Churnet Valley Railway General Discussion

So is the full triangle now installed including the eastern point onto the Ipstones line? I dont think i have seen any pics of that.

Fantastic news for the railway. I hope they have a gala/event using the new section soon.

 

Yes, the line has always had access to Cauldon Lowe in recent years.

I’m sure they will, I’m not sure how far off the platform is at a Leek…

So, once this is open…

What next?

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Does the video work as I cannot get it to load/ play?

 

This should work
https://fb.watch/mFNB8o42zb/

 

Moneystone

 

Soon or it will take a while?

Hopefully a successful leek expansion spurs everyone on.

Leek is now established as the end of the line in the North
With Alton/Denstone the end of the line in the south east
Cauldon Quarry/Peak Wildlife Park in the north east
Endon as end of line in the west

There is still around 5-10 miles of smaller expansion left before the only route left is past Endon towards stoke.

Pushing to the edges to Alton/Peak Wildlife Park and Endon, with Leek as a well established hub, would make CVR a fantastic railway and Staffordshire success story, with hopefully not some unrealistic ambition! All local councils/politicians should be helping with funding and support.

But still, let’s get that train too the Leek in first!

 

I think you need to take the rose tinted spectacles off.

• Leek is far from established, and it will take at least another 2-3 years to get it up & running fully.
• Alton/Denstone is not on the CVR radar, we own as far as Moneystone sidings and that's it. The bridge over the River Churnet into Oakamoor and beyond is owned by Staffs County Council and they've been lukewarm in committing to rail developments - and then there's the locals who have made it quite clear they never want to see the railway return. Look at all the delays they are bringing to the sand quarry rebuild into an outdoor pursuits centre.
• Cauldon we do own the lease for, so that will happen at some point. But with Peak Wildlife Park the adjacent gradient is too steep for us to ever be permitted to open a station. Our only hope there is to gain permission from the private landowner at Winkhill - but even then some form of road shuttle service will be required to transfer people as the connecting road is far too busy to promote walking to/from PWP.
• Stoke line there has been too many false dawns to promise anything, and we have enough work on elsewhere. We as CVR will only ever get to Wall Grange in the current climate - and that's if NR ever show any real interest which to date they haven't. Unless a third party comes in with significant £££, forget hope of the Stoke line as CVR will never be able to justify the costs itself.

Your comment about councils/politicians supporting us - Ha! April 1st is only 1x day of the year...

 

As we say all this…

Endon Station platform getting ripped up

 

Ash-SOT
As we say all this…

Endon Station platform getting ripped up[/QUOTE]

How is this being allowed to happen ? I thought Moorlands & City had a lease on this line and platforms. I see there was a dispute last year over the use of the platform by the cafe at Endon but it was National Rail who were disputing the issue, not Moorlands. Have M & C faded from the picture and given up their lease and, if so, have Churnet Valley taken over the portion to Cauldon but not Endon ? Is the Stoke connection project being abandoned for the near future or forever ?

 

Ripped up to remove the platform or to be resurfaced?

 

MCR never agreed to the lease for SCQ2, that has always remained with Network Rail.
SCQ3 was taken over by CVR in 2016(?).
Stoke re-opening is with all the councillors & politicians to discuss with NR, though that doesn’t fill me with much hope.

 

SCQ2 and SCQ3 ? Please clarify !
And, according to the report issued in 2012, the then CVR Chair hoped to run trains to Endon by the end of that year ! What happened ?

 

They are Network Rail line references, where SCQ refers to the Stoke on Trent to Cauldon line. It's subdivided into three:
* SCQ1 - Stoke Junction to Milford Junction (then also continued to Congleton via the Biddulph Valley line)
* SCQ2 - Milton Junction to Leek Brook Junction
* SCQ3 - Leek Brook Junction to Caldon Low

For the small print, see http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/elrs/elrs.shtm and the links on to the three SCQ lines.

 

You’ve missed the details, that was subject to agreement with Network Rail (the lines owners). Agreement never came, so nothing was ever operated. And that situation remains to this day.

 

What was the problem with reaching any kind of agreement? Such a shame to see the state of the railway at Endon now. Was there not some kind of agreement to run a weedkilling train once a year?

 

Issue with YouTube connection now resolved
https://youtube.com/watch?v=CVVF0Bec26s

 

Speak with the line’s owners. The offer to run a limited heritage service is still there if someone authorises it.