Middlewich railway station

Middlewich
Location
Place	Middlewich
Area	Cheshire East
Grid reference	SJ707664
Operations
Original company	London and North Western Railway
Post-grouping	London, Midland and Scottish Railway London Midland Region of British Railways
Platforms	2
History
1 July 1868	Opened
4 January 1960	Closed to passengers[1]
27 November 1967	Closed to freight[2]
Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom
Closed railway stations in Britain A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–Z
UK Railways portal

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.

Construction and opening

The branch line and Middlewich station were built by the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) during 1867-1868. The railway line was completed in November 1867 and was initially used by goods trains.^[3] The station was completed later and was opened for passenger use on 1 July 1868. ^[1]

Passenger services

The basic train service for passengers was from Crewe 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.^[4]

In 1885, the LNWR initiated a through carriage on weekdays from Manchester Oxford Road via Northwich to Middlewich and on to London Euston. ^[5] 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.^[6] 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. ^[7] 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.^[8] Billinge Green Halt was located between Middlewich and Northwich and opened during 1915.^[9] 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.^[1] The station buildings were subsequently demolished. The nearest railway station is now Winsford 2.3 miles (3.7 km) away on the WCML.

Reopening

The Mid Cheshire Rail Users' Association is presently campaigning for the reintroduction of passenger services on the Sandbach - Northwich line and the construction of a new station at Middlewich.^[10]

Route

Preceding station	Disused railways			Following station
Billinge Green Halt Station closed, line open		London and North Western Railway Northwich to Sandbach Branch		Cledford Bridge Halt Station closed, line open

References

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c} Butt 1995, p. 159
2. ^ Clinker 1978, p. 96
3. ^ Holt, p. 130
4. ^ St John Thomas 1985, pp. 474–475
5. ^ Holt 1978, p. 130
6. ^ St John Thomas 1985, p. 479
7. ^ Blacklock 1946, p. 519
8. ^ Butt 1995, p. 63
9. ^ Butt 1995, p. 34
10. ^ "Middlewich Rail Link Campaign". 11-01-2009. http://www.middlewichstation.org.uk/. Retrieved 2009-01-11. 

Bibliography

• Blacklock, Henry (1946), Bradshaw's Guide to the British Railways - August 1946, Henry Blacklock & Co. Ltd, ISBN none 
• Butt, R.V.J. (1995), The Directory of Railway Stations, Patrick Stephens Ltd, ISBN 1-85260-508-1 
• Clinker, C.R. (1978), Clinker's Register of Closed Passenger Stations and Goods Depots in England, Scotland and Wales 1830-1977, Bristol: Avon-AngliA Publications & Services, ISBN 0-90546-619-5 
• Holt, Geoffrey (1978), A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain -Volume 10 - The North West, David & Charles, ISBN 0-7153-7521-0 
• St John Thomas, David (ed) (1985), Bradshaw's July 1922 Railway Guide, Guild Publishing, ISBN none 

External links

• Middlewich station on the Subterranea Britannica Disused Stations website

Coordinates: 53°11′39″N 2°26′24″W / 53.194293°N 2.439891°W / 53.194293; -2.439891