Glazebrook East Junction to Skelton Junction Line
Encyclopedia
Glazebrook East Junction to Skelton Junction Line was a railway line from Glazebrook
to Skelton Junction
in Manchester.
. The line carried on through Skelton Junction terminating at Stockport Tiviot Dale
It opened in 1873 serving the towns of Cadishead, Partington and West Timperley before joining the Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway (MSJ&AR) at Skelton Junction which was also part of the CLC at this time.
In the 1890s the line was deviated due to the building of the Manchester Ship Canal, it was raised on an embankment around a mile in length from Glazebrook East Junction be high enough to clear the Ship Canal and Cadishead Viaduct
was built in 1892 to span the canal.
The line saw little change in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and it remained part of the CLC in the 1923 regrouping, on nationalistion it became part of the London Midland Region of British Railways
in 1948 at the final demise of the CLC.
Cadishead
Partington
West Timperley
However the line carried on as freight only until 1983 when Cadishead viaduct was in need of serious and costly repair.
British Rail decided rather than repairing the viaduct to close it and mothball the line.
The tracks were lifted in the mid 1980s from Glazebrook to Partington.
ownership which in turn passed to Network Rail
.
The trackbed from Cadishead to Partington remained (and remains to this day) in the ownership of the BRB (Residuary) Ltd.
.
Interestingly the tracks from Skelton Junction to the south east of Partington were left and remained intact for chemical trains for a local chemical plant. These trains continued to use this route until 10 October 1993.
To this day however this part of the line is intact but disused, the signal lamps at Skelton Junction remain powered red. Also in 2005 this part of the track saw same work, vegetation clearance too place for the line to reopen for freight work but this fell though.
In 2010 the Liberal Democrats announced plans to reopen thousands of miles of disused and abandoned tracks. It is hoped this line will reopen sometime in the future.
This however although being an easy process as all the infrastructure of the line is still in place bar the tracks and signaling etc., it will cost millions of pounds to bring Cadishead viaduct up to a safe and usable standard along with all the other decaying bridges along the line which have seen little or no maintenance in 26 years since the line was closed.
Glazebrook
Glazebrook is a village on the very eastern edge of the Warrington conurbation.It has a small housing estate, a post office and Glazebrook railway station which marks the westernmost boundary of the GMPTE....
to Skelton Junction
Skelton Junction
Skelton Junction is a complex of railway junctions to the south of Manchester in Timperley, near Altrincham. Both the Cheshire Lines Committee's Liverpool to Manchester line and the LNWR's Warrington and Altrincham Junction Railway fed into the junction from Liverpool in the west...
in Manchester.
History
Glazebrook East Junction to Skelton Junction Line was part of Cheshire Lines Committee as a branch line of their main Liverpool to Manchester LinesLiverpool to Manchester Lines
There are two Liverpool to Manchester railway lines between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester in the North West of England. The 'Northern Route' via and to either or follows the route of the original Liverpool and Manchester Railway...
. The line carried on through Skelton Junction terminating at Stockport Tiviot Dale
It opened in 1873 serving the towns of Cadishead, Partington and West Timperley before joining the Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway (MSJ&AR) at Skelton Junction which was also part of the CLC at this time.
In the 1890s the line was deviated due to the building of the Manchester Ship Canal, it was raised on an embankment around a mile in length from Glazebrook East Junction be high enough to clear the Ship Canal and Cadishead Viaduct
Cadishead viaduct
The Cadishead Viaduct is a disused railway viaduct of multi-lattice girder construction. It was built in 1892 by the CLC to clear the newly built Manchester Ship Canal to carry the new deviation of the Glazebrook to Woodley Main Line...
was built in 1892 to span the canal.
The line saw little change in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and it remained part of the CLC in the 1923 regrouping, on nationalistion it became part of the London Midland Region of British Railways
London Midland Region of British Railways
The London Midland Region was one of the six regions created on the formation of the nationalised British Railways and consisted of ex-London, Midland and Scottish Railway lines in England and Wales. The region was managed first from buildings adjacent to Euston Station and later from Stanier...
in 1948 at the final demise of the CLC.
Stations
The line called at the following stations:Cadishead
Cadishead
Cadishead is a suburban town within the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, Cadishead is the most southwesterly settlement in the city of Salford.-History:...
Partington
West Timperley
Closure
As part of the London Midland region of BR, It remained a busy line with trains from Liverpool Central and Warrington Central up until the mid-1960s it was only until the withdrawal of these stopping passenger services in 1964 did all the stations close along the line.However the line carried on as freight only until 1983 when Cadishead viaduct was in need of serious and costly repair.
British Rail decided rather than repairing the viaduct to close it and mothball the line.
The tracks were lifted in the mid 1980s from Glazebrook to Partington.
Privatisation
As the line was closed prior to privatisation, only Glazebrook East Junction and the line from south of Partington to Skelton Junction were passed over into RailtrackRailtrack
Railtrack was a group of companies that owned the track, signalling, tunnels, bridges, level crossings and all but a handful of the stations of the British railway system from its formation in April 1994 until 2002...
ownership which in turn passed to Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
.
The trackbed from Cadishead to Partington remained (and remains to this day) in the ownership of the BRB (Residuary) Ltd.
BRB (Residuary) Ltd.
BRB Limited is the successor to the British Railways Board. It is a private company limited by shares, with 100% of the issued share capital owned by the Secretary of State for Transport.-Background:...
.
Today
As of 2010 Glazebrook East Junction is still intact and remains part of the national network, the junction towards Cadishead on the original deivation is also still in place with a powered signal lamp showing a permanent red signal. This short section of track from the still live passing loop at Glazebrook East Junction towards Cadishead on the original non-deviated line is permanently point locked. The short section ends near at a barrow crossing shortly before a bridge above carrying a bridal way above.Interestingly the tracks from Skelton Junction to the south east of Partington were left and remained intact for chemical trains for a local chemical plant. These trains continued to use this route until 10 October 1993.
To this day however this part of the line is intact but disused, the signal lamps at Skelton Junction remain powered red. Also in 2005 this part of the track saw same work, vegetation clearance too place for the line to reopen for freight work but this fell though.
In 2010 the Liberal Democrats announced plans to reopen thousands of miles of disused and abandoned tracks. It is hoped this line will reopen sometime in the future.
This however although being an easy process as all the infrastructure of the line is still in place bar the tracks and signaling etc., it will cost millions of pounds to bring Cadishead viaduct up to a safe and usable standard along with all the other decaying bridges along the line which have seen little or no maintenance in 26 years since the line was closed.