Twenty-five years ago, the Churnet Valley Railway celebrated the opening of its extension to Kingsley & Froghall. We revisit Nick Pigott’s original report from the October 2001 issue of The Railway Magazine, recording the inaugural train, the station’s restoration and the railway’s ambitions for the future.
Originally published in The Railway Magazine, October 2001.
ROBIN STEWART-SMITH
Churnet Valley’s Froghall extension opens
By NICK PIGOTT
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The inaugural train
THIRTY three years to the day after the end of steam on BR, the Churnet Valley Railway extended its line to more than five miles on August 11 with the opening of Kingsley & Froghall station.
To the accompaniment of a brass band, Standard 4MT 2-6-4T No. 80136 broke a ribbon across the line as it entered the station with the inaugural train, the 11am ‘Froghall Pioneer’ special from Cheddleton.
Upon arrival, CVR chairman Anthony Hancock performed the official opening ceremony in a marquee on the newly-rebuilt down platform.
Station restoration
Kingsley & Froghall closed to passengers in January 1965 and has since seen only freight traffic. Its platform and run-round facilities have been reinstated at a cost of £140,000 raised through a share issue. The next stage will be the £300,000 provision of an all-new station building based loosely on the design of the North Staffordshire Railway original, demolished in 1967. For this, further share income and a European grant are being sought.
Future plans and services
The reopening ceremony took place just 37 months after the opening of the railway’s Consall extension and there are now grand plans to extend north to the town of Leek (The RM, August).
Froghall station is due to be open every Sunday in September with a five-trains-a-day service.
Churnet Valley Railway today – November 2026
Twenty-five years after the events described in Nick Pigott’s report, the Churnet Valley Railway continues to operate heritage passenger services in Staffordshire.
Kingsley & Froghall remains an important station on the railway, which offers journeys through the Churnet Valley, including services towards Consall, Cheddleton and Leekbrook. The railway also operates services on the Cauldon branch towards Ipstones on selected occasions.
One particularly interesting connection with the original article is the ambition to extend northwards towards Leek.
That project has progressed considerably since 2001. On 31 December 2024, a passenger train travelled over the restored extension into Leek, marking the return of passenger trains to the town after almost 60 years.
However, the railway’s plans for new station facilities and further development were still being progressed during 2025. The return of trains over the extension should therefore not be confused with the establishment of a fully completed, regular passenger service into Leek.
For current operating dates, routes and visitor information, see the Churnet Valley Railway’s official website.
Historical source: The Railway Magazine, October 2001. Original report by Nick Pigott.
Present-day update: November 2026, The Railway Hub.
