The New Trend in Britain: Re-Opening Old Rail Lines

What's old is new in Britain, where clogged roads have many communities around the country looking to the past for the future of transportation.

1 minute read

April 19, 2016, 1:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Abandoned Rail

Eugene Sergeev / Shutterstock

"In recent years several hundred miles of railways around [Britain] have been restored," according to an article in the Economist.

"As roads clog up and urban house prices climb, commuters, environmentalists and local politicians are pushing for more old lines to be re-opened," adds the article. The article cites Andrew Allen of the Campaign for Better Transport, who says 200 proposals have been put forward to re-open rail lines around the country.

The article focuses on the example of a rail line in Wisbech, near the quickly-growing city of Cambridge. There, a rail line that closed in 1968 is undergoing the laborious process of re-opening, with new stations and restoration of the old line. 

Saturday, April 16, 2016 in Economist

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