Uttoxeter railway station
Encyclopedia
Uttoxeter railway station serves the town of Uttoxeter
in Staffordshire
, England. It is served by trains on the Crewe-Derby Line which is also a Community rail line
known as the North Staffordshire line. The station is owned by Network Rail
and managed by East Midlands Trains
(EMT) Train Operating Company
(TOC).
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(NSR) to serve its main line from to . Prior to 1881, three different stations had been in use simultaneously, all being built by the NSR or its constituents.
The section from Stoke-on-Trent to Uttoxeter was opened on 7 August 1848. At first, the still existing Hockley crossing was the location of the temporary station. Later, Uttoxeter Bridge Street station was opened as the main station when the line was completed to Burton on 11 September 1848. When the Churnet Valley Line
was opened on 13 July 1849, a junction station was opened on the mainline to serve the Churnet Valley line. On this date, Uttoxeter Dove Bank station was also opened but on the Churnet line.
Uttoxeter now had three stations in total. In 1880, the NSR decided to close all three and construct a north to west line forming a triangular junction. A new Uttoxeter station replaced all three at this new junction and opened on 10 October 1881. There is a model of the 1881 station at the Uttoxeter Heritage Centre.
The Stafford and Uttoxeter Railway
which opened in 1867 also used the station buy this line was operated by the Great Northern Railway
.
the North Staffordshire Railway was absorbed by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS). During this short period of time the Stafford and Uttoxeter Railway
closed to passengers on 4 December 1939, although the line remained open for good traffic until 5 March 1951.
.
The last mainline steam train use the station on 16 September 1957 and thereafter an hourly DMU service operated which has been used ever since.
Passenger services on the Churnet Valley line from Uttoxeter towards and ceased operation 2 January 1965, and the trains towards Ashbourne
and Buxton
ceased on 1 November 1954. The last mainline steam train ran on 16 September 1957. The Engine sheds closed on 7 December 1964 A siding which was part of the old Churnet valley line remained until the 1980's.
The station buildings were destroyed by fire on 9 May 1987 and the station is now unstaffed.
franchise. Trains would run from the station from Manchester Airport
to Skegness railway station
in 2004 the Manchester Airport train was cut short to Crewe and in September 2005 the Skegness train was cut short to Derby.
The Central Trains
franchise expired on 11 November 2007 and the station and its services were taken over by a new company called East Midlands Trains
.
Uttoxeter also the railway station for Uttoxeter Racecourse
which is adjacent to the station as well as Alton Towers
theme park, for which there is a regular bus
link.
, 156
or a 158
.
During the Midlands Grand National extra trains are provided by East Midlands Trains
to cope with the capacity.
The station also has a bus stop and is served by routes 30, 32, 32A and 402.
Uttoxeter
Uttoxeter is a historic market town in Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. The current population is approximately 13,711, though new developments in the town will increase this figure. Uttoxeter lies close to the River Dove and is near the cities of Stoke-on-Trent, Derby and...
in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England. It is served by trains on the Crewe-Derby Line which is also a Community rail line
Community rail
In the United Kingdom, a community rail line is a local railway which is specially supported by local organisations. This support is usually through a Community Rail Partnerships – comprising both the railway operator, local councils and other community organisations – or sometimes by...
known as the North Staffordshire line. The station is owned by 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...
and managed by East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
(EMT) Train Operating Company
Train operating company
The term train operating company is used in the United Kingdom to describe the various businesses operating passenger trains on the railway system of Great Britain under the collective National Rail brand...
(TOC).
History
North Staffordshire Railway
The present station was built by the North Staffordshire RailwayNorth 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....
(NSR) to serve its main line from to . Prior to 1881, three different stations had been in use simultaneously, all being built by the NSR or its constituents.
The section from Stoke-on-Trent to Uttoxeter was opened on 7 August 1848. At first, the still existing Hockley crossing was the location of the temporary station. Later, Uttoxeter Bridge Street station was opened as the main station when the line was completed to Burton on 11 September 1848. When the Churnet Valley Line
Churnet Valley Line
The Churnet Valley line was one of the three original routes planned and built by the North Staffordshire Railway. Authorised in 1846, the line opened in 1849 and ran from in Cheshire to in East Staffordshire...
was opened on 13 July 1849, a junction station was opened on the mainline to serve the Churnet Valley line. On this date, Uttoxeter Dove Bank station was also opened but on the Churnet line.
The Stafford and Uttoxeter Railway
Stafford and Uttoxeter Railway
The Stafford and Uttoxeter Railway was created by Act of Parliament in 1862, to run between Stafford and Uttoxeter in Staffordshire, England.It opened for traffic in 1867. It was nicknamed the Clog and Knocker....
which opened in 1867 also used the station buy this line was operated by the Great Northern Railway
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
.
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
On 1 January 1923, under the Railways Act 1921Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
the North Staffordshire Railway was absorbed by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS). During this short period of time the Stafford and Uttoxeter Railway
Stafford and Uttoxeter Railway
The Stafford and Uttoxeter Railway was created by Act of Parliament in 1862, to run between Stafford and Uttoxeter in Staffordshire, England.It opened for traffic in 1867. It was nicknamed the Clog and Knocker....
closed to passengers on 4 December 1939, although the line remained open for good traffic until 5 March 1951.
British Rail
The LMS was nationalised in 1948 and became part of British RailBritish Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
.
The last mainline steam train use the station on 16 September 1957 and thereafter an hourly DMU service operated which has been used ever since.
Passenger services on the Churnet Valley line from Uttoxeter towards and ceased operation 2 January 1965, and the trains towards Ashbourne
Ashbourne railway station
Ashbourne railway station formerly served the town of Ashbourne in DerbyshireThe original station was opened in 1852 by the North Staffordshire Railway on its branch from Rocester on its Churnet Valley Line.-History:...
and Buxton
Buxton railway station
Buxton railway station is a railway station that serves the town of Buxton in Derbyshire. It is managed and served by Northern Rail. The station is 25¾ miles south east of Manchester Piccadilly and is the terminus of the Buxton Line.-History:...
ceased on 1 November 1954. The last mainline steam train ran on 16 September 1957. The Engine sheds closed on 7 December 1964 A siding which was part of the old Churnet valley line remained until the 1980's.
The station buildings were destroyed by fire on 9 May 1987 and the station is now unstaffed.
Privatisation
On 2 March 1997 the station became part of the Central TrainsCentral Trains
Central Trains was one of the original 25 train operating companies to emerge from the break-up of British Rail between 1994 and 1997. The company operated local, urban and secondary express services across central England and Mid Wales.-Overview:...
franchise. Trains would run from the station from Manchester Airport
Manchester Airport railway station
Manchester Airport railway station is the railway station that serves Manchester Airport and is built into the airport's terminal buildings. The station was opened together with the second airport terminal in 1993.- Description:...
to Skegness railway station
Skegness railway station
Skegness railway station serves the seaside resort of Skegness in Lincolnshire, England.Services are operated by East Midlands Trains which run to and from Nottingham, where services originate or terminate.-History:...
in 2004 the Manchester Airport train was cut short to Crewe and in September 2005 the Skegness train was cut short to Derby.
The Central Trains
Central Trains
Central Trains was one of the original 25 train operating companies to emerge from the break-up of British Rail between 1994 and 1997. The company operated local, urban and secondary express services across central England and Mid Wales.-Overview:...
franchise expired on 11 November 2007 and the station and its services were taken over by a new company called East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
.
Today
The station has 2 platforms which are connected by level crossing. The Station is around 5 minutes walk from the town centre. The station also has a car park. The station is presently unstaffed and has been since 1988, there have been proposals to built a ticket office since 2002 but they look unlikely in the short term. There are Bus stop style shelters on both platforms and real bus stop just outside the station on Station Road. New LED information boards on both platforms were introduced in 2007 which replaced a single television screen at the entrance to the station.Uttoxeter also the railway station for Uttoxeter Racecourse
Uttoxeter Racecourse
Uttoxeter Racecourse is a National Hunt racecourse in the town of Uttoxeter, in Staffordshire, England.Uttoxeter is a left-handed oval shaped course of one mile two and a half furlongs in circumference....
which is adjacent to the station as well as Alton Towers
Alton Towers
Alton Towers is a theme park and resort located in Staffordshire, England. It attracts around 2.7 million visitors per year making it the most visited theme park in the United Kingdom. Alton Towers is also the 9th most visited theme park in Europe...
theme park, for which there is a regular bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
link.
Services
Uttoxeter is served by one train per hour per hour in each direction usually operated by a class 153British Rail Class 153
The British Rail Class 153 Super Sprinter is a single car diesel multiple unit converted from British Rail Class 155s.-Description:These units were originally built as two-car Class 155 units by British Leyland from 1987–88, but were converted by Hunslet-Barclay at Kilmarnock from 1991-92...
, 156
British Rail Class 156
The British Rail Class 156 Super Sprinter is a diesel multiple-unit train . 114 of these units were built from 1987 to 1989 by Metro-Cammell at its Washwood Heath Works in Birmingham...
or a 158
British Rail Class 158
British Rail Class 158 Express Sprinter is a diesel multiple-unit train, built for British Rail between 1989 and 1992 by BREL at its Derby Works. They were built to replace many locomotive-hauled passenger trains, and allowed cascading of existing Sprinter units to replace elderly 'heritage' DMUs...
.
During the Midlands Grand National extra trains are provided by East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
to cope with the capacity.
The station also has a bus stop and is served by routes 30, 32, 32A and 402.