Shrewsbury–Chester line
| Shrewsbury–Chester line | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Type | Heavy Rail |
| System | National Rail |
| Locale |
Shropshire Cheshire West Midlands Wrexham county borough Shrewsbury and Atcham North West England |
| Termini |
Shrewsbury Chester |
| Stations | Gobowen, Chirk, Ruabon and Wrexham General |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1846 |
| Owner | Network Rail |
| Operator(s) | Arriva Trains Wales, Virgin Trains |
| Character | Main line, Commuter Rail, Freight |
| Rolling stock | Class 150 Sprinter, Class 153 Super Sprinter, Class 158 Express Sprinter, Class 175 Coradia, Class 221 Super Voyager |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 84.38 miles (135.80 km) |
| Number of tracks | Double track between Shrewsbury and Wrexham, Single track between Wrexham and Chester (currently being upgraded to double track). |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
| Operating speed | 50 mph (80 km/h), 70 mph (110 km/h), (Formerly 90 mph or 140 km/h). |
The Shrewsbury–Chester line, also known as the Severn–Dee Mainline (after the rivers on which Shrewsbury and Chester stand), was built in 1846 as the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway. The engineer for the line was Henry Robertson, a partner in locomotive builders Beyer Peacock, while the contractor was Thomas Brassey in partnership with William Mackenzie and Robert Stephenson.
The line runs from Shrewsbury in England to Chester, also in England. Of the remaining intermediate stations, Gobowen is in England but the rest are in Wales. Campaigns for both the re-opening of Baschurch Station and Lache Station (near the site of the old Saltney Station) are now under way.
The line has recently been upgraded by reinstating a double track between Wrexham and Chester and improving certain sections of line to allow trains to run at 90 mph.
The North Wales Mineral Railway, connecting Chester via Wrexham to Ruabon, had been constructed from 1844 to take advantage of mineral rights. However, realising that it offered connection opportunities between the Port of Liverpool and the industrialised Midlands, the railway applied to extend to Shrewsbury. This was refused by Parliament.
Forming an independent group of similar investors, a Private Act of Parliament authorising the construction of the Shrewsbury, Oswestry and Chester Junction Railway passed in 1845. Initially the proposal was to build a completely new line from a junction south east of Chester, it would cross the River Dee near Farndon completely by-passing the North Wales Mineral Railway between Wrexham and Chester. The route would then go through Overton-on-Dee across the Dee again near Chirk before reaching Oswestry and then heading to Shrewsbury. However, in July 1846, the North Wales Mineral Railway merged with the Shrewsbury, Oswestry and Chester Junction Railway to form the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway.
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Wikipedia