Old Track Routes

[chris-shay]

Returning home today from holiday, I drove past several locations of old railway lines that have long since closed, mostly in the Beeching era, and it got me wondering. When a line was closed and the railway had no further use for it, what happened to the ownership of the trackbed? Was it simply returned or sold to the original owner or was it sold off. I'm thinking more of sites where the line was just passing though a farmer's land or similar, rather than station sites that have a more obvious monetary value.

I think that bridges and other such structures still remain the responsibility of the railway company or its subsequent owners?

 

One of those strange things I'd never given much previous thought to and now it's bugging me...!

['CHARD]

Generally, as the BR Property Board was advised by the region's Operating department that a trackbed was no longer to be retained for future strategic use, they were free to dispose of them as they saw fit - with a general obligation of 'good stewardship' - these were public coffers after all - to get the best return they were able.  

 

In the case of rural areas, this meant that farmers whose land the trackbed crossed would generally be given first refusal.  In many places, such as the Waverley route or Port Road, lengthy stretches ended up as farm access dirt tracks.  Between Steele Road and Whitrope the Forestry Commission took over the trackbed as by the time of the WR's closure it was the landlord of previous estates having been sold up for forestry planting.  They converted the trackbed to a haul road for logging purposes.  For parts of the Strathmore and Perth Direct, the solum was simply ploughed back into the surrounding fields, to the extent that even from the air you'd be hard pressed to identify the course of old railway.

 

Local authorities often took on station sites - hence health and leisure centres or other council undertakings had a habit of appearing on station and yard sites, or the existing buildings were rented to light industry or other suitable activities.  Hence long term survival of structures like St Boswells' engine shed.

[johnb]

In one case that I know of when railway closed, the land reverted to the farmer. When the line was built the legal agreement was that if it was no longer required it went back to the landowner.

 

There was a brick built bridge on the property but BR retained ownership and responsblity, many years later it was offered to the farmer for £1. He declined and simply blocked off access, it was almost on his boundary line anyway.

 

John

[Jamie]

In one case that I know of when railway closed, the land reverted to the farmer. When the line was built the legal agreement was that if it was no longer required it went back to the landowner.

 

There was a brick built bridge on the property but BR retained ownership and responsblity, many years later it was offered to the farmer for £1. He declined and simply blocked off access, it was almost on his boundary line anyway.

 

John

 

Yes a lot of structures remained with BRB (Residuary) until quite recently - I understand they're now the responsibility of the Highways Agency, even those in Scotland and regardless of whether they have anything to do with a roadway.

[96701]

Some bridges have been adopted by Local Authorities.

[phil-b259]

Yes a lot of structures remained with BRB (Residuary) until quite recently - I understand they're now the responsibility of the Highways Agency, even those in Scotland and regardless of whether they have anything to do with a roadway.

 

When the BRB was abolished by the Coalition Government under their 'bonfire of Quangos' initiative something had to be done about the many tunnels, bridges and viaducts which the BRB still had a legal liability for. While some were transferred to other owners (including NR or councils) the bulk if them could not be offloaded -  mainly due to he potential liabilities any successor would take on to keep them from collapsing.

 

After some careful consideration the Government decided that the best way to deal with the issue was to transfer ownership of said structures to the Highways Agency - mainly because they were the only Government department that already had the necessary skills to look bridges / tunnels / viaducts thanks to their remit of looking after the same things on our road network.

 

However because all things road transport related had long since been devolved to the Scottish Government / Welsh Assembly, the Westminster Government was prevented from transferring ex BRB structures to the relevant Scottish and Welsh highways authorities - they all had to go to the Highways Agency regardless of where in the UK the ex railway structures were located.

 

Hence we have the situation where 'Highways England' (which is what the Government  renamed the Highways Agency to in one of their recent policy changes) is responsible for ex railway structures in Scotland / Wales - but none of the roads there.