Chester Northgate railway station
Encyclopedia
Chester Northgate is a former railway station in Chester
, Cheshire
that was a terminus for the Cheshire Lines Committee
and Great Central Railway
. It was the city centre's second station with trains to Manchester
, Birkenhead
and North Wales
.
area of the city, was originally planned by the West Cheshire Railway
in 1865. A year later the company was acquired by the Cheshire Lines Committee
. It opened the station on for train services to Manchester Central
on the Mid-Cheshire Line
via Northwich
. The CLC track crossed the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
and Great Western Railway
line over a flying junction
at Mickle Trafford
.
Chester Northgate had a station building and two covered roofs, it had four tracks with two side platform
s. There were also lower level sidings that contained a locomotive yard.
In 1890 the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
(renamed Great Central Railway
in 1897) completed the 6 miles (9.7 km) Chester & Connah's Quay Railway
to Hawarden Bridge
. Services from Chester Northgate ran to Connor's Quay via Blacon
; and also to Wrexham General
and New Brighton
, Wirral
.
A triangle junction outside the station allowed trains to either terminate at Chester Northgate or pass through the city without stopping. During the Second World War, the station served military personnel that were based at RAF Sealand
and at Blacon Camp.
In 1969 a level junction
was installed at Mickle Trafford so Manchester trains could be diverted to Chester General.
The station closed on . The site is now occupied by the Northgate Arena
.
at Shotton
until March 1980. Freight continued to pass the former station on a double-tracked line
until 20 April 1984. Goods services resumed on a single-track line
on 31 August 1986 before final closure in the early 1990s. The trackbed is now a cycle way.
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
that was a terminus for the Cheshire Lines Committee
Cheshire Lines Committee
The Cheshire Lines Committee was the second largest joint railway in Great Britain, with 143 route miles. Despite its name, approximately 55% of its system was in Lancashire. In its publicity material it was often styled as the Cheshire Lines Railway...
and Great Central Railway
Great Central Railway
The Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
. It was the city centre's second station with trains to Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
and North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
.
History
The station, which was located on Victoria Road in the NewtownNewtown, Chester
Newtown is an area of Chester, Cheshire, England.-History:left|thumb|1899 OS map of N.E. Chester showing Newtown. The Cathederal grounds of St. Werburgh can be seen to bottom left of the map...
area of the city, was originally planned by the West Cheshire Railway
West Cheshire Railway
The West Cheshire Railway was an early railway company based in Cheshire England.-Early Company history:The WCR was incorporated on 11 July 1861. In 1861, the WCR requested powers to construct a line from Northwich to Chester, with a branch to Helsby, but parliamentary approval was received only...
in 1865. A year later the company was acquired by the Cheshire Lines Committee
Cheshire Lines Committee
The Cheshire Lines Committee was the second largest joint railway in Great Britain, with 143 route miles. Despite its name, approximately 55% of its system was in Lancashire. In its publicity material it was often styled as the Cheshire Lines Railway...
. It opened the station on for train services to Manchester Central
Manchester Central railway station
Manchester Central railway station is a former railway station in Manchester City Centre, England. One of Manchester's main railway terminals between 1880 and 1969, it now houses an exhibition and conference centre named Manchester Central.-History:...
on the Mid-Cheshire Line
Mid-Cheshire Line
The Mid-Cheshire Line is a railway line in the north-west of England, between Chester and Manchester.- History :The Mid Cheshire line has its origins in railways promoted by three separate railway companies in the 19th century. The Cheshire Midland Railway was opened to passengers between...
via Northwich
Northwich railway station
Northwich railway station serves the town of Northwich in Cheshire, England. The station has two platforms and is located on the Mid-Cheshire Line.-Services:...
. The CLC track crossed the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
and Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
line over a flying junction
Flying junction
A flying junction or flyover is a railway junction at which one or more diverging or converging tracks in a multiple-track route cross other tracks on the route by bridge to avoid conflict with other train movements. A more technical term is "grade-separated junction"...
at Mickle Trafford
Mickle Trafford
Mickle Trafford is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It includes the area known as Plemstall. In 2004 the population of the civil parish was estimated to be 2,140, although the 2001 census recorded...
.
Chester Northgate had a station building and two covered roofs, it had four tracks with two side platform
Side platform
A Side platform is a platform positioned to the side of a pair of tracks at a railway station, a tram stop or a transitway. A pair of side platforms are often provided on a dual track line with a single side platform being sufficient for a single track line...
s. There were also lower level sidings that contained a locomotive yard.
In 1890 the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
The Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway was formed by amalgamation in 1847. The MS&LR changed its name to the Great Central Railway in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension.-Origin:...
(renamed Great Central Railway
Great Central Railway
The Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
in 1897) completed the 6 miles (9.7 km) Chester & Connah's Quay Railway
Chester & Connah's Quay Railway
The Chester & Connah's Quay Railway ran from Chester Northgate in Chester, Cheshire, England to Shotton, Flintshire, Wales.It was built by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway and was opened on 31 March 1890.At Dee Marsh Junction it connected with the North Wales and Liverpool Railway...
to Hawarden Bridge
Hawarden Bridge
Hawarden Bridge is a railway bridge over the River Dee, near to Shotton, Flintshire, Wales. It was built by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway , as part of the Chester & Connah's Quay Railway...
. Services from Chester Northgate ran to Connor's Quay via Blacon
Blacon
Blacon is a large suburb near Chester, in Cheshire, England, containing a mixture of private homes and substantial public council-built properties...
; and also to Wrexham General
Wrexham General railway station
Wrexham General railway station is a main line railway station and the main railway station serving Wrexham, north-east Wales. It is currently operated by Arriva Trains Wales, but services are also provided by Virgin Trains who operate a service to London Euston...
and New Brighton
New Brighton railway station
New Brighton railway station is situated in New Brighton, Wirral, England. It is situated at the end of the New Brighton branch of the Wirral Line 13 km west of Liverpool Lime Street on the Merseyrail network.-History:...
, Wirral
Metropolitan Borough of Wirral
The Metropolitan Borough of Wirral is a metropolitan borough of Merseyside, in North West England. It has a population of 311,200, and encompasses of the northern part of the Wirral Peninsula. Major settlements include Birkenhead, Wallasey, Bebington, Heswall, Hoylake and West Kirby. The city of...
.
A triangle junction outside the station allowed trains to either terminate at Chester Northgate or pass through the city without stopping. During the Second World War, the station served military personnel that were based at RAF Sealand
RAF Sealand
RAF Sealand was a former Royal Air Force station in Flintshire, north Wales and operated between 1916 and 2006.Under defence cuts announced in 2004 RAF Sealand was completely closed in April 2006. All remaining RAF units were moved to RAF Leeming...
and at Blacon Camp.
In 1969 a level junction
Level junction
In U.S. railroad practice, a level junction is a railway junction that has a track configuration in which merging or crossing railroad lines provide track connections with each other that require trains to cross over in front of opposing traffic at grade In U.S. railroad practice, a level junction...
was installed at Mickle Trafford so Manchester trains could be diverted to Chester General.
The station closed on . The site is now occupied by the Northgate Arena
Northgate Arena
Northgate Arena is an arena and leisure centre complex in Chester, England. Built in the 1970s on the site of the Chester Northgate railway station, Northgate Arena includes swimming pools, a gymnasium, several sports halls and a sauna. The main sports hall is also used for toy and train, antique,...
.
Railway line
Although Chester Northgate closed, the line it once served remained open for another 25 years. It was used by the Corus steelmaking plantCorus Group
Tata Steel Europe is a multinational steel-making company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the second-largest steel-maker in Europe and is a subsidiary of Tata Steel of India, one of the ten largest steel producers in the world.Corus Group was formed through the merger of Koninklijke...
at Shotton
Shotton, Flintshire
Shotton is a town in Flintshire, north Wales, lying on the River Dee. The name derives from the Old Norse words sjò and tùn . It is continuous with the towns of Connah's Quay and Queensferry in what is called Deeside...
until March 1980. Freight continued to pass the former station on a double-tracked line
Double track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
until 20 April 1984. Goods services resumed on a single-track line
Single track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
on 31 August 1986 before final closure in the early 1990s. The trackbed is now a cycle way.