The Plan
The plan is to reconnect the Churnet Valley Railway ‘CVR’ with Leek, the principal market town in North Staffordshire, which lost its rail service as a result of the notorious 1960's Beeching Axe. The CVR intend to carry out the initial installation of track work from its head shunt at Leekbrook, northwards to the extent of its current land ownership, close to the Severn Trent treatment works. From this point onwards, the land is owned by CVR’s project partner, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council (SMDC) and the vacant track bed will require the installation of new track, for the relatively short distance of some three quarters of a mile.
As the original station site is no longer available, a new site has been identified on the West side of the track bed, where a new platform, car park and temporary station building will be constructed. A comprehensive, permanent station building will be part of a future scheme to supplement the current project.
Planning permission has already been granted and a long term lease has been with SMDC.
The cost of re-laying track from the head shunt to CVR's northern land boundary will be met from small grants and the company's existing resources. Finance for the main part of the project will be provided by the European Agricultural Regional Development Fund
