Churnet Valley Railway
The Churnet Valley Railway is a preserved standard gauge heritage railway in the Staffordshire Moorlands of Staffordshire, England. It operates on part of the former Churnet Valley Line which was opened by the North Staffordshire Railway. The railway is roughly 10.5 miles (16.9 km) long from Kingsley and Froghall to Ipstones. The land from Leek Brook Junction to Ipstones was opened by Moorland & City Railways (MCR) in 2010 after they took a lease out from Network Rail. This has subsequently been purchased by the Churnet Valley Railway. The main stations along the line are Kingsley and Froghall, Consall, Cheddleton and Leek Brook (which is only used as a run around loop). Work has begun to extend the line to the town of Leek which will act as the northern terminus of the line. The line between Leek and Waterhouses has also been reopened as part of the heritage railway as far as Ipstones.
| Churnet Valley Railway | |
|---|---|
A steam-hauled train at Consall station | |
| Commercial operations | |
| Name | British Rail |
| Built by | North Staffordshire Railway |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Preserved operations | |
| Owned by |
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| Operated by | Churnet Valley Railway (1992) plc |
| Stations | 4 |
| Length | 10+1⁄2 miles (16.9 km) |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | 13 July 1849 |
| Closed to passengers | 4 January 1965 |
| Closed | 30 August 1988 |
| Preservation history | |
| 30 October 1992 | Incorporation of "Goldenlaunch plc" (renamed "Churnet Valley Railway (1992) plc" 15 December 1992) |
| 3 May 1996 | CVR granted light railway order |
| 4 July 1996 | CVR buys Leek Brook - Oakamoor trackbed |
| 24 August 1996 | First service train runs from Cheddleton to Leek Brook |
| 11 July 1998 | Consall station re-opened |
| 11 August 2001 | Kingsley & Froghall station re-opened |
| 13 August 2004 | Consall signal box commissioned, allowing two-train operation |
| 21 September 2008 | Track to Oakamoor Sand Sidings re-open for limited use |
| 12 November 2010 | Cauldon Lowe branch re-opened |
| 6 February 2014 | Ipstones Loop re-opened |
| Website | |
| http://www.churnetvalleyrailway.co.uk | |
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