(All Charwelton 20/9/08, courtesy Mick Knox)
There were many appalling main line closures in the UK thanks to dipstick Beeching. The S&D of course, the Waverley, Plymouth-Exeter via Tavistock, Dumfries to Stranraer, Woodhead and the Ripon line for example. But probably the maddest was the Great Central route, the UK's last main line, built to European loading gauge throughout and promoted way back in 1900 as a future link to the Channel Tunnel. This should be one of the first lines to be reinstated, but at the moment it's still in deep sleep apart from the Nottingham-Leicester section and Aylesbury-Marylebone. This is the sort of line that will compete with us for resources in the future!
1 comment:
Interesting photos posted on an interesting day! If and its a big if, the next Govt is prepared to turn down Heathrow expansion and reinstate some at least of the never should have been closed GCR instead then that really would be something! Who knows Sunshiner, maybe a rebuilt S&D at least over some part of the route, might well come to pass. Certainly for a political party (other than the Greens) to say what was said today a few years ago would have been near disasterous - but times are changing and who knows? Personally much as I like aircraft, the train is a much classier form of transport let alone the "green" credentials!
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