Chester Northgate railway station
Chester Northgate | |
---|---|
General information | |
Location | Cheshire West and Chester |
Platforms | 2 |
History | |
Original company | Chester and West Cheshire Junction Railway |
Pre-grouping | Cheshire Lines Committee |
Post-grouping | Cheshire Lines Committee |
Key dates | |
1 May 1875 | Station opened |
6 October 1969 | Station closed |
Chester Northgate is a former railway station in Chester, Cheshire, England, that was a terminus for the Cheshire Lines Committee and Great Central Railway. It was the city centre's second station (with Chester General) with regular services to Manchester, Birkenhead and North Wales.
History
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/Chester_Northgate_Locomotive_Depot_geograph-2359879-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg/175px-Chester_Northgate_Locomotive_Depot_geograph-2359879-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg)
The station, which was located on Victoria Road in the Newtown area of the city, was originally planned by the West Cheshire Railway in 1865. A year later the company was acquired by the Cheshire Lines Committee. It opened the station on 1 May 1875 for train services to Manchester Central on the Mid-Cheshire Line via Northwich. The CLC track crossed the London, Midland and Scottish Railway and Great Western Railway line over a flying junction at Mickle Trafford.
Chester Northgate had a station building and two covered roofs, it had four tracks with two side platforms. There were also lower level sidings that contained a locomotive yard.[1]
In 1890 the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (renamed Great Central Railway in 1897) completed the 6 miles (9.7 km) Chester & Connah's Quay Railway to Hawarden Bridge. Services from Chester Northgate ran to Connah's Quay via Blacon; and also to Wrexham General and New Brighton, Wirral.
A triangle junction outside the station allowed trains to either terminate at Chester Northgate or pass through the city without stopping. During the Second World War, the station served military personnel that were based at RAF Sealand and at Blacon Camp.
In 1969 a level junction was installed at Mickle Trafford so Manchester trains could be diverted to Chester General.
The station closed on 6 October 1969. The site is now occupied by the Northgate Arena.
Railway line
Although Chester Northgate closed, the line it once served remained open for another 25 years. It was used by the Corus steelmaking plant at Shotton until March 1980.[2] Freight continued to pass the former station on a double-tracked line until 20 April 1984. Goods services resumed on a single-track line on 31 August 1986 before final closure in the early 1990s.[1][3] The trackbed is now a cycle way.
Services
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Mannings_Lane_South_railway_bridge_-_geograph.org.uk_-_641203.jpg/220px-Mannings_Lane_South_railway_bridge_-_geograph.org.uk_-_641203.jpg)
Preceding station | Disused railways | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Mickle Trafford East | Cheshire Lines Committee | Terminus | ||
Terminus | Chester & Connah's Quay Railway GCR |
Chester Liverpool Road |
References
- ^ a b "Station Name: CHESTER NORTHGATE". Disused Stations. 2009-08-21.
- ^ "Shotton Steelworks and Garden City". Retrieved 6 October 2008.
- ^ Oppitz, Leslie (1997). Cheshire Railways Remembered. Countryside Books. p. 111. ISBN 1-85306-458-0.
Bibliography
- Awdry, Christopher, "Encyclopedia of British Railway Companies", Guild Publishing, 1990, reference CN 8983.
- Butt, R.V.J., "The Directory of Railway Stations", Patrick Stephens Ltd, Sparkford, England, 1995, ISBN 1-85260-508-1.
Further reading
- Biddle, Gordon (1981). "Chapter 1 – North Cheshire & The Peak". Railway Stations in the North West. Clapham, Yorkshire: Dalesman. p. 9, fig. 2. ISBN 0-85206-644-9. – photo of station platforms and roof