This list is for railway lines which are now disused, closed or dismantled.
Name of Line |
Builder |
Route (From/To) |
Closure Date |
Notes |
Allhallows On Sea to Stoke Junction |
SR |
Stoke Junction to Allhallows |
4 December 1961 |
Southern branch off the Hoo branch line (off the North Kent Line) (opened 14 May 1932 |
Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway |
GWR |
Banbury to Cheltenham |
|
|
Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway |
LSWR |
Basingstoke to Alton |
May 1936 |
Passenger service withdrawn 1932 |
Bishops Waltham Branch |
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|
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Brightlingsea branch |
GER? |
Wivenhoe to Brightlingsea |
|
|
Buckinghamshire Railway |
|
Banbury to Verney Junction(Where it joined the Varsity Line) |
Jan 1961 |
Freight servives lasted till June 1966 |
|
SER |
Rochester Bridge Junction to Chatham Central |
|
SER branch from North Kent Line to rival LCDR's Chatham Main Line - closed with advent of SECR circa 1890s |
Cambridge to Mildenhall railway |
GER |
Cambridge to Mildenhall |
1965 |
|
Canterbury and Whitstable Railway |
|
|
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aka "Crab and Winkle Line" - 1830-1952 |
Chester & Connah's Quay Railway |
|
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Colne Valley and Halstead Railway |
CV&HR |
Chappel & Wakes Colne to Haverhill |
April 1965 |
Opened in stages from 1860 to 1863. In 1865 GER opened a spur to Haverhill North and the LNER closed Haverhill South to passengers in 1924. Completely closed to passengers and fully closed between Great Yeldham and Colne Valley Junction, Haverhill on December 30th 1961. Part now suvives as the Colne Valley Railway and the East Anglian Railway Museum is located at Chappel and Wakes Colne Station. |
Corringham Light Railway |
Kynoch |
Thames Haven to Corringham via Kynochtown (now Coryton) |
1952 |
Built under the 1896 Light Railways Act to link Kynoch's explosives factory to the London Tilbury and Southend Railway at Thames Haven and to Corringham. Corringham section closed 1952, remainder in upgraded form serves Coryton Refinery. (1900/1-1952). |
Cranleigh Line |
Horsham & Guildford Direct Railway |
Horsham to Guildford via Cranleigh |
14 June 1965 |
|
Cromford and High Peak Railway |
|
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|
|
Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway |
DN&SR |
Didcot to Shawford Junction |
1967 |
|
Dover Marine or Dover Western Docks |
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For boat trains from Chatham Main Line / SER Main Line |
East Kent Railways |
|
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A series of lines built under the 1896 Light Railways Act from 1911-17 around the East Kent Coalfield. Closed with decline of coalfield, part is still a heritage railway. |
Edgware, Highgate and London Railway |
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Elham Valley Railway |
SER |
Canterbury West and Folkestone West |
1947 |
Opened in 1890 by SER, lasted until 1947. Branch ran for 16 miles |
Eryholme-Richmond branch line |
Y&NR |
|
1969 |
Opened in 1846. Catterick sub-branch constructed during WWI |
Fairlop Loop |
GER |
Woodford to Ilford |
1956 |
Woodford to Newbury Park was transferred to London Underground Central line in 1947-8, but Ilford and Seven Kings to Newbury Park connections removed by 1956. Freight trains on remaining section operated by BR till 1965 |
Gravesend West Line |
LCDR |
Longfield Halt to Gravesend West |
1968 |
Opened in 1886. Passenger traffic ceased in 1953. |
Great Central |
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Harborne Branch Line |
|
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Hawkhurst Branch |
SER |
Paddock Wood to Hawkhurst |
1961 |
Opened in 1892 and ran for a distance of 11½ miles. |
Helston Branch |
GWR |
|
1964 |
|
Hincaster Branch |
|
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Honeybourne Line |
|
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Hull and Holderness Railway |
|
|
1964 |
|
Hull and Hornsea Railway |
|
|
1964 |
|
Hythe and Sandgate Branch |
|
|
1951 |
SER branch off SER main line at Sandling to Hythe, Kent and Sandgate. |
Ilfracombe Branch |
|
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Kent and East Sussex Railway |
|
|
|
1900 to 54/61 - Built under the 1896 Light Railways Act, part of the line is currently a heritage railway, a large part is still closed. |
Lambourn Valley Railway |
LVR |
Newbury to Lambourn |
1973 |
Opened in 1893; part of the Great Western Railway from 1905. |
Langton Dock Branch |
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Leeds-Northallerton Railway |
LNR |
|
1969 |
Opened in 1850s, Leeds-Harrogate section still extant. |
Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway |
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Leicester and Swannington Railway |
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Liverpool, Southport and Preston Junction Railway |
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Long Melford-Bury St Edmunds branch line |
GER |
Long Melford to Bury St Edmunds |
1965-04-19 |
|
Macclesfield, Bollington and Marple Railway |
MSLR and NSR |
Macclesfield to Marple |
|
1970 |
Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway |
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Middlesbrough and Guisborough Railway |
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Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway |
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Midland and South Western Junction Railway |
Merger of earlier railways |
Cheltenham to Andover |
1961 |
|
Muswell Hill Railway |
|
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North Lindsey Light Railway |
NLLR |
Scunthorpe to Whitton |
|
Short section still open, freight only |
North Liverpool Extension Line |
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Oxford-Cambridge Line |
|
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Section from Bedford to Bletchley still open (Marston Vale Line) |
Palace Gates Line |
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Potteries Loop Line |
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Preston and Longridge Railway |
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"Romney Marsh Line" |
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Branch from Marshlink Line at Appledore, Kent to Dungeness and New Romney, part of the line is still used for freight to Dungeness Power Station - closed circa 1967 |
"Rye Harbour Branch" |
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Branch from Marshlink Line at Rye railway station to the town distant Harbour (1854 to 1962) |
Ryedale Lines (Malton, Gilling, Helmsley) |
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St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway |
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Saffron Walden Railway |
|
Audley End to Bartlow |
December 1964 |
|
Salisbury and Dorset Junction Railway |
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Scarborough to Whitby Branch |
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Scarborough to Pickering Branch |
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The Forge Valley Line |
Sheppey Light Railway |
|
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SECR branch off Sheerness Line - 1901-1950 - Built under the 1896 Light Railways Act. |
Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company |
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Skelmersdale Branch |
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Somerset & Dorset Joint Line |
Merger of earlier railways |
Bath to Bournemouth |
1966 |
|
South Staffordshire Line |
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(section between Brierley Hill and Walsall) |
Stafford and Uttoxeter Railway |
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Stour Valley Railway |
|
Shelford to Marks Tey |
1967-03-06 |
Eastern end remains open as the Gainsborough Line |
Southsea Railway |
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Spa Valley Railway |
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Steyning Line |
LBSCR |
Horsham to Shoreham-by-Sea |
7 March 1966 |
Trackbed is now part of Downs Link footpath |
LBSCR link between Oxted Line and SER's Hastings Line |
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Watford and Rickmansworth Railway |
|
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Waveney Valley Line |
GER |
Tivetshall to Beccles |
19 April 1966 |
Passenger services widthdrawn 3 January 1953 |
Wealden Line |
LBSCR |
Lewes to Uckfield |
1969 |
Opened 1856. The line north of Lewes remains open. |
West Lancashire Railway |
|
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Westerham branch |
SER |
Dunton Green to Westerham |
1961 |
off SER main line, see Westerham and Brasted |
Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Railway |
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Weymouth Harbour Tramway |
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Whitby-Saltburn Branch |
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Wirral Line (Hooton to West Kirby branch) |
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Witham-Maldon branch line |
Maldon, Witham & Braintree Railway |
Witham to Maldon |
1966 |
|
Woodhead Line |
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Woodside and South Croydon Railway |
LBSCR |
Sanderstead to Elmers End |
1983 |
Also known as the "Back Garden Railway"; |
York to Beverley Line |
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