MANCHESTER TO CHESTER IN 4 MINUTES 40 SECONDS

Photo: Mid-Cheshire Rail Partnership

Here's a link to an interesting video by Bob Brown which pays homage to that staple of 1950s BBC-TV, London to Brighton In Four Minutes.
Here we're travelling along what we like to think of as our 'parent line', the Manchester-Chester, or Mid-Cheshire, line at high speed and stopping to take a look at the myriad delights to be found in the towns the line serves.
Watch out as our high-speed Pacer leaves Northwich for a fleeting glimpse of the Middlewich line as it sweeps majestically in from the left on its way to Platform 3 at Northwich Station, the platform which will be used by future trains heading for Crewe via Middlewich.
The problem, to use the time-honoured expression, is that 'if you blink you'll miss it', so we've isolated a still from the film, which you can see above.
That's the Middlewich line on the extreme left, awaiting its days of re-awakened glory.
 As you can see, the current layout means that trains travelling to and from Middlewich, Sandbach and Crewe can only use the track on the extreme left which runs into the third platform at Northwich Station  before rejoining the main line East of Nortrhwich station. It's possible that when the line is re-opened the connections to and from the main up and down Manchester-Chester lines may be re-instated, to allow our trains to use any of the platforms.
On the right hand side, in the undergrowth on the railway embankment, can be seen the last vestiges of Sandbach Junction signal box, which used to control trains to and from the Middlewich line.
The Middlewich line is part of the 'Northwich triangle' and  there is another connection to the line a few yards further in the Chester direction which can take Middlewich trains onto the Mid-Cheshire line (and via another spur onto the West Coast Main Line) without them having to reverse in Northwich station.

MANCHESTER TO CHESTER IN FOUR MINUTES FORTY SECONDS (YOUTUBE VIDEO)