A quick summary thread on rail reopenings, drawing on my experience working with the @NorthernRouteWG and drawing on posts by @DavidShirres, @JackAtReopen and @iansderbyshire amongst others. Point 1 is that there's no point moaning that a certain route shouldn't have been closed.

It was, and if you're very lucky, enough of the formation will remain undeveloped to allow reopening. If there's very major development (a la Wadebridge), then you've got an uphill struggle to begin with.
Point 2 - Just because a formation exists doesn't mean the railway should

return. In my patch, there's calls for Helston to be reopened as north of Helston it's largely undeveloped. In my view it's a non-starter: it goes from somewhere small to nowhere and there's little capacity on the main line to accommodate the through trains needed.

Which brings me on to Point 3 - AT ALL COSTS avoid wishful thinking. Just because you like the idea of a reopening doesn't mean everyone else will. If you're not wishful thinking, it's time to start the real work.

Point 4 - What is the need you're trying to meet or problem

you're trying to solve? If it's cutting traffic congestion, will a reopening really encourage modal shift? If it's levelling up, will a railway **really** do what you think?
Point 5 - What are the alternatives? Is rail really the best option? During 2005's

Save Our Sleeper campaign we examined whether overnight coaches could meet the need. We concluded that they couldn't - but that if the train was axed it would be worth a close look. Can light rail do the job - or are better bus links worth it? Or even - sacrilege - road upgrades?

Point 6 - What are the potential markets, bearing in mind the uncertainty about commuting traffic? How many people are **really** likely to use the railway?

Point 7 - Into the nitty gritty now... what sort of service do you want to run, and from where?

If it doesn't work with the existing timetable with only minor alterations, do the benefits of the reopening exceed the disbenefits to the existing network? What journey times do you need to be attractive? From that, you should have trains per hour and target speeds.

Point 8 - Which in turn dictates the infrastructure. Is the old formation really up to the job in terms of vertical and horizontal alignment to deliver the speeds envisaged? How much realignment do you really have to do? The odd bit of straightening might be ok...

...but lengthy sections of entirely new railway could cripple the business case.

Point 9 - You now have a conceptual alignment and timetable - good show! Where are your stations going to be, how much will they cost? How will you deal with the inevitable missing structures?

Point 10 - What interventions are needed on the conventional network? @NorthernRouteWG has had to consider Exeter-Okehampton and Plymouth-Bere Alston. How much could they cost? Are they even possible?

Point 11 - If you've answered all those points well, congratulations...

... hopefully you're on the way to making the case for funding a Strategic Outline Business Case (which could still see the project fall over). It has taken @NorthernRouteWG a year to get most of the way along that path, and that's with a large team of experts...

...thinking realistically, pragmatically - but ambitiously - and always being prepared to say: "No, the case just isn't there.). Don't forget too the need to engage with communities and stakeholders and understand needs and concerns.

Reopening a railway is bloody difficult, and making a compelling case even more so. But there are projects which pass those key tests and deserve serious detailed investigation. Unfortunately, there are also many which fall at the first hurdle.

In my view based on the work I've done, the most important things for any reopening are realism, honesty and vision - and a team which quashes any trace of wishful thinking at the first opportunity. The @NorthernRouteWG team has been nothing less than brilliant...

...and they can all be extremely proud of the work they've done so far.

Ends

Bonus extra point from @DavidShirres followed by another from me. Extra point - Understand railway cant be as it was. e.g Bridges & roads must replace level crossings and track can't be put back on old formation as earthworks need strengthening

And from me - that you'll probably have to build to current (and more expensive standards). @NorthernRouteWG is seeking to build a modern railway on the formation, not merely recreate what was there.

Bit of expansion on this. What does 'Wishful thinking' mean? To me, it's 'Wouldn't it be nice to travel on...' rather than 'Reopening XYZ can solve this need'. It doesn't mean there isn't a case - but starting without a defined need means more work.

The point on stations is important too. It'd be lovely to travel on the old Wellington-Stafford line and pop into Newport (Salop). But it won't happen because the new station would be so far from town as to make it impracticable to use (and never mind development elsewhere...).

Station location is critical - ideally as close as possible to the residential and commercial centres to encourage car-free travel. In lots of places, that's simply impossible.

From @iansderbyshire (and feel free to suggest additions to this, folks). Building on your 'problem to be solved', the HMG target for #NetZero emissions is - or will become - a key driver of change, outside the transport sector, let alone rail.

#ModalShiftToRail & indeed 'more railway' (re)connecting more communities will become more important as we grapple collectively with the rebalancing of our shared challenges on Health, the Economy, & the Environment.

#RestoringYourRailway has a hard-headed future-focused logic.