Editing Beeching cuts (section)

=== Disposals of land and structures ===
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[[File:Standlynch - The Beeching Belle - geograph.org.uk - 938812.jpg|thumb|A demolition train during the dismantling of the [[Salisbury and Dorset Junction Railway|Salisbury and Dorset Line]] in 1965]]
[[File:Wednesbury Town railway station 2003.jpg|thumb|Both [[Wednesbury Town railway station]] and the [[South Staffordshire Railway]] were closed, and were still in ruins in 2003.]]

Beeching's reports made no recommendations about the handling of land after closures. British Rail operated a policy of disposing of land that was surplus to requirements. Many bridges, cuttings and embankments have been removed and the land sold for development. Closed station buildings on remaining lines have often been demolished or sold for housing or other purposes. Increasing pressure on land use meant that protection of closed trackbeds, as in other countries, such as the US [[Rail Bank]] scheme, which holds former railway land for possible future use, was not seen to be practical.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eastwestrail.org.uk/route/ |title=Route Selection – East West Rail<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=17 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728034956/http://www.eastwestrail.org.uk/route/ |archive-date=28 July 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Many redundant structures from closed lines remain, such as bridges over other lines and drainage culverts. They often require maintenance as part of the rail infrastructure while providing no benefit. Critics of Beeching argue that the lack of recommendations on the handling of closed railway property demonstrates that the report was short-sighted. On the other hand, retaining a railway on these routes, which would obviously have increased maintenance costs, might not have earned enough to justify that greater cost. As demand for rail has grown since the 1990s, the failure to preserve the routes of closed lines, such as the one between Bedford and Cambridge, which was closed despite Beeching recommending its retention, has been criticised.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eastwestrail.org.uk/route/ |title=Route Selection – East West Rail<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=17 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728034956/http://www.eastwestrail.org.uk/route/ |archive-date=28 July 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>