The North Wales Mineral Railway had obtained Parliamentary authority to build a line from a junction with the C&HR line at Saltney, near Chester, to Ruabon. By late 1846 the NWMR line was ready; the company had amalgamated with the Shrewsbury, Oswestry and Chester Railway to form the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway. Relying on the C&HR for final access to Chester, it requested that company to make the short section into Chester available, and on 4 November 1846 S&CR operation started.