| Knutsford | |
|---|---|
| Knutsford railway station in 2010 | |
| Location | |
| Place | Knutsford |
| Local authority | Cheshire East |
| Operations | |
| Station code | KNF |
| Managed by | Northern Rail |
| Number of platforms | 2 |
| Live arrivals/departures and station information from National Rail Enquiries |
|
| Annual rail passenger usage | |
| 2005/06 * | 0.241 million |
| 2006/07 * | 0.250 million |
| 2007/08 * | 0.291 million |
| 2008/09 * | 0.313 million |
| 2009/10 * | 0.304 million |
| 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 Knutsford from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. Please note: methodology may vary year on year. | |
Knutsford railway station serves the town of Knutsford in Cheshire, England. The station is 213⁄4 miles (35 km) south of Manchester Piccadilly on the Mid-Cheshire Line to Chester. The line is referred to as the Chester via Altrincham line at Manchester Piccadilly, but as the Manchester via Stockport line at Chester station.
Knutsford station opened to passengers on 12 May 1862 with a service between Knutsford and Altrincham. Trains to Northwich commenced from 1 January 1863. Services were operated by CLC until nationalisation on 1 January 1948. Passengers numbers at Knutsford are currently increasing by as much as 27% per annum.[1] Knutsford is also the most used station between Mouldsworth and Navigation Road (not including Metrolink figures at Altrincham and Navigation Road.) Also, more passengers board and alight Mid Cheshire line services at Knutsford station than at Stockport station or Chester station. Knutsford has poorer bus services than other nearby towns which helps to contribute to more rail use.
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The station has a ticket office and two car parks but no taxi rank. Both platforms are step-free. Buses call at Adams Hill, adjacent to the car park next to the Chester bound platform. (Note: half of this car park is private office parking, and is not available to rail users.) Station facilities were improved in March 2009 with the addition of a cold drinks and snacks vending machine in the station ticket office.
Monday to Saturday, there is an hourly service to Manchester Piccadilly, Chester, Stockport, Altrincham and Northwich, with extra trains to/from Stockport at peak times on weekdays. There is a 2-hourly service on Sundays to Chester, Manchester Piccadilly and Southport.
In December 2008 services were revised with the additional morning Chester to Manchester peak services terminating at Stockport, and the additional Manchester to Chester evening peak services starting instead at Stockport, which has prompted an online petition.[2] The revision was necessary to allow the operation of additional services between Manchester and London Euston over the already congested Stockport railway viaduct. The 15:49 Chester to Manchester service was lost altogether, as was the Saturday 07:30 Chester to Manchester service. However, the Sunday service was significantly improved, increasing to a 2-hourly service that runs from Chester to Southport via Manchester Piccadilly, rather than a 3-hourly service between Chester and Altrincham.
The average journey time to and from Manchester in the current timetable is between 38 and 49 minutes.[3] This is due to Northern Rail timetabling trains to take longer than expected, to meet punctuality targets. Times to and from Chester take between 41 and 46 minutes, for the same reason.
Knutsford station has had more than its fair share of crime.[4][5][6][7] There have been many calls for CCTV at the station. In November 2008, CCTV cameras have been installed at the station by Northern Rail, with a total of 3 cameras covering the ticket office, and the 2 platforms.[8]
A campaign was set up by the Knutsford Guardian in 2007 for a later train from Manchester Piccadilly to Knutsford on Friday and Saturday evenings than the current last train which leaves Manchester Piccadilly at 23:17.[9] The 00.38 Manchester Piccadilly to Chester train currently runs non-stop through Knutsford (and all other stations on the Mid Cheshire line), thus a stop at Knutsford (and Northwich) could be facilitated relatively easily.
Re-opening the line between Northwich and Sandbach has been proposed. This will allow direct trains to Crewe from Knutsford, giving a better connection to the Midlands and the South of England.[10]
Proposals for a direct link to Manchester Airport from Knutsford were first put forward in the 1990s, not much had seemed to materalise from this. However, in 2009 Network Rail stated that the creation of the third platform has meant that the capacity at Manchester airport will become constrained by the layover of the trains and congestion at the throat. To solve this issue they have recommended building a line underneath the Airport towards Northwich in the 2019 to 2024 period. [11]
The running of tram-trains directly in to Manchester, in addition to the existing rail service, has been estimated as being able to cut about 10 minutes off the overall journey time.[10] Network Rail and the Department for Transport (DfT) have indicated that they are keen to carry out a trial for tram-trains in the UK, which will be between Rotherham and Sheffield. Carrying out the trial would provide the information Network Rail and the DfT require on reliability, frequency and costs.[12]
Requests have been made to improve the station facilities at Knutsford, including more CCTV and the provision of live train running information screens.[13]
| Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plumley | Northern Rail Mid-Cheshire Line |
Mobberley | ||
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