Kingsley and Froghall railway station

Kingsley and Froghall
Station on heritage railway (Churnet Valley Railway)
General information
LocationFroghall, Staffordshire Moorlands
England
Coordinates53°01′15″N 1°57′50″W / 53.0208°N 1.964°W / 53.0208; -1.964
Grid referenceSK024471
Operated byChurnet Valley Railway
Platforms2
History
Original companyNorth Staffordshire Railway
Post-groupingLondon, Midland & Scottish Railway
Key dates
1 September 1849Opened as Froghall[1]
1 July 1907Renamed Kingsley and Froghall[2]
4 January 1965Closed[1]
11 August 2001reopened

Kingsley and Froghall is a former railway station of the North Staffordshire Railway (NSR) that is now preserved on the Churnet Valley Railway in Staffordshire, England.

History

Kingsley and Froghall station, situated on the Churnet Valley Line of the North Staffordshire Railway, was opened to both passengers and goods on 1 September 1849.

The station was a busy country station serving the needs of workers at nearby Thomas Bolton's copper refinery.

As with many UK railways, passenger numbers in the 1960s decreased to such an extent that the station was closed to both passengers and goods in 1965.

Re-opening and the Churnet Valley Railway

The station from the road overbridge, looking south-east in 2010
Plaque marking the re-opening of Kingsley and Froghall railway station

During the 1970s, a railway preservation base was set up at nearby Cheddleton station; later, this was to become the base of the Churnet Valley Railway (CVR). The CVR had been progressing slowly in preserving the line when, in the late 1990s, they had reached the station site. After closure by British Rail, the station buildings had been demolished. Initial rebuilding of the station resulted in the down platform reopening for passengers on 11 August 2001. Construction began later on the new station building, which opened on 20 September 2003.

Since 2003, more work has been done on the station to make the site as complete as the nearby Consall. Initially, this involved resurfacing the down platform and adding fences, a few small buildings and station furniture. With this side now relatively complete, attention has been turned to the second (up) platform where the overhang on the canal and associated fences have been rebuilt, along with walls and the large waiting shelter but, as of 2012, this platform is not in use.

Kingsley and Froghall is currently the southern limit of passenger operations on the CVR, but plans exist to extend towards Oakamoor and Alton Towers.

Notes

  1. ^ a b Quick, Michael (2009) [2001]. Railway passenger stations in Great Britain: a chronology (4th ed.). Oxford: Railway & Canal Historical Society. ISBN 978-0-901461-57-5. OCLC 612226077.
  2. ^ "Minute No. 6232". Minutes of Meeting of the Superintendents' Conference (Report). London: Railway Clearing House. 2 July 1907. (Unpublished).
Preceding station Heritage Railways  Heritage railways Following station
Consall   Churnet Valley Railway   Terminus
  Historical railways  
Consall   North Staffordshire Railway
Churnet Valley Line
  Oakamoor