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There is a well used path along an abandoned railway through Earby in Lancashire (Yorkshire border). Due to it being listed as an abandoned railway, it doesn't show on the map unless viewing 'map data' or in edit mode. I'm pretty new to making edits and want to know the correct way to proceed. Should I: 1. Change the abandoned railway to a bridleway/footpath 2. Add an additional line as a footpath along the same route as the abandoned railway. 3. Amend the abandoned railway in some other way.

The footpath needs to show on the map as it doesn't currently and connects miles of villages, right through to Skipton. The area is flat, without ballast, sleepers or rails. Trees line either side of it and in places its a little overgrown. Bridges and level crossing have largely been removed but cuttings and embankments remain a clear indicator of its past. Small stations and platforms along the route remain although largely converted into residential property.

https://www.openstreetmap.org/search?query=230851797#map=17/53.92233/-2.14202

asked 30 Jun '20, 11:06

ianooo's gravatar image

ianooo
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accept rate: 0%


Any map style, such as the four that you see at OpenStreetMap.org only show a small subset of the things actually present on the map. The "standard" map style made a conscious decision not to display abandoned railways because the maintainers of that style didn't believe that they were as important as some of the other features that they wanted to show, and to show everything would just look a mess.

If you want to see the abandoned railway (and the embankments) as is then use a different map style. I know that https://map.atownsend.org.uk/maps/map/map.html#zoom=14&lat=53.9312&lon=-2.12045 (which I maintain) shows it, but I'm sure that others do too.

It sounds, however, that your former railway is also used as a footpath, bridleway or cycleway. If that's the case, then please do add the relevant tags such as "highway=cycleway". It's perfectly OK for something to be both an abandoned railway and a current cycleway - both tell us something about what we're likely to find there. One more thing to consider is the access - is it "yes" (there's now a legal right of way along it) or "permissive" (no-one complains if people use it, but the current owners could stop access any time they want)?

permanent link

answered 30 Jun '20, 11:42

SomeoneElse's gravatar image

SomeoneElse ♦
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accept rate: 16%

Thanks for the direction SomeoneElse. I've added the highway=path tag to that particular stretch. It looks disjointed, so the surrounding stretches will need edits too. I'll look into it when I get chance. Bing OS maps don't show a path there so I suppose it is permissive. I'll add that tag too.

Totally understand not showing everything, and I get that some people want historic things, hence me not wanting to completely repurpose this abandoned line into path, great that it can be both instead. Interesting to see map.atownsend.org.uk, thanks for sharing.

(30 Jun '20, 12:16) ianooo

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question asked: 30 Jun '20, 11:06

question was seen: 1,194 times

last updated: 30 Jun '20, 13:06

NOTICE: help.openstreetmap.org is no longer in use from 1st March 2024. Please use the OpenStreetMap Community Forum