Major / trunk roads built upon former railway routes?

[Sun Chariot]

Numerous urban roads and guided busways, in the UK, have been constructed upon the alignment of former railway lines.

However, I am curious to learn of which M- or A- trunk roads (incl bypasses) have been laid along former railway routes?

Example:
The M90 uses some of the former Glenfarg route. It was the North British' Railway's most direct route between Edinburgh and Perth, running from Cowdenbeath to Kinross. Engineered for express speeds, the route was a double-track main line.

The A7 Edinburgh to Carlisle road follows closely to some of the former Waverley line; however, to my knowledge, none of the A7 is actually built on the old railway alignment; so it falls outside the scope of this thread.

Which others do you know of / have driven?

 

[John Webb]

There is a lengthy stretch of the A66 from west of Keswick to just east of Cockermouth which mostly uses the trackbed of the former railway line between those two towns.

 

[zwk500]

Doesn't the M25 use the former Westerham branch alignment between just west of Junction 5?

The A22 severs the Lewes-Uckfield line just outside Uckfield with an embankment across the formation (and an alleged promise to fund a bridge if need be, which curiously nobody at the council can find any record of), but as that's perpendicular not parallel to the centreline of the railway perhaps not what you were thinking of?

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

peaks parkway in Grimsby on the A16 is built on the east Lincolnshire railway

 

[PeterC]

The previous alignment of the A120 (now B1256) used the alignment of the Braintree to Bishops Stortford line to bypass Dunmow town centre.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Part of the North Devon link road (A361) is built in the GWR Barnstaple - Taunton line. It even uses the pillars of Castle Hill viaduct.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

The M55/A5230/Yeadon Way main access route into Blackpool, partially uses the Marton Direct Line which ran into the old Central station.

 

[pnepaul]

The A685 from just outside Tebay heading east uses the former Stainmore route ( as far as Newbiggin (?) )

 

[D6130]

The A828 Connel Ferry to Ballachulish road follows the old railway alignment across the Connel and Creagan (Loch Creran) bridges....although, in fairness, the Connel bridge was always bi-mode (rail and road) when the railway was open between 1903 and 1966. The road has also been widened across - or diverted onto - the old railway formation at several other points on the route.

 

[Magdalia]

Three important roads in the Fens are on old railways:

A141 Chatteris-March
A17 Kings Lynn-Sutton Bridge
A16 Spalding-Boston

 

[Cricketer8for9]

A22 in East Grinstead. It’s called Beeching Way.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Doesn't the M25 use the former Westerham branch alignment between just west of Junction 5?

The A22 severs the Lewes-Uckfield line just outside Uckfield with an embankment across the formation (and an alleged promise to fund a bridge if need be, which curiously nobody at the council can find any record of), but as that's perpendicular not parallel to the centreline of the railway perhaps not what you were thinking of?

Re: M25 - yes, I think you're right. I forgot that I had watched YouTube "Auto Shenanigans" about that very topic.
The old station master's house is off to the side of the M25's boundary.
I can't recall if the M25 used the old railway alignment, or the area of the old goods yard.

Yes, I'm keeping "bisecting a line" out of this thread's scope. Purely the major roads physically on top of a former railway alignment.

 

[YorksLad12]

In Leeds, the M621 between junctions 6 and 7 follows the former route between the Cross Green area and the former Beeston Station.

A bit further south, the A650 follows the line of the former Low Moor - Outwood route between Gildersome West and Drighlington.

 

[Sun Chariot]

The A685 from just outside Tebay heading east uses the former Stainmore route ( as far as Newbiggin (?) )

My bad - I've even driven that one!

The A828 Connel Ferry to Ballachulish road follows the old railway alignment across the Connel and Creagan (Loch Creran) bridges....although, in fairness, the Connel bridge was always bi-mode (rail and road) when the railway was open between 1903 and 1966. The road has also been widened across - or diverted onto - the old railway formation at several other points on the route.

Yes, the widened roads, upon the railway alignments, "count".

Years ago I had some marvellous books by the likes of Bill V Andersen, Keith Pirt, Derek Cross and Derek Penney; Connel bridge was a feature in several books.
It fascinated me, to see cars and lorries gingerly negotiating the bridge deck, with the railway line perilously close to their wheels.
No wonder the bridge was controlled by traffic lights, so only one form of transport could cross at any given time!

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

A22 in East Grinstead. It’s called Beeching Way.

Part of the old Vale of Clwyd alignment leaving Ruthin to the south is called "Beechings".
The Craft Centre there, on the old station site, still has an old railway crane in its grounds.

Some of the closed rail alignments in North Wales were reused for roads, eg the A541 at Nannerch (Mold-Denbigh), the A494 between Bala and Dolgellau, and the A483 through Welshpool.
In fact at Welshpool the modern A483 runs through the old station (station building and platform still in place), while the railway was shifted eastwards via new platforms.

Following the fire in the original tubular bridge structure, the A5 was diverted to run on top of the railway Britannia bridge across the Menai Straits, with the railway, now singled, running underneath the road deck.
The A487 nearby also reuses some of the alignment of the Bangor-Caernarfon line.
A feasibility report into reopening that line says a new rail alignment would need to be built in places, as a result.

Another conversion was on the GWR Market Drayton-Wellington route where in several places the A53/A442 now uses the old rail alignment.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Thanks to all of you who have shared your great examples. My exploring juices have been whetted. I've yet to convince my dear wife why we need to drive all of these routes.

 

[Grumpy]

In Leeds, the M621 between junctions 6 and 7 follows the former route between the Cross Green area and the former Beeston Station.

Beeston Junction, not station?

 

[Snow1964]

The A31 (a continuation of M27) Wimborne bypass is partly along a spur of Somerset and Dorset line

 

[Ashley Hill]

The A38 between Buckfastleigh and Ashburton. With a bit more effort I believe the line could have been saved.

 

[swt_passenger]

A part of the A1(M) just west of Darlington in the direction of Scotch Corner is centred on a former railway alignment.

Here’s an NLS maps side by side view of the section:

Side by side georeferenced maps viewer - Map images - National Library of Scotland

 

[NER1621]

The A1M Darlington by-pass from Junction 56 (Barton) northwards until it crosses over the B6279 Staindrop Road is built on the trackbed of the Merrybent Railway. The quarries that the railway was built to serve can still be seen on the left of Junction 56 as you head north.

EDIT @swt_passenger just beat me to it!

 

[YorksLad12]

Beeston Junction, not station?

There was a station in Beeston, but I was being a bit general in my descriptions.

 

[Kingston Dan]

The A170 Thirsk to Scarborough road uses some of the old railway alignment around Kirkbymoorside.

 

[The exile]

Numerous urban roads, bypasses and guided busways have been constructed upon the alignment of former railway lines in the UK.

However, I am curious to learn of which A- or M- trunk roads have been laid along former railway routes?

Example:
The M90 uses some of the former Glenfarg route. It was the North British' Railway's most direct route between Edinburgh and Perth, running from Cowdenbeath to Kinross. Engineered for express speeds, the route was a double-track main line.

The A7 Edinburgh to Carlisle road follows closely to some of the former Waverley line; however, to my knowledge, none of the A7 is actually built on the old railway alignment; so it falls outside the scope of this thread.

Which others do you know of / have driven?

Edinburgh’s Western Approach Road uses the trackbed of the route in to Princes St station - I guess it’s probably an A-Road.
The bit of the ECML replaced by the Selby diversion has an A-road on part of it.

 

[D6130]

A22 in East Grinstead. It’s called Beeching Way.

IIRC, the 'good doctor' was a resident of East Grinstead.

 

[zwk500]

IIRC, the 'good doctor' was a resident of East Grinstead.

The vicinity certainly, although I think he may have lived outside the town itself in the surrounding countryside.

 

[LickeyIncliner]

The A7 Edinburgh to Carlisle road follows closely to some of the former Waverley line; however, to my knowledge, none of the A7 is actually built on the old railway alignment; so it falls outside the scope of this thread.

Which others do you know of / have driven?

The Melrose bypass (A6091) from Tweedbank eastwards is built on the former Waverley line - which is a major reason why the reopened Borders Line stops at Tweedbank

 

[Jaydubya]

The A414 Maldon Bypass follows the old alignment between just north of Maldon West station and Maldon East

 

[Hophead]

Much of the A267 Mayfield By-Pass in East Sussex is on a former railway alignment, which you can easily see on OS maps. This would have been the Eastbourne - Tunbridge Wells ("Cuckoo") line. Further to the south, it is the Cuckoo Trail - a popular walking route.

 

[Sun Chariot]

In fact at Welshpool the modern A483 runs through the old station (station building and platform still in place), while the railway was shifted eastwards via new platforms.

I was curious at that, so Google showed me what you meant!
(attached: former station's platform, building and canopy from Google Street View on the A483 at Welshpool)
A feast of good examples in Wales; many thanks for sharing.


Another that I've driven:
The A371 - which links Cheddar with the A38 to Bridgewater - skirts Axbridge old village and it uses the GWR's alignment. It passes next to the former station building and former goods shed (both still standing).