Leek Extension Announcement

The Churnet Valley Railway is very pleased to announce that Staffordshire Moorlands District Council (SMDC) voted to grant planning permission for the extension of the railway in to Leek at their planning committee meeting on 12th April 2018.

Approval of the SMDC sponsored planning application is the culmination of several months of joint effort between the council and Churnet Valley Railway (1992) Plc. The application process started after the council voted in June 2017 to allocate funds to compile and submit a planning application for the reinstatement of the railway. This was done as the Churnet Valley Railway forms part of the Churnet Valley Masterplan which was adopted in 2014. The funding covered all the necessary environmental surveys as well as the cost of the application. The Churnet Valley Railway provided the technical support for the application and drew upon estimates that had been produced in November 2015.


Several activities are now going on behind the scenes to address items such as agreeing the lease of the council owned track bed, developing funding requirements, developing the implementation programme, starting outline design and compiling the Health & Safety files.

The permission is for 1000 metres of single track from the existing CVR rail head at Leek Brook Junction over the former double track formation terminating at an 8-coach run-round loop in the Cornfield West development area which is approximately 400 metres south of the former Leek station.

The site of the new station is an integral part of the proposed Cornfield West development which received outline planning permission in 2015. A separate detailed planning application for the new station will follow in due course.

As part of the extension works, remodelling of the track layout will be undertaken on CVR land at Leek Brook Junction. Part of these remodelling works is for the installation of the former north east chord line to reinstate the triangle which will allow for services to run from Leek to the Cauldon Line as well as giving the facility to turn locomotives. The signal box at Leek Brook Junction will be brought back in to full working order as part of the resignalling scheme for the new track layout.

Supporting infrastructure works will be undertaken at Cheddleton to fully reconnect the Down Platform line. This involves completing the river bank slip repair works, installing a new set of points and resignalling to create a passing loop.

Further news will be published as this exciting scheme moves forward.



Emma Haywood
Infrastructure Director

13/04/18