Railway lines axed by Beeching decades ago could be reopened under Department for Transport plans The Department for Transport is working with groups to explore re-opening lines closed in the 60s

Old train lines axed decades ago under notorious reforms designed to make Britain’s railways more cost effective could be reopened to improve services for today’s passengers.

The Department for Transport is working with a number of groups to explore the possibility of reopening a number of lines that were closed when Dr Richard Beeching proposed in the 1960s that almost a third of the network should be rolled up.

Chris Grayling, the Transport Secretary, announced a year ago that proposals should be submitted to his department for projects to regenerate old lines – giving hope to campaigners wanting to bring trains back to cut off communities.

The Department for Transport says it is now working with groups to explore the re-opening of routes cut half a century ago under Beeching.

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A Department for Transport spokesman said: “We are continuing to grow the rail network to deliver improvements for passengers, unlock new housing and support the economy, including by exploring opportunities to restore previously lost capacity.

”We have received a wide variety of proposals to enhance the railway from across the public and private sector, and are working with promoters to explore opportunities to re-open routes cut under Beeching.“

The department said this was on top of work to explore reopening the Northumberland line for passengers, supporting the reinstatement of stations on the Camp Hill line in Birmingham, developing new rail links to Heathrow and a new station at Cambridge South.

But due to confidentiality issues around its ”market led“ approach, it was unable to release details of the proposed projects. Further details are expected to be released later this year.

Thousands of stations and hundreds of local lines were closed between 1964 and 1970 on Dr Beeching’s recommendation.

Campaign for Better Transport last year published a list of 12 lines that it said had the strongest economic and social case for reopening including the Ashington to Newcastle line that now only carries freight trains. Supporters of the campaign said they wanted a total of 200 lines to reopen.

The most successful example of the reversal of a Beeching cut is the Borders railway in Scotland, which follows the route of the old Waverley line between Edinburgh and Carlisle.

A 35-mile stretch of the track was reopened between Edinburgh and Tweedbank in the central Borders three years ago.

Campaigners now want the rest of the line to be reopened. The managing director of Scotrail, which runs services on the line is supportive of efforts to expand the route.

‘We have welcomed our fourth million customer’

Alex Hynes told Sky News: ”We’ve demonstrated, when we build it, people will come.

“And more than three years after the opening of the Borders Railway, we have welcomed our fourth million customer onto the route.

”You might expect that three years after opening, that growth would tail off now, it hasn’t.

“On the Borders railway that growth is actually accelerating which means we are going to have to operate longer trains on this route and I think there is more growth to come as well.”

He added: “Ultimately it is a matter for government, depending on where the extension goes to, UK government as well.

”But we are very happy to support continuing work to look at the feasibility of extending the Borders railway further.“