Stone railway station
Encyclopedia
Stone railway station serves the town of Stone, Staffordshire
, England
. The station is located on a junction of the Colwich
to Manchester
spur of the West Coast Main Line
, but has platforms only on the branch from Stafford
to Stoke-on-Trent
.
This station was opened for passengers along the Norton bridge platforms 17 April 1848 on the first line opened by the North Staffordshire Railway
. The platforms on the Colwich line were opened to passengers 1 May 1849, also by the North Staffordshire Railway, were closed in 1947 and subsequently removed.
The station building has been redeveloped by Stone Town Council as a community centre
.
operated by BakerBus
. Virgin Trains
were reportedly going to reinstate Stone as a stop from June 2006 on the Birmingham to Manchester service http://groups.google.co.uk/group/uk.railway/browse_thread/thread/abbff366b16438a1/, but this never materialised.
However, in December 2008 Stone station reopened to an hourly train service between Crewe
and London Euston as part of a new revamped West Coast main line
timetable unveiled by the Department for Transport
. This service is operated by London Midland
.
Stone, Staffordshire
Stone is an old market town in Staffordshire, England, situated about seven miles north of Stafford, and around seven miles south of the city of Stoke-on-Trent. It is the second town, after Stafford itself, in the Borough of Stafford, and has long been of importance from the point of view of...
, 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...
. The station is located on a junction of the Colwich
Colwich, Staffordshire
Colwich is a civil parish and village in Staffordshire, England. It is situated off the A51 road, about 3 miles north west of Rugeley, and 7 miles south east of Stafford...
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...
spur 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...
, but has platforms only on the branch from Stafford
Stafford railway station
Stafford railway station is an important main line interchange station in the United Kingdom. It serves the county town of Stafford.The present station built in 1962 is a good example of the Brutalist style of architecture - the beauty of the building was perceived to be its very functionality and...
to Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent railway station
Stoke-on-Trent Railway Station is a main-line railway station in central England. It is located on the Stafford to Manchester branch of the West Coast Main Line and serves the Staffordshire city of Stoke-on-Trent...
.
This station was opened for passengers along the Norton bridge platforms 17 April 1848 on the first line opened by the North Staffordshire Railway
North Staffordshire Railway
The North Staffordshire Railway was a British railway company formed in 1845 to promote a number of lines in the Staffordshire Potteries and surrounding areas in Staffordshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Shropshire....
. The platforms on the Colwich line were opened to passengers 1 May 1849, also by the North Staffordshire Railway, were closed in 1947 and subsequently removed.
The station building has been redeveloped by Stone Town Council as a community centre
Community centre
Community centres or community centers or jumping recreation centers are public locations where members of a community tend to gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may sometimes be open for the whole community or for a specialised group within...
.
Recent developments
In 2004 rail services were withdrawn from the station and replaced by busesBustitution
The word bustitution is a neologism sometimes used to describe the practice of replacing a passenger train service with a bus service either on a temporary or permanent basis. The word is a portmanteau of the words "bus" and "substitution"...
operated by BakerBus
BakerBus
BakerBus is the trading name used by the bus fleet of Bakers Coaches, a bus and coach operator based in Biddulph, Staffordshire, England. They operate a fleet of around 50 vehicles on local bus services and coach hire work.-History:...
. Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland...
were reportedly going to reinstate Stone as a stop from June 2006 on the Birmingham to Manchester service http://groups.google.co.uk/group/uk.railway/browse_thread/thread/abbff366b16438a1/, but this never materialised.
However, in December 2008 Stone station reopened to an hourly train service between Crewe
Crewe 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...
and London Euston as part of a new revamped 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...
timetable unveiled by the Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
. This service is operated by London Midland
London Midland
London Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd, it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands franchise since 11 November 2007....
.