article_snippet.sent: It was shut down as part of the sweeping Beeching Report, which spelled the end for thousands and stations across the rail network .
article_snippet.sent: At the time, railway lines were extensive across Britain and even very remote areas had stations.
article_snippet.sent: But, with the coal industry hemorrhaging money, Dr Beeching's solution was to close down the parts - including stations and lines - which did not make money.
article_snippet.sent: Engineer recommended axing about one third of the network, which equated to around 5,000 miles of track.
article_snippet.sent: This included hundreds of branch lines, 2,363 stations and tens of thousands of jobs lost on the grounds of cost or efficienvy.
article_snippet.sent: Engineer recommendations left Britain with 13,721 miles of railway lines in 1966, while a further 2,000 miles were lost by the end of the 1960s.
article_snippet.sent: Dr Beeching argued Dr Beeching was more important to invest in fast journeys between the cities and to replace some branch lines with improved bus services.
article_snippet.sent: But the report became infamous and Dr Beeching was criticised for ignoring the social benefits of having a rail line.
article_snippet.sent: Dr Beeching programme also never made the savings Dr Beeching promised.
article_snippet.sent: However, many critics failed to recognise that the government had already cut 3,000 miles of track before Dr Beeching's input, something which was continued by successive governments.