Northwich a population of 103,300 Northwich makes up around 70,690 of this with its 7 Wards (Davenham & Moulton, Hartford & Greenbank, Marbury, Shakerley, Weaver & Cuddington, Winnington & Castle and Witton & Rudheath) The area around Northwich has been exploited for its salt pans since Roman times, when the settlement was known as Condate. The town has been severely affected by salt mining, and subsidence has historically been a significant problem. There has been recent investment in mine stabilisation. During Roman times, Northwich was known as Condate, thought to be a Latinisation of a Brittonic name meaning "Confluence". There are
Nantwich and Market Drayton Railway Express"" between and used the line. Freight traffic was much more significant. Typically there were about twenty trains a day in each direction, of which two would be local goods, and the remainder would be through traffic, either non-stop over the line or stopping only at Market Drayton. Principally these carried manufactured goods from the Midlands to the Northwest, also fruit from the Worcester area. There was little coal and mineral traffic. On New Year's Day 1992, The Market Drayton Railway Preservation Society (renamed Nantwich & Market Drayton Railway Society in 2010) was set up in order to preserve what