Chronological List of the Railways of Cheshire, 1837-1939
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CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF THE RAILWAYS OF CHESHIRE, 1837-1939 BY M. D. GREVILLE In addition to previously published data, I have consulted official and Rail way Clearing House records, local and railway press, and Bradshaw's Manual. There is often a bewildering discrepancy in dates in railway records, especially the older ones. Every effort has been made to establish the correct dates, and when this has not been possible from contemporary references, I have shown the ones which, taking all circumstances into consideration, seem the most likely to be accurate. Closing of lines and withdrawal of passenger services are noted only up to the outbreak of war in September 1939. The clos ing dates given are those for the last days on which trains ran. The railways have been grouped under the following headings and subheadings: 1 LONDON, MIDLAND & SCOTTISH RAILWAY A London & North Western Railway and Components B Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway C Midland Railway D North Staffordshire Railway E Wirral Railway F London & North Western and North Staffordshire Joint Line 2 GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY 3 LONDON & NORTH EASTERN RAILWAY Great Central Railway 4 VARIOUS AND INTER-GROUP JOINT LINES A Birkenhead Joint Line B Manchester South Junction & Altrincham Railway C Cheshire Lines Committee D Sheffield & Midland Railway Companies' Committee E Macclesfield Committee F Mersey Railway 1. LONDON, MIDLAND & SCOTTISH RAILWAY A. LONDON & NORTH WESTERN RAILWAY [Formed 16.7.1846 by amalgamation of Grand Junction, Manchester & Birmingham and London & Birmingham Railways. Amalgamated with Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway 1.1.1922. Became part of London Midland & Scottish Railway, 1.1.1923]. OPENED Macclesfield (Beech Road) to 6 or 7.1849 Macclefield (Hibel Road) 135 136 RAILWAYS OF CHESHIRE OPENED Stalybridge to Huddersfield 1.8.1849 (Only first 1^ miles in Cheshire). Crewe to Shrewsbury 2.9.1858 (In Cheshire up to 3 miles beyond Wren- bury). Chester & Holyhead Railway Absorbed 1.1.1859. Warrington & Stockport Rail Absorbed 13.8.1859joint- way ly with St. Helens Canal and Railway. Stockport to Northenden 1.8.1866 Stockport, Disley & Whaley Absorbed 16.11.1866. Bridge Railway Sandbach to Northwich 11.1867 Goods. (Passengers 1.7.1868). Acton (Weaver Junction) to 1.2.1869 Goods. Ditton (Passengers 1.4.1869. In Cheshire as far as Runcorn Bridge). Hartford Curve to Cheshire 3.1870 Lines Committee Waverton (Tattenhall June- 1.10.1872 (In Cheshire except last tion) to Whitchurch 2 miles). Runcorn (Halton Junction) to 1.5.1873 Frodsham Junction Over & Wharton Branch 1.6.1882 Denton to Dukinfield 2.10.1882 Goods. (Passengers 1.11.1882 Only short section at Dukinfield in Cheshire. Connection at Dukin field to Great Central Railway removed 1.7.1903). Davenport to Cheadle Village 1.12.1883 Goods. Junction (Passengers 1.7.1884). Stalybridge to Diggle Loop 1.12.1885 Goods. (Passengers 3.5.1886. Only first 2 miles, round Staley and Millbrook, in Cheshire). Moore Walton Deviation & 9.7.1893 Made to provide neces Latchford Deviation. sary clearance over the Ship Canal. Dukinfield to Stalybridge 1.8.1893 Goods. (Passengers 7.8.1893. Only short sections at Dukinfield and Staly bridge in Cheshire). RAILWAYS OF CHESHIRE 137 OPENED Wilmslow to Levenshulme 8.2.1909 Goods. (Slade Lane Junction) (Passengers 1.5.1909. Southern half only in Cheshire). See also Sections IF, 4A and 4e. The following lines had separate identities before becoming part of London & North Western Railway (i) GRAND JUNCTION RAILWAY (Act 6.5.1833). OPENED Birmingham to Warrington 4.7.1837 (In Cheshire from 2 miles north of Madeley to outskirts of Warring- ton). Chester & Crewe Railway Absorbed 1.7.1840. Crewe to Chester 1.10.1840 With Manchester & Birmingham and London & Birmingham formed London & North Western Railway 16.7.1846. (ii) CHESTER & CREWE RAILWAY (Act 30.6.1837) Absorbed by Grand Junction Railway 1.7.1840. (iii) MANCHESTER & BIRMINGHAM RAILWAY (Act 30.6.1837) OPENED Stockport to Sandbach 10.5.1842 Sandbach to Crewe 10.8.1842 Cheadle to Poynton Collieries 9.6.1845 Goods. (Passengers to Poynton 24.11.1845). Poynton to Macclesfield 24.11.1845 Poynton to Collieries (Beech Road) transferred to Colliery Co. With Grand Junction and London & Birmingham formed London & North Western Railway 16.7.1846. (iv) CHESTER & HOLYHEAD RAILWAY (Act 4.7.1844) OPENED Chester to Saltney Junction 4.11.1846 Saltney Junction to Bangor 1.5.1848 (Only first \ mile in Cheshire). Saltney (Mold Junction) to 14.8.1849 (About \ mile north of Mold Kinnerton, in Ches hire). Absorbed by London & North Western Railway 1.1.1859 Chester & Holyhead Co. dissolved 21.7.1879 138 RAILWAYS OF CHESHIRE (v) WARRINGTON & ALTRINCHAM JUNCTION RAILWAY (Act 3.7.1851) Became Warrington & Stockport Railway 4.8.1853 OPENED Warrington to Altrincham 1.11.1853 (now Broadheath) Altrincham to Timperley 1.5.1854 Absorbed by London & North Western Railway jointly with St. Helens Canal & Railway 13.8.1859 (vi) STOCKPORT, DISLEY & WHALEY BRIDGE RAILWAY (Act 31.7.1854) Stockport to Whaley Bridge opened 9.6.1857 Absorbed by London & North Western Railway 16.11.1866 B. LANCASHIRE & YORKSHIRE RAILWAY [Manchester & Leeds Railway (Act 4.7.1836) became Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway 23.7. 1847.] OPENED Ashton to Stalybridge 5.10.1846 (Only short section at Stalybridge in Cheshire). Stalybridge Junction with 1.8.1849 Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway Amalgamated with London & North Western Railway 1.1.1922 C. MIDLAND RAILWAY (Act 10.5.1844) [Became part of London, Midland & Scottish Railway 1.1.1923] OPENED Heaton Mersey to Cheadle 1.10.1901 Heath Cheadle Heath to New Mills 4.5.1902 Goods. (Passengers 1.7.1902). See also Sections 4c and 4o. D. NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE RAILWAY (Act 26.6.1846) [Became part of London, Midland & Scottish Railway 1.7.1923] OPENED Stoke to Crewe 9.10.1848 Harecastle to Crewe in Cheshire. Harecastle to Congleton 9.10.1848 Congleton to Macclesfield 18.6.1849 North Rode to Uttoxeter 13.7.1849 (First 3 miles in Cheshire). Harecastle (Lawton Junction) 21.1.1852 Goods, to Sandbach (Passengers to Wheelock only 3.7.1893. Withdrawn 26.7.1930). RAILWAYS OF CHESHIRE 139 OPENED Stoke to Congleton Upper 3.8.1859 Goods. Junction via Biddulph (Passengers 1.6.1864. Withdrawn 9.7.1927. Only last 1^ miles in Cheshire). Congleton Lower Junction to 3.8.1859 Goods only. Brunswick Wharf Harecastle (Alsager Junction) 24.7.1870 Goods. to Keele (Passengers 28.6.1880. Withdrawn 25.4.1931. Only 1st mile in Cheshire). See also Sections IF and 4E. E. WIRRAL RAILWAY [Hoylake Railway (Act 28.7.1863) became Hoylake & Birkenhead Rail & Tramway Co. 18.7.1872, Seacombe, Hoylake & Deeside Railway 18.7.1881, and Wirral Railway 1.7.1891. Became part of London, Midland & Scottish Railway 1.7.1923]. OPENED Birkenhead to Hoylake 2.7.1866 (Closed Birkenhead to Leasowe 8.7.1870 to 31.7.1872). Hoylake to West Kirby and 1.4.1878 extension to new Birkenhead Docks Station Birkenhead Docks to Park & 2.1.1888 Wallasey Branch Wallasey to New Brighton 30.3.1888 Seacombe Branch 1.6.1895 ? F. LONDON & NORTH WESTERN AND NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE JOINT LINE Middlewood Curve opened 26.5.1885 Goods. (Passengers 1.6.1885). Regular passenger ser vice lasted only 3 years. 2. GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY (Act 31.8.1835) [Amalgamated with Shrewsbury & Chester Railway 1.9.1854.] OPENED Nantwich to Market Drayton 20.10.1863 (In Cheshire to 1 mile south of Audlem). See also Section 4A. The following line had a separate identity before becoming part of Great Western Railway. 140 RAILWAYS OF CHESHIRE Shrewsbury, Oswestry & Cheshire Railway (Act 30.6.1845) [Amalgamated with North Wales Mineral Railway (Act 6.8.1844) as Shrewsbury & Chester Railway 28.8.1846.] OPENED Saltney Junction to Ruabon 4.11.1846 (First 4 miles in Cheshire) Saltney Quay Branch 4.11.1846 Goods only. Amalgamated with Great Western Railway 1.9.1854. 3. LONDON & NORTH EASTERN RAILWAY GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAY [Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne & Manchester Railway (Act 5.5.1837). Became Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway 11.1.1847, and Great Central Railway 1.8.1897. Became part of London & North Eastern Railway 1.1.1923.] OPENED Manchester to Godley 17.11.1841 (Guide Bridge to Godley in Cheshire). Godley to Broadbottom 10.12.1842 Woodheadto Dunford Bridge 23.12.1845 (Part of Woodhead Tun nel in Cheshire). Guide Bridge to Stalybridge 23.12.1845 (Only short section at Stalybridge in Cheshire). Hyde Junction to Hyde 1.3.1858 Hyde to Compstall (for Marple) 5.8.1862 Compstall to New Mills 1.7.1865 (In Cheshire to Marple only). Godley to Woodley 1.2.1866 Transferred to Cheshire Lines Committee 10.8.1866. Hyde Junction to Marple Transferred to Sheffield & Midland Ry. Cos. Committee 24.12.1869. Chester to Hawarden Bridge 31.3.1890 (In Cheshire to 1 mile beyond Blacon). North Wales & Liverpool Railway absorbed 1.1.1905. See also Sections 4s, 4c, 4o and 4E. The following line had a separate identity before becoming part of Great Central Railway. MANCHESTER, SHEFFIELD & LINCOLNSHIRE AND WREXHAM, MOLD & CONNAH'S QUAY JOINT LINE. [Powers of Wirral Railway incorporated by Certificate of 1883 transferred by Act of 12.8.1889 to Manchester, Sheffield & Lin colnshire and Wrexham, Mold & Connah's Quay Railways. Be came Dee & Birkenhead Committee 6.7.1895 and North Wales & Liverpool Railway Committee 7.8.1896.] RAILWAYS OF CHESHIRE 141 OPENED Hawarden Bridge to Bidston 16.3.1896 Goods. 18.5.1896 Passengers. (In Cheshire from just South of Burton Point Station.) Absorbed by Great Central Railway 1.1.1905. 4. VARIOUS AND INTERGROUP JOINT LINES A. BIRKENHEAD JOINT LINE (GREAT WESTERN AND LONDON & NORTH WESTERN) (i) BIRKENHEAD, LANCASHIRE & CHESHIRE JUNCTION RAILWAY (Act 26.6.1846).