Today's Churnet Valley Railway (CVR) had its beginings in 1845 as the North Staffordshire Railway (NSR) which constructed a complex number of lines around Staffordshire.

Freight traffic was mainly coal and other minerals such as limestone.

CVR was once part of the NSR's line between Uttoxeter and Waterhouses.

During the 1970s the Cheshire and Staffordshire Railway Society (C&SRS) was formed to try to save some of the lines built by the old NSR. (The NSR was subsequently taken over by the London Midland & Scottish which began closure in 1964.)

The C&SRS society evolved into the North Staffordshire Railway Society (NSRS) with Cheddleton station being named Cheddleton Railway Centre thereby bringing the current Churnet Valley Railway into existence.

In turn this society became the North Staffordshire Railway Co. (NSRC) 1978 Ltd. with the bay platform area at Cheddleton being acquired in 1984.

British Rail discontinued the remains of the former NSR line in the Churnet Valley during 1988, so the NSRC sought to purchase the stretch from Oakamoor to Leek Brook Junction.

The NSRC then incorporated a subsidiary company named Churnet Valley Railway (1992) plc (CVR).

CRV's first public share issue was launched in 1995, to fund the purchase of the land and track, following an agreement with the British Railways Board.
 

Shares sold well, particularly in the local community, and raised over £120,000.

By 1996 the company was granted a Light Railway Order to run 7 miles between Leek Brook Junction to Oakamoor Sand Sidings, just south of Froghall station.

Line purchase was completed on 4 July 1996.

Track was then made ready for passenger trains, and on 24 August 1996 LMS Fowler Class 3F number 47383 departed Cheddleton for Leek Brook Junction, a distance of roughly 1 mile.

Next came another share issue to raise funds to extend the track south to Consall followed by competion of the line further south to Froghall station.

On 14 October 2000 "top and tail" diesel-hauled passenger specials ran until a November flood put the line out of commission until restoration in late 2001.

Since 2001 various infrastructure upgrades have included, a second platform at Froghall station, the waiting shelter rebuild, and a new foot crossing between platforms at the south end while Leek Brook Junction signal box was restored externally.

In 2010 the 8 1/2 miles of track from Leek Brook Junction on the Waterhouses Branch Line was restored to passenger carrying standards enabling trains to reach end-of-track at Ipstones. Trackage southeast from there to Caldon Low quarry has not been restored.

A Google satellite image shows track still in place on the line from Leek Brook Junction to Endon, previously a connection to Stoke on Trent, which appears to be out of use at this time in 2022.