Middlewich railway station
Encyclopedia
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.
(LNWR) during 1867-1868. The railway line was completed in November 1867 and was initially used by goods trains. The station was completed later and was opened for passenger use on 1 July 1868.
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
.
The July 1922 LNWR branch line service comprised nine Crewe to Northwich trains, of which five continued to Acton Bridge. There was an additional morning train from and to Crewe that reversed at Middlewich.
In 1885, the LNWR initiated a through carriage on weekdays from Manchester Oxford Road
via Northwich to Middlewich and on to London Euston. The July 1922 railway timetable shows this departing Manchester at 1030am and picking passengers up at major stations to Northwich, calling at Middlewich at 1130am. The carriage reached Crewe at 1150am, where the steam loco detached and the carriage was attached to a Liverpool
to Euston express, reaching the capital at 3.10pm. The northbound service left Euston at 2.30pm, reaching Middlewich at 6.10pm. The service to Euston had ceased by World War Two.
The branch line was operated by the London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMSR) after the railway grouping of 1 January 1923. 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. The LMSR was nationalised by British Railways on 1 January 1948 and the branch was thereafter operated by the London Midland Region
2.3 miles (3.7 km) away on the WCML.
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...
England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
-producing town of Middlewich
Middlewich
Middlewich is a market town in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is east of the city of Chester, east of Winsford, southeast of Northwich and northwest of Sandbach....
between 1868 and 1960. It lay on a branch line from Sandbach
Sandbach railway station
Sandbach railway station serves the town of Sandbach in Cheshire, England. The station is 8 km north east of Crewe on the Crewe to Manchester Line....
to 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 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.
Construction and opening
The branch line and Middlewich station were built by the London and North Western RailwayLondon and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
(LNWR) during 1867-1868. The railway line was completed in November 1867 and was initially used by goods trains. The station was completed later and was opened for passenger use on 1 July 1868.
Passenger services
The basic train service for passengers was from CreweCrewe railway station
Crewe railway station was completed in 1837 and is one of the most historic railway stations in the world. Built in fields near to Crewe Hall, it originally served the village of Crewe with a population of just 70 residents...
via Sandbach to Middlewich and Northwich. Some trains reversed at Northwich and then continued to Hartford and Greenbank
Greenbank railway station
Greenbank railway station serves the village of Hartford, Cheshire as well as the Castle area of Northwich, Cheshire, England. The station is situated on the A559 road from Northwich to Chester.-The station today:...
and then along a short stretch of the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
(WCML) to Acton Bridge
Acton Bridge railway station
Acton Bridge railway station is near the village of Acton Bridge, Cheshire, in the northwest of England.The station, and all the trains that stop here, are operated by London Midland; however, very few services call at this station on the service between Liverpool and Birmingham...
.
The July 1922 LNWR branch line service comprised nine Crewe to Northwich trains, of which five continued to Acton Bridge. There was an additional morning train from and to Crewe that reversed at Middlewich.
In 1885, the LNWR initiated a through carriage on weekdays from Manchester Oxford Road
Manchester Oxford Road railway station
Manchester Oxford Road Railway Station is a railway station in the city of Manchester, England. The station is located at the junction of Whitworth Street West and Oxford Street, on an elevated line between Deansgate and Piccadilly stations....
via Northwich to Middlewich and on to London Euston. The July 1922 railway timetable shows this departing Manchester at 1030am and picking passengers up at major stations to Northwich, calling at Middlewich at 1130am. The carriage reached Crewe at 1150am, where the steam loco detached and the carriage was attached to a Liverpool
Liverpool Lime Street railway station
Liverpool Lime Street is a railway station serving the city centre of Liverpool, England. The station lies on a branch of the West Coast Main Line from London Euston, and on the Wirral Line of the Merseyrail network...
to Euston express, reaching the capital at 3.10pm. The northbound service left Euston at 2.30pm, reaching Middlewich at 6.10pm. The service to Euston had ceased by World War Two.
The branch line was operated by the London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMSR) after the railway grouping of 1 January 1923. 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. The LMSR was nationalised by British Railways on 1 January 1948 and the branch was thereafter operated by the London Midland Region
Nearby railway halts
As the branch was 9 miles (14.5 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. Billinge Green Halt was located between Middlewich and Northwich and opened during 1915. Both halts were closed by the LMSR on 2 March 1942.Freight traffic
The branch line from Sandbach through Middlewich to Northwich was primarily built to serve the industries lying near the railway. The most important in tonnage terms were the Cheshire salt mines which provided the line with much revenue up to recent times, when the traffic switched to road haulage. The related chemical factories also raised revenue for the railway companies. Short railway sidings were laid from the branch line to serve the bigger salt and chemical establishments. A goods depot was provided at Middlewich for the receipt and despatch of freight wagons and there was a parcels office for public use. The Middlewich branch continues to be used by freight trains and for occasional train diversions.Station closure
With the growth in car usage and competition from improved bus services, Middlewich station shared in the common experience of a decline in railway passengers. By January 1956, the passenger service offered just four third-class only trains each way on weekdays, and none on Sundays. The station became an early victim of the British Railways closure programme, with regular passenger trains ceasing to use the branch on 4 January 1960. The station buildings were subsequently demolished. The nearest railway station is now WinsfordWinsford railway station
Winsford railway station serves the town of Winsford in Cheshire, England.It is a staffed station which has a hourly service throughout the day with a few exceptions....
2.3 miles (3.7 km) away on the WCML.