Cheshire Midland Railway

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This article is about the historic railway, which forms part of the modern Mid-Cheshire Line

Cheshire Midland Railway
Overview
LocaleCheshire
Dates of operation1860; 164 years ago (1860)–1867; 157 years ago (1867)
SuccessorCheshire Lines Committee
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length12 miles 65 chains (20.6 km)

The Cheshire Midland Railway was authorised by an Act of Parliament, passed on 14 June 1860, to build a 12-mile-65-chain (20.6 km) railway from Altrincham on the Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway (MSJAR) to Northwich.

History[edit]

The 1860 Act was promoted by landowners and supported by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (MS&LR). The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) were given leave to subscribe to the undertaking but they chose not to and the MS&LR found help from Great Northern Railway (GNR) instead.[a][1]

Ashley Railway Station

In 1861 a further Act modified the route and provided for the official involvement of the MS&LR.[b]

Together the MS&LR and GNR formed a joint committee to operate this railway along with three others that had been authorised but were not yet open.[c] Together these railways connected up to provide an alternative route into North Cheshire that avoided Manchester.

Each company was to provide an equal amount of capital and four representatives to the joint management committee. This arrangement was confirmed by the Great Northern (Cheshire Lines) Act in Parliament in 1863.[d] This Act had not, however, formally set up a separate legal body, providing instead for the two companies to manage and work the four railways through their existing structures.[2][3]

This arrangement eventually led to the formation of the Cheshire Lines Committee in 1865. The line was then formally brought under the direct joint ownership of the MS&LR and GNR in 1865 by the Cheshire Lines Transfer Act, 1865.[e][3][2] The Act allowed the Midland Railway (MR) to join as an equal partner, which it did in 1866.[4] and finally The Cheshire Lines Committee was authorised by The Cheshire Lines Act, 1867 as a fully independent organisation with a board formed from three directors from each of the parent companies.[f][5]

Today the railway forms part of the Mid-Cheshire Line.

Opening[edit]

The Cheshire Midland Railway opened in stages:

  • Knutsford to Mobberley opened for passenger traffic on 12 May 1862 and for goods traffic on 1 May 1863.
  • Northwich to Knutsford opened for passenger traffic on 1 January 1863 and for goods traffic on 1 May 1863.

A mineral railway ran to the north between Lostock and Northwich, this line, usually known as the Marston branch, provided access to a number of works, mostly connected to salt mining and extraction. They opened for freight only from 17 December 1867 onwards.[6][7]

Northwich station

Route and stations[edit]

The railway started from an end-on connection with the Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway (MSJ&AR) at Altrincham Junction, just south of Bowdon station on the MSJ&AR. Initial intermediate stations were at:

  • Bowdon Peel Causeway, renamed Peel Causeway on 1 January 1899 and renamed Hale on 1 January 1902.[8]
  • Ashley, described as Ashley for Rostherne in some timetables.[8][9]
  • Mobberley.[8]
  • Knutsford, original station opened at end of the first stage of construction when the line reached Knutsford. The first station closed and was replaced by a second station when the line was extended to Northwich on 1 January 1863.[8]
  • Plumbley, renamed Plumley on 1 February 1945.[8]
  • Lostock, renamed Lostock Gralam sometime later in 1863.[8]
  • Northwich, original station opened with the line on 1 January 1863, it closed on 1 September 1869 and became the goods station from this time. A second station was opened nearby when the line was extended by the building of the West Cheshire Railway's line onwards to Hartford and Greenbank opening on 1 September 1869. The first part, 4 chains (80 m), of this route to Northwich Junction was opened earlier than this to allow LNWR services to Sandbach access to both stations.[8]

The line terminated at Northwich Junction where the LNWR line headed south towards Sandbach and the West Cheshire line continued westward.

A further station, Plumbley West Platform, is known to have been open for passengers only from sometime in 1915. It was closed by September 1926. The station was sited 65 chains (1,300 m) west of Plumbley.[8]

Public house[edit]

The former 'Cheshire Midland' public house by Hale railway station on Ashley Road, Hale was named after the railway.[10]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ "Cheshire Midland Railway Act, 1860: An Act for making a Railway from Altrincham through Knutsford to Northwich in the County of Chester, and for other Purposes. Local Act, 23 & 24 Victoria I, c. xc". UK Parliamentary Archives. 1860. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  2. ^ "Cheshire Midland Railway Act, 1861: An Act for authorizing the Cheshire Midland Railway Company to make a Deviation of their authorized Line of Railway ; and for authorizing Working and other Arrangements between them and the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway Company ; and for other Purposes. Local Act, 24 & 25 Victoria I, c. cxiii". UK Parliamentary Archives. 1861. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  3. ^ They were the Stockport and Woodley Junction Railway, the Stockport, Timperley and Altrincham Junction Railway and the West Cheshire Railway
  4. ^ "Great Northern (Cheshire Lines) Act 1863: An Act to grant to the Great Northern Railway Company certain Powers with respect to the Stockport and Woodley Junction, Cheshire Midland, Stockport, Timperley, and Altrincham Junction, West Cheshire, and Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railways; and for other Purposes. Local Act, 26 & 27 Victoria I, c. cxlvii". UK Parliamentary Archives. 13 July 1863. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  5. ^ "Cheshire Lines Transfer Act 1865: An Act to vest in the Great Northern, the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire, and the Midland Railway Companies, jointly, the Stockport and Woodley Junction, the Stockport, Timperley, and Altrincham Junction, the Cheshire Midland, the West Cheshire, and the Garston and Liverpool Railways; and for other Purposes with respect to the said Undertakings. Local Act, 28 & 29 Victoria I, c. cccxxvii". UK Parliamentary Archives. 1865. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  6. ^ "The Cheshire Lines Act 1867: An Act for incorporating the Cheshire Lines Committee, and for authorizing that Committee to make a new Road; and for other Purposes. Local Act, 30 & 31 Victoria I, c. ccvii". UK Parliamentary Archives. 1867. Retrieved 1 November 2019.

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ Awdry 1990, p. 210.
  2. ^ a b Griffiths & Goode 1978, p. 3.
  3. ^ a b Dyckhoff 1999, p. 22.
  4. ^ Holt & Biddle 1986, p. 39.
  5. ^ Dyckhoff 1999, pp. 22–23.
  6. ^ Bolger 1984, pp. 20–21.
  7. ^ Mitchell & Smith 2013, Map XIX.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h Bolger 1984, pp. 18–21.
  9. ^ Bradshaw 1985, Table 719.
  10. ^ Hartley-Parkinson, Richard (24 July 2019). "Pub chain banned swearing mobile phones shuts branch breaking rules". Metro. Retrieved 24 November 2019.

Bibliography[edit]

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