Disley Tunnel

To relieve the congestion through Stockport Tiviot Dale a new line, to be called the "New Mills and Heaton Mersey Railway", was authorised by Act of Parliament in 1898.

[1] The construction method used was to drive the tunnel bore from both ends, while also sinking 11 shafts from the top of the hill along the path of the railway.

The Midland Railway purchased the land above the tunnel in order to sink the shafts – boundary markers made of old rails, with the initials "M.R.

The first section of the line opened in 1901 from Heaton Mersey to Cheadle Heath where a large station was built to serve Stockport.

A local passenger station at Hazel Grove (South) was constructed, but this closed in 1917 as the main purpose of the line was express trains.

In 1959 a train recorder timed a Britannia Class locomotive, the Iron Duke (No 70014), doing 89 mph between Cheadle Heath and Didsbury.