The Oswestry, Ellesmere and Whitchurch Railway was authorised to build its line on 1 August 1861, connecting these two competing networks, across largely agricultural terrain.

In 1864 the WM&CQR gained parliamentary authority to make a branch from Wrexham to Whitchurch, but this was not proceeded with due to the inability to raise the capital necessary.

[3] Wrexham was a centre of mineral extraction, and the London and North Western Railway was steadily developing interests in the district.

The Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway had an interest in the development also, and was prepared to collaborate with the LNWR in encouraging a local scheme.

c. cl), on 31 July 1885, sponsored chiefly by Benjamin Piercy, who had become a promoter of railways, in collaboration with Henry Robertson MP.

The Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire chairman, Sir Edward Watkin, saw the branch as a spearhead for a drive into Wales.

As the possible South Wales trunk route idea firmed up, the company also obtained powers, via the Wrexham and Ellesmere Railway Act 1895 (58 & 59 Vict.

The route included a 58m single span crossing of the River Dee; delivery of the girders was delayed, putting back the opening of the line.

A special excursion was run from Wrexham to Ellesmere on 2 July 1895, considerably in advance of obtaining the Board of Trade inspector’s approval for passenger operation.

[7] It may have seen its main existence after 1911;[8] Christiansen and Miller say To improve the flow of through traffic a triangular junction was laid at Ellesmere in 1911 and the Wrexham-Oswestry curve was double-tracked as an extra crossing loop.

As the union concept [note 1] stagnated the curve fell out of use, and it was lifted in 1921 when it became clear that the through traffic which had been diverted via Whitchurch and Crewe as a wartime measure [during World War I] would never return.

[1]The introduction of pull-and-push operation for local passenger services in 1913 was associated with new halts at Sesswick (October 1913) and Trench (December 1914).

However the passenger operation on the line was plainly loss-making, and the GWR eliminated the staffing at the intermediate stations, which became unstaffed halts.

Notwithstanding the sponsoring companies' objective, of by-passing the GWR route, it was not until 1895 that a west-to-north spur at Ellesmere was authorised in Parliament.

The lengthy and awkward route for heavy coal shipments from South Wales discouraged the LNWR from developing the traffic on this axis.

An ordnance depot was opened at Marchwiel; it was titled ROF Wrexham, and its railway connection and branch line consisted of about nine miles of siding track.

The transfer of passengers and goods transport to road vehicles had been experienced in the 1930s and now accelerated, so that the decline in use of the railway line was steep.

Losses mounted and in 1960 it was announced that the line would be closed, excepting only a residual goods service from Wrexham to Cadbury's Creamery at Pickhill.

[16] In the build-up to World War II, a number of shadow factories were built in preparation, located in the Northwest of the British Isles to be out of range of the Luftwaffe.