before everything disappeared into obscurity.

Bevan

 

[kennethw]

The majority of branch lines in Devon and Cornwall would have been closed under Beeching.

in the west country Beeching also proposed closure of Salisbury to Exeter
Reading - Westbury - Taunton
All Cornish lines - no railway west of Plymouth

 

[LE Greys]

I mentioned the Far north and Kyle in the opening post.

So you did.

 

[Oswyntail]

My own Ilkley line was for the chop, and was still under threat until the 80s. However, it was neutered by having the western stretch to Skipton removed