Lawton railway station

The station was situated on the North Staffordshire Railway (NSR) branch line to Sandbach from Harecastle. The line opened in 1852 to serve the salt and chemical works in the Sandbach area and passenger services were a very late addition, not being introduced until 1893, 41 years after the opening of the line.^[3]

The station called Lawton, which was close to the settlement at Lawton Gate was one of two intermediate station on the line opened at the same time in July 1893, a third Hassall Green was opened in 1905.^[4] From the station to Lawton Junction, the junction with the Crewe-Harecastle line the line was double tracked, from Lawton to Hassall Green the line was only single track.

There were minimal goods facilities at the station and the station had an island platform with the buildings on the platform between the two running lines.^[5]

Increasing competition from bus services led to the line being closed for passenger services in 1930 and Lawton station closed completely on 28 July that year, with parcels traffic being dealt with at Alsager.^[5]

Freight traffic continued over the line until 1964^[6] and the line was finally closed and lifted in 1971.

Notes

Sources

• Christiansen, Rex & Miller, Robert William (1971). The North Staffordshire Railway. Newton Abbot, Devon: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-5121-4.
• Jeuda, Basil (2012). The North Staffordshire Railway in LMS days. Vol. 2. Lydney, Gloucestershire: Lightmoor Press. ISBN 978-1899889-65-5.
• 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.