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developer. The 32.5 miles (52.3 km) route was constructed as a single track route, with the in-built option to increase to double track should traffic require. Completed at the budgeted cost of ÂŁ10,000 per mile, the first train entered
Shrewsbury station on 1 September 1858. It was thus the
1260:, resulted in the construction of a private 1 mile (1.6 km) branch line, which left the mainline west between Whitchurch and Prees. Used to transport troops, supplies and equipment initially, the site developed as a hospital resulting in return dispersement trains.
1290:, still with its own railway depot, barracks and hospital facilities. Despite this, the relatively rural and resultantly dark run of the combined S&HR and C&SR meant that the flow of coal to the industrial Northwest continued virtually unabated.
1183:
The first phase was restricted to the
Whitchurch-Ellesmere section, with the onward section to Oswestry held over for a year in case of new GWR route developments. Engineered by Robert and Benjamin Piercey, the civil engineering contractor was
1245:
to break the GWR's monopoly on the
Shrewsbury to Chester route. Opened in October 1872, little consideration was given to route or revenue, resulting in consistently low traffic volumes and a lifelong record of annual losses.
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Facilities at
Whitchurch were expanded by the LNWR to allow for trains using the new line, with the stations staff numbers reaching over 100 between the two wars. Intermediate stations were built by the OE&WR at
1204:. The first public passenger service left Ellesmere for Whitchurch on 4 May 1863, and construction of the Ellesmere-Oswestry section was completed one year later. The total cost of the line was ÂŁ200,000.
1009:
Company, which until its demise in 1923 was the largest company in the world. The new company extended the
Warrington line to Lancaster and Carlisle, the Manchester line to Leeds, and built a new line to
960:, Cheshire, where it made an end-on junction with the Warrington and Newton Railway, a branch of the L&M. Conceived as a through route, the GJR was not interested in serving towns en route.
38:
949:
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The immediate success of the route, particularly revenue from coal traffic, meant the line was authorised to be upgraded to double track, which was completed in 1862.
1238:. The opening of a last section of line between Borth and Aberystwyth now enabled through trains to run from Whitchurch, a distance of 95.75 miles (154.09 km).
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In July 1864, the government approved a share holder request that they were amalgamated, granting an Act of
Parliament to form the
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proposed in 1860. Following ferocious arguments between the LNWR and GWR, Parliament authorised building the line in August 1861.
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Following further proposals of railways between Crewe and
Chester, by 1864 four companies were operating between Whitchurch and
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selling off cheaply former military trucks and coaches. This resulted in a closure of the many branch lines, many before the
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occurred on 6 December 1853, when all five companies connecting
Hereford ran their first official trains into the town.
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1320:. New modular colour light signalling was installed along the line in 2013, with the surviving intermediate manual
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990:. As soon as the station opened it was seen to be at a useful point to begin a branch line to the county town of
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At its southern end, it would connect the major market town of
Hereford with the northern terminals the GWR's
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The line's success showed other operators the importance of access to Crewe, with the GWR sponsored
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closed, level crossings automated and route supervision passing to the South Wales ROC in
Cardiff.
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delayed opening until 1858. Proving so successful for both companies to transport coal from the
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The Act of Parliament to approve the Crewe and Shrewsbury Railway was approved in 1853. The
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suffered competition from new road transport competitors, assisted in their efforts by the
964:, for instance, was by-passed by half a mile because it did not lie on the intended route.
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However, the major financial gain for both companies was the transport of coal from the
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Presently, the line remains open from Shrewsbury to Crewe, the northernmost section of
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of the 1960s, reducing the Whitchurch of today to little more than an unmanned halt.
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Siemens Rail Automation Commissions Crewe to Shrewsbury Modular Signalling Scheme
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891:, and finished goods in the opposite direction, it was doubled tracked by 1862.
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948:. The line, which was the first long-distance railway in the world, ran from
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opened, linking the four largest cities of England by joining the existing
17:
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968:
971:, a station was built in the township of Crewe which formed part of the
1121:. At inception, the only way of this occurring was via the S&CR to
991:
879:
Authorised in 1853, planning difficulties accessing the GWR station at
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At its northern end, the S&HR connected with the GWR's railways:
987:
1005:
In 1845 the GJR merged with the L&B and L&M to form the
1137:
raised objections to the LNWR's proposed route into the GWR's
1141:, causing delays while alternative routes were considered.
1337:
Whitchurch History and Archaeology Group, new edition 1997
1067:, allowing access through to the coal fields and ports of
860:
was a railway company which was previously owned by the
1429:
press release 14 November 2013; Retrieved 27 July 2017
1178:
Oswestry, Ellesmere and Whitchurch Railway (OE&WR)
906:
proved quicker more cost effective than its various
1267:of British railways, the GWR amalgamated with the
1144:After approval of a route, the LNWR contracted
1014:to join the now jointly financed with the GWR
994:, facilitated by the 1840 construction of the
1351:"The Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway Company"
1106:, allowing a pan-Wales route from Cardiff to
32:
8:
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1443:History of the Crewe and Shrewsbury Railway
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1273:London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS)
468:Oswestry, Ellesmere and Whitchurch Railway
64:
39:
25:
1335:Transport in the Whitchurch Area, Part II
1065:Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway
1002:to provide the fastest route to Ireland.
1478:Railway companies disestablished in 1923
1271:, while the LNWR became part of the new
1342:
1125:, so a more direct route was required.
910:. It now forms the northern section of
22:
1293:After the war, the newly nationalised
1473:Railway companies established in 1858
1061:Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway
7:
1282:, Prees Heath was developed into a
898:in 1923, post nationalisation into
896:London Midland and Scottish Railway
348:Nantwich and Market Drayton Railway
14:
1243:Whitchurch and Tattenhall Railway
1094:Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway
1036:In 1846 Parliament sanctioned an
734:Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway
407:Whitchurch and Tattenhall Railway
1468:London and North Western Railway
1018:, which provided connections to
1007:London and North Western Railway
942:Liverpool and Manchester Railway
862:London and North Western Railway
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1032:Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway
1026:Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway
1016:Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway
870:Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway
827:Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway
714:
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1403:"Crewe and Shrewsbury Railway"
1355:Historic Herefordshire on line
1241:In 1870 the LNWR proposed the
1224:Llanidloes and Newtown Railway
1104:Shrewsbury and Chester Railway
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654:Shrewsbury and Chester Railway
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950:Curzon Street railway station
946:London and Birmingham Railway
872:which was jointly owned with
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1219:Oswestry and Newtown Railway
973:ancient parish of Barthomley
858:Crewe and Shrewsbury Railway
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48:Crewe and Shrewsbury Railway
1405:. discovershropshire.org.uk
967:Having been turned down by
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996:Chester and Crewe Railway
864:(LNWR), built to connect
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1463:Transport in Shropshire
975:, on the junction of a
1249:The construction of a
998:, extended in 1841 to
938:Grand Junction Railway
932:Grand Junction Railway
761:Severn Bridge Junction
220:North Wales Coast Line
1458:History of Shropshire
1150:John Edward Errington
928:Crewe railway station
894:Amalgamated into the
622:Sentinel Waggon Works
505:Prees Heath Army Camp
87:Crewe–Manchester line
1333:Douglas B. Barnard:
1086:, for mid-Wales and
936:On 4 July 1837, the
1299:Ministry of Defence
1115:South Wales Valleys
944:with the projected
885:South Wales Valleys
1318:Welsh Marches Line
1152:as engineers, and
1139:Shrewsbury station
1096:for access to the
1048:and engineered by
916:Welsh Marches Line
292:Newcastle Crossing
1269:Cambrian Railways
1256:training camp at
1236:Cambrian Railways
1161:first railway in
1158:civil engineering
1119:Northwest England
1040:allowing the new
1038:Act of Parliament
952:in Birmingham to
889:Northwest England
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900:British Railways
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1284:Royal Air Force
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1063:and the LNWR's
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1437:External links
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1154:Thomas Brassey
1135:House of Lords
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1050:Thomas Brassey
1046:standard gauge
1030:Main article:
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1084:Cambrian Line
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962:Wolverhampton
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1407:. Retrieved
1358:. Retrieved
1354:
1345:
1334:
1322:signal boxes
1312:
1303:Beeching Axe
1292:
1288:RAF Tilstock
1286:airfield as
1280:World War II
1277:
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1251:British Army
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1186:Thomas Savin
1182:
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1146:Joseph Locke
1143:
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1129:Construction
1112:
1077:
1073:Railway Fete
1072:
1058:
1035:
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979:linking the
966:
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912:Network Rail
908:branch lines
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1258:Prees Heath
1254:World War I
1209:Machynlleth
1202:Welshampton
1198:Bettisfield
1194:Fenn's Bank
1088:Aberystwyth
1069:South Wales
1044:. Built to
1020:South Wales
800:Aberystwyth
1452:Categories
1360:31 January
1328:References
1169:Operations
1071:. A joint
1012:Shrewsbury
958:Warrington
922:Background
881:Shrewsbury
678:Shrewsbury
437:Whitchurch
352:Wellington
1409:8 January
1215:OE&WR
1054:River Wye
868:with the
270:Willaston
1108:Holyhead
1098:Midlands
1000:Holyhead
983:and the
969:Nantwich
474:Oswestry
376:Wrenbury
314:Nantwich
224:Holyhead
1427:Siemens
1278:During
1263:In the
1156:as the
1123:Chester
992:Chester
593:Hadnall
413:Chester
988:canals
954:Dallam
825:Joint
571:Yorton
248:Gresty
57:Legend
1309:Today
866:Crewe
527:Prees
218:LNWR
184:LNWR
180:Crewe
85:LNWR
1411:2010
1362:2008
1200:and
1148:and
1102:The
1092:The
1082:The
930:and
856:The
794:GWR
732:GWR
652:GWR
346:GWR
186:WCML
956:in
914:'s
874:GWR
798:to
549:Wem
471:to
410:to
350:to
222:to
120:NSR
1454::
1370:^
1353:.
1275:.
1211::
1196:,
1188:.
1165:.
1056:.
1022:.
918:.
876:.
1413:.
1364:.
763:)
759:(
40:e
33:t
26:v
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