As pledged in the Conservative manifesto, the Conservative government today (28/01/2020) announced £500 million funding to "kickstart the restoration of lines closed more than 50 years ago". 

The cuts, which were initially proposed by British Rail chief Dr Richard Beeching in 1963, ended passenger services on around a third of the rail network, closing more than 2,300 stations and up to 5,000 miles of track across the UK. The thousands of miles of railway that were axed under the Beeching cuts are in various states of repair. Some still maintain freight services, some sit unused and overgrown whilst others have been built over or converted to cycle routes or pathways.

• Transport Secretary Grant Shapps visited Fleetwood to launch government fund aimed at kickstarting reversal of the Beeching cuts
• £500 million pot will help reconnect towns across the country, improving opportunities for people in previously neglected communities.
• £21.9 million of funding announced for 2 routes and New Stations Fund, and communities invited to pitch their restoration proposals direct to government.

There is not a plan for what specific lines will be restored, instead the Department for Transport are asking MPs, local authorities and community groups across England to come forward with proposals on how they could use funding to reinstate axed local services. £300,000 has been committed to an ‘Ideas Fund’ to kickstart the process to encourage innovative ideas that will then be considered for further funding in the future. The £500 million fund will help develop these proposals, and accelerate the delivery of schemes that are already being considered for restoration, making possible the rapid reopening of certain stations and lines.

In 2015, a short stretch of line called the ‘Todmorden Curve’ was restored, supported by £8.8 million of government funding, enabling direct services from Burnley and Accrington to Manchester. 

Source: www.gov.uk