Middlewich railway station

Last updated

Middlewich
Railway line north of A54 in Middlewich (geograph 5322801).jpg
Location of the former station (2017)
General information
Location Middlewich, Cheshire East
England
Grid reference SJ707664
Platforms2
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original company London and North Western Railway
Post-grouping London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London Midland Region of British Railways
Key dates
1 July 1868Opened
4 January 1960Closed to passengers [1]
27 November 1967Closed to freight [2]

Middlewich railway station served the Cheshire, England, salt-producing town of Middlewich between 1868 and 1960. It lay on a branch line from Sandbach to Northwich. The Mid Cheshire Rail Users' Association is campaigning for the reopening of the line to passenger traffic, and the construction of a new station at Middlewich.

Contents

The station stood on the branch line that was primarily built to serve the industries between Sandbach and Northwich. Most revenue came from the Cheshire salt mines before its transport switched to road haulage. Chemical factories also used the branch with sidings serving the bigger factories. Middlewich station had a sizeable goods depot for freight and parcels office for public use. With the withdrawal of passenger services, the Middlewich branch continues to be used by freight trains and for occasional train diversions.

History

Passengers

The branch line and Middlewich station were built by the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) during 1867–1868. The railway line was completed in November 1867 and was initially used by goods trains. [3] The station was completed later and was opened for passenger use on 1 July 1868. [1] Provisions had been made for the doubling of the line in the event of sufficient demand, but this option was never exercised. [4] It would be operated by the London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMSR) after the railway grouping of 1 January 1923.

Passenger services operated between Crewe via Sandbach to Middlewich and Northwich. Some trains reversed at Northwich and then continued to Hartford and Greenbank and then along a short stretch of the West Coast Main Line (WCML) to Acton Bridge. In 1885, the LNWR initiated a through carriage on weekdays from Manchester Oxford Road via Northwich to Middlewich and on to London Euston. [3]

For example, in July 1922, there were nine trains a day to Crewe to Northwich, of which five continued to Acton Bridge. There was an additional morning train from and to Crewe that reversed at Middlewich. [5] A departing service from Manchester at 10:30 would pick passengers up at major stations to Northwich, calling at Middlewich at 11:30. The carriage reached Crewe at 11:50, where the steam loco detached and the carriage was attached to a Liverpool to Euston express, reaching the capital at 15:10. The northbound service left Euston at 14:30, reaching Middlewich at 18:10. [6] The services to Euston had ceased by World War II.

By August 1946, the local passenger service had been reduced to six trains each way between Crewe, Middlewich and Northwich, each offering only third class accommodation. [7] The LMSR was nationalised by British Railways on 1 January 1948 and the branch was thereafter operated by the London Midland Region

Halts

As the branch was 9 mi (14 km) in length, with just one main station at Middlewich, the LNWR decided to construct two railway halts to improve facilities for passengers in the locality. Cledford Bridge Halt was located between Sandbach and Middlewich and opened in January 1911. [8] Billinge Green Halt was located between Middlewich and Northwich and opened during 1915. [9] Both halts were closed by the LMSR on 2 March 1942.

Closure

Middlewich station shared in the common experience of a drastic reduction of services during the war and for years after. Passenger numbers were never particularly high, significantly more of the line's revenue was being extracted by its freight traffic instead. [4] By January 1956, the passenger service offered just four third-class only trains each way on weekdays, and none on Sundays. Unlike many other lines services were not increased after 1956. The station became victim of the pre Beeching cuts closure programme, with regular passenger trains ceasing to use the branch on 4 January 1960. [1] Despite this, the station continued to be used by goods traffic until November 1967. [4] The station buildings were subsequently demolished. The nearest railway station is now Winsford 2.3 miles (3.7 km) away on the WCML.

Current status

Freight services regularly use the line through Middlewich to get from the West Coast Main Line at Sandbach (and nearby Crewe) to the Mid-Cheshire line at Northwich. The Crewe and Chester Line is known to flood during severe weather. When this happens, or during engineering work, the line is closed and some Avanti West Coast services from London to Chester and North Wales are diverted through Middlewich instead (Transport for Wales services are replaced by buses and do not use the line). As the section where Middlewich railway station used to be remains dual-track on the otherwise single-track line, diverted Avanti West Coast services are timed for one service to wait at the station's location while another passes or may instead run via Warrington. Due to the line's low speed, travelling from Crewe to Chester via Middlewich takes approximately 1 hour compared to 20 minutes using the Crewe and Chester Line.

As the Crewe and Chester Line is currently Tier 2 priority for being electrified in the CP6 period (2019-2024), [10] it would be likely that Avanti West Coast would introduce electric trains to Chester or further to North Wales if the North Wales Coast Line was also electrified. As part of this, electrifying the Northwich to Sandbach line has been mentioned to allow for the aforementioned diversions to take place without needing diesel locomotives to drag the electric units.

The Mid Cheshire Rail Users' Association is presently campaigning for the reintroduction of passenger services on the Sandbach - Northwich line and the construction of a new station at Middlewich, though not necessarily in the same location as the original. [11] The campaign received a boost in July 2018 when it was announced that the government had requested a strategic outline business plan into the reopening of the line to passenger traffic. The business case is to be handled by Cheshire East Council in conjunction with Cheshire West and Chester Council and the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership and will look into the cost and benefits of reopening the line and the building of new stations at Middlewich and Gadbrook Park. [4] [12]

In October 2021, £50,000 was made available for a feasibility study into reopening the line. [13]

Route

Preceding station Disused railways Following station
Billinge Green Halt
Line open, station closed
  London and North Western Railway
Northwich to Sandbach Branch
  Cledford Bridge Halt
Line open, station closed

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Coast Main Line</span> Railway route in Britain

The West Coast Main Line (WCML) is one of the most important railway corridors in the United Kingdom, connecting the major cities of London and Glasgow with branches to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Edinburgh. It is one of the busiest mixed-traffic railway routes in Europe, carrying a mixture of intercity rail, regional rail, commuter rail and rail freight traffic. The core route of the WCML runs from London to Glasgow for 400 miles (644 km) and was opened from 1837 to 1881. With additional lines deviating to Northampton, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Edinburgh, this totals a route mileage of 700 miles (1,127 km). The Glasgow–Edinburgh via Carstairs line connects the WCML to Edinburgh. However, the main London–Edinburgh route is the East Coast Main Line. Several sections of the WCML form part of the suburban railway systems in London, Coventry, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow, with many more smaller commuter stations, as well as providing links to more rural towns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crewe railway station</span> Railway station in Cheshire, England

Crewe railway station serves the railway town of Crewe, in Cheshire, England. It opened in 1837 and is one of the most historically significant railway stations in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Wales Main Line</span> Railway line in north Wales

The North Wales Main Line, also known as the North Wales Coast Line, is a major railway line in the north of Wales and Cheshire, England, running from Crewe on the West Coast Main Line to Holyhead on the Isle of Anglesey. The line has 19 stations, with all except two, Chester and Crewe, being in Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rail transport in Shropshire</span> Overview of rail transport in Shropshire, England

The English county of Shropshire has a fairly large railway network, with 19 National Rail stations on various national lines; there are also a small number of heritage and freight lines, including the famous heritage Severn Valley Railway running along its eastern border with Worcestershire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Welsh Marches line</span> Railway line

The Welsh Marches line, known historically as the North and West Route, is the railway line running from Newport in south-east Wales to Shrewsbury in the West Midlands region of England by way of Abergavenny, Hereford and Craven Arms and thence to Crewe via Whitchurch. The line thus links the south of Wales to north-west England via the Welsh Marches region, bypassing Birmingham. Through services from south-west Wales, Swansea and Cardiff to Manchester and from Cardiff to Wrexham, Chester, the north coast of Wales and Anglesey constitute the bulk of passenger operations on the route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangor railway station (Wales)</span> Railway station in Gwynedd, Wales

Bangor railway station serves the city of Bangor, Gwynedd; it is operated by Transport for Wales. The station, which is 24+34 miles (40 km) east of Holyhead, is the last mainland station on the North Wales Coast line between Crewe and Holyhead. It is the busiest in terms of passenger numbers in North Wales, as it serves the community around Caernarfon and further west. It is close to the Snowdonia National Park and Bangor University, and has an interchange with bus services to the various towns and villages of north-west Gwynedd and Anglesey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llandudno Junction railway station</span> Railway station in Conwy, Wales

Llandudno Junction is a station serving the village of Llandudno Junction on the North Wales Main Line between Crewe and Holyhead. The station is managed by Transport for Wales Rail, although Avanti West Coast services also stop there. It is a junction for trains to Llandudno and the Conwy Valley line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lichfield Trent Valley railway station</span> Railway station in Staffordshire, England

Lichfield Trent Valley is one of two railway stations that serve the city of Lichfield in Staffordshire, England; the other being Lichfield City in the city centre. It is a split-level station: low level platforms serve the Trent Valley section of the West Coast Main Line, with a single high level platform being the northern terminus of the Cross-City Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Runcorn railway station</span> Railway station in Cheshire, England

Runcorn railway station is in the industrial town of Runcorn in Cheshire, north-west England. The station lies on the Liverpool branch of the West Coast Main Line/Crewe-Liverpool Lime Street line via Runcorn and Liverpool South Parkway between Acton Bridge/Crewe and Liverpool South Parkway and is managed by Avanti West Coast. There are regular services to Liverpool Lime Street, Crewe, London Euston, Birmingham New Street and Chester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acton Bridge railway station</span> Railway station in Cheshire, England

Acton Bridge railway station serves the villages of Acton Bridge and Weaverham, in Cheshire, England. The station is situated on the West Coast Main Line and is served by regular trains between Liverpool Lime Street and Birmingham New Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chester railway station</span> Railway station in Cheshire, England

Chester railway station is located in Newtown, Chester, England. Services are operated by Avanti West Coast, Merseyrail, Northern and Transport for Wales. From 1875 to 1969, the station was known as Chester General to distinguish it from Chester Northgate. The station's Italianate frontage was designed by the architect Francis Thompson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhyl railway station</span> Railway station in Denbighshire, North Wales

Rhyl railway station is on the Crewe to Holyhead North Wales Coast Line and serves the holiday resort of Rhyl, Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prestatyn railway station</span> Railway station in Denbighshire, Wales

Prestatyn railway station on the North Wales Coast Line serves the town of Prestatyn in North Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hartford railway station</span> Railway station in Cheshire, England

Hartford railway station is in the village of Hartford, in Cheshire, England. It is situated on the A559 road approximately two miles (3.2 km) west of the town of Northwich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandbach railway station</span> Railway station in Cheshire, England

Sandbach railway station serves the town of Sandbach in Cheshire, England. The station is sited 4+34 miles (8 km) north-east of Crewe, on the Crewe to Manchester Line. Although the station is named Sandbach, it is located in the local residential suburb of Elworth on the A533 road, which links the town with Middlewich and Northwich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenbank railway station</span> Railway station in Cheshire, England

Greenbank railway station serves the village of Hartford, Cheshire as well as the Greenbank and Castle areas of Northwich, Cheshire, England. The station is situated on the A559 road from Northwich to Chester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwich railway station</span> Railway station in Cheshire, England

Northwich railway station serves the town of Northwich in Cheshire, England. The station has two platforms in use. It is located on the Mid-Cheshire line 28+14 miles (45.5 km) southwest of Manchester Piccadilly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid-Cheshire line</span>

The Mid-Cheshire line is a railway line in the north-west of England that runs from Chester to Edgeley Junction, Stockport; it connects Chester with Manchester Piccadilly, via Knutsford. After Chester Northgate closed in 1969, the section between Mickle Trafford Junction and Chester was used for freight trains only until it closed in 1992; from Mickle Trafford, passenger trains use the Chester–Warrington line to Chester General instead. The route taken by passenger trains has changed over the years and now differs considerably from the original. Between 2001 and 2014, passenger journeys on the line increased to over 1.7 million per year. A near doubling of the passenger service was expected to occur from December 2018, however this did not materialise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stafford–Manchester line</span> Railway line in England

The Stafford–Manchester line is a major railway line branching from the West Coast Main Line serving Stafford, Stone, Stoke-on-Trent, Kidsgrove, Congleton, Macclesfield, Cheadle Hulme, Stockport and Manchester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheshire West and Chester</span> Borough in England

Cheshire West and Chester is a local government district with borough status in Cheshire, England. It was established on 1 April 2009 as part of the 2009 local government changes, by virtue of an order under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007. It superseded the boroughs of Ellesmere Port and Neston, Vale Royal and the City of Chester; its council is a unitary authority, having also assumed the functions and responsibilities of the former Cheshire County Council within its area. The remainder of ceremonial Cheshire is composed of Cheshire East, Halton and Warrington. Cheshire West and Chester has three key urban areas: Chester, Ellesmere Port and Northwich/Winsford.

References

Notes
  1. 1 2 3 Butt 1995, p. 159
  2. Clinker 1978, p. 96
  3. 1 2 Holt 1978 , p. 130
  4. 1 2 3 4 Stephen, Paul (21 November 2016). "Here we are - stuck in the middle…". Rail Magazine .
  5. St John Thomas 1985 , pp. 474–475
  6. St John Thomas 1985 , p. 479
  7. Blacklock 1946 , p. 519
  8. Butt 1995 , p. 63
  9. Butt 1995 , p. 34
  10. "Electrification Task Force Final Report Revealed | Rail North". Archived from the original on 14 June 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  11. "Middlewich Rail Link Campaign". 11 January 2009. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  12. "Business case requested for Middlewich reopening". www.railmagazine.com. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  13. "Funding boost for 30 year campaign to restore rail line between Middlewich and Northwich". Winsford Guardian. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
Bibliography

53°11′39″N2°26′25″W / 53.1941°N 2.4403°W / 53.1941; -2.4403