Renewing Britain’s Railways: Cumbria to Tyneside

Gordon D. Webster’s latest title examines the renewal - and revival - of railways in the north of England. In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic changed the role of train travel in Britain forever. Gone were the swarms of rush-hour commuters to the city and the tourist season was dealt a very swift blow.

New trains and new franchises signalled a new era on the East and West Coast main lines, only for trains to run empty as an emergency timetable took hold. Across the Pennines, the famous Settle & Carlisle line was devoid of its usual summer charter traffic, though ‘Staycation Express’ loco-hauled services proved a success.

This photographic collection looks at the rails of the north before and after the pandemic in all their scenic glory. It also covers the heritage steam railways, which faced their biggest ever challenge during this extraordinary period in history.