Powers to close railway lines

[Jon10]

The Railway Act 1962 was used to close railway lines under Beeching.

Is/was there a legal distinction between (a) lines with scheduled passenger services, and (b) others that were USED sometimes by passenger trains but not with regular services?

Is there any meaning to a freight line that is 'RATED' for passenger services, then or now?

Does such a rating mean higher safety and inspection standards, or something?


EDIT: Sentence two above is asking if the Railway Act closure process had to be used for freight lines, or just for passenger lines with scheduled services.

 

[RT4038]

The Railway Act 1962 was used to close railway lines under Beeching.

Is/was there a legal distinction between (a) lines with scheduled passenger services, and (b) others that were USED sometimes by passenger trains but not with regular services?

Is there any meaning to a freight line that is 'RATED' for passenger services, then or now?

Does such a rating mean higher safety and inspection standards, or something?

Lines with scheduled passenger services.

There was a thread recently on the differences between Freight lines and passenger lines, which is quite complex as not every freight line has the same characteristics (such as speed, signalling and track standards) https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...sting-freight-only-lines.211013/#post-4856673