Rail transport in Staffordshire
Rail transport in Staffordshire has a long history. Stafford itself is a major "crossroads" on the West Coast Main Line, handling passenger and freight services between London and Scotland along with traffic travelling between Manchester and Birmingham. Stoke-on-Trent was once a major railway centre, especially for traffic associated with the coal mining and pottery industries, but in recent years this traffic has almost completely disappeared.
Contents
History
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- Grand Junction Railway (1833–1846)
- London and North Western Railway (1846–1922)
- North Staffordshire Railway (1845–1922) 220.75 miles (355 km)
- Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway (narrow gauge) (1904–1922) 8.25 miles (13 km)
- London, Midland and Scottish Railway (1923–1948)
- British Rail (1947–1997)
- London Midland Region (British Railways) (1948 - ?)
- Western Region of British Railways (1948–1963)
- Regional Railways (1981–1996)
- InterCity (British Rail) (1981–1997)
- Central Trains (1997–2007)
- Northern Rail (2004 - todate)
- North Western Trains (1997–1998)
- First North Western (1998–2004)
- Virgin Cross-Country (1997–2007)
- Virgin West Coast (1997 - todate)
- London Midland (2007 - todate)
- East Midlands Trains (2007 - todate)
The decline of the railways
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Stone, Barlaston, Norton Bridge and Wedgwood last saw rail services in 2003, but Stone may re-open in its own right due to heavy local campaigning. Etruria, no longer used by local workers, closed in 2005.
Current lines
- Cross-City Line
- West Coast Main Line
- Cross Country Route (Derby to Birmingham)
- Chase Line
- Crewe to Derby Line
Closed lines
- Cheadle Branch Line
- Potteries Loop Line
- South Staffordshire Line
- Stafford and Uttoxeter Railway
- Stoke-Market Drayton Line
Heritage railways
References
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External links
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