Realistic ideas or madcap schemes?

AFURTHER 50 rail or station reopening schemes are being considered in a second round of bids – there’s a third round later in the year – but just how many really are viable?

Many of these lines and stations closed through lack of passengers as the motorcar became more popular, along with the freedom and flexibility that came with it.

While not wishing to pour cold water on what might be a good idea, the rail industry and franchising are currently in deep trouble – as is the country.

I hesitate to think, some 60 or more years on from the closures, that reopened lines could win back the necessary volume of passengers to make it a financial success.

That’s not all. There are plenty of examples where track beds were never protected and have been built upon, breached or eroded completely. Some formations now have structural issues.

Study a satellite map of some of the proposed reopenings, and many businesses and homes have been built on the alignment of the original route, so will need an expensive deviation.

I am also uneasy about how some of the reopening proposals incorporating heritage lines and volunteer-run and operated lines, could work.

Take the plan to reopen Ryde to Newport on the Isle of Wight: how could an hourly timetabled service, say from 06.00-23.00, operate without significant detriment to income and patronage to the existing heritage railway, built up over decades?

There are schemes that would involve lots of level crossings, something the regulator (ORR) is unlikely to permit except in the most exceptional circumstances.

While folk are getting excited that their local line or station could reopen, schemes with only cast-iron credentials and long-term sustainability which add resilience to the network should be pursued so passengers don’t start returning to cars after a few years of operation.

CHRIS MILNER, Editor