A weekly newspaper has thrown its weight behind a campaign to restore a rail link to a town on its patch.

The Winsford and Middlewich Guardian has announced its increased backing for a campaign to get a railway station opened in Middlewich again.

The Cheshire town was left without a rail link following the Beeching cuts of the 1960s, which saw thousands of stations closed across the country.

The Northwich to Sandbach line, on which Middlewich station sat, continues to be used for freight but was said to be no longer suitable for passenger trains.

But in August this year, Virgin used the line as a diversion due to problems on the Mid Cheshire line.

As a result the Guardian has announced further backing for a campaign with a front page story, pictured below, in which Cheshire East Council leader Michael Jones said reopening the station was an aspiration he supports.

Reporter Josh Pennington said: “Middlewich residents have been leading the campaign to reopen the station and to bring back passenger trains on the Northwich to Sandbach line for 23 years.

“The Guardian has always supported the campaign with coverage but we felt it was about time we really threw our weight behind it and we’re going to be doing everything we can to help get the station back in the town.

“We reported recently that Cheshire East Council are looking to identify a site for the station in the local plan, which is probably the most positive news the campaign as ever had, but there’s a long way to go still and we need to keep up the pressure.

“The reopening of the station would be absolutely huge, not only for Middlewich but for so many other towns in Cheshire as well.
“It would connect towns like Northwich and Knutsford to the likes of Crewe, Sandbach and Wilmslow.

“It’s the missing piece of the jigsaw in terms of linking Cheshire together so I’m hoping our readers will show their support for the campaign going forward.”