Summary Writing: Question 2

For thirty years, the old railway line that once carried freight between Marsh End and the docks has lain unused, its rusted tracks disappearing under brambles and self-seeded birch trees. Last month, the district council proposed clearing the four-mile route and resurfacing it as a combined cycle path and walking trail, connecting the two communities for the first time since the line closed.

Supporters of the plan point to several advantages. Because the old track bed is almost perfectly flat and free of road junctions, it would give cyclists and walkers a safe route away from the busy A-road that currently links the two towns, where three cyclists have been injured in collisions with vehicles in the past two years alone. Local doctors have also welcomed the proposal, noting that a traffic-free route encourages people who would not otherwise exercise to walk or cycle regularly, which could ease pressure on GP appointments over time.

Small business owners in Marsh End are enthusiastic too: a similar trail opened in a neighbouring county three years ago and, according to the local tourism board, brought an estimated forty thousand additional visitors a year to cafes and shops along its length. The council's environmental officer adds that removing car journeys between the towns, even short ones, would cut a small but measurable amount of carbon emissions each year.

The rusting signal box at the old Marsh End halt, built in 1904, would be restored as a rest stop with information boards about the railway's history, though the council has not yet said how much this restoration would cost or when work might begin.

Identify the points the passage gives about the benefits of turning the old railway line into a cycle path. Then, in your own words, write a connected summary of no more than 50 words. (Up to 4 marks for relevant content; up to 2 marks for a concise, well-organised summary in your own words.) [6]