Utopia

[oldfatfool]

For the first time in several years I cycled on our local greenaway a 7mile stretch of old railway line, Instead of cycle lanes and more road infrastructure, HS2 and unlimited rail subsidies all the government needs to do is to surface all the abandoned, overgrown and underused railway lines and a whole commuter network would be opened up, hell scrap trains all together, a country wide safe cycling path, intercity, everything. No serious gradients hell there truly would be no need for cars as even the most bloated and unfit could use an electric bike. No danger, the environment sorted, fitness sorted, I think I have solved the countries problems, but then I am sure everyone (on here) as already had the same thought, so why the bloody hell ain't it happening.

 

[Mo1959]

For the first time in several years I cycled on our local greenaway a 7mile stretch of old railway line, Instead of cycle lanes and more road infrastructure, HS2 and unlimited rail subsidies all the government needs to do is to surface all the abandoned, overgrown and underused railway lines and a whole commuter network would be opened up, hell scrap trains all together, a country wide safe cycling path, intercity, everything. No serious gradients hell there truly would be no need for cars as even the most bloated and unfit could use an electric bike. No danger, the environment sorted, fitness sorted, I think I have solved the countries problems, but then I am sure everyone (on here) as already had the same thought, so why the bloody hell ain't it happening.

and probably and not as much as we would like!

 

[oldfatfool]

and probably and not as much as we would like!

Even if it took traffic from roads 4 months of the year it would be an improvement, and I would imagine (certainly for me) the safety implications of riding on busy roads at night in poor viability would be negated for many current summer commuter cyclists

 

[Slick]

They are trying to do it here on a 4 mile stretch of old cutting. It's taken 18 months to get funding in place and to get Sustrans on board which in turn allowed the trust to hold a public consultation just before lockdown and they estimate that as long as there are no objections, we may get the go ahead in another 18 months. I honestly felt like telling them to forget it, as I'm happy as I am on the road. I didn't, but I felt like it.

 

[anothersam]

No danger, the environment sorted, fitness sorted, I think I have solved the countries problems

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xb9CM9Ffxzk&t=0m34s

 

[sleuthey]

.... and this Channel 5 employee has done all the donkey work for us by finding them all:

 

[PeteXXX]

There is/was a plan to turn the Northampton to Mkt Harborough, Brampton Valley Way, Sustran Route 6, back into a railway line..
I doubt it will ever happen, but, who knows...

 

[biggs682]

There is/was a plan to turn the Northampton to Mkt Harborough, Brampton Valley Way, Sustran Route 6, back into a railway line..
I doubt it will ever happen, but, who knows...

Can't see it myself either

 

[sheddy]

Alas I fear 50 years too late. Routes should have kept intact and not built on.

 

[fossyant]

There are three old lines near me that have converted. Use two all the time.

 

[rualexander]

From the weather point of view, it wouldn't take too much to install canopies along the length of disused railway cycle paths, they could incorporate solar pannelling to contribute to renewable energy generation, similar to some supermarket car parks in France and Spain etc.

 

[roley poley]

I see many a railway service road running next to a USED line that with minimal work could be a wonderful short cut for a bike or walker however we don't live in a utopia safety issues prevail

 

[PeteXXX]

Yet HS2, if it ever happens, has no plan to incorporate cycle/recreational paths along its full length 😔

 

[ColinJ]

For the first time in several years I cycled on our local greenaway a 7mile stretch of old railway line, Instead of cycle lanes and more road infrastructure, HS2 and unlimited rail subsidies all the government needs to do is to surface all the abandoned, overgrown and underused railway lines and a whole commuter network would be opened up...

...so why the bloody hell ain't it happening.

It HAS been happening for years. There are some very fine examples round here, including the Padiham Greenway which you can see on this photo that I took on one of my forum rides. (Note a rare appearance by the lesser spotted cyclist @potsy, front left! )

Unfortunately, as pointed out by @sheddy above, many of the routes of former railway lines have now been built over.

 

[Ajax Bay]

There is/was a plan to turn the Northampton to Mkt Harborough, Brampton Valley Way, Sustran Route 6, back into a railway line..

Off topic, what is the quality of the surface of that cyclepath, please?