Manchester Central railway station

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Coordinates: 53°28′34″N, 2°14′51″W

Manchester Central
Location
Location	Manchester
Area	City of Manchester, Greater Manchester
Grid reference	SJ837977
Operations
Pre-grouping	Cheshire Lines Committee
Post-grouping	London Midland and Scottish Railway London Midland Region of British Railways
Platforms	?
History
1 July 1880	Opened
5 May 1969	Closed
Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom
Closed railway stations in Britain A B C D-F G H-J K-L M-O P-R S T-Z
UK Railways Portal

Manchester Central railway station is a disused railway station in central Manchester, United Kingdom. One of the city's main railway terminals between 1880 and 1969, it now houses an exhibition and conference centre.

[edit] History

The station was built between 1875–80 by the Cheshire Lines Committee (CLC), being officially opened on 1 July 1880. The engineers were Richard Johnson, Andrew Johnston and Charles Sacré for the three companies which formed the CLC.

Whilst the main station was being built, a temporary facility (called Manchester Free Trade Hall station, after a landmark building nearby) was opened on 9 September 1877. This consisted of two wooden platforms serving four tracks. When Central opened, the temporary station was converted to become Manchester Central Goods.

[edit] Construction details

The train shed is covered by a huge wrought-iron single-span arched roof, spanning 210 feet (64 m), 550 feet (168 m) long and 90 feet (27 m) high at the highest point, constructed by Andrew Handyside and Co.. The substructure and masonry partition was provided by Robert Neill and Sons of Manchester. The roof was originally covered in a mixture of slate and glass. Underneath the train shed there is a large brick undercroft with intersecting tunnel vaults. This was used for storage and was connected to the adjacent goods sidings by a carriage lift.

A wooden building was erected at the front of the station, housing ticket offices, waiting rooms etc. This was planned to be a temporary structure, to be replaced by a grander edifice, for example a hotel and railway offices like at London St. Pancras, but the provisional construction remained in use until the station closure. The Midland Hotel was built by the Midland Railway in 1898-1903 on an adjacent site.

[edit] Railway usage

The Midland Railway, one of the CLC's partners, at last had a secure Manchester terminus for its services, including its expresses to St. Pancras. Beginning in 1938, it ran two prestige expresses, The Palatine and the Peaks, the former stopping at at Chinley, Millers Dale, Matlock, Derby and Leicester.

Between 1960 and 15 April 1966, during the electrification of the West Coast Main Line, Central station was the terminus for the Midland Pullman, a streamlined blue six-coach diesel multiple unit. This stopped only at Cheadle Heath (now closed), before running fast to St Pancras.

Services through Millers Dale finished in 1968 when the line was closed. The station continued to provide local services for a while, but finally closed to passengers on 5 May 1969, when remaining services were switched to Manchester Piccadilly station.

[edit] Post-railway era

Main article: Manchester Central (Conference Centre)

In 1982 work commenced on converting the abandoned building into an exhibition centre, which opened in 1986. The undercroft was converted into a car park, serving also Bridgewater Hall nearby.

The former railway viaduct leading to Central is now used by Metrolink trams.

[edit] Gallery

Derelict station in 1981	Derelict platforms	Platform detail	Inside the derelict station
Looking towards the platforms	GMEX Centre in 2007

[edit] See also

• The Great Northern Warehouse A former railway building nearby, now a leisure/shopping complex
• Grade II* listed buildings in Greater Manchester

[edit] References

• A Guide to Civil Engineering in Manchester
• The Lincolnshire & East Yorkshire Transport Review.