Historic railway lines and bridges set for new life as cycle routes

Historic railway bridges and lines earmarked for infilling or demolition will be saved under new plans to turn them into cycle routes, The Telegraph has learnt.

The Government is pausing the destruction of former railway lines and bridges in the hope that they can be repurposed to get more people walking and cycling rather than travelling by car.

The summer of cycling and walking strategy, to be unveiled on Friday by Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, is supported by a £338 million budget to improve infrastructure for both across the UK.

Highways England has caused anger by filling in Victorian railway bridges with concrete rather than repairing and maintaining them.

Earlier this month, a 159-year-old bridge in Great Musgrave, Cumbria, had its arch filled with concrete, angering engineers and restoration experts, who said it could have been saved with just £5,000 of repairs.

Lord Faulkner, the Labour peer, said the operation was "cultural vandalism", while campaigners warned that 100 other sites were at risk of the same treatment. Some councils have demanded that Highways England secures planning permission to alter the bridges in the hope the requests can be denied.

But Friday's announcement means all infilling and demolition operations – except for those at sites posing an imminent risk to public safety – will be paused as the areas are considered for use cycle routes instead.

One such site, a 13-mile stretch of disused railway line near Bristol, has become popular with cyclists and tourists since it was converted in the 1980s.

The strategy document will say the Government plans to "establish a formalised framework and engagement process for these structures, to understand in each case whether there is a realistic prospect of it being used for active travel or other transport purposes in future".

Officials will then "ensure that the views of local stakeholders, including active travel groups and the local authority, are fully taken into account".

Announcing the strategy, Mr Shapps will say: "Millions of us have found over the past year how cycling and walking are great ways to stay fit, ease congestion on the roads and do your bit for the environment.

"As we build back greener from the pandemic, we're determined to keep that trend going by making active travel easier and safer for everyone.

"This £338 million package marks the start of what promises to be a great summer of cycling and walking, enabling more people to make those sustainable travel choices that make our air cleaner and cities greener."