The Times End of the Line

Covering the period from 1948 to 1996, The Times End of the Line chronologically traces the history of more than 400 long forgotten railway lines, region by region, from their opening to closure and a few cases to reopening.

For such a small country, Britain once possessed one of the most extensive rail networks in the world which, by the outbreak of the First World War, it had reached a peak of 23,440 route miles.

Two world wars and nationalisation of the railways brought about significant closures. Then on 27 March 1963 Dr Richard Beeching’s report, The Reshaping of British Railways, was published. This was the final nail in the coffin for Britain’s railways which eventually brought closure over the following years to a further 4,500 route miles, 2,500 stations and the loss of 67,700 jobs.

This comprehensive guide will be illustrated with regional maps and rare archive photographs, transporting the reader back to the era of steam when railways still played an important role in daily life.