Leek railway station
Leek | |
|---|---|
 Leek station site in 2018, now a Morrisons supermarket | |
| General information | |
| Location | Leek, Staffordshire Moorlands England |
| Coordinates | 53°06′01″N 2°01′58″W / 53.1003°N 2.0329°W |
| Grid reference | SJ978559 |
| Other information | |
| Status | Disused |
| History | |
| Opened | 13 July 1849[1] |
| Closed | 4 January 1965[1] |
| Original company | North Staffordshire Railway |
| Post-grouping | |
| Key dates | |
| 3 July 1970 | Closed to freight |
Leek railway station served the town of Leek, Staffordshire. It was opened by the North Staffordshire Railway in 1849.[2] Passenger services to Uttoxeter were withdrawn in 1965, with complete closure following in 1970. For a short time in 1961–62, special football excursions (the Stanley Matthews Express) were arranged to Stoke following the return of Stanley Matthews to Stoke City FC.
History
[edit]Leek had a substantial station and goods yard, but competition from road transport led to the withdrawal of services to Stoke-on-Trent in 1956 and the remaining passenger services to Uttoxeter in 1965. Freight workings continued until 1970.[2]
The site of the station is now occupied by a Morrisons supermarket,[3] although the road bridge is still in situ between the latter's car park and petrol station.
Future
[edit]In 2009, Moorlands and City Railways Ltd (MCR) bought the 20 miles of railway line from Stoke in the west-direction of Leek, with a view to reconnect Leek with the national network.[4]
A new station could be constructed in Leek, possibly on the Cornhill development on the outskirts of the town, although the MCR would prefer a station closer to the town centre.[5][6] Following its initial refusal of planning permission in September 2014, Moorlands District Council accepted a second proposal which would see a station provided next to the 17-acre Barnfield Industrial Estate in Cornhill, on a site previously occupied by Hughes Concrete Products.[7] The new station would become the Churnet Valley Railway's northern terminus and the headquarters of the MCR.[7] The ¾-mile extension from Leek Brook would be funded by the sale of land within a triangle at Leekbrook for housing.[7]
Route
[edit]| Preceding station | Disused railways | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rudyard Line and station closed |
North Staffordshire Railway Churnet Valley line |
Leek Brook Line and station closed |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Quick, Michael (2009) [2001]. Railway passenger stations in Great Britain: a chronology (4th ed.). Oxford: Railway & Canal Historical Society. p. 244. ISBN 978-0-901461-57-5. OCLC 612226077.
- ^ a b Keys, R.; North Staffordshire Railway Society (1974). The Churnet Valley Railway. Moorland Publishing Company. ISBN 0-903485-16-8.
- ^ Ballantyne, Hugh (2005). British Railways Past & Present: North Staffordshire and the Trent Valley. Past & Present Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-85895-204-2.
- ^ "New rail link 'best thing in years for Moorlands'". This is Staffordshire. 15 October 2009. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
- ^ Broadbent, Steve (25 July – 7 August 2012). "Looks like Leek's luck may change". RAIL (701): 72.
- ^ "Road talks put job zone back on track". This is Staffordshire. 10 February 2009. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
- ^ a b c Brodrick, Nick (March 2015). "Leek back on the agenda as council permits station". The Railway Magazine. 161 (1368): 73.
