Abandoned railway station
Encyclopedia
An abandoned railway station is a building or structure which was constructed to serve as a railway station but has fallen into disuse. There are various circumstances when this may occur - a railway company
may fall bankrupt, or the station may be closed due to the failure of economic activitiy such as insufficient passenger numbers, operational reasons such as the diversion or replacement of the line. In some instances, the railway line may continue in operation while the station is closed.
Additionally, stations may sometimes be resited along the route of the line to new premises - examples of this include opening a replacement station nearer to the centre of population, or building a larger station on a less restricted site to cope with high passenger numbers.
Notable cases where railway stations have fallen into disuse include the Beeching Axe
, a 1960s programme of mass closures of unprofitable railway lines by the British Government. The London Underground
system is also noted for its list of closed stations
. During the time of the Berlin Wall
, a number of Berlin U-Bahn
stations on West Berlin lines became "ghost station
s" (Geisterbahnhöfe) because they were on lines which passed through East Berlin territory.
s, trail
s or other tourist attractions - for example Hellfire Pass
, the route of the former "Death Railway" in Thailand
. Many former railways are converted into long-distance cycleways, such as large sections of the National Cycle Network
in the United Kingdom
.
Architecturally and historically notable station buildings may present a problem if they are protected under building preservation laws but fall into disuse. Such buildings are often simply demolished (such as Broad Street railway station (London); a similar fate threatens Michigan Central Station
), or they may be preserved as part of a heritage railway
. Often, in order to be retained as commercially viable structures within an urban environment, or as part of an urban regeneration project, they may be repurposed for alternative activities. Prominent examples include the ornate Gare d'Orsay
in Paris
, France
, which was converted into the Musée d'Orsay
art gallery; and Manchester Central railway station
which was put to new use first as a car park, and later refurbished as the Manchester Central Conference Centre.
Many abandoned railway stations and line are now being brought back into operational service, notably in the UK where environmental policy
is driving the reversal of some of the Beeching closures of the 1960s. In London the Docklands Light Railway
made use of disused railway infrastructure for much of its construction; in Manchester
it is proposed to expand the Metrolink
light rail
system by re-opening abandoned rail lines; and in Scotland
, the Scottish Government
has plans to bring the Waverley Line
back into passenger service.
s. In some cases—particularly with underground structures—these were never actually abandoned. Rather they were constructed to allow for future expansion, but never actually used. The underground aspect is often of particular interest, and extends beyond railbuffs to urban speologists.
London Underground
New York City Subway
Railway company
A railway company or railroad company is an entity that operates a railroad track and/or trains. Such a company can either be private or public...
may fall bankrupt, or the station may be closed due to the failure of economic activitiy such as insufficient passenger numbers, operational reasons such as the diversion or replacement of the line. In some instances, the railway line may continue in operation while the station is closed.
Additionally, stations may sometimes be resited along the route of the line to new premises - examples of this include opening a replacement station nearer to the centre of population, or building a larger station on a less restricted site to cope with high passenger numbers.
Notable cases where railway stations have fallen into disuse include the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
, a 1960s programme of mass closures of unprofitable railway lines by the British Government. The London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
system is also noted for its list of closed stations
Closed London Underground stations
The London Underground is a metro system in the United Kingdom that serves Greater London and adjacent counties of Essex, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. The system has many former stations, while others were planned but not opened...
. During the time of the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
, a number of Berlin U-Bahn
Berlin U-Bahn
The Berlin is a rapid transit railway in Berlin, the capital city of Germany, and is a major part of the public transport system of that city. Opened in 1902, the serves 173 stations spread across ten lines, with a total track length of , about 80% of which is underground...
stations on West Berlin lines became "ghost station
Ghost station
Ghost stations is the usual English translation for the German word Geisterbahnhöfe. This term was used to describe certain stations on Berlin's U-Bahn and S-Bahn metro networks that were closed during the period of Berlin's division during the Cold War...
s" (Geisterbahnhöfe) because they were on lines which passed through East Berlin territory.
Dereliction and alternative uses
Railway stations and lines which fall into disuse may become overgrown. Some former railway lines are repurposed as managed nature reserveNature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
s, trail
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
s or other tourist attractions - for example Hellfire Pass
Hellfire Pass
Hellfire Pass is the name of a railway cutting on the former "Death Railway" in Thailand which was built with forced labour during the Second World War, in part by Allied prisoners of war. The pass is noted for the harsh conditions and heavy loss of life suffered by its labourers during construction...
, the route of the former "Death Railway" in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. Many former railways are converted into long-distance cycleways, such as large sections of the National Cycle Network
National Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Architecturally and historically notable station buildings may present a problem if they are protected under building preservation laws but fall into disuse. Such buildings are often simply demolished (such as Broad Street railway station (London); a similar fate threatens Michigan Central Station
Michigan Central Station
Michigan Central Station , built in mid-1912 through 1913 for the Michigan Central Railroad, was Detroit, Michigan's passenger rail depot from its opening in 1913 after the previous Michigan Central Station burned, until the cessation of Amtrak service on January 6, 1988...
), or they may be preserved as part of a heritage railway
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
. Often, in order to be retained as commercially viable structures within an urban environment, or as part of an urban regeneration project, they may be repurposed for alternative activities. Prominent examples include the ornate Gare d'Orsay
Gare d'Orsay
Gare d'Orsay is a former Paris railway station and hotel, built in 1900 to designs by Victor Laloux, Lucien Magne and Émile Bénard; it served as a terminus for the Chemin de Fer de Paris à Orléans . It was the first electrified urban rail terminal in the world, opened 28 May 1900, in time for the...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, which was converted into the Musée d'Orsay
Musée d'Orsay
The Musée d'Orsay is a museum in Paris, France, on the left bank of the Seine. It is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, an impressive Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. The museum holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1915, including paintings, sculptures, furniture,...
art gallery; and Manchester Central railway station
Manchester Central railway station
Manchester Central railway station is a former railway station in Manchester City Centre, England. One of Manchester's main railway terminals between 1880 and 1969, it now houses an exhibition and conference centre named Manchester Central.-History:...
which was put to new use first as a car park, and later refurbished as the Manchester Central Conference Centre.
Many abandoned railway stations and line are now being brought back into operational service, notably in the UK where environmental policy
Environmental policy
Environmental policy is any [course of] action deliberately taken [or not taken] to manage human activities with a view to prevent, reduce, or mitigate harmful effects on nature and natural resources, and ensuring that man-made changes to the environment do not have harmful effects on...
is driving the reversal of some of the Beeching closures of the 1960s. In London the Docklands Light Railway
Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...
made use of disused railway infrastructure for much of its construction; in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
it is proposed to expand the Metrolink
Manchester Metrolink
Metrolink is a light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of four lines which converge in Manchester city centre and terminate in Bury, Altrincham, Eccles and Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester and operated under contract by RATP Group...
light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
system by re-opening abandoned rail lines; and in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, the Scottish Government
Scottish Executive
The Scottish Government is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was established in 1999 as the Scottish Executive, from the extant Scottish Office, and the term Scottish Executive remains its legal name under the Scotland Act 1998...
has plans to bring the Waverley Line
Waverley Line
The Waverley Line is an abandoned double track railway line that ran south from Edinburgh in Scotland through Midlothian and the Scottish Borders to Carlisle in England. It was built by the North British Railway Company; the first section, from Edinburgh to Hawick opened in 1849. The final section,...
back into passenger service.
Cultural significance
Some railbuffs have a particular fascination with abandoned railway stations, lines, and tunnelTunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
s. In some cases—particularly with underground structures—these were never actually abandoned. Rather they were constructed to allow for future expansion, but never actually used. The underground aspect is often of particular interest, and extends beyond railbuffs to urban speologists.
See also
- List of closed railway stations in Britain
- Closed London Underground stationsClosed London Underground stationsThe London Underground is a metro system in the United Kingdom that serves Greater London and adjacent counties of Essex, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. The system has many former stations, while others were planned but not opened...
- Ghost stationGhost stationGhost stations is the usual English translation for the German word Geisterbahnhöfe. This term was used to describe certain stations on Berlin's U-Bahn and S-Bahn metro networks that were closed during the period of Berlin's division during the Cold War...
- List of closed railway stations in Melbourne
- Closed New York City Subway stationsClosed New York City Subway stationsThe New York City Subway is a rapid transit system that serves four of the five boroughs of New York City in the U.S. state of New York: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens. Its predecessors—the Interborough Rapid Transit Company , the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation , and the...
- Disused railway tunnels in Sydney
- "Lost" stations on the Toronto subway system
- Old Tai Po Market Railway Station
External links
UKLondon Underground
- London Railways: Ghost Underground Stations
- Underground History
- London's Abandoned Tube Stations
- BBC h2g2: Ghost Underground Stations
New York City Subway