NORTH STAFF. RAILWAY. LEEK TO STOKE LINE. Abandoned Railways.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 มิ.ย. 2021
- A interesting trip along the once busy line from Leek to Stoke, this route is officially mothballed with most of the track still in situ, i stumbled over many interesting railway finds as well as plenty of clues to the railways rich industrial partnerships. Finding this lost railway was a gem & a pleasure to walk....Enjoy. Directed by Allan Roach.
Brief History....
The Stoke to Leek line is a mothballed railway route, which up until 1988 was used by BR freight trains to reach the quarries at both Cauldon Lowe and Oakamoor.
The line is made up of two sections; The first section is the remains of the former Biddulph Valley Line, which used to run from Stoke-on-Trent to Congleton, with the section from Stoke to Milton Junction being intact. This used to be a double track section, but was rationalised to single track after the loss of the passenger services.
The second section is the former single track connecting line to Leek from Milton Junction, passing through the villages of Milton, Stockton Brook and Endon before meeting the Churnet Valley Line at Leek Brook Junction for the 1 mile run into Leek. The section from Endon to Leek Brook though used to be double-tracked but was singled at the same time as the first section.
Both of these lines were part of the North Staffordshire Railway network that was constructed in the second half of the 19th century. The Biddulph Valley line was authorised on 24 July 1854, with passenger services commencing in 1864. The Milton to Leek was authorised during 1863, with the passenger and goods service commencing on 1 November 1867.
With the end of freight traffic from Cauldon & Oakamoor in 1988 the line went out of use, but was designated as a strategic freight site. In 2009, Moorland and City Railways Ltd (MCR) obtained a 150-year lease on the Cauldon Lowe Branch from Network Rail with the intention of reopening the line for quarry traffic. This would require the use of the Stoke-Leek line as well, and negotiations have been ongoing since 2010 regarding the return to service of the line.
In January 2012 the Churnet Valley Railway (CVR) stated its intent to run a heritage service to Endon from Leek Brook as the first stage of this, following the clearance of vegetation along the line in 2011 that enabled a comprehensive survey to be undertaken of the trackbed and structures along this section. The CVR then began planning the replacement of sleepers, but were forced to stop as a local resident made a village green application for the trackbed, claiming that the line had become a village green through its lack of use as a railway for a number of years and that many locals used it as a recreational area already. This was eventually rejected by Staffordshire County Council, as none of the criteria for village green status was met.
Negotiations have continued between MCR (plus CVR) and Network Rail in order to agree operating conditions for the planned heritage services on a restricted number of dates to Endon. In early 2013 it was announced that the CVR would be looking to take a tenancy out on part of the former station building to open a tea room to create a presence within the village and signal its commitment to returning trains to the station. It has been proposed that the line could be reopened following the government's plans to expand the network. This line has been identified by Campaign for a Better Transport as a priority 1 candidate for reopening.In March 2020, a bid was made to the Restoring Your Railway fund to get funds for a feasibility study into reinstating the line between Stoke and Leek. This bid was unsuccessful.
The line has originally been constructed as single track throughout from Milton Junction (where the line diverged from the Biddulph Valley line) to Leek Brook Junction but was doubled in 1910 for half its length between Endon and Leek Brook. Originally built with a single platform, the station was on the double line section and a second platform was added when the line was doubled.
Since 2016, I built a Train Simulator route of the Biddulph Valley Railway. Lately, I feel like revisiting it and building this Stoke-Leek section, of which I am very grateful you made this video! I can use it as a reference. I plan to upload the video to my channel of the driver's eye and passenger view journey. The stock running on it will be modern.
Greetings from the USA! Super informative and well-done video. Thank you for sharing. Love the maps and picture inlays. Nice work!
As a small boy, about 1955/6, I went on a cheap day excursion to Blackpool with Mum and Dad. The return journey to Stoke-on-trent was routed via North Rode, Leek, and the line just explored. I remember getting off at Fenton Manor station to walk home. Also played on a recreation ground overlooking Fenton Manor station, all gone now!
It used to be a lovely walk, now the place is an utter disgrace. This part of Staffordshire needs some tender loving care. Local litter pickers have a big job on their hands, Good video.
I worked for British Rail and was on the last passenger train to travel this line. The good old days 2👍👍👍👍
Mr Beeching got rid of the northern small stations in a previous levelling down exercise..but managed to keep the ones in the south..HS2 didn’t go north of Birmingham so that the levelling down exercise was continued…
I love these videos. I know nothing about railways but find it fascinating, and also strangely relaxing to watch. Thank you for your efforts.
Thanks that was very good being local!
I walk a section of this track on a regular basis (Stockton Brook to Milton) - thanks very much for an excellent and very interesting video
You're brave, mind the locals don't capture you for their pot!
As a resident of Birches Head I can rip on my own city surely?!
Great stuff, just settling in to watch this, I always look forward to your excellent videos. Always great info and the past and present comparisons are great!
There's also the old line that used to run through Blurton which used to link Florecne Colliery and Hem Heath Colliery. They recently took the bridge out on one side (Blurton) and built on the land but the Longton Park side is still accessible! Not a lot of it left but worth a look if you're ever over towards Stoke!
Dodge dodgy area that Endon is where I’m at
Brilliant video I do a lot of cycling along the side of the track from milton to Cheddleton I remember the signal box at Birches head and one in milton and Milton train station still there to this day its a shame it did not bring the line back tbh I all so remember Hanley train station when I was age 6 awsome video my friend 👍👍👍💯💯💯
Great video. Thank you for the comparison with the old photos. I've been exploring this old train line recently. 👍👍👍
Brilliant video. Great to see the route of the old line.
Love this video so good to see that the tracks are still there, going to have to walk it myself at some point
Fabulous!
You are right, it was double track - the 1:2500 OS Maps show 2 lines.
We're miltom train station is worse for trees and near Fenton Bridge it's all bogged up in water and trees 👍👍💯💯love this video
great stuff
It would be great to see that line open again but it would cost a fortune and many man hours to get the overgrowth removed
stoke station, its so busy because its the fastest way out of stoke
Very interesting that not all of the track has been lifted.
I live in Manchester and been finding out to history that I .C .I works in Crumpsall had there own sidings.
Where Abraham Moss centre is today there was a siding and had a branch line split of to the I.C.I works . it went past the N.M.G.H Hospital
Found some photos on Manchester libray sight of the sidings which is now Abraham Moss
which used to connect to the Manchester Bury line.
Hi there went up the leek canal 10 years ago and lines were open all the way to stoke.
Remember, Milton had British Aluminium. A major employer.
I needed to know why don’t dig a tunnel and do an extension for the main line Train so that they can extend the unused abandoned underground stations.
Why couldn’t they use the part D78 Stock train doors on the sides and also restructure the front face of the A60 and A62 stock and that includes the class 313, class 314 and class 315 remix and make them all together and also redesign them an overhead line and also make them into six cars per units and also having three Disabled Toilets on those six cars per units A60 and A62 stock trains and also convert the A60 and A62 stock trains into a Scania N112, Volvo TD102KF, Volvo D10M, Volvo B10M, Gardner 6LXB, Gardner 6LXC and Gardner 8LXB Diesel Engines and also put the Loud 7-Speed Voith Gearboxes even Loud 8-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Gearboxes in the A60 and A62 stock, class 313, class 314, and class 315 and also modernise the A60 and A62 stock and make it into an 11 car per unit so it could have fewer doors, more tables, computers and mobile phone chargers.
A Stock Trains and also having 8 Disabled Toilets on those A stock trains. why couldn’t we refurbish and modernise the waterloo and city line Triple-Track train tunnel and make it bigger and extend it to bank station, making it into a Triple-Track Railway Line so those 4 European countries such as Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden to convert the waterloo and city line Triple-Track Train tunnel into a High Speed train?
The Third Euro tunnel Triple-Track Train line to make it 11 times better for passengers so they could go from A to B. then put the modernised 11 car per unit A Stock and put them on a bigger modernised waterloo and city line Triple-Track train tunnel so it could go to bank station to those 4 European countries such as Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden. The modernised refurbished 11 cars per unit A stock could be a High Speed The Third Triple-Track Euro Tunnel Train So it is promising and 37 times a lot more possible to do this kind of project that is OK for London Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden.
oh by the way, could they also tunnel the Triple-Track Railway Line so it will stop from Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex so that the Passengers will go to Germany, Italy, Poland and Sweden and also extend the Triple-Track Railway Line from Bank to Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex Stations so that more people from there could go to Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden Easily.
Why couldn't they extend the Piccadilly line and also build brand-new underground train stations so it could go even further right up to Clapton, Wood Street and also make another brand new tunnel train station in Chingford could they extend the DLR.
All of the classes 150, 155, 154, 117, 114, 105, and 106, will be replaced by all of the Scania N112, Volvo TD102KF, Volvo D10M, Volvo B10M, Gardner 6LXB, Gardner 6LXC and Gardner 8LXB Diesel Six carriages three disabled toilets are air conditioning trains including Highams Park for extended roots which is the Piccadilly line and the DLR trains.
Could you also convert all of the 1973 stock trains into an air-conditioned maximum speed 78 km/hours (48 MPH) re-refurbished and make it into a 8 cars per unit if that will be alright, and also extend all of the Piccadilly train stations to make more space for all of the extended 8 car per unit 1973 stock air condition trains and can you also build another Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive Companies and they can order Every 17 Octagon and Hexagon shape LNER diagram unique minor no.13 and unique small no.10 Boilers from those Countries such as Greece, Italy, Poland, and Sweden, can they make Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive speeds by up to 117MPH so you can try and test it on the Original Mainline so it will be much more safer for the Passengers to enjoy the 117MPH speed Limit only for HS2 and Channel Tunnel mainline services, if they needed 16 Carriages Per units can they use those class 55’s, class 44’s, class 40’s and class 43HST Diesel Locomotive’s right at the Back of those 18 Carriages Per Units so they can take over at the Back to let those Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive’s have a rest for those interesting Journeys Please!!, oh can you make all of those Coal Boxes’s 16 Tonnes for all of the 117MPH Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive’s so the Companies will Understand us PASSENGER’S!! so please make sure that the Builders can do as they are Told!! And please do something about these very important Professional ideas Please Prime Minister of England, Prime Minister of Sweden, Prime Minister of Germany, the Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister of Poland and that Includes the Mayor of London.
Trains carrying huge blocks of stone for building the Thames Barrier came through Bucknall most days.
As you come out of Stoke train station going towards Longton, there's a line on the left that goes off somewhere.
Is this part of the line from leek?
👍
Cunning as a Yorkshire lass nayyyyyyy .
Some say its progression, i say its unnecessary destruction of our history, i used to walk along these train lines from stoke to Endon regularly, its a lovely walk, i can also remember when they dug up the second line that joined leekbrook to stoke station.
And now the fundings been put in place to reopen your entire journey. Annoying it’s been announced literally months after CVR reopened north through the Birchall tunnel, which will fall under NR eventually. Still positive times though
There is/was talk a while ago that the churnet Valley was/is supposed to be reopening leek to Stoke line, don't know if it's true or not
Yes it's true they want to reopen back to Leek and to Stoke.
16:00
When was the last time a train ran on these rails?
1988
1992 if you add the rail specials....
@@onemanc Thanks Allan, amazing that all this trackwork has survived being lifted, after all this time, maybe somebody could get one of these motorised trolleys with some chainsaws and tools and clear a lot of it.
@@onemanc I was at school at Holden Lane in 1989-94 nearby. There was definitely trains running 1989 carrying freight, as me and my mates walked down the line from Foxley lane, past Milton station at this time. My mate fell off the old station in 1994 and sliced his knee open on the damaged parts of the platform. The line was all still clear then. EWR ran a train clearing some of the track in 2001, if I remember rightly, when they were looking at re-opening lines for freight.
stoke to leek is to reopen due to the failure of hs2
Quite interesting to note that if you didn't follow the line to stoke at the junction but followed the route of the churnet valley railway instead ( maybe one for another video?) up to where the actual preservation railway stops it is walkable and would take you through Alton and Alton Station which you can holiday in as its part of the landmark trust and right next door to Alton towers ...the rest of the line is still there and walkable mostly right through to Denstone then its sporadic due to being built on or farm land to uttoxeter! here is a link to the alton station page on the landmarks trust page and i do have to say the station is superb and been preserved very well to say its now a holday home you can rent! www.landmarktrust.org.uk/search-and-book/properties/alton-station-4615/#Overview Also you may find this interesting on the history of Alton Station ...it can be downloaded to keep too ;) thelandmarktrust.sharepoint.com/sites/LMTPS/History%20Property%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx?id=%2Fsites%2FLMTPS%2FHistory%20Property%20Documents%2FAlton%20Station%20History%20Album%2Epdf&parent=%2Fsites%2FLMTPS%2FHistory%20Property%20Documents&p=true&originalPath=aHR0cHM6Ly90aGVsYW5kbWFya3RydXN0LnNoYXJlcG9pbnQuY29tLzpiOi9zL0xNVFBTL0VSWUpHN28zTjRwTnVjWFFpM19MX3JFQmhBZWRnc1Z5eFN0MjVsQURqVzNSUUE_cnRpbWU9T0pYdUtEYzYyVWc
Watch this space….