Can an abandoned railroad be used again?

The technically correct answer is complicated (because rail lines in many cases are considered to have residual national security or economic value, and in some cases must be either maintained, or reclaimable, for use in an emergency), but the pragmatic, real world answer is that it comes down to economics. read more

An abandoned line can mean anything from just not used, to being overgrown with trees, to having the rails pulled up for scrap. No matter what the state, the “grade” remains. Restoring an abandoned line would involve restoring the ballast (the rock base under the sleepers) and relaying the ties and rails. read more

It is illegal to sell railroad iron for scrap metal in the U.S., and the only people allowed to do it are contractors hired by the railroad to remove and recycle or scrap out abandoned railroad tracks. read more

An abandoned railroad is a railway line which is no longer used for that purpose. Such lines may be disused railways, closed railways, former railway lines, even derelict railway lines. Some have had all their track and sleepers removed, and others have material remaining from the former use. read more