Digital Edition: Five extra bids added to shortlist of abandoned railways that could be restored Five last-minute bids have been added to the list of projects bidding for funding under the third and final round of the Restoring Your Railways ideas fund. You have read 1 of 1 free-access articles allowed for 30 - days. For further access please
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Restoring abandoned railway lines is among key solutions to secure the future of the industry given the pandemic-driven decrease in commuting, according to Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines.
Haines told the Railways Industry Association (RIA) Innovation Conference that the industry “won’t be able to rely on being bankrolled by commuters” in a post Covid world.
Going forward, he said it will be necessary to be a “welcoming” and “reliable” railway that minimises disruption and encourages travel. He also emphasised the need to come up with affordable solutions.
“We have a prime minister who really wants to invest and who believes in Beeching line reopenings, Haines said. He is on our case week after week about the Northumberland line and Okehampton line because these are passionate commitments.
St Albans Abbey Line: How Hertfordshire very nearly had its own tram-train system
There was said to be a high level of public support for the initial proposal
Two trams in Birmingham city centre (Image: Graham Young/BirminghamMail)
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Over a decade ago, Hertfordshire very nearly had its own tram-train system.
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