Should we be building new railways?

[zwk500]

None of those examples represented a loss of the service though

Selby bypass was a bypass. Farringdon - Moorgate is served by the Met. Newhaven Marine is across the road from Newhaven Harbour etc.

It's a different proposition abandoning communities.

Indeed, hence my first sentence about demonstrating the public benefit of closure. And, to be quite honest, we've gone around the houses on closures before.

However, this thread is about new railways, and my position is that the railway should be constantly re-evaluating it's network, including for expansion and enhancement.

 

[yorksrob]

Indeed, hence my first sentence about demonstrating the public benefit of closure. And, to be quite honest, we've gone around the houses on closures before.

However, this thread is about new railways, and my position is that the railway should be constantly re-evaluating it's network, including for expansion and enhancement.

I agree, but we need more than the mealy mouthed "Oh, the Doctor could never close anything they all have to be rubber stamped by the Minister" type approach.

I agree that some adjustments will involve closures as you've previously mentioned, however overall, I believe that the railway network is too small and needs to expand.

 

[frodshamfella]

The Woodside & South Croydon being an example I can think of. In the modern day it would prove very handy for Southern (or perhaps Southeastern?) to have a diversionary line that reduces pressure on East Croydon and allows more Oxted line trains. The only problem is that when the line closed in 1983 the issues at East Croydon weren't nearly as bad and the line itself had abysmal passenger numbers. Somewhere in the region of 150 people a day, not even the capacity of a full 2-EPB as was used on the line.

Thankfully the line has been taken over partially by the trams so it's not all gone to waste, although now it has the opposite problem as more people are able to get to East Croydon and therefore use the already busy trains.

Repurposing closed lines is a very good idea in theory but the land where the closed lines sat often seem to be gobbled up by property developments with no foresight. One example being the Spa Valley Railway, where part of the line has to curve around new-build houses or how the station building at Tunbridge Wells West is now a restaurant.

Do you mean Elmers End to Addiscombe , via Woodside ? Used that in the past all be it only off peak, but very quiet. Same on the Elmers End to Sanderstead.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Oct 2025 ==

Electrify and fix what we already have before building new routes.

Climate change is going to force our hand on much of what we are doing

I certainly agree with that, Electrifying as much as possible.

 

[Yorkshire09876]

This is a fundamental issue. We travel more because for many of us it's easy to do. When I was young, seventy or more years ago, shorter annual holidays, less disposable income, and much lower levels of car ownership were the main reasons for much less travelling around.

I would suggest that an issue more significant than any of those is that most people worked in the place where they lived. That is no longer the case as employment (especially better-paid employment) is heavily centralised on the larger towns and cities.

 

[RT4038]

This is a fundamental issue. We travel more because for many of us it's easy to do. When I was young, seventy or more years ago, shorter annual holidays, less disposable income, and much lower levels of car ownership were the main reasons for much less travelling around. Few people went abroad for their holiday because of the cost. Nowadays it's so easy that "holiday" has come to mean a trip abroad, and "staycation" has been invented to describe a holiday in the British Isles.

And if you moved job to another town, you moved there (and your family did, which was much easier because your spouse probably didn't have their own career....)

 

[William3000]

In a word yes - if we are serious about encouraging modal shift and we acknowledge that we have significant population growth, we should be building new railway lines.

 

[billio]

Can never provide some of the conveniences of a car! When you’ve been stuck in barely moving traffic for several hours the provision of a “convenience” on a train is suddenly something very much to be envied!

I also think the convenience of a car may not be a good thing. The physical aspects of using public transport help to keep us in good health: walking, meeting other people, fresh air, standing, all help.

 

[Dr Hoo]

I also think the convenience of a car may not be a good thing. The physical aspects of using public transport help to keep us in good health: walking, meeting other people, fresh air, standing, all help.

I think that sort of thing cuts both ways. Standing at a bus stop beside a busy road then getting into a vehicle with people coughing and sneezing and finally getting to the gym or swimming pool twenty minutes after someone who drove there probably don’t help very much.