Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. An act was passed on 14 June 1860 to build a railway from Altrincham on the Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway (MSJAR) to Northwich. The line would be 12 miles 65 chains (20.6 km) in length. The Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (MS&LR) had a working agreement and invested capital in the Cheshire Midland Railway but needed further help which came in the form of the Great Northern Railway (GNR). Together the MSLR and GNR formed a joint committee to operate the railway along with three others. This eventually led to the formation of the Cheshire Lines Committee in 1865.