訪古以開創未來：英國鐵道遺產之路

Visiting historic sites to open up future possibilities: The heritage of British rail

承繼工業革命的薪火，英國於19世紀正式進入鐵路時代，憑藉其全球貿易網絡，迅速成為全球重要鐵道輸出國家之一。隨著科技進步與社會經濟變遷，鐵路交通已非無可取代，然而，鐵道產業文化資產保存的倡議，使得這些舊時代的身影得以繼續奔馳。鐵道事業是當代國家發展不可或缺的歷程，其產業文化資產之傳承更是需要縝密規劃的百年大計。本文回顧英國鐵道文化資產近七十年的演進，歷經大環境與社會古蹟保存意識的轉變、鐵道存廢爭議、保存暨搶救運動的成功與失敗、機廠再利用為博物館、遺產鐵道在天災後的搶修與復駛、以及民間自發性投入鐵道保存等等議題，繼而探討英國遺產鐵道發展的歷史經驗與經營管理現況，與其產業文化資產再利用與經濟振興的進程。

As a key element in the legacy of Industrial Revolution, Britain's railway heritage epitomises the glory days of the nineteenth century when the United Kingdom was one of the major railway export states in the world through her global trade system. With technological advances and socioeconomic change, railway transportation is no longer as dominant as it once was. Despite this, there is still a great affection for railway heritage and within the UK in particular there has been an active railway heritage preservation movement for nearly 70 years. While railway development is still an essential process for the advancement of modern nations, there is recognition that the legacy of industrial heritage ought to be preserved for future generations. By reviewing the evolution of heritage railways in Britain, this paper demonstrates the progress towards a shift in awareness towards heritage conservation in the public, the debate concerning preservation and demolition of old railways, and the pros and cons of campaigns to save railway heritage. Fundamental to the movement was the reuse of railway workshops as living museums, the restoration of heritage railway after long-term neglect, and the continuing engagement of railway conservation communities. In this paper, I explore not only the contexts and phenomena of current British heritage railway management but also the approaches to railway heritage conservation and reuse, and its role in economic regeneration.