Irlam railway station
Encyclopedia
Irlam railway station serves the town of Irlam
in the City of Salford
metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester
in the north west of England
. The station is 14 km (8¾ miles) west of Manchester Oxford Road
on the Manchester to Liverpool Line. The station is operated by Northern Rail
.
on 2 September 1873, on their route between Manchester Central
and Liverpool Central
. The station was renamed Irlam and Cadishead on 1 August 1879.
The construction of the Manchester Ship Canal
(which opened on 1 January 1894) required the railway line to be raised in order to provide clearance for shipping, so a new line was built parallel but at a higher level. The new line was used by goods trains from 9 January 1893, and on 26 March 1893 passenger trains were also transferred to the deviation, the original station being closed and replaced by the present station.
In August 1954, the station was renamed Irlam for Cadishead, reverting to Irlam on 6 May 1974.
) is at least partially staffed although its usage is much less.
Irlam station is unusual in that the track and platform is the 'wrong side' of the station building on the Manchester side. This is due to the deviation of the line in 1893.
to the west and towards Flixton and Manchester Oxford Road
in the east. An express service in both morning and evening peak-time periods (operated by TransPennine Express in the morning and East Midlands Trains
in the evening) makes an additional stop at this station to cater for commuters working in Manchester
. Services are less frequent in the evenings.
Since December 2006 trains now serve the station on Sundays. This is the first Sunday service at this station in over 20 years, with an hourly service operating in both directions. City of Salford
council has advised locals to use the service or it may be withdrawn.
Irlam
Irlam is a suburban town and unparished area within the City of Salford in Greater Manchester, England. At the 2001 census it had a population of 18,504. The town lies on flat ground on the south side of the M62 motorway and the north bank of the Manchester Ship Canal, and is west-southwest of...
in the City of Salford
City of Salford
The City of Salford is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Salford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Eccles, Swinton-Pendlebury, Walkden and Irlam which apart from Irlam each have a population of over...
metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
in the north west of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The station is 14 km (8¾ miles) west of Manchester Oxford Road
Manchester Oxford Road railway station
Manchester Oxford Road Railway Station is a railway station in the city of Manchester, England. The station is located at the junction of Whitworth Street West and Oxford Street, on an elevated line between Deansgate and Piccadilly stations....
on the Manchester to Liverpool Line. The station is operated by Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
.
History
The original station, named Irlam, was opened by the Cheshire Lines CommitteeCheshire 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...
on 2 September 1873, on their route between Manchester Central
Manchester Central railway station
Manchester Central railway station is a former railway station in Manchester City Centre, England. One of Manchester's main railway terminals between 1880 and 1969, it now houses an exhibition and conference centre named Manchester Central.-History:...
and Liverpool Central
Liverpool Central railway station
Liverpool Central railway station is a railway station in Liverpool, England, and forms the central hub of the Merseyrail network, being on both the Northern Line and the Wirral Line. In the years 2008/09, Liverpool Central station was shown to be the busiest station in Liverpool, despite being...
. The station was renamed Irlam and Cadishead on 1 August 1879.
The construction of the Manchester Ship Canal
Manchester Ship Canal
The Manchester Ship Canal is a river navigation 36 miles long in the North West of England. Starting at the Mersey Estuary near Liverpool, it generally follows the original routes of the rivers Mersey and Irwell through the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Several sets of locks lift...
(which opened on 1 January 1894) required the railway line to be raised in order to provide clearance for shipping, so a new line was built parallel but at a higher level. The new line was used by goods trains from 9 January 1893, and on 26 March 1893 passenger trains were also transferred to the deviation, the original station being closed and replaced by the present station.
In August 1954, the station was renamed Irlam for Cadishead, reverting to Irlam on 6 May 1974.
Facilities
The station is unstaffed, despite catering for over 100,000 passengers a year excluding some season ticket users, which means the former station building is derelict. The next station on the line (FlixtonFlixton railway station
Flixton railway station is located in the village of Flixton, in the Trafford Metropolitan Borough of Greater Manchester in the north west of England. The station, and all services calling there, are operated by Northern Rail...
) is at least partially staffed although its usage is much less.
Irlam station is unusual in that the track and platform is the 'wrong side' of the station building on the Manchester side. This is due to the deviation of the line in 1893.
Services
Monday to Saturday services are roughly half-hourly in each direction, towards Glazebrook and Liverpool Lime StreetLiverpool Lime Street railway station
Liverpool Lime Street is a railway station serving the city centre of Liverpool, England. The station lies on a branch of the West Coast Main Line from London Euston, and on the Wirral Line of the Merseyrail network...
to the west and towards Flixton and Manchester Oxford Road
Manchester Oxford Road railway station
Manchester Oxford Road Railway Station is a railway station in the city of Manchester, England. The station is located at the junction of Whitworth Street West and Oxford Street, on an elevated line between Deansgate and Piccadilly stations....
in the east. An express service in both morning and evening peak-time periods (operated by TransPennine Express in the morning and East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
in the evening) makes an additional stop at this station to cater for commuters working in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. Services are less frequent in the evenings.
Since December 2006 trains now serve the station on Sundays. This is the first Sunday service at this station in over 20 years, with an hourly service operating in both directions. City of Salford
City of Salford
The City of Salford is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Salford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Eccles, Swinton-Pendlebury, Walkden and Irlam which apart from Irlam each have a population of over...
council has advised locals to use the service or it may be withdrawn.