The Anonymous Widower

Beeching Reversal – To Reinstate The Walkden To Bolton Line

September 10th – This Beeching Reversal project appears to have been rejected.

The project appears to be what it says in the title, in that the railway between Walkden Low Level and Bolton Great Moor Street stations would be reinstated.

This Google Map shows the area around the current Walkden station.

Note.

1. Walkden station at the top of the map.
2. The former railway between Bolton Great Moor Street and Manchester Exchange stations runs North-West and South-East across the map.
3. It looks like this section of the railway is a footpath and cycleway.

Both Bolton Great Moor Street and Manchester Exchange stations have long since been closed, which means that to get between Walkden and Bolton stations, a change of train is needed.

After a quick look at the route, which involves crossing the M61 motorway, I suspect, that it would be both a tricky and expensive railway to reinstate, which probably explains why it appears to have been rejected.

Manchester Metrolink don’t seem to have any plans to use the route to extend trams to Bolton.

But All Is Not Lost!

I believe that very light rail, could be the answer.

• The first system of its kind in the UK, is the Coventry Very Light Rail, which is currently being designed and built for Coventry.
• The vehicles will be lightweight and battery-powered.
• These smaller-sized vehicles could share rights of way with pedestrians and cyclists.

The Coventry system could be running by 2024.

As the route goes past the Royal Bolton Hospital, it could be a useful route.

September 9, 2020 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Battery-Electric Trains, Beeching Reversal, Bolton Station, Very Light Rail