The Government has released a full list of all the projects which have bid for money under the ‘Restoring Your Railway’ Fund.

It is amazing to see so many schemes across the country seeking permission to reinstate disused railway lines or reopen them as walking and cycling routes.

There are 195 schemes by my count from the three rounds of the fund.

“Not all of them are realistic and not all of them will succeed. But let’s praise the ingenuity and dedication of the communites behind them”

Some of them evoke memories of the heyday of the railways such as reinstating the branch lines on the Isle of Wight. Others are about making better use of existing lines such as introducing passenger services between Sheffield and Stocksbridge on the freight route.

Not all of them are realistic and not all of them will succeed. But let’s praise the ingenuity and dedication of the various communites behind each of the 195 bids.

It will take persistence and patience – and widespread support – for these schemes to make it from pipedream to reality. But the history of the last 50 years has taught us that communities and enthusiasts can band together to bring about a reversal in the decline of Britain’s railways.

I have certainly enjoyed walking along some of the reopened sections of disused railways. As I wrote last July: “Here’s hoping many more of those axed Beeching lines are restored either with trains running on them once again or as walking and cycling routes. Far better than seeing them overgrown or lost forever.”