Whitehaven, Cleator and Egremont Railway

Whitehaven, Cleator and Egremont Railway

Legend Cumbrian Coast Line Cleator and Workington Junction Railway Marron Junction for Cockermouth and Workington Railway Workington Central Workington Main Bridgefoot Harrington Branthwaite Distington(goods) Parton Whitehaven Ullock Whitehaven Tunnel Lamplugh Corkickle Rowrah Mirehouse Junction Winder Moor Row Yeathouse Frizington Cleator Moor East St Bees Woodend Nethertown Egremont Braystones Beckermet Sellafield

The Whitehaven, Cleator and Egremont Railway was a standard gauge railway in Cumberland, England. It opened for goods traffic in 1855 and for passenger traffic in 1857.

Route

Mirehouse Junction, one mile south of Whitehaven (Corkickle) - Moor Row (junction)

Northern section

Moor Row - Cleator Moor - Frizington - Eskett (later Yeathouse) - Winder - Rowrah - Wright Green (later Lamplugh) - Ullock - Branthwaite - Bridgefoot - Marron Junction ^[1] (junction with the London & North Western Railway who took over the Cockermouth and Workington Railway in 1866).

Southern section

Moor Row - Woodend - Egremont

Company Branch Lines

In addition to the locations shown in the Northern and Southern sections there were also several important WC&ER branchlines that served local industry. They were the Bigrigg, Beckermet, Crossfield, Eskett, Ehen Valley, Gillfoot, Mowbray, Palaflat, Ullcoats Branches. The Gillgaron Branch is included below.

The Egremont to Sellafield Section

Egremont - Beckermet - Sellafield In reality this was an independent railway to the WC&ER as it was jointly owned by the WC&ER and the Furness Railway and was known as the Cleator and Furness Railway, although it was worked by the WC&ER. This section was opened to traffic in 1869. There was one station on the line that was located at Beckermet. This section of railway also became part of the 'Joint Lines' when the WC&ER was taken over. (see below)

The Gillgaron Branch

Parton - Distington- Ullock. This branchline is often overlooked by some authors and historians. It was important for it served an iron works at Distington.

Mergers

Note: The Whitehaven & Furness Junction Railway that ran south from Whitehaven was absorbed into the Furness railway in 1866 and all references to the WFJR after this date should read Furness railway.

In 1878 the Whitehaven, Cleator and Egremont Railway was taken over by the London and North Western Railway and the Furness Railway objected to the takeover. The London and North Western Railway had in 1866 acquired two railways in the west of the county and had entered into an understanding with the Furness Railway that the L&NWR would not expand any further south in West Cumberland than the lines that were acquired in 1866. As a result the former WC&ER became joint property of the London and North Western Railway and the Furness Railway. At the 1923 grouping, both these railways were absorbed into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS). The LMS became part of British Railways at the 1948 nationalisation.

Closures

Sections of the line closed in 1954 and the track was lifted in 1964. Other sections remained open for the conveyance of limestone from a quarry at Rowrah and iron ore from mines in the Egremont area. These closures are to be expanded sometime in the future when correct dates are researched and verified

See also

• Cumbrian Coast Line (history)

References

• Books and publications by members and former members of the Cumbrian railways Association
• Robinson, Peter W. Cumbria's Lost Railways. ISBN 1-84033-205-0. 
• Joy, David. Cumbrian Coast Railways. 
• Joy, David. Railways of the Lake Counties. 
• Joy, David. A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain 14. 

External links

• Route in Google Maps