Ellesmere train station's history in spotlight

Ellesmere Station, which was a hive of activity 50 years ago carrying people on the main line from Whitchurch to Welshpool, now stands disused and boarded up.

The event at Ellesmere Town Hall yesterday was held to mark the 50th anniversary of the station's closure.

The free Memory of Steam event gave visitors the chance to discover the history of the railway, see a model of the Ellesmere line and enjoy vintage-style teas.

Ellesmere Station, off Brownlow Road, was situated on what became the Cambrian Railways main line from Whitchurch to Welshpool. It had two platforms with a building on the westbound side.

The first section of the line, from Whitchurch to Ellesmere, was officially opened on May 4, 1863, although a special train to mark its completion had taken to the track on April 20 that year.

Initially the station was served by trains on the Cambrian main line running to Whitchurch and through Oswestry to Welshpool and beyond, but in 1895 the Great Central Railway opened a line for Ellesmere to Wrexham Central. This ended in 1962, leaving Ellesmere once again with only services on the Whitchurch to Welshpool track. The station closed to passengers on January 18, 1965, as part of the Beeching railways review.

The event at the Town Hall was one of a number planned to celebrate the history of the railway in the town. Ellesmere Library, in Victoria Street, has been transformed into a station office for a railway-themed month. An exhibition of old maps, plans, history and photographs currently are on display.

The library is open Tuesdays 10am to 6pm, Fridays 10am to 5pm, and Saturdays from 9.30am to 1pm, and 2pm to 4pm.