Where possible, long-haul traffic was transferred to former C&NW routes, and large sections of the former M&StL were abandoned in the 1960s and 1970s.
Where possible, long-haul traffic was transferred immediately to former C&NW routes. M&StL track was to be targeted for abandonment at the earliest possible dates and large sections of the former M&StL were abandoned in the 1960s and 1970s.