News stories
News stories
Against the odds, the UK’s network of disused railway lines continues to make the news as the 21st Century throws up a host of transport, environmental and health challenges.This news page will provide links to relevant stories.
December 2008
| Council urged to buy disused railway | 31/12/08 | Lancashire Telegraph |
| A group of Pendle councillors is urging county council bosses to buy the disused trackbed between Colne and New Hague "before it is too late". | ||
| Rail campaign still on track | 28/12/08 | Fenland Citizen |
| Supporters of the bid to re-open the line from March to Wisbech as a community heritage railway are planning a major fundraising campaign for 2009 to raise the final £10,000 needed to ensure they have sufficient funds to gain the lease and legal powers. | ||
| Sleepers removed for bus route | 19/12/08 | The News (Portsmouth) |
| Stations for sale! | 19/12/08 | Daily Mail |
| Alloa to Rosyth link considered | 18/12/08 | BBC News |
| Tentative approval for Southwold line | 18/12/08 | Advertiser 24 (Norwich) |
| Transport plan to get Fife moving | 17/12/08 | Fife Today |
| A multi-billion pound Scottish transport scheme should see the Levenmouth railway reopened. | ||
| New manager for park project | 16/12/08 | Northern Echo |
| Plans to create a 12-mile long park along the banks of the River Wear - which will cross Belmont Viaduct - have moved forward with the appointment of a project manager. | ||
| Crab & Winkle path wins £4,700 grant | 10/12/08 | This is Kent |
| New Bristol cycleway may be put on hold | 10/12/08 | This is Bristol |
| More controversy over Bath bus scheme | 08/12/08 | This is Bath |
| Councillor wants disused line used for foot/cycle route instead of Bus Rapid Transit scheme. | ||
| Wrangle over inflated guided bus costs | 08/12/08 | Hunts Post |
| The train with no rails | 08/12/08 | Yorkshire Post |
| Christmas shoppers have made an epic 100-mile journey by train from Skipton to Colne - two towns separated by an 11½-mile missing rail link. | ||
| Pigs bring home bacon for Two Tunnels | 05/12/08 | Bike Radar |
| The Two Tunnels Greenway in Bath is nearing its fundraising target thanks to 101 painted pigs. | ||
November 2008
| Hopes of a return ticket for trains | 26/11/08 | North Devon Gazette |
| Enthusiasts who want to see trains running again through the Torridge Valley have laid two track panels at Torrington Station. | ||
| Tourist attraction bid for old line | 25/11/08 | Scarborough Evening News |
| The old Scarborough-Whitby line could become a tourist attraction if sufficient funding is found. | ||
| Campaign to reopen the Halton curve | 21/11/08 | Chester Chronicle |
| Line's future in government's hands | 21/11/08 | Bucks Free Press |
| The fate of the disused line between High Wycombe and Bourne End rests is in the government's hands following a three day planning inquiry to decide if 29 homes can be built on the trackbed. | ||
| Thornton reopens as traffic-free route | 21/11/08 | Forgotten Relics |
| Traffic-free route opens | 20/11/08 | Bike Radar |
| A new traffic-free section of the National Cycle Network has opened through the Clydach Gorge. | ||
| Railway reopening in homes battle | 19/11/08 | Bucks Free Press |
| The possibility of reopening the Bourne End-High Wycombe line has been argued during a public enquiry into a controversial planning application. | ||
| Blackfriars upgrade gets underway | 17/11/08 | Transport Briefing |
| Work to widen Blackfriars bridge has begun as part of the Thameslink scheme, involving the use of redundant piers which formerly supported an adjacent railway structure. | ||
| Clear-up on track for high speed bus | 17/11/08 | The News (Portsmouth) |
| Smedley Viaduct cleared for Metrolink | 11/11/08 | GMTPE |
| Weardale restoration on track | 11/11/08 | The Journal (North East) |
| Viaduct to reopen as part of rail trail | 10/11/08 | Yorkshire Post |
| Students research future use of old line | 10/11/08 | Scarborough Evening News |
| Architecture students are studying the old Scarborough-Whitby line, looking at ways of improving it and increasing levels of public use and enjoyment. | ||
| Path will create anti-social behaviour | 07/11/08 | Evening Courier (Halifax) |
| Amber signal for box revamp | 06/11/08 | The Journal (North East) |
| Viaduct backdrop to stunning gardens | 05/11/08 | Daily Mail |
| Funding for tunnel path secured | 05/11/08 | Bath Chronicle |
| Work should begin early next year on a new path through two old tunnels to the south of Bath. | ||
| Boost for cycling in Kenilworth | 04/11/08 | Bike Radar |
| Planning row over old signal box | 03/11/08 | The Journal (North East) |
| Controversial cyclepath up for debate | 03/11/08 | Evening Courier (Halifax) |
| A meeting is being held to discuss a proposed cycleway over a disused railway viaduct. | ||
| Model pig auction raises £200,000 | 02/11/08 | BBC News |
| Seventy pig scultures have been auctioned to raise cash for Bath's Two Tunnels Greenway. | ||
October 2008
| Move to restore historic rail link | 29/10/08 | Eastern Daily Press |
| The reinstatement of the Kings Lynn-Hunstanton line is to be discussed by West Norfolk Council. | ||
| New route for A56 villages bypass? | 23/10/08 | Pendle Today |
| A new route is being sought for the A56 Villages Bypass in case the Colne-Skipton line reopens. | ||
| Petition to link York and Whitby | 23/10/08 | Whitby Gazette |
| Historic railways to feature on TV | 23/10/08 | Norwich Evening News |
| Finger torn off on tunnel's fencing | 23/10/08 | Bourne Local |
| A man underwent nine hours of surgery after losing a finger as he climbed into Toft Tunnel. | ||
| New line shunts cycle path aside | 22/10/08 | Evening News (Edinburgh) |
| Vandals plaguing old railway line | 22/10/08 | Northern Echo |
| Plans for new Bristol bus route | 13/10/08 | This is Bristol |
| On track to opening railway line | 13/10/08 | BBC News |
| The extension to the Welsh Highland Railway looks set to open as planned next Easter. | ||
| Landmark bridge set for demolition | 09/10/08 | Leicester Mercury |
| Leicester City Council has won its battle to demolish a bowstring bridge in the city's West End. | ||
| First move in dream of reopening railway | 07/10/08 | Malton Mercury |
| Enthusiasts are meeting to persue their dream of reopening a line across the Yorkshire Wolds. | ||
| BBC4's Beeching night pulled in viewers | 02/10/08 | Media Guardian |
| Make way for the Metrolink | 02/10/08 | Manchester Evening News |
| Diggers have moved in to clear a former line through Chorlton, to make way for trams. | ||
September 2008
| Town railway link on track | 30/09/08 | Bordon Post |
| Top transport experts agree that Whitehill and Bordon should have its old railway reinstated. | ||
| Ribble Valley station to be transformed | 30/09/08 | Lancashire Telegraph |
| Diggers could unearth railway history | 29/09/08 | This is Derbyshire |
| Archaeologists hope to unearth the remains of Sheep Pasture Incline's old engine house. | ||
| Man with a one track mind | 25/09/08 | The Herald (Glasgow) |
| An academic's view of Beeching's Scottish legacy. | ||
| Strathspey Railway on track for Grantown | 23/09/08 | Press & Journal |
| East-West rail link secures £2m | 22/09/08 | Transport Briefing |
| Promoters of a reinstated Oxford-Cambridge line have secured £2m for development work. | ||
| Bid to reopen old rail line | 18/09/08 | BBC News |
| A plan to reopen the old 15-mile line between Plymouth and Tavistock has taken a step forward. | ||
| Rail group on track for Lotto boost | 14/09/08 | Scarborough Evening News |
| Locals are being asked for their views on renovations to the Scarborough-Whitby railway path. | ||
| 'Two Tunnels' scheme progress | 12/09/08 | Bath Chronicle |
| Work a bridge too far - Councillor | 10/09/08 | South Wales Argus |
| Plans to spend nearly £200,000 on safety improvements to an old bridge have been criticised. | ||
| High Wycombe-Maidenhead rail link call | 07/09/08 | Bucks Free Press |
| Portishead rail link a step closer? | 04/09/08 | Weston & Somerset Mercury |
| Tram inquiry over wildlife fears | 04/09/08 | This is Nottingham |
| A local council has objected to the compulsory purchase of an embankment for a tram extension. | ||
August 2008
| Alloa reopening success prompts study | 31/08/08 | Transport Briefing |
| Services on the new Alloa line have proved so popular that an extension is being examined. | ||
| Steam railway is on track for spring | 29/08/08 | Daily Post (North Wales) |
| The Welsh Highland Railway is on-track to fully reopen by next Easter. | ||
| Anger over plans for homes on old line | 28/08/08 | This is Lancashire |
| Locals have vowed to fight plans to build a large housing estate on the old Bolton-Bury trackbed. | ||
| Vandals hit historic bridge | 27/08/08 | News & Star (Carlisle) |
| Pensioners bring new life to old station | 26/08/08 | Lancashire Evening Post |
| Preston unveils vision of tram system | 21/08/08 | Lancashire Evening Post |
| Disused railways to hit small screen | 18/08/08 | Broadcast Now |
| The BBC will screen several shows this autumn, looking at Beeching's legacy and railway walks. | ||
| Workers left ill by tunnel fumes | 11/08/08 | BBC News |
| Workers maintaining Harecastle Tunnel became ill after breathing in fumes. | ||
| Getting up a head of steam | 11/08/08 | The Gazette (Blackpool) |
| Music mogul Pete Waterman backs restoration of the Fleetwood-Thornton line. | ||
| Bike path plan for disused Flintshire line | 11/08/08 | Daily Post (North Wales) |
| Viaduct vistas to be enjoyed soon | 10/08/08 | Yorkshire Post |
| Phase 3 of the Great Northern Trail will soon reveal spectacular views from Thornton Viaduct. | ||
| Engineers find mystery bridge under road | 08/08/08 | This is Lancashire |
| On the right tracks | 06/08/08 | East Lothian Courier |
| Plans to reopen East Linton's mothballed railway station has made positive tracks. | ||
| Council supports embankment removal | 06/08/08 | Ledbury Reporter |
| Timetable set for Borders railway | 05/08/08 | BBC News |
| High hopes for new off-road cycle trail | 03/08/08 | South Devon |
| Longbridge rail line hopes dashed | 03/08/08 | Birmingham Post |
July 2008
| Llangollen rail link a step closer | 30/07/08 | Your Vale |
| Plans to extend the Llangollen Railway into Corwen move ahead with a public meeting in the town. | ||
| Back to rail on the trail? | 22/07/08 | North Devon Gazette |
| Trains could return to the Torridge Valley if a rail group's plans come to fruition. | ||
| Work on new freight link gets underway | 22/07/08 | Bootle Times |
| Steamy summer on the line | 17/07/08 | BBC News |
| Enthusiasts have laid track on the old Belfast & County Down Railway, closed nearly 60 years ago. | ||
| Barnham signal box to be demolished | 15/07/08 | Shoreham Herald |
| Track on line to reopen | 15/07/08 | Deeside Piper |
| A disused railway linking Banchory and Crathes is to be reopened to rail enthusiasts. | ||
| Cycle route planned for Cotswolds | 12/07/08 | Wilts & Gloucs Standard |
| Fears over safety of guided busway | 10/07/08 | Cambridge News |
| Bowes Railway placed on 'at risk' list | 07/07/08 | Sunderland Echo |
| First step for new travel network | 03/07/08 | BBC News |
| The first of Sustrans' Connect2 schemes has been opened to pedestrians and cyclists in Dumfries. | ||
June 2008
| Villagers on track to create focal point | 30/06/08 | Press & Journal (Aberdeen) |
| Residents of St Cyrus have been working to transform an old cutting into a community garden. | ||
| Footplate men reunited with locomotive | 30/06/08 | Yorkshire Post |
| Three footplate men will be reunited with the Mallard to celebrate the loco's record speed run. | ||
| Railway line back on track? | 28/06/08 | Weston Mercury |
| Study finds Portishead to Bristol rail link would be "feasible". | ||
| Girl who blasted viaduct into history | 26/06/08 | Evng Gazette (Middlesbrough) |
| New cycle path opens | 23/06/08 | Redditch Standard |
| Facelift for former railway line | 21/06/08 | Chard & Ilminster News |
| Brighton to get green walkway | 18/06/08 | The Argus (Brighton) |
| Gold for Harrow in probation project | 18/06/08 | Harrow Times |
| Dozens of people serving time in the community have cleared up a disused railway line. | ||
| Trams on-track for Chorlton by 2011 | 18/06/08 | South Manchester Reporter |
| Homes plan gets second appeal | 17/06/08 | Bucks Free Press |
| Councillors are preparing to fight plans to build homes on a disused railway line in Wooburn Green. | ||
| Cranes move in to demolish old bridge | 16/06/08 | News & Star (Carlisle) |
| Docker's umbrella rides again | 16/06/08 | Liverpool Echo |
| Pier Head Station will be recreated in the Museum of Liverpool, opening in 2010. | ||
| Uni under fire over bridge demolition | 16/06/08 | Cambridge News |
| Great Central Railway to extend | 13/06/08 | Loughborough News |
| Campaign goes full steam ahead | 11/06/08 | Yorkshire Post |
| A progress report on the proposed reopening of the Skipton-Colne line. | ||
| Demolition warning over Bath bus plan | 11/06/08 | This is Bath |
| Leigh's busway one step closer | 10/06/08 | Wigan Today |
| Getting Bristol's trains on the right track | 09/06/08 | This is Bristol |
| Campaigners have urged councillors to "reunite the city" by reopening Ashton Gate station. | ||
| Crackpot plan won't see the light of day | 09/06/08 | The News (Portsmouth) |
| A rapid bus link over Gosport's old railway line has come in for criticism. | ||
| Artist blacksmith revives old rail | 03/06/08 | Dereham Times |
| Old bridge moved for King's Cross revival | 02/06/08 | Building |
| Risking death for a spot on YouTube | 02/06/08 | Northern Echo |
May 2008
| Proposed bus route could affect cycleway | 27/05/08 | This is Bristol |
| New home for North Wootton signal box | 26/05/08 | Lynn News |
| Burscough revival not DfT responsibility | 23/05/08 | Southport Visiter |
| Fire sweeps old Carlisle railway sheds | 23/05/08 | News & Star |
| Stirling-Alloa line reopens to passengers | 18/05/08 | Transport Briefing |
| Preston's cyclists to ride old rail line | 18/05/08 | Longridge News |
| Ramblers make progress over right-of-way | 11/05/08 | Darlington & Stockton Times |
| A decision not to make the old Boosbeck-Slapewath line into a right-of-way has been overturned. | ||
| Charter train trips prove a sell-out | 11/05/08 | Journal Live (Newcastle) |
| Ashington's first passenger train in 40 years will run on 7th June to promote the line's reopening. | ||
| Giant crane arrives for revived rail link | 06/05/08 | Liverpool Daily Post |
| Plan for new artists' studio move closer | 02/05/08 | Scarborough Evening News |
| A feasibility study looks at turning Scarborough station's former parcels office into an art studio. | ||
April 2008
| Next stop Chorlton | 30/04/08 | South Manchester Reporter |
| Work could start soon on a new spur for Manchester's Metrolink along a disused trackbed. | ||
| Restoration projects vie for rural awards | 28/04/08 | Darlington & Stockton Times |
| Masham station yard and Richmond station have been shortlisted for restoration prizes. | ||
| Check out my life-sized train set | 28/04/08 | Metro |
| A railway fanatic hopes to open a museum at the disused station he's just bought for £300,000. | ||
| Revised plans for Tintern railway path | 22/04/08 | Bike Radar |
| Man sent text before jumping off viaduct | 21/04/08 | The Star (South Yorkshire) |
| Man dies in fall from viaduct | 17/04/08 | The Star (South Yorkshire) |
| Two former stations to hold open weekend | 16/04/08 | Hereford Times |
| 'Bridge bombers' endangering lives | 16/04/08 | Wigan Evening Post |
| Gangs of teenagers are putting lives at risk by throwing missiles from a disused railway bridge. | ||
| Botanic nightclub plans scrapped | 16/04/08 | BBC News |
| Glasgow City Council has blocked plans to reopen a disused subterranean station as a nightclub. | ||
| Sea level rises mean rail rethink | 11/04/08 | BBC News |
| An old route into Plymouth may be revived if the Dawlish line keeps being swamped by the sea. | ||
| MCC cannot be accused of tunnel vision | 09/04/08 | The Times |
| Disused rail line to become cycle track | 06/04/08 | Evening News (Edinburgh) |
| Sustrans intends to transform the old line from Millerhill to Loanhead into a cycle route. | ||
March 2008
| Bristol-Bath railway path saved | 30/03/08 | Bike Radar |
| Protest over nightclub in disused tunnel | 28/03/08 | Evening Times (Glasgow) |
| Tunnels could become Lords' cricket nets | 28/03/08 | Marylebone Express |
| Cycle path abandoned over viaduct | 15/03/08 | Evening Courier (Halifax) |
| Work to lay a cycle path over West Vale viaduct has ended following protests from locals. | ||
| Campaign to relay Todmorden curve | 13/03/08 | The Citizen (Burnley) |
| Commons debate for York-Beverley line | 12/03/08 | The Press (York) |
| Conference centre idea for arena site | 11/03/08 | Evening Gazette (Newcastle) |
| A covered, moving walkway over an old viaduct could soon link an arena with Newcastle station. | ||
| Tram dream may be back on track | 11/03/08 | Express & Star (West Mids) |
| Trams could run along a disused Black Country freight line as part of a £388million project. | ||
| New section of Ecclesbourne railway opens | 10/03/08 | Transport Briefing |
| Waverley costs now £295m as delays grow | 06/03/08 | The Herald (Scotland) |
| Bid to convert goods shed may hit buffers | 04/03/08 | Suffolk & Essex Online |
| Rail bosses bid to buy disused tracks | 04/03/08 | Evening News (Edinburgh) |
| Two stretches of disused line could be secured for use as part of Edinburgh's rail network. | ||
| Boost for Leamside campaign | 02/03/08 | Sunderland Echo |
February 2008
| Museum plan for steam train attraction | 27/02/08 | Leicester Mercury |
| Starry last night for tiny cinema | 24/02/08 | BBC News |
| The curtain has come down on an old railway wagon converted into a tiny cinema. | ||
| Brunel pump house faces demolition | 23/02/08 | This is Cornwall |
| Boost in train station battle | 22/02/08 | Birmingham Mail |
| Campaigners hoping to have Alrewas station reopened have received backing from landowners. | ||
| Burscough Curves may be brought back... | 22/02/08 | Liverpool Daily Post |
| Hopes have been raised that two of Liverpool's commuter hubs could be linked via a disused line. | ||
| Brothers to open bar in old ticket office | 22/02/08 | Evening Courier (Halifax) |
| Disused track one mile from airport | 19/02/08 | BBC News |
| The biggest airline operating out of Belfast Airport want a disused railway line back in action. | ||
| Kimpton Road could be developed for... | 13/02/08 | Bedford Today |
| Plans to develop part of Luton and Dunstable's guided busway could soon get the green light. | ||
| Full steam ahead for new bridge | 08/02/08 | Daily Post (North Wales) |
| Housing demand boosts rail hope | 08/02/08 | BBC News |
| The need for more housing in Tavistock could justify reopening a line which closed 40 years ago. | ||
| Embsay's new piece of history | 06/02/08 | Telegraph & Argus (Bradford) |
| Scheme to restore heritage railway line | 04/02/08 | Daily Post (North Wales) |
| Man seen climbing bridge before... | 02/02/08 | The Bolton News |
| Police were forced to close a road after a man jumped from Darcy Lever viaduct. | ||
| Now coal drops may become homes | 01/02/08 | Evening Courier (Halifax) |
January 2008
| Gas workers dig up old tunnel | 28/01/08 | Daily Echo (Dorset) |
| Call to save historic signal box | 25/01/08 | BBC News |
| Burscough Curve on right track | 23/01/08 | Ormskirk Advertiser |
| Plan for reopening of old rail link | 21/01/08 | The Journal |
| Transport bosses hope to reopen the Leamside line to create a new Tyne-Tees rail link. | ||
| Port rail link given green light | 20/01/08 | BBC News |
| A multi-million pound freight link between the Port of Liverpool and the WCML gets a green light. | ||
| Cycle route needs more cash | 10/01/08 | Bath Chronicle |
| Railway route study gets go-ahead | 03/01/08 | BBC News |