Trivia: Any lines that were built but never used?

[ChiefPlanner]

Looks like someone's been in the tunnel with a camera...

Report - - Virgin (Pontardawe) Train Tunnel, South Wales, Jan 2012 | Underground Sites

Explored with Mike A (non member AFAIK) and Brandy, the semi cunning corgi. I'm sticking this up as I have never seen a report on this tunnel and indeed, there is very little information about it anywhere. If deemed Pit worthy, please move. HISTORY I have been trying to track this one down...

www.28dayslater.co.uk

One of the locals was going up there today......hope he got some snaps.

"The railway that nearly happened - twice" - a tale of railway politics and intrigue , involving at one time no less than the Barry Railway. The continuing expansion of the anthracite coalfield was expected to go on for ever , but the world changed after 1914.

 

[Watershed]

That connection at St Pancras from the MML to HS1, has that seen any use?

Only for engineering trains during possessions, I believe. I don't think the signalling was ever commissioned?

 

[Bob Price]

There was a pier built in Cardiff to serve steamers when the tide was out. The railway and station on it was only used for a very short time. The story can be seen here:

 

[McRhu]

Some of the earthworks are still visible.


There is a museum at the former Invergarry Station and a short length of track has been relaid.

Invergarry

Thank you.

 

[D6130]

As far as overly-optimistic railways go the I&FA is right up there with the best of them.

Had the Invergarry and Fort Augustus Railway achieved its original goal of reaching Inverness, I think there's a good chance that it would still have been open today....although the Highland Railway would have none of it, of course. Ironically, for the first three years of its short 30 year existance, the passenger service between Spean Bridge and Fort Augustus was operated by the Highland Railway, using its 4-4-0 tank locomotive no. 52 and a couple of elderly carriages. I wonder whether they were towed - or travelled under their own steam - from and to Perth via Crieff and the NBR/Caledonian connection at Crianlarich?

 

[Thebaz]

Felin Fran to Gwaun Cae Gurwen via Pontardawe - partly completed from Felin Fran to Trebanos , and from Cwmgorse Branch Junction to Nantygasseg - former used for a local colliery and the latter festered until 1958 when it was refurbed for a new "superpit" known as Abernant.

The middle section had a tunnel and some hefty viaducts etc at GCG as well as 2 "ghost" stations ........not one of the best investments on the part of the GWR.

Interestingly the Bartholomew Half-Inch map available on NLS maps shows the line as complete

 

[McRhu]

Had the Invergarry and Fort Augustus Railway achieved its original goal of reaching Inverness, I think there's a good chance that it would still have been open today....although the Highland Railway would have none of it, of course. Ironically, for the first three years of its short 30 year existance, the passenger service between Spean Bridge and Fort Augustus was operated by the Highland Railway, using its 4-4-0 tank locomotive no. 52 and a couple of elderly carriages. I wonder whether they were towed - or travelled under their own steam - from and to Perth via Crieff and the NBR/Caledonian connection at Crianlarich?

If only.... We can only dream about a line all the way through the Great Glen. A dream ticket for me would've been Ballachullish to Inverness.

 

[morrisobrien]

There was a pier built in Cardiff to serve steamers when the tide was out. The railway and station on it was only used for a very short time. The story can be seen here:

Fascinating.I was employed by P.&A.Campbell,White Funnel Fleet, on their Paddle Steamers Bristol Queen and Cardiff Queen until their demise in the late 1960's.As stated in the film they ran from 'Cardiff Pier Head'......never knew this pier existed.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Interestingly the Bartholomew Half-Inch map available on NLS maps shows the line as complete

It does - well spotted. Must have been a look at the previous edition , and assumed it had been completed.......!

 

[mmh]

Leith Central must hold the record for shortest operating large terminus station - opened 1903 (I think) closed in 1951 to passengers - less than 50 years. Is there a shorter lived terminus?

Waterloo International?

 

[OVS Flatbottom]

I also recently read André Brett's book about the history of New Zealand railways and there was an instance of finished passenger railway stations on a line that in the end only opened for freight services. Can't find the book right now to find it again though

There was at least one example of this (passenger stations built but line opened only for freight) in the UK - the Caledonian Railway's Newhaven-South Leith route (https://www.railscot.co.uk/Leith_New_Lines/index.php). No doubt there were others I'm unaware of.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Waterloo International?

Open for maybe 13 years until 2007 (give or take a day)?

Compared with Leith Central, which was open for just under 49 years (until April 1952).

 

[Irascible]

What is currently Falmouth Docks was the terminus for the entire line from Cornwall to Paddington for a whole three years. It did also close for a few years too, but a long long time after it became a mere branch terminus.

There's terminus stations that lost their use as the line extended further ( not including ones which simply became through stations ), but that's cheating a bit I think.

 

[Rescars]

What is currently Falmouth Docks was the terminus for the entire line from Cornwall to Paddington for a whole three years. It did also close for a few years too, but a long long time after it became a mere branch terminus.

There's terminus stations that lost their use as the line extended further ( not including ones which simply became through stations ), but that's cheating a bit I think.

This may be straying a bit from the OP, but there were also those termini intended to be temporary whilst permanent facilities were constructed or junction / running power issues were resolved. Examples include Bishops Bridge Road (Paddington) and Nine Elms (Waterloo). These were used by passengers, but only for a short period before being repurposed or demolished entirely. These weren't just a feature in big cities but could be needed in more remote locations - Castle Douglas St Andrews for instance. Other will surely be able to suggest further examples.

 

[Gloster]

This may be straying a bit from the OP, but there were also those termini intended to be temporary whilst permanent facilities were constructed or junction / running power issues were resolved. Examples include Bishops Bridge Road (Paddington) and Nine Elms (Waterloo). These were used by passengers, but only for a short period before being repurposed or demolished entirely. These weren't just a feature in big cities but could be needed in more remote locations - Castle Douglas St Andrews for instance. Other will surely be able to suggest further examples.

Although they weren’t always intended to be temporary: many of the early lines just saw themselves as a local company running from A to B. It was only later as they expanded or were taken over that plans to extend their line, which might involve building a new station on a different site, saw the closure of the old station.

 

[Stephen1001]

A particularly extreme example from Spain: La Línea, the frontier town on the border with Gibraltar, had a line authorised and construction started in 1893. It was finally finished in the 1970s. It's still there and still hasn't had a train over it.

 

[Ken H]

Alan Jacksons 'London's Termini' documents the temporary termini. ISBN 0715386344

 

[Kingston Dan]

Open for maybe 13 years until 2007 (give or take a day)?

Compared with Leith Central, which was open for just under 49 years (until April 1952).

Although it is in use now - but not for international traffic.

 

[Thebaz]

A particularly extreme example from Spain: La Línea, the frontier town on the border with Gibraltar, had a line authorised and construction started in 1893. It was finally finished in the 1970s. It's still there and still hasn't had a train over it.

Looks like they didn't bother build the station at La Linea. The line stops in a seemingly random place although there does appear to be a fair bit of extant land which was perhaps originally intended as a railway corridor into the centre of the city.

 

[SeanG]

Although abroad, this Tim Traveller video fits the bill

 

[robert thomas]

The link from Pontrhydyfen to the South Wales Mineral Railway was completed but never used. It is now a footpath/Forestry Road.

 

[Signal_Box]

Isn't the Didcot Railway Centre rail locked? Sure I've seen a pic of a steam engine been tripped to there to be loaded onto a lorry for further movement.

South Marston is a few miles east of Swindon. I don’t think it’s ever had any commercial traffic, may of had a promotional train in there at the very beginning though.

Yes, Didcot GWS is rail locked. Everything of bulk has to be tripped by DBC from the centre to the loco servicing centre outside TVSC where the GWS have their own sidings equipped for roading out vehicles.

Previously the trip would go down to a industrial siding at Milton next to the power station.

 

[King Lazy]

Depending on the criteria for ‘built’ I would suggest the following two examples.

The Furness railway built a line from Plumpton Junction at Ulverston to Conishead Priory. This line was known as the Bardsea branch indicating it was expected to continue beyond Conishead to Bardsea and Barrow in Furness.

The line to Conishead was used by trains but they also ‘built’ the alignment beyond there but never laid track.

Near Lostock station the Lancashire and Yorkshire railway built an alignment which would’ve created the third side of a triangle connecting the present day Euxton Junction to Bolton and Lostock Junction to Wigan (Westhoughton) lines.

There were sidings built curving off the Westhoughton line and had the new alignment been opened these would’ve had gained an additional exit to the line to Chorley and Euxton.

I believe the alignment was ‘built’ including culverts but track was never laid.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Believe there was once a 20 mile "Ouse Valley Railway" proposed, and partly built, in the mid/late 1860s. Would have run through the Mid Sussex countryside between the South end of the Balcombe Viaduct (on the Brighton Main Line) towards Uckfield, the route passing through Lindfield (to the East of Haywards Heath).

Seems that the collapse of the line's bankers/financiers in 1866 essentially did for the scheme. Never completed.

More info here...

Sussexias - Branch Lines 2000 - 3

www.sussexias.co.uk

 

[Pinza-C55]

There was a line at Pilmoor on the ECML which connected the Knaresborough - Pilmoor and Pilmoor - Malton lines, crossing over the ECML by a bridge which was built but never used. Some sighting signals for driver training were placed on it and an LNER building which looked like a waiting room survived till the early 80s.

 

[1Q18]

List of unused railways - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[AzureOtsu]

Fort Augustus Pier Station wasn't particularly blessed with longevity: 3 years of passenger services (although remained opened longer for freight). As far as overly-optimistic railways go the I&FA is right up there with the best of them.

Heathrow Junction was only open for a few months

 

[WesternBiker]

Believe there was once a 20 mile "Ouse Valley Railway" proposed, and partly built, in the mid/late 1860s. Would have run through the Mid Sussex countryside between the South end of the Balcombe Viaduct (on the Brighton Main Line) towards Uckfield, the route passing through Lindfield (to the East of Haywards Heath).

Seems that the collapse of the line's bankers/financiers in 1866 essentially did for the scheme. Never completed.

More info here...

Sussexias - Branch Lines 2000 - 3

www.sussexias.co.uk

Thank you for that - it is an area I have explored extensively on foot and by motorbike but this was a new one on me. Time for a repeat visit, clearly! There is more about the proposed line on Wikipedia: Ouse Valley Railway.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Thank you for that - it is an area I have explored extensively on foot and by motorbike but this was a new on me. Time for a repeat visit, clearly! There is more about the proposed line on Wikipedia: Ouse Valley Railway.

Not an awful lot to see, but I do vaguely recall once passing by some overgrown "Ouse Valley Railway" embankments / bridge abutments on a linear walk from Balcombe to Haywards Heath well over a decade ago.

 

[steamybrian]

Believe there was once a 20 mile "Ouse Valley Railway" proposed, and partly built, in the mid/late 1860s. Would have run through the Mid Sussex countryside between the South end of the Balcombe Viaduct (on the Brighton Main Line) towards Uckfield, the route passing through Lindfield (to the East of Haywards Heath).

Seems that the collapse of the line's bankers/financiers in 1866 essentially did for the scheme. Never completed.

More info here...

Sussexias - Branch Lines 2000 - 3

www.sussexias.co.uk

Not an awful lot to see, but I do vaguely recall once passing by some overgrown "Ouse Valley Railway" embankments / bridge abutments on a linear walk from Balcombe to Haywards Heath well over a decade ago.

For about a mile to the west of Uckfield there are sections of abandoned embankments and cuttings including the only completed bridge which is still in situ.