Plans emerge for new railway station near Leighton in Crewe
Proposals for a new railway station on the Crewe to Chester line have emerged as part of plans for major development around Leighton, with a potential site identified off the A530
By Nantwich News
Plans have emerged for a new railway station near Leighton as part of proposals for major development on the northern edge of Crewe.
The potential station would be built on the existing Crewe to Chester railway line, with a site identified off the A530 Middlewich Road between Leighton and Wolstanwood.
It would be located to the west of Bentley Motors and could provide a new rail connection for the growing Leighton area.
The proposal is linked to wider plans for development around north Crewe, where substantial numbers of new homes and supporting infrastructure have been proposed.
A new station could provide an alternative to travelling into Crewe railway station for some residents while improving public transport connections for future housing and employment development in the area.
The location would place the station close to the A530, one of the principal routes through north Crewe towards Middlewich.
It would also sit near major employment and healthcare sites, including Bentley Motors and Leighton Hospital.
However, the proposal remains at an early stage.
No new railway station has yet been approved for construction and further work would be required before the project could progress.
A scheme of this kind would require consideration of issues including passenger demand, access, parking, connections with other forms of transport and the effect of an additional stop on existing rail services.
Funding would also need to be established.
The proposal comes amid significant development pressure around Leighton.
Plans have separately been submitted for up to 2,100 homes at Red Hall Farm off Middlewich Road, opposite Leighton Hospital.
That application includes housing, employment space, retail and health services, land for a primary school and public open space.
Other development has already taken place around north-west Crewe, increasing the importance of transport infrastructure as the area expands.
The Crewe to Chester railway provides connections between two of Cheshire's principal centres and forms part of the wider rail network serving North Wales.
A station at Leighton would represent a significant addition to local transport infrastructure if the proposal eventually progresses.
For now, the plans identify the potential location and role of a new station rather than confirming that construction will take place.