The Cheshire Midland Railway was authorised by an Act of Parliament, passed on 14 June 1860, to build a railway from Altrincham on the Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway (MSJAR) to Northwich. History The 1860 Act was promoted by landowners and supported by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (MS&LR). The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) were given leave to subscribe to the undertaking but they chose not to and the MS&LR found help from Great Northern Railway (GNR) instead. In 1861 a further Act modified the route and provided for the official involvement of the MS&LR. Together the MS&LR and GNR formed a joint committee to operate this railway along with three others that had been authorised but were not yet open. Together these railways connected up to provide an alternative route into North Cheshire that avoided Manchester. Each company was to provide an equal amount of capital and four representatives to the joint management committee. This arrangement was confirmed by the Great Northern (Cheshire Lines) Act in Parliament in 1863. This Act had not, however, formally set up a separate legal body, providing instead for the two companies to manage and work the four railways through their existing structures. This arrangement eventually led to the formation of the Cheshire Lines Committee in 1865. The line was then formally brought under the direct joint ownership of the MS&LR and GNR in 1865 by the Cheshire Lines Transfer Act, 1865. The Act allowed the Midland Railway (MR) to join as an equal partner, which it did in 1866. and finally The Cheshire Lines Committee was authorised by The Cheshire Lines Act, 1867 as a fully independent organisation with a board formed from three directors from each of the parent companies. Today the railway forms part of the Mid-Cheshire Line. Opening The Cheshire Midland Railway opened in stages: Knutsford to Mobberley opened for passenger traffic on 12 May 1862 and for goods traffic on 1 May 1863. Northwich to Knutsford opened for passenger traffic on 1 January 1863 and for goods traffic on 1 May 1863. A mineral railway ran to the north between Lostock and Northwich, this line, usually known as the Marston branch, provided access to a number of works, mostly connected to salt mining and extraction. They opened for freight only from 17 December 1867 onwards. Route and stations The railway started from an end-on connection