Firswood Metrolink station
Encyclopedia
Firswood Metrolink Station is a Manchester Metrolink
station built on the former Cheshire Lines Committee
line. The station is one of the first stations opened as part of Phase 3A of the Big Bang extension plans. It is located in a cutting, adjacent to the St John Vianney school on Rye Bank Road, Firswood. The stop provides access to the residents of both Firswood & Whalley Range.
Firswood is a new station on a re-opened railway line, the Cheshire Lines Committee
line, which closed to passenger service in 1967. It was planned to re-open the line as part of the expansion of the Manchester Metrolink
tram network. Proposals to re-open the line have been put forward since the 1980s, but remained unfunded until the 2000s. The line extension which was originally proposed would take over the disused tracks of the Cheshire Lines Committee as far as East Didsbury.
In 2006, it was announced that the first phase of the "Big Bang" Metrolink expansion project (Phase 3A) would go ahead, including the extension of the network as far St Werburgh's Road. Following the rejection of the Greater Manchester Transport Innovation Fund in a public referendum in 2008, extension of the line as East Didsbury (Phase 3B) will now go ahead with funding from national and local government.
Construction of the line began in April 2009 and the new line became operational in July 2011.
and St Werburgh's Road running every 12 minutes Monday-Saturdays and Sunday daytime and every 15 minutes Sunday early mornings and evenings. Service will increase from 12 minutes to 6 minutes once the line to Central Park
, Oldham Mumps and Rochdale
opens. Services will extend from St Werburgh's Road to East Didsbury in 2013 and additional services will run between the city centre and Manchester Airport in 2016.
Manchester Metrolink
Metrolink is a light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of four lines which converge in Manchester city centre and terminate in Bury, Altrincham, Eccles and Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester and operated under contract by RATP Group...
station built on the former Cheshire Lines Committee
Cheshire Lines Committee
The Cheshire Lines Committee was the second largest joint railway in Great Britain, with 143 route miles. Despite its name, approximately 55% of its system was in Lancashire. In its publicity material it was often styled as the Cheshire Lines Railway...
line. The station is one of the first stations opened as part of Phase 3A of the Big Bang extension plans. It is located in a cutting, adjacent to the St John Vianney school on Rye Bank Road, Firswood. The stop provides access to the residents of both Firswood & Whalley Range.
History
The station opened on 7 July 2011. and is the first newly-constructed station on the new South Manchester Metrolink line out of Manchester.Firswood is a new station on a re-opened railway line, the Cheshire Lines Committee
Cheshire Lines Committee
The Cheshire Lines Committee was the second largest joint railway in Great Britain, with 143 route miles. Despite its name, approximately 55% of its system was in Lancashire. In its publicity material it was often styled as the Cheshire Lines Railway...
line, which closed to passenger service in 1967. It was planned to re-open the line as part of the expansion of the Manchester Metrolink
Manchester Metrolink
Metrolink is a light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of four lines which converge in Manchester city centre and terminate in Bury, Altrincham, Eccles and Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester and operated under contract by RATP Group...
tram network. Proposals to re-open the line have been put forward since the 1980s, but remained unfunded until the 2000s. The line extension which was originally proposed would take over the disused tracks of the Cheshire Lines Committee as far as East Didsbury.
In 2006, it was announced that the first phase of the "Big Bang" Metrolink expansion project (Phase 3A) would go ahead, including the extension of the network as far St Werburgh's Road. Following the rejection of the Greater Manchester Transport Innovation Fund in a public referendum in 2008, extension of the line as East Didsbury (Phase 3B) will now go ahead with funding from national and local government.
Construction of the line began in April 2009 and the new line became operational in July 2011.
Services
Firswood is located on the South Manchester Line with trams towards VictoriaManchester Victoria station
Manchester Victoria station in Manchester, England is the city's second largest mainline railway station. It is also a Metrolink station, one of eight within the City Zone...
and St Werburgh's Road running every 12 minutes Monday-Saturdays and Sunday daytime and every 15 minutes Sunday early mornings and evenings. Service will increase from 12 minutes to 6 minutes once the line to Central Park
Central Park Metrolink station
Central Park Metrolink Station is a future station on the Metrolink light rail network in the Newton Heath area of the City of Manchester, in Greater Manchester, England. The station was constructed in 2005 but is currently unused...
, Oldham Mumps and Rochdale
Rochdale railway station
Rochdale railway station serves the town of Rochdale in Greater Manchester, England. The Manchester and Leeds Railway opened a station serving the town in the 19th century...
opens. Services will extend from St Werburgh's Road to East Didsbury in 2013 and additional services will run between the city centre and Manchester Airport in 2016.
External links
- Manchester Metrolink Extension Project - map of the plans (Urban Transport Technology)
- http://www.metrolink.co.uk/pdf/future_metrolink/south-manchester-line/firswood.pdf
- http://www.lrta.org/Manchester/City_South.html