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In recent
years Britain’s
railways have enjoyed the largest growth in traffic since the 1950s.
This is
also on a much reduced rail network following the Beeching Cuts in the
1960s.
As a result they are now struggling to cope with all the demand. We
believe
that the existing rail network must be maintained to a high standard
and no
railway lines should be closed. However we also believe that there
needs to be
a concerted programme to build new capacity for the railways including
sorting
out capacity issues on the existing network, building new railway lines
and
reopening disused railway lines.
Existing
disused or freight only railway lines that
should have passenger services reintroduced:
- Sandbach
– Middlewich – Northwich line
- Clitheroe
– Hellifield line
- Edinburgh
South Suburban line
- Ashington,
Blyth & Tyne line
- Leamside
Line (Ferryhill – Washington – Newcastle)
- Bristol to Portishead line
- Lostwithiel
to Fowey line
- Southampton to Hythe line
- Kettering to Melton Mowbray line via Corby and Oakham
New
build rail lines:
- Manchester Airport Western Rail Link
- Glasgow Airport Rail Link
- Edinburgh Airport Rail Link
- London Crossrail
- BAA
Heathrow Airtrack Network
- UK High Speed Rail Network
Former
or Disused Rail Lines that should be reopened:
- Reinstatement
of the Burscough Curves north of Ormskirk
- Reinstatement
of the Halton Curve near Runcorn
- Reinstatement
of the Olive Mount Chord near Edge Hill, Liverpool
- Reopen
the Matlock to Buxton line through the Peak District
- Reopen
the Skipton to Colne line
- Reopen
the Woodhead Route
from Manchester to Sheffield
- Reopen
the Penrith to Keswick line
- Reopen
the Fleetwood branch of the Preston to Blackpool
line
- Reopen
the Glasebrook to Partington and Skelton Junction line
- Reopen
the Ditton Junction – Fiddlers Ferry – Warrington Bank Quay – Latchford
– Dunham Massey – Skelton Junction line
- Reopen
the Waverley Route
from Edinburgh to Carlisle
- Reopen
the link from the ECML near Berwick upon Tweed to the Waverley Route
at Galashiels via Kelso and Melrose
- Reopen
the Wealden Line from Uckfield to Lewes
- Reopen
the York to Beverley and Hull line
- Reopen
the East West Route
from Oxford to Cambridge
- Reopen
the Oxford
to Princes Risborough line
- Reopen
the Okehampton to Tavistock and Bere Alston line including a new
triangle at Lydford and a reopened link to Launceston via the former
GWR branch line
- Reopen
the Harrogate to Ripon and Thirsk line including the triangle at Harrogate
- Reopen
the Radstock to Frome line
- Reopen
the Shanklin to Ventnor line
- Reopen
the Stirling to Alloa and Kincardine
line
- Reopen
the Airdrie to Bathgate line
- Reopen
the Axminster to Lyme Regis line
- Reopen
the Yatton to Cheddar line
- Reopen
the Newton Abbot to Heathfield and Moretonhampstead line
- Ormskirk
to St Helens Central & St Helens Junction via Skelmersdale
- Reopen
the Amlwch branch line on Anglesey
- Reopen
the Bangor to Caenarfon line
- Reopen
the High Wycombe to Maidenhead via Bourne End line
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