You might be surprised at just how many abandoned railway stations and tracks there are in England.

Britain’s transport system is improving every day, making way for new and more advanced rail systems.

However, in order to progress some railway stations and routes have had to be abandoned.

Some Cumbrian stations were forced to shut for practical and economical reasons.

The county was hit hard by the Beeching cuts, when thousands of miles of track and stations were closed in the ‘60s

Other routes simply weren't used enough and couldn't handle the competition that the development of trams and cars brought with them.

Here are five local railway stations and lines that have been abandoned or disused in Cumbria

Barrow Strand Railway Station, Barrow

The Mail:

(Photo: Barrow Railway Station (site)
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Nigel Thompson - geograph.org.uk/p/3562688)

This place made history as the first permanent railway station to be built in Barrow.

It once operated on St George’s Square, close to the docks.

The terminus opened up in 1863, replacing a wooden structure that previously stood adjacent to Rabbit Hill before.

However, its life was relatively short lived closing almost 20 years later.  

The Strand was forced to close after a new loop line and bigger station at Abbey Road was introduced, which covered a larger area than this one ever could.

However, the Grade II listed building wasn’t demolished. It was later used as the offices for the Furness Railway Company.

It was even used as a working men’s club for over over 100 years.

Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway

The Mail:

(Photo: Bridge over route of Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Trevor Littlewood - geograph.org.uk/p/2307587)

This railway system was created to suit the needs of the transportation industry.

According to the Cumbria Railways website, it was used to transport iron ore and pig iron from West Cumbria to the North East.

Work on the line began in 1862 and was officially opened for good traffic in 1864.

The line was over 31 miles long with eight main stations between Cockermouth and Penrith.

The line west of Keswick was closed in 1966 and the Keswick to Penrith section followed close behind in 1972.

Part of the track between Cockermouth and Bassenthwaite Lake was turned into the A66 road.

Parts of the track between Keswick and Penrith has been transformed into a cycle and walking route.

(Facebook/ Keswick Museum)

However, if you want to understand more about the history of this railway line, then you can find many old items and artefacts connected with the railway in Keswick Museum and Art Gallery.

Over the years, there have been several plans and proposals to open up the Keswick to Penrith railway section.

Copeland’s MP, Trudy Harrison, said last year: "The reopening of this line would provide an exciting opportunity for our county and connecting these two towns by public transport would make a world of difference for both local people and tourists, allowing for a link between two beautiful areas of Cumbria.”

The Eden Valley Railway

The Mail:

(Photo: Eden Valley Railway, approach to Appleby East Station, Cumbria. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons/ Rosser1954)

This railway opened up in 1862 and closed in 1989.

The track ran between Clifton Junction near Penrith and via Appleby-in-Westmorland.

In the early days, it was used to transport coal and iron ore around Cumbria but was later used as a passenger train.

However, passenger traffic ended in 1962 and the line was reduced.

Until 1989, the track was sometimes used by the British Army to send soldiers to the Warcop Training Area.

The Eden Valley Railway Trust aimed to restore and reinistate the railway line in 1995 and the section of line between Appleby and Warcop was restored by them.

Barbon Railway Station

The Mail: Barbon StationBarbon Station

(Photo: cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Ben Brooksbank - geograph.org.uk/p/1753683)

This railway station was located in Westmorland and primarily served the town of Barbon.

It was situated on the Ingleton Branch Line and first opened in 1861.

The track had a relatively good lifespan, serving customers right up until 1954.

However, the line was still used on occasion for weekend excursions and to transport pupils to and from boarding schools.

After this, it continued to transport goods to passengers for another decade before the station officially closed.

After 1967, the tracks began to be lifted with plans to be converted into a housing scheme.

Coniston Railway

The Mail:

(Photo: Coniston station back in 1951.
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Walter Dendy, deceased - geograph.org.uk/p/5203475)

The station was originally called 'Coniston Lake' but the name was changed in 1882 to Coniston station.

The station was opened for over 100 years before being completely closed by British Rail in 1962.

It its heyday, this was a pretty significant station.

he station was extended between 1888 and 1892 at a cost of over £4,000- which is the modern day equivalent of £440,000.