Beeching reversals

Fifty schemes designed to reverse the closures from the infamous Beeching Report have been submitted to Government.

The submissions are for the next round of the Restoring

Your Railway scheme that will be considered in its Ideas Fund. The Department for Transport will fund 75% of the costs

(up to £50,000) of successful proposals to help fund transport and economic studies and create a business case. Any future funding would be subject to the agreement of the business case.

DfT confirmed that an expert panel will assess the bids, with the successful applicants announced by the end of the summer.

Schemes range from reinstating passing loops to reopening stations and railway lines.

The projects selected for assessment are:

North West: South Fylde Line Passing Loop; Kenyon Junction station; reopening Golborne station; reinstating the BoltonRadcliffe/Bolton-Bury routes; reinstating Beeston Castle and Tarporley stations; reopening Midge Hall station; redoubling the Mid-Cheshire Line between Stockport and Altrincham and associated station reopenings; reinstating the Stockport-Ashton line; reinstating the Glazebrook Junction-Skelton Junction line; reinstating East DidsburyStockport.

North East: Consett-Newcastle connection; restoring Ferryhill.

East: reopening DerehamWymondham (currently the Mid-Norfolk Railway) for national services; reopening King’s LynnHunstanton.

Yorkshire and Humberside: reinstating Beverley-York; restoring a daily service on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway; the Upper Wensleydale Railway; restoring passenger services to the Sheaf Valley; restoring a South Humber link; the South Yorkshire Joint Railway; a new station at Waverley (near Sheffield).

Midlands: reopening the Stratford-upon-AvonHoneybourne/Oxford line; increasing stopping services at Radcliffe-on-Trent and Bottesford; increasing services to Nottingham and Leicester via Syston and Loughborough from Melton Mowbray; reconnecting Ashfield Communities through the Maid Marian Line.

South West: reinstate the Mendip Vale line; reinstate the railway to Radstock; St Anne’s

Park station; reinstate the Kingsbridge line (Primrose Line); transform the Newquay branch; Mid-Cornwall Metro; restore secondary services on the Great Western Main Line; reopen Goodrington and Churston stations to the national network; new station for the Langport and Somerton area; new Charfield station; reinstating the BodminWadebridge railway to the national network; increasing service provision Bodmin GeneralBodmin Parkway; reopening the Ashburton and Buckfastleigh Junction Railway; Bristol West Capacity Enhancement; light rail extension to the Barnstaple branch; the Cirencester Community Rail Project; Project Wareham (completing the link); improving services to Pilning as well as reinstating the footbridge to platform 2.

South East: the Arundel Chord; reopening Camberwell station; unlocking capacity and services through Bramley; extending the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway to Aston Rowant; Carshalton Beeches stepfree access.

Wales: Magor and Undy Walkway station; restoring services Gaerwen-Amlwych.