Page:The Reshaping of British Railways (Beeching Report).pdf/97

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
Appendix 2

PASSENGER SERVICE, LINE AND STATION CLOSURES

As soon as the required procedure permits, it is desired to withdraw those passenger train services which are clearly uneconomic. The procedure to be followed is laid down in Section 56 of the Transport Act, 1962. Schedules of the services to be withdrawn or modified, including those which were under consideration in August 1962 and have since been withdrawn in part, are given in Sections 1, 2 and 6 of this Appendix. Other Sections give lists, in alphabetical order, of the stations and halts which, as a consequence, will be closed to passengers.

In most cases there will eventually be no passenger service of any description over the lines affected. In others, fast and semi-fast services using the same routes will continue to run. In still other cases it is intended to modify the pattern of services, both stopping and fast, in ways which will reduce the train mileage and cut out the more uneconomic portions of services and under-utilised stations.

The number of stations and halts which will be closed is 2,363, including 435 under consideration before the Report appeared. Of these, 235 have already been closed. Services will be completely withdrawn from about 5,000 route miles. The extent of the complete withdrawals is shown on Map No. 9. When services are to be modified, these are shown on Map No. 10. Changes proposed in the London area are shown on Map No. 9A.

Comparisons with passenger density Map No. 1, and with Map No. 3 giving density by station receipts, show the extent to which the proposed withdrawals and modifications are related to the least used lines and stations. These proposals do not include all the stopping passenger services now running. Reshaping and streamlining the pattern of these services must be a continuing process. As this proceeds other services and stations will be added to the withdrawal and modification lists until a point is reached when what remains can be said to be viable.

Examples of the assessments made of the annual revenue and expenses, associated with a variety of passenger services, are given in Table No. 1, and in the following paragraphs particular services, and their contribution, have been described in some detail.

Gleneagles-Crieff-Comrie

This is a rural service of ten trains a day in each direction. There is an element of summer holiday traffic. The service is operated by diesel rail bus on weekdays only over a distance of 15 miles. Connections are made at Gleneagles with main line trains to and from Glasgow and Edinburgh. The stations served are:—

  • Gleneagles
  • Tullibardine
  • Muthill
  • Strageath Halt

  • Highlandman
  • Pittenzie Halt
  • Crieff
  • Comrie

All stations except Gleneagles would be closed to passengers.

97