History
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, the Act of Parliament which authorised the construction of the Shrewsbury, Oswestry and Chester Junction Railway passed in 1845. Construction started and was completed by 1848, but the final route bypassed Oswestry, resolved by building a branchline from Gobowen to a halt just outside the town.
After battling with the larger London and North Western Railway from 1849, in 1854 the company agreed to become part of the Great Western Railway's main line from London Paddington to Birkenhead Woodside, merged with the North Wales Mineral Railway to become the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway.
After the implementation of the Railways Act 1921, the halt in Oswestry was closed in favour of the absorbed Cambrian Railways Oswestry station. On nationalisation in 1946 it became part of the Western Region until later transferred to the London Midland Region of British Rail in 1963.
It 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. A campaign for the re-opening of Baschurch Station is now under way.
The towns served by the lines are listed below.
- Chester (7 platforms and station cafe/ticket office/shops)
- Wrexham (6 platforms and station cafe/ticket office/bistro) Also acts as a secondary terminus for services travelling part of the line.
- Ruabon (2 platforms)
- Chirk (2 platforms)
- Gobowen (for Oswestry) (2 platforms and ticket office)
- Shrewsbury (5 platforms and station cafe/ticket office/shop/British Transport Police presence)
Read more about this topic: Shrewsbury To Chester Line
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