Another AS&LJR Act, on 21 July 1845, authorised the branch from Miles Platting to Ardwick, connecting there with the Manchester and Birmingham Railway (later to become the London and North Western Railway), facing towards Store Street (later London Road) station. Construction and opening The main line was built in two sections, by Hemingway & Pearson and Harding & Cropper respectively. As well as a timber viaduct at Park, there was a viaduct over the River Medlock, comprising ten stone arches of 30 ft span and with a total length of 400 ft. A deep cutting had to be made at Ashton Moss, and the bad ground conditions were exceptionally difficult. Where the railway crossed the moss land, the ground had to be excavated to a depth of four or five feet, filled up with layers of brushwood and clay, and afterwards ballasted. The rails there were laid on longitudinal timbers. At Miles Platting, a relocated station was built at the new junction. The line was to be 6 miles 793 yd long; it was made as a single line but the works were all double-track width except for Medlock viaduct. Ashton station was a large commodious stone building with a roof over the railway 150 ft long and with a span of 60 feet. The line from Miles Platting to Ashton was inspected by General Pasley for the Board of Trade on 6 April 1846, and following his approval, it opened on 13 April: 1,100 passengers were carried on the first day. It was connected to the Manchester and Leeds Railway at Miles Platting, and through running to Liverpool over the Liverpool and Manchester Railway was possible. On 23 September Pasley inspected the remainder of the branch, and that was opened to Stalybridge on 5 October. The station at Stalybridge was a simple structure with one platform. On 8 June 1847 a contract for doubling the line was let to Gill & Child. The work progressed slowly and was completed, except for Medlock viaduct, by 1 March 1849, but approval for opening the second track was delayed until 1 August. In February 1849 the contract for widening the viaduct was let to Child & Barker, and completed towards the end of 1849. The widening consisted of an additional single track width on the north side. Ardwick branch The Ardwick branch from Miles Platting was to be 1 mile 1,561 yd