| Box Width: | auto |
| Southport and Cheshire Lines Extension Railway | |
| Locale: | Lancashire Merseyside |
| Map State: | open |
The Southport & Cheshire Lines Extension Railway was an early British railway company operating in the then county of Lancashire. It was constructed to link the Cheshire Lines Committee railway at Aintree to Southport. It operated from 1884 to 1952.
| Short Title: | Southport and Cheshire Lines Extension Railway Act 1881 |
| Type: | Act |
| Parliament: | Parliament of the United Kingdom |
| Year: | 1881 |
| Citation: | 44 & 45 Vict. c. cxciii |
| Royal Assent: | 11 August 1881 |
| Original Text: | https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/44-45/193/pdfs/ukla_18810193_en.pdf |
| Collapsed: | yes |
| Short Title: | Southport and Cheshire Lines Extension Railway Act 1882 |
| Type: | Act |
| Parliament: | Parliament of the United Kingdom |
| Year: | 1882 |
| Citation: | 45 & 46 Vict. c. cclxi |
| Royal Assent: | 18 August 1882 |
| Original Text: | https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/45-46/261/pdfs/ukla_18820261_en.pdf |
| Collapsed: | yes |
The Southport & Cheshire Lines Extension Railway was authorised by two acts of Parliament, the (44 & 45 Vict. c. cxciii) of 11 August 1881 and the (45 & 46 Vict. c. cclxi) of 18 August 1882, the first authorising the line as far as Birkdale and the second the remaining section to Southport Lord Street. It was promoted by the Cheshire Lines Committee (CLC) and was a natural extension of their North Liverpool Extension Line to Southport.
| Type: | Act |
| Parliament: | Parliament of the United Kingdom |
| Long Title: | An Act to empower the Southport and Cheshire Lines Extension Railway Company to raise further Money; to confirm Agreements with reference to the working of their Railway by the Cheshire Lines Committee; and for other purposes. |
| Year: | 1885 |
| Citation: | 48 & 49 Vict. c. liii |
| Royal Assent: | 25 June 1885 |
| Original Text: | https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/48-49/53/pdfs/ukla_18850053_en.pdf |
| Collapsed: | yes |
| Short Title: | Southport and Cheshire Lines Extension Railway Act 1889 |
| Type: | Act |
| Parliament: | Parliament of the United Kingdom |
| Year: | 1889 |
| Citation: | 52 & 53 Vict. c. lxx |
| Royal Assent: | 9 July 1889 |
| Original Text: | https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/52-53/70/pdfs/ukla_18890070_en.pdf |
| Collapsed: | yes |
| Type: | Act |
| Parliament: | Parliament of the United Kingdom |
| Long Title: | An Act to confer further powers on the Southport and Cheshire Lines Extension Railway Company and for other purposes. |
| Year: | 1892 |
| Citation: | 55 & 56 Vict. c. xcv |
| Royal Assent: | 20 June 1892 |
| Original Text: | https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/55-56/95/pdfs/ukla_18920095_en.pdf |
| Collapsed: | yes |
The 14ch3ch line was built as a double track railway opening on 1 September 1884. The line was worked by the CLC under arrangements made in its acts of Parliament, these acts were ratified and amended by the (52 & 53 Vict. c. lxx) to allow working with other companies.
The railway remained independent until nationalisation in 1948.
Passenger services ended 7 January 1952 and goods six months later. The line remained in intermittent use from Aintree to Altcar and Hillhouse to provide access to private sidings until May 1960, when the line was finally lifted.
The trackbed forms part of National Cycle Network Route 62, the Trans Pennine Trail. From Woodvale northwards the trail is joined by the Southport Coastal Road.
In January 2019, the 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).[1]
. George Dow . Great Central, Volume Two: Dominion of Watkin, 1864–1899 . 1962 . . Shepperton . 0-7110-1469-8 .