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The Stafford to Manchester Line is a branch of the West Coast Main Line (Network Rail Route 18) serving Stafford, Stone and Stoke-on-Trent, Kidsgrove, Congleton, Macclesfield, Prestbury, Stockport and Manchester. Virgin Trains operate inter-city services between London Euston via the Colwich spur to Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield, Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly and also through cross-country services from Birmingham New Street (Route 17) via Stafford also to Stoke-on-Trent and principal stations to Manchester Piccadilly. Between Cheadle Hulme (where it joins the Crewe to Manchester Line and Manchester, the line forms part of Network Rail Route 20. Local services between Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent are nominally operated by London Midland, however this is currently a replacement bus service, following the cessation of stopping services in 2004. Services between Stoke-on-Trent and Manchester are operated by Northern Rail. The Derby to Crewe Line also operated by Central Trains shares the Stafford to Manchester Line between Stoke-on-Trent and Kidsgrove. A frequent local service is operated by Northern Rail between Macclesfield and Manchester.
[edit] History
The line was completed in 1848 and incorporated the main line of the North Staffordshire Railway from the junction with the London and North Western Railway at Norton Bridge via its principal station at Stoke-on-Trent to Macclesfield where it made a running junction again with the LNWR, which had its own station at Macclesfield (Hibel Road), which was closed by British Rail. The North Staffordshire Railway became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923.
The line was electrified at 25 kV AC, using overhead wires under the 1955 BR Modernisation plan.
