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Full Steam Ahead For Railway Land Home Building
Window and construction businesses could soon see demand rise as a massive new homes building initiative comes on stream to build on surplus railway...
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All Aboard The Bi-Polar Express – Time To Take Stock?
A prominent surveyor has warned that too many people are onboard with moving at express speed to utilise unused railway property for homes in a scheme that could achieve the bi-polar opposite of what is intended.
To address housing shortages, the government has launched Platform4, a property company aimed at transforming surplus railway land into up to 40,000 homes over the next decade.
While appreciating the intent of the announcement, Burton Knowles partner Guy Emmerson says: “The ambition to deliver new homes is encouraging in theory. However, the practical realities of developing such sites present significant challenges that must not be underestimated.
“These sites often lack critical infrastructure, clean water supplies and modern sewage systems. Retrofitting utilities into brownfield land is a complex and costly undertaking, often requiring bespoke solutions that can delay delivery timelines and stretch local authority resources. The fragmented nature of old rail corridors further complicates access and construction logistics, often necessitating creative engineering and careful planning consents..
Skills shortage
Emmerson adds: “The government must also be wary of the ambition of scale, as it raises concerns about workforce availability. The construction sector is already experiencing a skills shortage, delivering quality housing at pace requires not just strategic land release but a concerted effort to ensure the labour market can support it, from planners and surveyors to on-the-ground contractors.
“And that’s all without considering the environmental and heritage sensitivities. Many railway lands are home to wildlife corridors or listed structures. Any redevelopment must balance urgent housing needs with sustainable and sensitive regeneration.”
Picture: The government, Network Rail and other partners have pushed on with Platform4 – a company set up to deliver a major housing initiative utilising railway brownfield land such as this proposal at the Forth Goods Yard in Newcastle. But there could be problems with such land usage, a prominent surveyor has warned.
Article written by Cathryn Ellis
19th November 2025