News: Welsh railway line abandoned for more than 50 years gets new lease of life as ministers clear way for its transition to a bike route.

Could they not have opened it back up for trains to use? Or is that not possible? I don't know the geography.

Can you post your source please Urmstongran?

I am a member of the society that supported this tunnel, walkers will use it as well. In S Wales there is a network of cycle routes which are heavily used for leisure and for getting to work etc. and provide many health benefits. The money has come from the local authority, The Welsh Government, The Welsh Heritage people and subscriptions like ours. The tunnel will be the longest in Europe and the second in the world, it will also be properly managed to deter misused and has a visitors centre. Also it’s not near housing and I doubt druggies ad you put it will want to walk to it.

Pepper59 no trains

I have often dreamt of this for the Leicester to Skegness line - but so many bits of it have been sold for agriculture and other uses. That would be magical.

Pepper where I live, Portishead, we are reopening the railway to Bristol, a mere 12 to 15 miles. It is 30 years since it was given the go ahead an It won’t be finished in my life time.

There is a stretch of former track (about 10km) near where I live, which has been converted to a walking/cycling path. It's very popular and I've never heard of any problems with druggies or any other anti-social behaviour. I've always thought it's a good use of the land.

Another one opened is used regularly by walkers, groups, cyclists etc.
And bats.

I’m sure if I were Welsh I’d rather taxpayers money be put to better use.

I'm happy ?

When my knees improve (!) I shall walk these tunnels but will wear a hat because I'm scared of bats.

This has been being mooted for many years - attached article from 2015. Not sure there’s much current likelihood of action?

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3028946/Two-mile-Victorian-railway-line-Rhondda-Tunnel-reopened-cycle-tunnel.html

There is action Kathy, hopefully will be in use soon.

Our disused railway track is used by joggers cyclists and walkers. It's great and no problems with it being used for dodgy purposes

It's happening everywhere
www.railwaypaths.org.uk/

It could be argued that old railway lines should be restored and re-opened to take traffic from the roads, thereby reducing pollution.
I would be happy with that too.

Believe me it takes years for a railway to be reopened our town is a prime example, 30 years so far.

They have the Two Tunnelsin Bath which are for walkers and cyclists. The tunnels are well lit and even have music at one end. No problems with druggies as far as I’m aware and a great recreational asset.

I was just about to mention the Two Tunnels in Bath, great fun on foot or bike. It's quite cold inside rail tunnels, you wouldn't want to hang about taking drugs. There's another similar tunnel from Chepstow to Tintern which is popular with families. Excellent leisure provision and a great way of getting people out of cars.

Casdon

Can you post your source please Urmstongran?

Apologies, Casdon. I’ve been film watching since I posted. It was in the Telegraph but I expect it’s in other newspapers now too.

The good thing about old rail lines is that the railbed is usually still intact and level. They make great walking or bike paths because they are generally wide enough and the gradient is low.

There is one in particular in our province that I wish could be turned back into an inter-urban rail line, but they have been talking about it for 20 years without anything being done, except more transit studies. With highways being so crowded, and cities sprawling into suburbia, you would think governments would invest in short rail lines for public transit.

That tunnel looks interesting. We rode bikes along a disused rail line, including wooden trestle bridges and tunnels, and it was an exceptional experience.

Found the Telegraph article thanks Urmstongran. It says that it has now been agreed that the tunnel can to be handed back to Wales by the UK Government Department of Transport.
There’s nothing in the article to say Welsh Government will be paying for any work, but there is a Rhondda Tunnel Society set up as a charity which is fundraising. Sounds a great initiative for a deprived part of Wales, I hope it brings some tourists to that area (actually we have too many in the Brecon Beacons these days, so they may venture over to the Rhondda while they are here).

There's another similar tunnel from Chepstow to Tintern which is popular with families.
Just to point out that that one is in England although there is a footbridge over the Wye to Wales at one end of it.

It is reported that construction was funded by the Railway Heritage Trust, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and Enovert Community Trust with contributions from Sustrans, A to B Communities and Greenways generous supporters.

It's shut at night, I can't imagine that druggies or anyone intent on antisocial behaviour will want to use it.

1the one to Tintern is shut in the winter as well.