Disused Weymouth railway line 'wiped out without goodbye'

Weymouth Harbour tramway first opened in 1865

A 155-year-old railway line in Dorset is being "wiped out without a goodbye", a campaigner has said.

Weymouth Harbour's tramway tracks, which have been disused since 1999, are being removed.

Train driver Andy Christie wanted to run a velocipede - pump bicycle - along the rails before they were pulled up but said his event was not supported by Dorset Council.

The authority said organising such an event would take 13 weeks.

Trains would travel at low speed through the streets of Weymouth to connect with Channel Island ferries

Plans to remove the tracks won more than £1m of Department for Transport funding in February after the council and Network Rail declared they could not be reused due to their "deteriorated condition".

Mr Christie, who works for CrossCountry in Birmingham, said he came up with the idea of a farewell event when he holidayed in Weymouth last month.

"Originally I wanted to run a steam train along it, but that would have been 700 tonnes so I settled on a velocipede which is about the same weight as a Mini Cooper car," he said.

He added: "I'm incredibly sad my plans were not supported by the council. It's a completely wasted opportunity.

"Now 155 years of history is being wiped out without a goodbye."

Heritage campaigners had wanted the 1.25-mile (2km) line, which was last used in 1999, to be reopened to boost tourism

Dorset Council said it had spoken to Mr Christie "in case anything might be considered in the future" but advised events on the highway required a 13-week "lead in time" with event, traffic and Covid-secure management plans.

Network Rail, which owns the rails, said it was keeping those on its own land for parking rail machinery, but the tracks on the road, which would transfer ownership to the council, were being removed.

It said: "Although it's always poignant to see a part of our railway history leaving us, we have to build for the future and this change means we can continue to focus investment where it's needed."

It added this included major projects between Clapham Junction and Waterloo, and Basingstoke and Salisbury.

Heritage campaigners had previously wanted the 1.25-mile (2km) line to be reopened to boost tourism and a petition to save and preserve it gained almost 4,000 signatures.