Index
- Ditton to Skelton Home
- Ditton
- Widnes South
- Cuerdley
- Fiddlers Ferry
- Sankey Bridges
- Warrington Bank Quay
- Warrington Arpley
- Latchford 1st
- Latchford 2nd
- Thelwall
- Lymm
- Heatley & Warburton
- Dunham Massey
- Broadheath
Latchford 1st formerly Latchford & Grappenhall Road
(1853 - 1893)
The first Latchford station was situated on the Warrington & Stockport Railway (W&S) which opened on November 1 1853.
At the time of opening, the station was called Latchford & Grappenhall Road. The W&S was a double-track railway and the station was provided with two platforms and a level crossing.
The main facilities were on the up (Broadheath direction) platform and included a booking office, waiting rooms, toilets and a house for the stationmaster.
At the east end of the platform was the crossing keeper’s single-storey cottage
The station was renamed as Latchford in June 1854
In 1885, the Manchester Ship Canal Company (MSCC) obtained an Act to create a major transport artery which would cut through the course of the railway at Latchford. The canal required a clearance of 75ft above the water line and the railway companies, who had lobbied hard to prevent the canal from being built, did not want swing bridges which would interfere with the operation of their trains. The solution at Latchford was to build a deviation to the line and a high level bridge at the canal’s expense to the north of Latchford station. It commenced at Wilderspool and took the line up to the required 75ft above the canal. A new station for Latchford was built on the deviation
The deviation was completed by February 1893 and the LNWR commenced running goods trains over it. They continued to use the original line for a few weeks so as to be sure that all was well with the deviation. On July 10 1893, passenger services were switched to the deviation line and the original Latchford station was closed
A railway was retained through the original Latchford station to serve sidings on the northern bank of the canal which ran directly behind the down platform. The link closed in the late 1060s. The level crossing was therefore of little importance other than as a link to the canal bank and it became unmanned
The station was renamed as Latchford in June 1854
In 1885, the Manchester Ship Canal Company (MSCC) obtained an Act to create a major transport artery which would cut through the course of the railway at Latchford. The canal required a clearance of 75ft above the water line and the railway companies, who had lobbied hard to prevent the canal from being built, did not want swing bridges which would interfere with the operation of their trains. The solution at Latchford was to build a deviation to the line and a high level bridge at the canal’s expense to the north of Latchford station. It commenced at Wilderspool and took the line up to the required 75ft above the canal. A new station for Latchford was built on the deviation
The deviation was completed by February 1893 and the LNWR commenced running goods trains over it. They continued to use the original line for a few weeks so as to be sure that all was well with the deviation. On July 10 1893, passenger services were switched to the deviation line and the original Latchford station was closed
A railway was retained through the original Latchford station to serve sidings on the northern bank of the canal which ran directly behind the down platform. The link closed in the late 1060s. The level crossing was therefore of little importance other than as a link to the canal bank and it became unmanned
