Queensbury Tunnel

[cactustrain]

Change.org petiton update, click here.

[Wheatley]

Deleted, didnt need saying.

Edited January 2, 2021 by Wheatley

[Sheffield]

It seems the old Department of (Road) Transport's dislike of railways is alive and well. Interesting this move to destroy the remaining items from the closed railways has appeared just as the Government was talking about reopening closed lines. Is this a rush to make sure it can not happen?

[Wheatley]

There is nothing on Highways England's website or press releases about some dastardly plan to demolish the entire Historic Railway Environment while everyone is looking the other way. What there is are press releases on civil engineering companies websites about several million pounds worth of contracts awarded last year to carry out HRE works on behalf of HE including demolition and infilling, but also including inspection, maintenance, repair, stabilisation and restoration. Anyone who thinks HE can maintain a network of civil engineering structures, some of which have had no meaningful maintenance for 70 years or more, without demolishing some if it before it falls down by itself is being unrealistic.

 

What there also is is a dispute between HE and a local group who think Queensbury Tunnel is critical to the local cycling/tourist infrastructure about whether certain works carried out last year were necessary or correctly done. 

 

Edited January 3, 2021 by Wheatley

[phil-b259]

There are suggestions that the existence  of all these redundant railway structures and the liabilities included is an obstacle to the part privatisation of HE.
 

Consequently some believe that there is a strong desire amongst some within HE to try and digest themselves of anything which is ‘problematic’ for the organisation (which includes unimproved single carriageway roads too).

[bécasse]

On 03/01/2021 at 21:43, phil-b259 said:

There are suggestions that the existence  of all these redundant railway structures and the liabilities included is an obstacle to the part privatisation of HE.
 

Consequently some believe that there is a strong desire amongst some within HE to try and digest themselves of anything which is ‘problematic’ for the organisation (which includes unimproved single carriageway roads too).

I have always thought that Richard Beeching was given the wrong target. Just think how much more money he could have saved if he had been asked identify under-used roads for closure - especially in the early 1960s.

[phil-b259]

On 04/01/2021 at 21:37, bécasse said:

I have always thought that Richard Beeching was given the wrong target. Just think how much more money he could have saved if he had been asked identify under-used roads for closure - especially in the early 1960s.

 

Indeed.

 

Though as with many things the agenda these days is to dump the problem on local authorities but without any extra funding then blame 'local council mismanagement' for the continued decline while pedalling the 'we are a low tax government' nonsense from Whitehall.

Edited January 17, 2021 by phil-b259