This is a list of unused railways, comprising railways and rail infrastructure on which some construction work took place but which were never used for revenue traffic as intended:
Railways not operated These are projects which failed completely, receiving no revenue traffic.
Australia
Queensland Railways, Cooktown to Laura Railway Maytown Extension – line to Maytown goldfield, including Laura River Bridge, saw test train only 1888. The goldfield output was already failing.
Belgium
Charleroi Metro, Chatelet line – line from Waterloo to Leopold constructed in the 1980s. Completed and track laid to Centenaire but never opened.
Canada
Newfoundland Newfoundland Railway – branch lines from Northern Bight to Terranceville and from Deer Lake to Bonne Bay were abandoned uncompleted at the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. Nova Scotia Blomidon Railway – began work to build a line from Wolfville to Cape Split in 1911, but ceased on the outbreak of the First World War in 1914.Miller, Carman: A Knight in Politics: A Biography of Sir Frederick Borden 2010 p. 303 Chignecto Ship Railway – a portage railway was begun across the Isthmus of Chignecto in 1888, in lieu of a ship canal. Ships were to be pulled along it in cradles. The work was abandoned uncompleted in 1891. Ontario Brockville and New York Bridge – this major project for a bridge over the Saint Lawrence River between Brockville and Morristown, New York, saw some construction in 1895-6, but little was achieved. Toronto Eastern Railway – construction began in 1910 for an electric railway from a connection with the Scarborough branch of the Toronto and York Radial Railway to Bowmanville and Cobourg. Whitby to Bowmanville was finished in 1913, but not opened. Pickering to Whitby was finished in 1923, then the whole project was abandoned in 1924 with only test trains having been run.
Eritrea
Eritrean Railway, Teseney Line – extension from Bishia to Teseney begun 1932 was never finished, although later projected to Kassala, Sudan in 1940 after that area was briefly occupied by the Italians.
France
Chemin de Fer Grand-Central de France – . Begun 1911 to connect Le-Puy-en-Velay with Lalevade-d'Ardèche, ROW completed minus tracks to Monastier-sur-Gazeille in 1939 when war broke out, formal abandonment 1941. Chemins de fer de la Corse – see also: List of stations in Corsica Caldanicciasee French wikipedia :fr:Gare de Caldaniccia – Propriano. Porto-Vecchio – Bonifacio. Chemins de fer de l'Est – Col de Bussang Line had approximately 50% of an 8,287 m tunnel completed, work abandoned 1935.See French wikipedia :fr:Ligne d'Épinal à Bussang#Le tunnel de Bussang Chemin de fer de Lyon à Genève – line from Tenay to Hauteville-Lompnes Begun 1909, ROW almost completed, rails partially laid, inauguration train only when abandoned owing to lack of funds 1936. Chemins de fer du Midi: Line from Beaumont-de-Lomagne to Gimontsee French wikipedia :fr:Ligne de Castelsarrasin à Beaumont-de-Lomagne was begun in 1904, but work stopped just before completion in 1930 and it was never operated. Line from Foix to Quillan was first proposed in 1884 from a junction at Gare de Saint-Paul-Saint-Antoine south of Foix. Work began in 1922 on the portion from there to Bélesta via Lavelanet, but was abandoned uncompleted in 1926. The line on to Quillan was not started. Line from Gabarret to Eauze via Castéra-Verduzan was abandoned when almost completed in 1934. Line from Hagetmau to Pausee French wikipedia :fr:Ligne de Saint-Sever à Hagetmau was begun in 1910, but work was abandoned in 1938. Line from Saint-Girons to Oustsee French wikipedia :fr:Ligne de Boussens à Saint-Girons was begun in 1881 as part of a scheme to build a railway over the Pyrenees to Lleida in Spain with a tunnel under the Port de Salau. Oust was intended as the customs post on the French side. The scheme received final approval in 1907, and the works to Oust completed in 1920. However, rails were only laid to Lacourt to serve a quarry by 1927. From Oust to the site of the tunnel's north portal no actual work was done, although land was purchased. The project was only completely abandoned in 1954. The line from Auch to Lannemezan was authorised following a government report of 1909Chemin de Fer d'Auch à Lannemezan (Bibliothèque nationale de France) and is shown as a proposed line in a map of the lines of the Chemins de fer du Midi on the wall of the booking hall of the station Bordeaux-Saint-Jean. Constructed between the two world wars, the line was nearly complete in 1941 but was then declassified and abandoned.La ligne Sncf Auch-Lannemezan (actu.fr)Déclassements/Retranchements de lignes ou sections de lignes des chemins de fer français (pdf) (Histoire de lignes oubliées.) Three tunnels,The tunnels of Buhabent, Lamarque and Devant Batan the abutments of the viaduct of Larroque and some other bridgesLigne inachevée de Auch à Lannemezan still remain. Chemins de fer de Paris à Lyon et à la Méditerranée – line from Chorges to Barcelonnettesee French wikipedia :fr:Ligne de Chorges à Barcelonnette was begun in 1909, but abandoned in 1935 despite major engineering works having been entered into. Stations at Le Sauze, Ubaye, Le Lauzet, Le Martinet, Revel-Méolans, Thuiles and Barcelonnette. The last-named town was one of few in France which never had a railway. Much of the route has been drowned by a reservoir. Chemin de fer de Paris à Orléans – line from Cahors to Moissac was under construction between 1879 and 1934, but never finished.see French wikipedia :fr:Ligne de Cahors à Moissac
Greece
Kalambaka—Kozani—Veria line (197 km): normal gauge line begun 1927 and abandoned 1932. Completion of 63 km, partial completion of 48 km. Stations completed: Mourgani (demolished), Oxynia, Xiropotamos, Aghiofyllo, Karpero, Karvounis, Mikro, Kalochi, Mikroklisoura, Pasagefyri, Siatista (demolished), Xirolimni (demolished), Vatero (demolished), Asomata. 20 tunnels were completed. Work abandoned owing to 1930's crisis. Thessaloniki to Tsagezi Line – less than 5% of about 150 km completed, work abandoned owing to World War II (1940).
Ireland
Bray and Enniskerry Railway – An electric railway was begun between Bray, County Wicklow and Enniskerry in 1900, and almost completed before being abandoned in 1910.Clare, Liam: The Bray and Enniskerry Railway Nonsuch 2007
Italy Because much of the Italian railway network was promoted and paid for by government authority, the abandonment of uncompleted lines often had a political dimension. Emilia-Romagna: Ferrovia Modena–PavulloSee Italian wikipedia :it:Ferrovie modenesi#Le linee incompiute – narrow gauge line begun 1914 and abandoned 1938. Stations built at Serramazzoni and Pavullo nel Frignano. Work stopped at the latter place, but the original intention was to go on to Formigine. See Italian wikipedia :it:Ferrovia Rolo-Mirandola – under construction from 1922 to 1935. Ran from Rolo to Mirandola, with stations at Novi di Modena, Moglia, Concordia sulla Secchia and San Possidonio. Part of the formation was taken for a new station at Mirandola in 1964. Friuli: A small network of electric lines in progress between the world wars, but none of it was completed: Ferrovia Bertiolo-Palmanova-SavognaSee Italian wikipedia :it:Ferrovia Bertiolo-Palmanova-Savogna – line between Bertiolo and existing station at Savogna d'Isonzo. Stations: Talmassons, Castions di Strada (junction with Ferrovia Udine-Castions di Strada), Gonars, Palmanova (already open, proposed junction), Jalmicco-San Vito al Torre, Medea, Mariano-Romans and Farra-Gradisca Provesano. Ferrovia Teglio Veneto-Bertiolo-UdineSee Italian wikipedia :it:Ferrovia Teglio Veneto-Bertiolo-Udine – line between existing stations at Teglio Veneto and Udine. Stations: Teglio-Suzzolins, Morsano al Tagliamento, Madrisio, Varmo-Rivignano, Bertiolo (junction with Ferrovia Bertiolo-Palmanova-Savogna), Sclaunicco, Pozzuolo del Friuli and Campoformido. See Italian wikipedia :it:Ferrovia Udine-Castions di Strada – line from Udine to Castions di Strada. Stations: Pozzuolo del Friuli and Mortegliano. Ferrovia Cormons-RedipugliaSee Italian wikipedia :it:Ferrovia Cormons-Redipuglia – A freight bypass line for Gorizia but a passenger service was intended from Cormons to Redipuglia, with stations at Mariano del Friuli and Gradisca Borgo Trevisan. Work began 1949, and was abandoned 1989. Ferrovia Udine-MajanoSee Italian wikipedia :it:Ferrovia Udine-Majano – a line from Udine to Majano, begun 1914 and abandoned 1932. Stations: Colugna-Rizzi, Feletto Umberto, Pagnacco, Fontanabona, Colloredo di Monte Albano, Vendoglio, Treppo, Buja and Avilla-Santo Stefano. Piedmont: Ferrovia Bivio Orba-Cantalupo-Felizzano – a suburban line for Alessandria, begun 1939 from Felizzano to Cantalupo and diverging to Bivio Orba and Alessandria Smistamento, abandoned unfinished 1966. Rome: Cintura NordSee Italian wikipedia :it:Cintura Nord – an attempt to provide Rome with a northern orbital railway, running from Roma San Pietro railway station to Roma Nomentana railway station. Work was in progress between 1913 and 1931. Stations were to have been at Prati di Castello, Ponte Milvio and Salario. Sicily: Ferriovia Bronte-Cuccovia – line from Bronte to an obscure location called Cuccovia. Ferrovia Caltanissetta-Misteci - an unfinished mineral branch of 5 km, from Caltanissetta south to Misteci, work abandoned 1927 when the mine was closed. Ferrovia Canicattì-CaltagironeSee Italian wikipedia :it:Ferrovia Canicattì-Caltagirone - narrow gauge from Canicatti to San Michele di Ganzaria to serve sulphur mines, work was done on the portion to Riesi but from there to San Michele no construction was undertaken. Work had begun in 1906, and was only formally abandoned in the Fifties. Ferrovia Leonforte-NicosiaSee Italian wikipedia :it:Ferrovia Leonforte-Nicosia - a narrow gauge railway from Leonforte to the small cathedral city of Nicosia was under construction between 1921 and 1929, and was almost finished when abandoned. Station buildings exist for Bivio Paternò, Rocca Vutura, Villadoro, Sperlinga (request stop) and the terminus at Nicosia. Ferrovia Palermo-SalaparutaSee Italian wikipedia :it:Ferrovia Palermo-Salaparuta - a narrow gauge line from Palermo to Salaparuta via Monreale, begun 1926 and effectively abandoned (although not officially) in the early Fifties. Construction work beyond Camporeale did not begin. Ferrovia Salemi-KaggeraSee Italian wikipedia :it:Ferrovia Salemi-Kaggera - narrow gauge from Salemi to Kaggera (now known as Calatafimi-Segesta with stations at Salemi-Città, Vita and Calatafimi-Città. Work abandoned 1921. Ferrovia Santo Stefano di Camastra-Reitano-MistrettaSee Italian wikipedia :it:Stazione di Santo Stefano di Camastra-Mistretta - a narrow gauge line begun from Santo Stefano di Camastra to Mistretta via Reitano. Construction took place in the 1920s.
Mexico
Peninsular Railway of Lower California – the Mexican Land and Colonization Company was a British firm which obtained a concession to settle English wheat farmers in Baja California, and which began the enterprise in 1891 with a base at San Quintin. Baja California is semi-desert, and the venture was a disaster. A network of railroads had been planned, and a start made on a line from San Quintin to Ensenada and Tijuana. of this was finished, ending at a place called San Ramón.The Universal Atlas of the World Rand McNally and Company, 1893, Mexico West map
United Kingdom
Ashby and Nuneaton Joint Railway – Hinckley Branch. This railway was jointly owned by the rival London and North Western Railway and Midland Railway. The scheme included a line from to which was finished in 1872. The partners could not agree as to how to use it, so it was never used and abandoned.