Etruria railway station
Encyclopedia
Etruria station is a closed station in Stoke-on-Trent
, Staffordshire
, which served the areas of Etruria
and the larger district of Newcastle-under-Lyme
. It closed on 30 September 2005.
The station was opened 9 October 1848 by the North Staffordshire Railway
and was modified by it in the 1870s, when the Potteries Loop Line was constructed. The station was an island platform
situated underneath a bridge carrying the A53
, approximately one mile north of Stoke-on-Trent station
. Its train services were suspended in May 2003 during the upgrade of the West Coast Main Line
. Central Trains
did not restart services to Etruria when the work was finished and continued with bustitution
although First North Western
reintroduced a limited service, beyond what was contractually required.
After already low passenger numbers dwindled even further, closure was proposed by the Strategic Rail Authority
in February 2004. The closure was granted approval by the Department for Transport
on 21 July 2005. The final train was Northern Rail
unit 323226
which left at 07.16 to Manchester Piccadilly
. The closure was condemned by Transport 2000.
The platforms and steps were still there as of May 2007 although signage and platform objects were removed in June 2006.
As of December 2008, nothing remains of Etruria station that would be noticed by the casual observer, the platform having been demolished to permit the straightening of the track and remove a 60mph speed restriction to allow trains to run at 85 mph southbound and 90 mph northbound.
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, which served the areas of Etruria
Etruria, Staffordshire
Etruria is a suburb of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England.-Home of Wedgwood:Etruria was the fourth and penultimate site for the Wedgwood pottery business. Josiah Wedgwood, who was previously based in Burslem, opened his new works in 1769. It was named after the Italian district of Etruria,...
and the larger district of Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme is a market town in Staffordshire, England, and is the principal town of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme. It is part of The Potteries Urban Area and North Staffordshire. In the 2001 census the town had a population of 73,944...
. It closed on 30 September 2005.
The station was opened 9 October 1848 by the North Staffordshire Railway
North Staffordshire Railway
The North Staffordshire Railway was a British railway company formed in 1845 to promote a number of lines in the Staffordshire Potteries and surrounding areas in Staffordshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Shropshire....
and was modified by it in the 1870s, when the Potteries Loop Line was constructed. The station was an island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
situated underneath a bridge carrying the A53
A53 road
The A53 is a primary route in northern England, that runs from Buxton in Derbyshire to Shrewsbury in Shropshire.-Route of Road:The A53 begins in the centre of Buxton off the A6 road, before meeting the A515 road at a roundabout. Out of the town, it has a junction with the A54 road before...
, approximately one mile north of Stoke-on-Trent station
Stoke-on-Trent railway station
Stoke-on-Trent Railway Station is a main-line railway station in central England. It is located on the Stafford to Manchester branch of the West Coast Main Line and serves the Staffordshire city of Stoke-on-Trent...
. Its train services were suspended in May 2003 during the upgrade of the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
. Central Trains
Central Trains
Central Trains was one of the original 25 train operating companies to emerge from the break-up of British Rail between 1994 and 1997. The company operated local, urban and secondary express services across central England and Mid Wales.-Overview:...
did not restart services to Etruria when the work was finished and continued with bustitution
Bustitution
The word bustitution is a neologism sometimes used to describe the practice of replacing a passenger train service with a bus service either on a temporary or permanent basis. The word is a portmanteau of the words "bus" and "substitution"...
although First North Western
First North Western
First North Western was a train operating company in the United Kingdom serving North West England. It operated from 1997 to 2004.The company when first privatised was known as North Western Trains and was owned by Great Western Holdings, a partnership between Great Western's management, First...
reintroduced a limited service, beyond what was contractually required.
After already low passenger numbers dwindled even further, closure was proposed by the Strategic Rail Authority
Strategic Rail Authority
In existence from 2001 to 2006, the Strategic Rail Authority was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom set up under the Transport Act 2000 to provide strategic direction for the railway industry....
in February 2004. The closure was granted approval by the Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
on 21 July 2005. The final train was Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
unit 323226
British Rail Class 323
The British Rail Class 323 electric multiple units were built by Hunslet TPL from 1992-93. Forty-three 3-car units were built for inner-suburban services around Birmingham and Manchester...
which left at 07.16 to Manchester Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly station
Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
. The closure was condemned by Transport 2000.
The platforms and steps were still there as of May 2007 although signage and platform objects were removed in June 2006.
As of December 2008, nothing remains of Etruria station that would be noticed by the casual observer, the platform having been demolished to permit the straightening of the track and remove a 60mph speed restriction to allow trains to run at 85 mph southbound and 90 mph northbound.
External links
- Guardian.co.uk: Last train to Etruria
- BBC Stoke & Staffordshire - 360° view of Etruria Station