Glazebrook is a station in Cheshire on the Liverpool – Manchester line. Glazebrook East Junction lies between Glazebrook and Irlam stations. Skelton Junction is a junction between the Altrincham – Stockport railway line and the Altrincham – Manchester – Bury Metrolink line. The junction is located to the south of Manchester in Timperley, near Altrincham.

Glazebrook East Junction–Skelton Junction line was part of Cheshire Lines Committee as a branch line of their main Liverpool–Manchester lines. The line carried on through Skelton Junction terminating at Stockport Tiviot Dale. The line called at the following stations: Cadishead, Partington, and West Timperley. As part of the London Midland region of BR, It remained a busy line with trains from Liverpool Central and Warrington Central up until the mid-1960s. It was only on the withdrawal of these stopping passenger services in 1964 that all the stations closed along the line.

Source: Wikipedia – Glazebrook East Junction–Skelton Junction line.
Map by Alan Young of Glazebrook - Stockport line, 1960

Map created by Alan Young and used with his permission | Disused Stations website
Course of Glazebrook Junction to Skelton Junction line overlaid onto Greater Manchester rail network map

Course of Glazebrook East Junction to Skelton Junction line overlaid onto Greater Manchester rail network map | View complete map
Location of Glazebrook Junction to Skelton Junction line

© OpenStreetMap contributors | OpenStreetMap copyright notice | View context map
The promoters of a scheme to reinstate services over the line from Glazebrook East Junction to Skelton Junction have submitted a proposal to the Department for Transport Restoring Your Railway Fund. An award from this fund enables a scheme promoter to make progress towards developing a business case. The scheme was not among those selected to receive funding.

Another submission to the DfT was named “To repurpose the Warrington to Stockport line”. We have been unable to unearth any information about this proposal.

In 2010 the Liberal Democrats announced plans to reopen thousands of miles of disused and abandoned tracks and it is hoped this line will reopen sometime in the future. This appears an easy process as all the infrastructure of the line is still in place, bar the tracks signalling etc. However, it would cost millions of pounds to bring Cadishead Viaduct up to a safe and usable standard along with all the other decaying bridges along the line which have seen little or no maintenance in 26 years since the line was closed. In 2017, businessman Neil McArthur launched a campaign to reopen the line as a heritage railway, with an adjoining footpath and cycle track. In January 2019, Campaign for Better Transport released a report identifying the line which was listed as Priority 2 for reopening. Priority 2 is for those lines which require further development or a change in circumstances (such as housing developments).

Source: Wikipedia – Glazebrook East Junction–Skelton Junction line.

Related schemes

Altrincham – Stockport line

Overview of Greater Manchester reopening schemes

Read about Gamesley station Read about the Rose Hill Marple – Hazel Grove line Read about Golburne station Read about Kenyon Junction station Read about the Altrincham – Stockport line Read about the Glazebrook Junction – Skelton Junction line Read about the East Didsbury – Stockport line Read about the Manchester Piccadilly – Ashton – Stockport line Read about the Oldham Mumps – Greenfield line Read about the Bury – Heywood – Rochdale line Read about the Bury – Rawtenstall line Read about the Bolton – Bury line Read about the Bolton – Radcliffe line Read about the Bolton – Walkden line

Further reading

Beeching Reversal – Glazebrook Junction And Skelton Junction, on The Anonymous Widower website

Glazebrook East Junction–Skelton Junction line – Wikipedia

MPs back Trafford rail revival plans, by Alice Richardson, on the Messenger website

Proposal to re-open Cadishead Viaduct and the Cheshire Lines rail line, by Hamilton Davies Trust (pdf; 6pp)

Skelton Junction – Wikipedia