Halton Curve (now formally known as the Frodsham Single Line) is a short bi-directional railway line which links the
Chester–Warrington line to the
Weaver Junction–Liverpool line
Weaver or Weavers may refer to:
Activities
* A person who engages in weaving fabric
Animals
* Various birds of the family Ploceidae
* Crevice weaver spider family
* Orb-weaver spider family
* Weever (or weever-fish)
Arts and entertainment
...
within the borough of
Halton,
Cheshire
Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...
. The route, which is long, is between Frodsham Junction (north of ) and Halton Junction (south of ). After having no regular services for more than four decades, the line was upgraded and reopened in 2019 by
Network Rail
Network Rail Limited is the owner (via its subsidiary Network Rail Infrastructure Limited, which was known as Railtrack plc before 2002) and infrastructure manager of most of the railway network in Great Britain. Network Rail is an "arm's leng ...
, enabling hourly passenger trains between
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
and
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
.
The route, which was opened by the
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway (LNWR, L&NWR) was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. In the late 19th century, the L&NWR was the largest joint stock company in the United Kingdom.
In 1923, it became a constituent of the Lo ...
on 1 May 1873, created a direct link between the industries in North Wales and the factories of south
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...
and the
Port of Liverpool
The Port of Liverpool is the enclosed Dock (maritime), dock system that runs from Brunswick Dock in Liverpool to Seaforth Dock, Seaforth, Merseyside, Seaforth, on the east side of the River Mersey and the Great Float, Birkenhead Docks between ...
. Passenger services also used the route. However, the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
in the 1930s began the steady decline in heavy industry and manufacturing in southern Lancashire. Although the route escaped the
Beeching cuts
The Beeching cuts (also Beeching Axe) was a plan to increase the efficiency of the nationalised British Rail, railway system in Great Britain. The plan was outlined in two reports: ''The Reshaping of British Railways'' (1963) and ''The Develop ...
in the 1960s, all passenger services were withdrawn by the mid 1970s. The double-tracked line was reduced to a single track in the early 1990s. A concerted campaign was launched to improve services on the line after it was nearly closed by Network Rail in the early 2000s.
In 2014 work began to upgrade the line so that it could be reopened for daily rail services. In May 2019, the first regular passenger trains restarted between and via , , and .
History
![Frodsham & Helsby Dolgelley & Middle Wood RJD 106](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Frodsham_%26_Helsby_Dolgelley_%26_Middle_Wood_RJD_106.jpg)
The LNWR built the Halton Curve to create a connection with the line from
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
to
Frodsham
Frodsham is a market town, civil parish, and electoral ward in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. Its population was 8,982 in 2001, increasing to 9,077 at the 2011 Census. It is s ...
that was built by the
Birkenhead Joint Railway partnership. The
double-tracked branch was built to link the mineral industries of North East Wales with the commercial and industrial areas of south Lancashire. Passenger services would also operate between Chester, Runcorn and Liverpool Lime Street. By the 1960s services using the curve had greatly reduced. In the early 1970s, the track was nearly abandoned when the
M56 motorway
The M56 motorway, also known as the North Cheshire motorway, serves the Cheshire and Greater Manchester areas of England. It runs east to west from junction 4 of the M60 at Gatley, south of Manchester, to Dunkirk, approximately north of Chester ...
was built as the route cut through the curve. However, a concrete and steel
Bowstring arch truss
A truss bridge is a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss, a structure of connected elements, usually forming triangular units. The connected elements (typically straight) may be stressed from tension, compression, or s ...
bridge was built to keep the curve open.
On 5 May 1975 the local passenger service was withdrawn from the line. During the 1980s and early 1990s, the line was used by a scheduled summer Saturdays-only return service between
Liverpool Lime Street
Liverpool Lime Street is a terminus railway station and the main station serving the city centre of Liverpool. Opened in August 1836, it is the oldest still-operating grand terminus mainline station in the world. A branch of the West Coast ...
and . But this ended when the double track was reduced to a single track in 1994 following the
privatisation of British Rail
The privatisation of British Rail was the process by which ownership and operation of the railways of Great Britain passed from government control into private hands. Begun in 1994, it had been completed by 1997. The deregulation of the industr ...
. At the same time, the associated double points and
diamond crossing
A double junction is a railway junction where a double-track railway splits into two double track lines. Usually, one line is the main line and carries traffic through the junction at normal speed, while the other track is a branch line that ca ...
s for southbound trains were removed from both junctions. Only northbound trains (Frodsham → Runcorn) were able to use the line; it was re-classed as a
single-line working
On a railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicle ...
.
Railtrack
Railtrack was a group of companies that owned the track, signalling, tunnels, bridges, level crossings and all but a handful of the stations of the British railway system from 1994 until 2002. It was created as part of the privatisation of ...
's decision was based on reducing maintenance costs and, by removing the crossings and points on the
Weaver Junction–Liverpool line
Weaver or Weavers may refer to:
Activities
* A person who engages in weaving fabric
Animals
* Various birds of the family Ploceidae
* Crevice weaver spider family
* Orb-weaver spider family
* Weever (or weever-fish)
Arts and entertainment
...
, increase through-train speeds between Liverpool Lime Street and Crewe.
To avoid the expense and inconvenience of a statutory closure process of the Halton Curve, an early morning
parliamentary train
A parliamentary train was a passenger service operated in the United Kingdom to comply with the Railway Regulation Act 1844 that required train companies to provide inexpensive and basic rail transport for less affluent passengers. The act requ ...
operated in the summer months every Saturday. Other services would include occasional freight, engineers trains and
charter specials that did not require going via . Occasionally traffic between Liverpool and Crewe would also be diverted via the Halton Curve when the main line via was closed for engineering work. The
Royal Train
A royal train is a set of railway carriages dedicated for the use of the monarch or other members of a royal family. Most monarchies with a railway system employ a set of royal carriages.
Australia
The various government railway operators of A ...
has used the branch line when
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
has visited Liverpool.
Network Rail
Network Rail Limited is the owner (via its subsidiary Network Rail Infrastructure Limited, which was known as Railtrack plc before 2002) and infrastructure manager of most of the railway network in Great Britain. Network Rail is an "arm's leng ...
took over the ownership and management of the curve in 2002. The maximum speed on the line was . Traffic using the
Frodsham
Frodsham is a market town, civil parish, and electoral ward in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. Its population was 8,982 in 2001, increasing to 9,077 at the 2011 Census. It is s ...
Junction was limited to . This same speed limit applied to trains rejoining the West Coast Main Line near
Runcorn
Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port in the Borough of Halton in Cheshire, England. Its population in 2011 was 61,789. The town is in the southeast of the Liverpool City Region, with Liverpool to the northwest across the River Mersey. ...
. Signalboxes at Frodsham and Manchester continue to control the junctions at their respective ends of the curve.
Parliamentary train
The only timetabled service on the line was a summer-only
parliamentary train
A parliamentary train was a passenger service operated in the United Kingdom to comply with the Railway Regulation Act 1844 that required train companies to provide inexpensive and basic rail transport for less affluent passengers. The act requ ...
: 07:53 Chester to Runcorn (2F80) operated by
Northern
Northern may refer to the following:
Geography
* North, a point in direction
* Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe
* Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States
* Northern Province, Sri Lanka
* Northern Range, a ra ...
. The service, which was non-stop between Chester and Runcorn, was only on certain Saturdays during the summer until September. A
Class 150 or
Class 156 two-carriage diesel multiple unit was used.
Due to the rarity of rail traffic using the Halton Curve, the parliamentary train became a popular service among local people and railway enthusiasts.
Reinstatement
Campaign
In 2004, the
Strategic Rail Authority
The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom set up under the Transport Act 2000 to provide strategic direction for Rail transport in the United Kingdom, the railway industry. Its motto was 'Brita ...
announced that it intended to close the line because of proposals to upgrade signalling on the West Coast Main Line in the Runcorn area. The SRA thought that incorporating the curve into the scheme added a significant extra cost that was not justified given the line's scant service. Closure of the line was then proposed but these plans were later withdrawn in response local authorities and other organisations campaigning to upgrade the line. This resulted in a concerted effort by the North Cheshire Rail Users Group for the reintroduction of regular services.
Merseytravel
Merseytravel is the passenger transport executive, responsible for the coordination of public transport in the Liverpool City Region in North West England. Merseytravel was established on 1 December 1969 as the Merseyside Passenger Transpor ...
proposed upgrading the Halton Curve to operate bidirectionally (which would need a new crossover at Halton Junction), providing a second fast rail route between Liverpool and Chester. Other new services could include direct trains from
Liverpool Lime Street
Liverpool Lime Street is a terminus railway station and the main station serving the city centre of Liverpool. Opened in August 1836, it is the oldest still-operating grand terminus mainline station in the world. A branch of the West Coast ...
to
Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
or
Llandudno
Llandudno (, ) is a seaside resort, town and community in Conwy County Borough, Wales, located on the Creuddyn peninsula, which protrudes into the Irish Sea. In the 2011 UK census, the community – which includes Gogarth, Penrhyn Bay, Craigsi ...
via
Liverpool South Parkway (Liverpool John Lennon Airport) and Runcorn, which would provide direct access to Liverpool Airport for passengers from Chester, Wrexham and various towns along the northern coast of Wales.
In conjunction with the above proposal,
Halton Borough Council began investigating the possibility of opening a station at
Beechwood to provide a convenient interchange wit
Runcorn busway
Consultation
On 8 March 2005, the then Transport Minister
Tony McNulty
Anthony James "Tony" McNulty (born 3 November 1958) is a British politician who was the Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Harrow East from 1997 to 2010. During his ministerial career, which began in 2003, he was Minister for London and late ...
announced in Parliament that resignalling work that was currently scheduled for 2010 would resolve the Halton Curve issue.
But in July 2012, the Conservative-Liberal coalition-led government said it was not including the Halton Curve in a £9.4 billion rail improvement scheme despite the scheme having "recognisable benefits". Chemical manufacture
Ineos
INEOS Group Limited is a British multinational chemicals company headquartered and registered in London. , it is the fourth largest chemical company in the world.
Ineos is organised into about 20 standalone business units, each with its own ...
ChlorVinyls said it was evaluating the possibility of using the Halton Curve for delivery of refuse-derived fuel to its Runcorn site; the proposal was part of a wider assessment being undertaken in support of its plan to redevelop the site.
Network Rail
Network Rail Limited is the owner (via its subsidiary Network Rail Infrastructure Limited, which was known as Railtrack plc before 2002) and infrastructure manager of most of the railway network in Great Britain. Network Rail is an "arm's leng ...
's draft Route Utilisation Strategy for Wales discussed the future of the line. It proposed an hourly service between Liverpool and Chester via Runcorn and Helsby calling at all stations except
Edge Hill. However, the scheme would only be feasible if the curve was restored to bidirectional operation. The RUS document recommended that further development work take place.
Upgrade
In January 2014,
Merseytravel
Merseytravel is the passenger transport executive, responsible for the coordination of public transport in the Liverpool City Region in North West England. Merseytravel was established on 1 December 1969 as the Merseyside Passenger Transpor ...
announced that it would fund research into the re-development of the Halton Curve, stating that there were benefits for Liverpool commuters and those using Liverpool John Lennon airport. The research project was to be done in conjunction with Merseytravel, Halton Borough Council, the Welsh Government and six county authorities in the north of Wales. Merseytravel recommended that the line should be referred to as the ''Mersey Dee Link'' to counter the perception that "the project benefits fall to Halton and Halton alone".
In July 2014, The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, announced £10.4m of funding to redevelop the line had been secured. The reopened route should improve connectivity between the Weaver Vale area and Liverpool John Lennon Airport as well as permitting through services between Liverpool and northern Wales via . In August 2014 Merseytravel presented th
Liverpool City Region Long Term Rail Strategy to regional city leaders. The 30-year plan for the network included possible uses for the curve such as connections to the south of Wales.
The
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) is the combined authority of the Liverpool City Region. The Liverpool City Region includes the City of Liverpool local authority area plus the Metropolitan Boroughs of Knowsley, St Helens, ...
approved the work in April 2016, using Government's Local Growth Fund (LGF) funding £10.4 million, adding an additional £5.67 million from the city's LGF. Engineering and signalling work started in July 2017 and was completed in May 2018.
In 2017, while the upgrade work was being completed, locomotive maker
Alstom
Alstom SA is a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer operating worldwide in rail transport markets, active in the fields of passenger transportation, signalling, and locomotives, with products including the AGV, TGV, Eurostar, Avelia ...
proposed using the line to test its zero-emission
hydrogen fuel cell trains after it opened a new technology facility at
Halebank
Halebank is a settlement and civil parish in the Borough of Halton, Liverpool City Region, England. The area locally referred to as Halebank was officially created by the Halton (Parish Electoral Arrangements) Order 2008. The parish lies in th ...
.
Reopening
In May 2019 services were reintroduced between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester via Runcorn with one train per hour every day.
Transport for Wales Rail
Transport for Wales Rail Limited, branded as Transport for Wales and TfW Rail ( and ), is a Welsh publicly owned train operating company, a subsidiary of Transport for Wales (TfW), a Welsh Government-owned company. It commenced operations of t ...
will also run two trains a day from
Wrexham General
Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the county o ...
to Liverpool Lime Street with one in the opposite direction.
The service calls at all stations between Chester and Liverpool South Parkway, then runs express to Lime Street. Operator Transport for Wales plans to extend the service along the North Wales Coast line to in 2022.
Notes
References
Bibliography
*
External links
Map of area showing route of Halton CurveNorth Cheshire Rail Users GroupNetwork Rail Document mention Halton curves.Engineers' Line Reference FJH via ''railwaycodes''The line's future via ''Rail Technology''A cabride video of the line
{{coord, 53.31, N, 2.70, W, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title
Rail transport in Cheshire
Rail junctions in England
Railway lines in North West England