The Historical Railways Estate (HRE) is a group of over 3,200 structures—predominantly bridges, but also including tunnels, embankments, and other works—associated with former railways in the United Kingdom. The structures are owned by the
Department for Transport (DfT) and managed by
National Highways
National Highways, formerly the Highways Agency and later Highways England, is a government-owned company charged with operating, maintaining and improving motorways and major A roads in England. It also sets highways standards used by all f ...
(NH). Controversially, NH has proposed to demolish or infill dozens of bridges.
Background
![Number on former railway bridge - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Number_on_former_railway_bridge_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1707013.jpg)
The railways came into public ownership as a result of the
Transport Act 1947
The Transport Act 1947 (10 & 11 Geo. 6 c. 49) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Under the terms of the Act, the railway network, long-distance road haulage and various other types of transport were nationalised and came under ...
. When they were privatised in 1997, operational infrastructure became the responsibility of
Railtrack
Railtrack was a group of companies that owned the track, signalling, tunnels, bridges, level crossings and all but a handful of the stations of the British railway system from 1994 until 2002. It was created as part of the privatisation of ...
and then
Network Rail
Network Rail Limited is the owner (via its subsidiary Network Rail Infrastructure Limited, which was known as Railtrack plc before 2002) and infrastructure manager of most of the railway network in Great Britain. Network Rail is an "arm's leng ...
. The Historical Railways Estate is the land and infrastructure associated with closed lines. This transferred to
, which was dissolved in 2013, and the HRE was transferred to the Highways Agency, which later became Highways England (HE) and then
National Highways
National Highways, formerly the Highways Agency and later Highways England, is a government-owned company charged with operating, maintaining and improving motorways and major A roads in England. It also sets highways standards used by all f ...
(NH).
NH states that the HRE comprises 2,055 bridges, 152 tunnels, 93
viaducts
A viaduct is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across a wide va ...
and
aqueducts
Aqueduct may refer to:
Structures
*Aqueduct (bridge), a bridge to convey water over an obstacle, such as a ravine or valley
*Navigable aqueduct, or water bridge, a structure to carry navigable waterway canals over other rivers, valleys, railw ...
, 643 partially dismantled structures, 181
earthworks, and 106 other sites. The miscellaneous sites include plots of land, former roads, and monuments or memorials built by railway companies. The vast majority of the structures, 2,243, are in England; 608 are in Scotland, and 379 are in Wales; 77 of the structures are
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
s.
Restorations
NH is funded only to maintain the structures in a safe condition, but has worked with other organisations to restore and repurpose some. Examples include
Castlefield Viaduct in Manchester, which the
National Trust
The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...
is converting into an
elevated park
An elevated park (sometimes known as a sky park) refers to a park located above the normal ground (street) level. This type of a park has become more popular in the early 21st century, featuring in a number of urban renewal projects. While usually ...
, inspired by the
High Line
The High Line is a elevated linear park, greenway and rail trail created on a former New York Central Railroad spur on the west side of Manhattan in New York City. The High Line's design is a collaboration between James Corner Field Opera ...
in New York City.
Demolitions and infillings
Between 2013-2021, the Highways Agency/Highways England infilled 51 structures at a cost of £8.01M and, in January 2021, it was revealed that the company had plans to demolish or infill a further 134 bridges and tunnels. This provoked opposition on the grounds that many of the structures had some potential to be repurposed for railway reopening schemes or active travel routes. No evaluation was made of their heritage or environmental value. Campaigners claimed that the proposed action was disproportionate as most of the condemned structures presented no significant risks and, in many cases, appropriate maintenance would cost a fraction of the infilling or demolition work. Among the structures was
Queensbury Tunnel
Queensbury Tunnel is a disused railway tunnel that connects Holmfield and Queensbury in West Yorkshire, England. It was built by the Great Northern Railway (GNR) and, at in length, was the longest on the company's network at the time of its ...
in West Yorkshire which had already been partially infilled and which Highways England proposed to abandon despite local plans to incorporate it into the proposed Bradford-Halifax Greenway.
![Musgrave railway station bridge 09](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Musgrave_railway_station_bridge_09.08.2016R.jpg)
The issue came to a head in May/June 2021 when a bridge carrying the B6259 road over the dismantled
Eden Valley Railway, close to
Musgrave railway station, was infilled with more than 1,600 tonnes of aggregate and concrete.
The structure spanned a five-mile section of trackbed which local rail enthusiasts hoped to restore, linking the Eden Valley and Stainmore railways to create an 11-mile tourist line between
Appleby and
Kirkby Stephen
Kirkby Stephen () is a market town and civil parish in Cumbria, North West England. Historically part of Westmorland, it lies on the A685, surrounded by sparsely populated hill country, about from the nearest larger towns: Kendal and Penri ...
. Highways England claimed to have consulted both railways prior to the work taking place, but this was denied by the two organisations who wrote a letter of complaint to Nick Harris, the company’s Acting Chief Executive. The action provoked a public outcry.
Lord Faulkner, vice chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Industrial Heritage, raised the matter in the
House of Lords
The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...
, describing it as "cultural vandalism".
The infilling was carried out under emergency development powers, colloquially known a
'Class Q' after officers from
Eden District Council
Eden may refer to:
*Garden of Eden, the "garden of God" described in the Book of Genesis
Places and jurisdictions
Canada
* Eden, Ontario
* Eden High School
Middle East
* Eden, Lebanon, a city and former bishopric
* Camp Eden, Iraq
Oc ...
asked for the work to be paused whilst planning requirements were confirmed. Highways England's engineer refused, stating on 24 June 2021 that the works were required "to prevent the failure of the bridge and avert a collapse".
![Great Musgrave bridge after infilling](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Great_Musgrave_bridge_after_infilling.jpg)
However, in May 2022
Bill Harvey Associates a company specialising in masonry arch bridges, published an in-depth study reviewing engineering evidence and inspection reports about the bridge, sourced from Highways England. The report concluded that:
* There is no evidence in the reports examined to suggest a current or developing risk of collapse.
* There is no evidence for a current or likely emergency.
* All evidence presented suggests that the bridge is, as stated by the 2021 examiner, "in fair condition".
Highways England was forced to apply for retrospective planning permission for the infilling works, with Eden District Council receiving 911 objections and only two expressions of support. Advised by planning officers to reject the application, the council's planning committee unanimously refused retrospective planning permission on 16 June 2022. Restoration of Great Musgrave bridge to its former condition, together with additional strengthening, could cost an estimated £431,000, in addition to the £124,000 spent on the initial infilling work .
National Highways has agreed to abide by an enforcement notice issued by Eden District Council which requires the infill to be removed and the surrounding landscape restored to its condition prior to the infilling works. This notice became effective on 11 October 2022 and the work must be completed within 12 months of this date.
The backlash against the Great Musgrave infill scheme became national news and, in July 2021, the government intervened to pause infilling and demolition schemes at dozens of other railway bridges across the country. Many civil engineers expressed shame and embarrassment at the negative impact on their professional reputation.
The DfT commissioned a review from the walking and cycling charity
Sustrans
Sustrans is a United Kingdom-based walking, wheeling and cycling charity, and the custodian of the National Cycle Network.
Its flagship project is the National Cycle Network, which has created of signed cycle routes throughout the United K ...
, which was published in March 2022 and identified viable reuses for two thirds of the structures affected as part of the
National Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network (NCN) is the national cycling route network of the United Kingdom, which was established to encourage cycling and walking throughout Britain, as well as for the purposes of bicycle touring. It was created by the cha ...
or in local schemes.
National Highways has now developed a new way to determine the nature of major works to the disused railway structures it manages, with proposals reviewed by the company's Stakeholder Advisory Forum which includes representatives from the Department for Transport,
Sustrans
Sustrans is a United Kingdom-based walking, wheeling and cycling charity, and the custodian of the National Cycle Network.
Its flagship project is the National Cycle Network, which has created of signed cycle routes throughout the United K ...
Railway Paths LtdRailway Heritage TrustThe HRE Group Heritage Railway Association
Heritage Railway Association (HRA) is an umbrella organisation representing the majority of the heritage and tourist railways, railway museums, steam centres and railway preservation groups in the UK and Ireland.
Groups and individuals involved ...
,
Natural England
Natural England is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It is responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, ...
,
Historic England
Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked w ...
(also representing
Cadw),
Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland ( gd, Alba Aosmhor) was an executive agency of the Scottish Office and later the Scottish Government from 1991 to 2015, responsible for safeguarding Scotland's built heritage, and promoting its understanding and enjoyment ...
and ADEPT.
References
{{Reflist
Department for Transport
Rail infrastructure in the United Kingdom