It opened to the public on 29 June 1904 and was in operation for almost thirty years prior to its closure on 12 March 1934.

[2] Ecton Creamery opened in 1920 and the line was used for transporting Stilton cheese.

[3] An Ordnance Survey map published in 1922 shows a branch line running to the cheese factory.

In 1937, owner London, Midland & Scottish Railway gifted the track bed to Staffordshire County Council for a public right of way, pioneering such transfers in Britain.

[3] Today, the site is part of the Manifold Way that runs between Hulme End and Waterhouses.