The Liberal Democrats have set out plans to reopen thousands of miles of railway tracks and stations.

The scheme would be funded by cutting capital spending on roads by £3 billion.

The party claims its new rail expansion fund would lead to the biggest expansion of the rail network since the Victorian era.

Lib Dem transport spokesman Norman Baker said it would "reopen thousands of miles of track across the country and make our railway great again".

Councils and transport authorities could bid for money from the fund to improve, reopen or establish services.

Although exact decisions on which services could be expanded would not be made until bids were received, the Lib Dems have drawn up a list of schemes which could be suitable for early delivery.

“High speed rail is hugely important, but it is only part of the 21st-century rail network Britain needs,” said Mr Baker.

New or reopened stations could be funded in Ilkeston, Kidlington, Wantage, Corsham, Tavistock, Middlewich, Ashington, Blyth, Washington and Skelmersdale.

New lines could link Southport with Preston, Bournemouth with Ringwood and the Midland main line with the Birmingham-Derby route.

Track could be reopened between Exeter and Okehampton; Tavistock and Plymouth; Penrith and Keswick; and Galashiels and Carlisle.

Mr Baker also mentioned Uckfield-Lewes in Sussex and the trans-Pennine Skipton-Colne route.

In launching the Lib Dems' plans for the railways, Mr Baker criticised Labour and Tories.

Mr Baker said: "Labour has allowed the railways to wither on the vine and punished passengers with huge fare hikes while more polluting forms of transport have got cheaper.

"All the while, the Tories have been sharpening the axe they will take to the transport budget."

The Lib Dems would cut the Government's major roads project for the years up to 2013-14 by 90% and divert almost £3.5 billion to rail, according to Mr Baker.

Some £480 million – currently intended for projects like motorway widening and hard shoulders – would go towards the Lib Dems' existing policy of cutting rail fares.

The remaining £2.95 billion would go into the fund.

When asked if the Conservative party had similar rail reopening plans, spokesman Giles Bancroft said: "Our policies include a moratorium on building on disused rail paths."

Information from BBC News: video link

More from the BBC about reopenings: video link