Altrincham | |
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Location | |
Place | Altrincham |
Local authority | Trafford |
Operations | |
Station code | ALT |
Managed by | Northern Rail |
Number of platforms | 4 (2 for National Rail, 2 for Manchester Metrolink) |
Live arrivals/departures and station information from National Rail Enquiries |
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Annual rail passenger usage | |
2004/05 * | 0.194 million |
2005/06 * | 0.210 million |
2006/07 * | 0.223 million |
2007/08 * | 0.283 million |
2008/09 * | 0.263 million |
2009/10 * | 0.265 million |
Passenger Transport Executive | |
PTE | Greater Manchester |
Zone | G |
History | |
20 July 1849 | Original MSJA railway station opens |
3 April 1881 | MSJA station replaced on current site |
6 May 1974 | Name changed form Altrincham and Bowdon to Altrincham |
15 June 1992 | Manchester Metrolink Service starts |
National Rail - UK railway stations | |
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z | |
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Altrincham from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. Please note: methodology may vary year on year. | |
Altrincham Interchange serves the town of Altrincham in Greater Manchester in the United Kingdom. It was originally named Altrincham and Bowdon railway station and is located on Stamford New Road, adjacent to the Altrincham Ice Dome—home to the Manchester Phoenix ice hockey team. The station also serves as the southern terminus of the Manchester Metrolink light-rail system to and from Manchester city centre.
The station has four platforms. Two bay platforms are used for Manchester Metrolink tram services. Two further through platforms serving the Mid-Cheshire Line are used for Northern Rail train services between Manchester Piccadilly station and Chester railway station via Stockport railway station. A bus station on the edge of the complex provides road-based interchange, and there is also a taxi rank.[1]
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The station was opened on 3 April 1881 as Altrincham & Bowdon by the Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway (MSJAR) to replace Altrincham (1st) railway station on Stockport Road and Bowdon station on Lloyd Street/Railway Street which both closed that day. All platforms were through, with Nos. 1 and 2 (nearest to the town) being used by the MSJAR.
The Cheshire Lines Committee (CLC) trains from Manchester Central to Northwich and Chester Northgate used platforms 3 and 4. The CLC also operated a service from Stockport Tiviot Dale via Northenden to Altrincham, latterly using Sentinel steam railcars, but this service ceased in late 1939.
The station became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway during the Grouping of 1923. The station then passed on to the London Midland Region of British Railways on nationalisation in 1948.
Since 6 May 1974, the station has been named Altrincham.[2] In 1975 a new booking office was opened on platform 4 to serve the car park on the site of the former goods yard. Also in 1975 work, including the demolition of the glass covered canopy over the station entrance, began to convert the former station forecourt on Stamford New Road into a bus station which opened in November 1976. Thereafter the combined bus/rail station was referred to as Altrincham Interchange.
When Sectorisation was introduced in the 1980s, the station was served by Regional Railways under arrangement with the GMPTE until the Privatisation of British Railways.
British Rail electric trains between Manchester and Altrincham ceased serving the station on 24 December 1991. The former electric train platforms (1 and 2) reopened for use by Metrolink on 15 June 1992.
A new roof for platform 1 costing £180,000 was installed in 2006. This platform had been uncovered since glazed panels were removed in 2003 due to safety concerns. The new roof is made of coated steel with clear panels to let in the light.[3]
The station clock tower on Stamford New Road is a Grade II listed structure.
Like most stations on the Mid-Cheshire line heavy rail passenger numbers have risen over recent years. However, surprisingly Altrincham has lower heavy rail passenger numbers than the nearby town of Knutsford, even though many leaving the National Rail Network at Altrincham to change to the Manchester Metrolink. Despite this Altrincham is ranked in the top 10 highest used Greater Manchester stations (outside Manchester City Centre) for heavy rail services both for the number of people alighting train services in the morning peak and for the number of people boarding train services in the morning off-peak period.[4]
There is no provision for private cars to pick up or drop off passengers - except for the two lane, six space bay marked "Passenger Drop-off" next to the car-park, with its own disabled wheelchair ramp and parking arrangements.
Altrincham | |||
Manchester Metrolink | |||
Location | |||
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Place | Altrincham | ||
Local authority | Trafford | ||
Platforms | 2 | ||
Fare zone information | |||
Metrolink Zone | G | ||
Conversion to Metrolink operation | 1992 | ||
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UK Trams portal |
There is a basic hourly service in each direction on the Mid-Cheshire line on Mondays to Saturdays with two peak extras to/from Stockport. The through service to Blackpool ceased to run from 15 December 2008.
On Sundays there were five trains to and from Chester but these all terminated here prior to the timetable change, there being no service onwards to Stockport & Manchester. Through passengers had to use the Metrolink service to continue their journey (connections were advertised in the 2007-8 timetable and National Rail tickets were valid for through trips). From December 2008 however, the service frequency has been improved (to two-hourly each way) and through running to Stockport & Manchester reinstated for the first time since the early nineties. These services continue on to Bolton and Southport.
There is a frequent service to Manchester & Bury via Metrolink, with a tram every six minutes to Manchester for most of the day (alternate trams running to Bury, avoiding Piccadilly). On evenings & Sundays this drops to every fifteen minutes, when all trams run to Piccadilly.
Preceding station | Manchester Metrolink | Following station | ||
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Terminus | Altrincham - Bury Line |
towards Bury
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Altrincham - Piccadilly Line |
towards Piccadilly
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National Rail | ||||
Hale | Northern Rail Mid-Cheshire Line |
Navigation Road |
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Historical railways | ||||
Hale Line and station open |
Cheshire Lines Committee Mid-Cheshire Line |
Sale Line and station open |
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Disused railways | ||||
Baguley | Cheshire Lines Committee Stockport, Timperley and Altrincham Junction Railway |
Terminus |
TfGM own and maintain the bus station located on the former station forecourt, which consists of eleven stands lettered A to M. Stands F to K are located within a subsidiary traffic island that is only accessible via the marked pedestrian crossings over the main busway. There is a Travelshop, cafe and newsagents located adjoining the railway station.
Local bus services operate to locations within Trafford. Buses also operate to Manchester, Wythenshawe, Stockport, Manchester Airport, Wilmslow, Knutsford, Warrington, The Trafford Centre and Eccles. The main bus operator is Arriva North West but other significant operators include Stagecoach Manchester, Warrington Borough Transport, Warrington Coachways and Vale Travel.
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