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Chirk railway station

Coordinates:52°55′59″N3°03′58″W/ 52.933°N 3.066°W/52.933; -3.066
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Chirk

Welsh:Y Waun
National Rail
General information
LocationChirk,Wrexham
Wales
Coordinates52°55′59″N3°03′58″W/ 52.933°N 3.066°W/52.933; -3.066
Grid referenceSJ284378
Managed byTransport for Wales
Line(s)Shrewsbury–Chester
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeCRK
ClassificationDfT categoryF2
History
Original companyShrewsbury, Oswestry and Chester Junction Railway
Pre-groupingGreat Western Railway
Key dates
12 October 1848Station opens[1]
13 July 1964Closed to goods
1 March 1974Unstaffed[2]
Passengers
2018/19Increase77,106
2019/20Increase78,030
2020/21Decrease14,788
2021/22Increase57,766
2022/23Increase73,002
Notes
Passenger statistics from theOffice of Rail and Road

Chirk railway station(Welsh:Y Waun) serves the town ofChirk,Wrexham County Borough,Wales.The station is on theShrewsbury to Chester Line21 miles (34 km) north of Shrewsbury, which is part of the formerGreat Western Railwaymainline route fromLondon PaddingtontoBirkenhead Woodside.The original 19th-century (grade 2 listed) Chirk / Y Waun station building was demolished in 1987, without consultation, by the local council.[3]

Chirk was also the eastern terminus and transfer point for theGlyn Valley Tramway.

Historical services

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According to theOfficial Handbook of Stationsthe following classes of traffic were being handled at this station in 1956: G, P, F, L, H, C and there was a 15 cwt crane.[4]At one time there was also a private siding into the Cadbury's factory from where cocoa liquor was sent to the chocolate factory atBournville.

The railway itself superseded theLlangollen Canal,which runs parallel to the railway through Chirk, for the transportation of coal and other goods.

Facilities

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The station is unstaffed (and has been since 1974) but has a ticket vending machine where passengers may buy or collect pre-booked tickets before boarding. Stone waiting shelters are provided on both platforms, along with a fully accessible ramped footbridge linking them – this was installed in 2015 as part of a £2 million Welsh Assembly-funded station improvement project.[5]Train running information is provided via the CIS displays, automated announcements and timetable posters.[6]

Current services

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Passenger

Trains run on two routes operated byTransport for Wales:

Some early morning & late evening trains run only between Shrewsbury and either Wrexham General or Chester only, whilst there is a single late evening service northbound toManchester Piccadillyon weekdays only. Sundays see a two-hourly service to Chester & Birmingham International with a limited number of services to Holyhead & Cardiff.[7]

Freight

To the north of Chirk station on the Up (southbound) side of the line is a private siding into theKronospanchipboard factory. The siding receives a trainload of softwood from Kingmoor Yard,Cumbriafive days a week (Monday to Friday), and additionally, between the months of April and October, up to three trains a week of softwood fromRibblehead,North Yorkshire.Since 2007 these timber trains have been operated to the Chirk Kronospan factory byColas RailLtd.

Preceding station National RailNational Rail Following station
Gobowen Transport for Wales
Shrewsbury to Chester Line 		Ruabon
Historical railways
Trehowell Halt Great Western Railway
Shrewsbury to Chester Line 		Whitehurst Halt
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  • The Friends of Chirk Station maintain the flowerbeds.
    TheFriends of Chirk Stationmaintain the flowerbeds.
  • An Arriva Trains Wales Class 175 at platform 2
    An Arriva Trains WalesClass 175at platform 2
  • An Arriva Trains Wales Class 158 leaves the station heading north, away from the camera, towards Ruabon. The Kronospan factory is to the right.
    An Arriva Trains WalesClass 158leaves the station heading north, away from the camera, towards Ruabon. The Kronospan factory is to the right.
  • Fully accessible ramped footbridge, installed in 2015
    Fully accessible ramped footbridge, installed in 2015

References

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  1. ^Butt, R. V. J.(October 1995).The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present(1st ed.).Sparkford:Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 60.ISBN978-1-85260-508-7.OCLC60251199.OL11956311M.
  2. ^Clinker, C.R., (1978)Clinker’s Register of Closed Station,Avon AngliaISBN0-905466-19-5
  3. ^Chirk StationPlas Kynaston Canal Group;Retrieved 13 June 2017
  4. ^1956,Official Handbook of Stations,British Transport Commission
  5. ^"Better access for passengers at Chirk station thanks to new footbridge"Network Rail Media Centrearticle 20 November 2015; Retrieved 13 June 2017
  6. ^Chirk station facilitiesNational Rail Enquiries
  7. ^GB eNRT December 2018 Edition, Table 75

Further reading

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Wikimedia Commons has media related toChirk railway station.
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