Southport and Cheshire Lines Extension Railway

Southport and Cheshire
Lines Extension Railway

Overview
Locale| Lancashire
Merseyside
Technical
Track gauge| 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

Route map

Legend

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North Liverpool Extension Line

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Liverpool, Ormskirk & Preston Rly

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Orrell Park

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|  | Aintree Central
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|  | Aintree
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|  | Old Roan
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Liverpool, Ormskirk & Preston Rly

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|  | Sefton and Maghull
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|  | Lydiate
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|  | Altcar and Hillhouse
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|  | Barton
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| Liverpool, Southport and

Preston Junction Railway

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|  | Mossbridge
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|  | Freshfield
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|  | Woodvale
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Liverpool, Crosby & Southport Rly

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|  | Ainsdale
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|  | Ainsdale Beach
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|  | Birkdale Palace
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|  | Southport Lord Street
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The Southport & Cheshire Lines Extension Railway was an early British railway company operating in the then county of Lancashire. It was constructed to link the Cheshire Lines Committee railway at Aintree to Southport. It operated from 1884 to 1952.

## History

[edit]

United Kingdom legislation

Southport and Cheshire Lines Extension Railway Act 1881

Act of Parliament

Parliament of the United Kingdom

Long title| An Act for making a Railway in Lancashire, to be called the Southport and Cheshire Lines Extension Railway; and for other purposes.
Citation| 44 & 45 Vict. c. cxciii
Dates
Royal assent| 11 August 1881
Text of statute as originally enacted

United Kingdom legislation

Southport and Cheshire Lines Extension Railway Act 1882

Act of Parliament

Parliament of the United Kingdom

Citation| 45 & 46 Vict. c. cclxi
Dates
Royal assent| 18 August 1882
Text of statute as originally enacted

The Southport & Cheshire Lines Extension Railway was authorised by two acts of Parliament, the Southport and Cheshire Lines Extension Railway Act 1881 (44 & 45 Vict. c. cxciii) of 11 August 1881 and the Southport and Cheshire Lines Extension Railway Act 1882 (45 & 46 Vict. c. cclxi) of 18 August 1882, the first authorising the line as far as Birkdale and the second the remaining section to Southport Lord Street.[1] It was promoted by the Cheshire Lines Committee (CLC) and was a natural extension of their North Liverpool Extension Line to Southport.[2][3]

United Kingdom legislation

Southport and Cheshire Lines Extension Railway Act 1885

Act of Parliament

Parliament of the United Kingdom

Long title| An Act to empower the Southport and Cheshire Lines Extension Railway Company to raise further Money; to confirm Agreements with reference to the working of their Railway by the Cheshire Lines Committee; and for other purposes.
Citation| 48 & 49 Vict. c. liii
Dates
Royal assent| 25 June 1885
Text of statute as originally enacted

United Kingdom legislation

Southport and Cheshire Lines Extension Railway Act 1889

Act of Parliament

Parliament of the United Kingdom

Citation| 52 & 53 Vict. c. lxx
Dates
Royal assent| 9 July 1889
Text of statute as originally enacted

United Kingdom legislation

Southport and Cheshire Lines Extension Railway Act 1892

Act of Parliament

Parliament of the United Kingdom

Long title| An Act to confer further powers on the Southport and Cheshire Lines Extension Railway Company and for other purposes.
Citation| 55 & 56 Vict. c. xcv
Dates
Royal assent| 20 June 1892
Text of statute as originally enacted

The 14 miles 3 chains (22.6 km) line was built as a double track railway opening on 1 September 1884. The line was worked by the CLC under arrangements made in its acts of Parliament, these acts were ratified and amended by the Southport and Cheshire Lines Extension Railway Act 1889 (52 & 53 Vict. c. lxx) to allow working with other companies.[4]

The railway remained independent until nationalisation in 1948.[4]

## Route

[edit]

* North Liverpool Extension Line
* Aintree Central, Aintree. 13 July 1880 – 7 November 1960.
* Southport Junction
* Junction with Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway
* Sefton and Maghull, Maghull. 1884–1952.
* Lydiate, Lydiate. 1884–1952.
* Altcar and Hillhouse, Altcar 1884–1952.
* Junction with Liverpool, Southport and Preston Junction Railway 1884.
* Mossbridge 1884–1917.
* Woodvale, Woodvale. 1884–1952.
* Ainsdale Beach, Ainsdale. 1901–1952.
* Birkdale Palace, Birkdale. 1884–1952.
* Southport Lord Street, Southport. 1884–1952.

## Closure

[edit]

Passenger services ended 7 January 1952 and goods six months later.[4] The line remained in intermittent use from Aintree to Altcar and Hillhouse to provide access to private sidings until May 1960, when the line was finally lifted.

## The route today

[edit]

The trackbed forms part of National Cycle Network Route 62, the Trans Pennine Trail. From Woodvale northwards the trail is joined by the Southport Coastal Road.

In January 2019, the Campaign for Better Transport released a report identifying the line which was listed as Priority 2 for reopening. Priority 2 is for those lines which require further development or a change in circumstances (such as housing developments).[5]

The Trans-Pennine Trail at Maghull Cycle Path Trans-Pennine Trail Cheshire Lines path, near Lydiate Cheshire Lines Cycle-way

## References

[edit]

Footnotes

1. ^ Griffiths & Goode 1978, pp. 17 & 53.
2. ^ Bolger 1984, pp. 5–9.
3. ^ Dow 1962, pp. 140–2.
4. ^ a b c Awdry 1990, p. 238.
5. ^ [1] p.42

Sources

* Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0049-7. OCLC 19514063. CN 8983.
* Bolger, Paul (1984). An Illustrated History of the Cheshire Lines Committee. Merseyside: Heyday Publishing Company. ISBN 0-947562-00-1.
* Dow, George (1962). Great Central, Volume Two: Dominion of Watkin, 1864–1899. Shepperton: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-1469-8. `{{cite book}}`: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
* Griffiths, R. Prys; Goode, C.T. (1978). The Cheshire Lines Railway (Revised edition (1947) with additional notes ed.). St Albans: The Oakwood Press.

## External links

[edit]

* Historic map of railways in Liverpool
* Childwall railway station
* The line and mileages via Railwaycodes

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