On Nov 3, 10:24*pm, D7666 wrote:
On Nov 3, 10:08*pm, Andy wrote:

On Nov 3, 6:47*pm, D7666 wrote:

From eWatford Observer, *2:14pm Wednesday 3rd November 2010
Trams could be running regularly between Watford and St Albans by
2012,

Could they ?

Won't the existing rail line have to be subject to formal closure
procedure which has not even started yet ?

Why? They're not closing the line, just running a different form of
rolling stock on it (and adding a passing loop).

Addiscombe - Elemers End and Wimbledon - West Croydon both had formal
closure procedings and AFAIK Manchester Bury did as well.


But in both cases, part of the route was closed (for Tramlink;
Addiscombe station was abandoned, the connections at Mitcham Junction
and West Croydon were removed) and the conversion took a long time.
The track was also handed over to the tram operators; in the case of
the St. Alban's branch, my understanding is that the track will remain
in Network Rail ownership.

I don't think that there were closure notices when the Tyne and Wear
Metro was extended to Sunderland despite this leading to several
stations losing their National Rail services (East Bolden and Seaburn
for example). There will be no loss of passenger track operation with
the conversion of the St. Alban's Abbey branch.