Selling land for railway.

[Daddy Pig]

A local group near here want to reinstate approx. 10 miles of disused rail line that was closed in the sixties their problem is that the old line has been taken back by the farms it crossed. The old corridor is still there and used by walkers cyclists and horse riders, their plan is for a much wider corridor with a rail line and cycle path and trees and pretty flowers. My question is if this was your land would you consider selling or leasing land for this purpose and more importantly what sort of value would you put on it ?

 

[RAF]

Yeah let them crack on . Lease I suppose

 

[Frodo]

Always amazes me the the government sold it in the first place.

 

[PuG]

A local group near here want to reinstate approx. 10 miles of disused rail line that was closed in the sixties their problem is that the old line has been taken back by the farms it crossed. The old corridor is still there and used by walkers cyclists and horse riders, their plan is for a much wider corridor with a rail line and cycle path and trees and pretty flowers. My question is if this was your land would you consider selling or leasing land for this purpose and more importantly what sort of value would you put on it ?

All depends on the individual bit of land in question, whether its just some thickets and scrub or a decent bit of field. Not to mention noise pollution from the train which some might be opposed. Better option is get rid of the walkers horse riders and cyclists.

 

[s line]

Open up a pop up cafe in the summer months.

If you can,t beat them,join them!

 

[Sir loin]

The Wensleydale railway comes past our land and they have struggled to make it viable, many a time the train goes past with no one on it and thats without having to buy land. I was told it costs a million pounds a mile to reinstate the track to be useable this was from Redmire up to Hawes but there are a few bridges to put back in. So I wouldn't think they will want to spend a lot unless you are a very touristy spot which I suppose we are here.

 

[Goweresque]

Always amazes me the the government sold it in the first place.

Did they sell it? Or did it revert to the ownership of the landowners on either side of the line? Canals were established by Act of Parliament (as railways were also, later on), and required a formal Abandonment Act to close them, after which the canal reverted to the ownership of the landowners on either side of the canal. If you owned both sides you got it all, if you had one side you got up to the middle point. So I wonder if railways were the same, and thats how landowners ended up owning the track of closed railways through their fields.

 

[pgk]

Did they sell it? Or did it revert to the ownership of the landowners on either side of the line? Canals were established by Act of Parliament (as railways were also, later on), and required a formal Abandonment Act to close them, after which the canal reverted to the ownership of the landowners on either side of the canal. If you owned both sides you got it all, if you had one side you got up to the middle point. So I wonder if railways were the same, and thats how landowners ended up owning the track of closed railways through their fields.

Father in law and his neighbours were offered the track beds passing through their land following the Beeching cuts. Had to pay a small fee and legals for the transfer.

 

[roscoe erf]

Always amazes me the the government sold it in the first place.

How do you think they got it in the first place

 

[snarling bee]

I know farmers who use the old lines as farm tracks. You'd need a fair amount of compensation just to replace the access with something usable.

 

[Formatted]

Probably worth giving them a long lease rather than selling it, who knows what might happen in the future

 

[Goweresque]

Father in law and his neighbours were offered the track beds passing through their land following the Beeching cuts. Had to pay a small fee and legals for the transfer.

Ah, that makes sense. The most obvious person to offer the track to is the landowner next door I guess. And the government definitely did not want to sell the track as a whole, because a private company might have re-opened it and if they'd made a success of it that would make British Rail look stupid, which would never do. I'm convinced the decision to split the track ownership up as much as possible was taken precisely to make sure the lines were never re-opened.

 

[Bogweevil]

A local group near here want to reinstate approx. 10 miles of disused rail line that was closed in the sixties their problem is that the old line has been taken back by the farms it crossed. The old corridor is still there and used by walkers cyclists and horse riders, their plan is for a much wider corridor with a rail line and cycle path and trees and pretty flowers. My question is if this was your land would you consider selling or leasing land for this purpose and more importantly what sort of value would you put on it ?

Sell it quick, they will only re-nationalise it for the new solar trains that will replace cars after 2030

 

[Daddy Pig]

The Wensleydale railway comes past our land and they have struggled to make it viable, many a time the train goes past with no one on it and thats without having to buy land. I was told it costs a million pounds a mile to reinstate the track to be useable this was from Redmire up to Hawes but there are a few bridges to put back in. So I wouldn't think they will want to spend a lot unless you are a very touristy spot which I suppose we are here.

They are talking of spending £100 million , they have to somehow get through local town where the old line is now either a road or has been built on.

 

[Mur Huwcun]

The problem is if that old line goes through your farm it effectively then splits your farm up. You will then need crossings, permission to cross, a million years of fighting to try and get an underpass for quad and livestock etc etc

 

[Hampton]

The problem is if that old line goes through your farm it effectively then splits your farm up. You will then need crossings, permission to cross, a million years of fighting to try and get an underpass for quad and livestock etc etc

You’ll get told off for leaving the gates open whilst you’re trying to cart corn off the field.
If it’s dry and they use cheap coal then they will set fire to your crops, then claim it wasn’t them.
It’s a pain in the backside.

 

[pgk]

Other side of the closed line, now main track through farm, brother in law recently bought the land which was effectively an island bounded by closed line, gwr main line and river. Previous owners only access was over the gwr main line with permission required each time using phone provided. Feel much more comfortable moving stock now as we have built a track down from old line. The crossing is mainly used by walkers on their circular route from Daylesford. I think crossing a line running steam trains would be much less scary.

 

[Goweresque]

I think crossing a line running steam trains would be much less scary.

Heritage railways are run under less onerous regulations than the main lines, as result of which they are restricted to a top speed of 25mph.

 

[betweenthelines]

I'd refuse to deal with them.


Until mine was the only stretch stopping them re opening the line

Then I'd make them pay on MY terms

 

[teslacoils]

Percentage of takings. 99 year lease.