Stockport railway station
Encyclopedia
Stockport railway station (also known as Stockport Edgeley and Edgeley) is in Greater Manchester
, England
, 8 miles south-east of Manchester Piccadilly station on the West Coast Main Line
from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston
. It was opened on 15 February 1843 by the Manchester and Birmingham Railway
, following completion of the large railway viaduct just to its north. After operation by the London & North Western Railway, it became part of the London Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923, who renamed it Stockport Edgeley
, to differentiate it from Stockport Tiviot Dale, which closed in 1967. It is high above the valley of the river Mersey in which Stockport lies, and is linked to both central Stockport and Edgeley by a pedestrian underpass. In 2009 the station was identified as one of the ten worst category B
interchange stations for mystery shopper assessment of fabric and environment, and is set to receive a share of £50m funding for improvements. Some improvements to the station have begun, with changes to the signs to make them clearer.
and beyond to Liverpool
, , Blackpool
, Wigan
, and .
South-east from Stockport, express services run to and onwards to , and with local services running to and Buxton.
The two southern (West Coast Main Line) routes are via Cheadle Hulme
. The first continues via and to London
and Birmingham and the second via and also with through services to London and Birmingham as well as via and the Welsh Marches Line
to Cardiff
, , and . Many trains to Birmingham continue to destinations in the south of England such as .
The Mid-Cheshire Line
runs westerly to , , and .
The line running north-east from Stockport via Guide Bridge
to no longer has a regular passenger service, being reduced in the early 1990s from an hourly shuttle service to a once a week, one direction only skeleton service. (See Stockport to Stalybridge Line
).
The main concourse was opened in September 2004, as part of a development including a new platform (platform 0). This platform had been dubbed by many as "The white elephant" because it was hardly ever used and the new track which was installed was rusting. However, at the beginning of March 2008 platform 0 came into operation mid-timetable. A pedestrian subway leads to the two older island platform
s, which include a buffet and newsagent.
The service pattern is as follows:
Platform 1 - Southbound services to Macclesfield, Crewe, Stoke-on-Trent and Alderley Edge. It is also signalled for use by trains in the Manchester direction and is used by services to Southport on Sundays.
Platform 2 - Southbound platform for services to Stoke-on-Trent, Chester, Crewe, Alderley Edge, services to South Wales, London, Bristol, Bournemouth, Paignton and Plymouth.
Platform 3 - Mainly used by Fast services to Manchester Piccadilly along with services to Manchester Airport, Liverpool Lime Street, Blackpool North, Preston, Salford Crescent,Bolton, Wigan, Southport and Barrow-in-Furness.
Platform 3a - used by a small number of services to Wigan and Southport as well as the once per week Parliamentary train
to Stalybridge.
Platform 4 - Mainly used by stopping services to Manchester Piccadilly along with services to Manchester Airport, Liverpool Lime Street, Blackpool North, Preston, Salford Crescent, Bolton, Wigan, Southport and Barrow-in-Furness.
The draft December 2008 West Coast Main Line timetable drawn up by the Department for Transport
had Arriva CrossCountry's Manchester to Bristol via Birmingham trains passing through Stockport without stopping. This resulted in a 2,600 signature petition against such a move. However, the government did not change its mind. Stops in the Cross Country services withdrawn in December 2008 were, however, reinstated at the May 2009 timetable change.
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...
, 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...
, 8 miles south-east of Manchester Piccadilly station on the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston
Euston railway station
Euston railway station, also known as London Euston, is a central London railway terminus in the London Borough of Camden. It is the sixth busiest rail terminal in London . It is one of 18 railway stations managed by Network Rail, and is the southern terminus of the West Coast Main Line...
. It was opened on 15 February 1843 by the Manchester and Birmingham Railway
Manchester and Birmingham Railway
The Manchester and Birmingham Railway was built between Manchester and Crewe and opened in stages from 1840. Between Crewe and Birmingham, trains were worked by the Grand Junction Railway...
, following completion of the large railway viaduct just to its north. After operation by the London & North Western Railway, it became part of the London Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923, who renamed it Stockport Edgeley
Edgeley
Edgeley is a residential area within the town of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. The suburb is characterised largely by Victorian close-packed terraced housing and council estates with some larger properties around Alexandra Park. Edgeley includes Edgeley Park, home of Stockport County F.C...
, to differentiate it from Stockport Tiviot Dale, which closed in 1967. It is high above the valley of the river Mersey in which Stockport lies, and is linked to both central Stockport and Edgeley by a pedestrian underpass. In 2009 the station was identified as one of the ten worst category B
United Kingdom railway station categories
The 2,535 railway stations on the National Rail network in the United Kingdom are classified into six categories and four subcategories by the Department for Transport. The scheme was devised in 1996 and there was a review in 2009 when 106 stations changed categories. The categorisation scheme is...
interchange stations for mystery shopper assessment of fabric and environment, and is set to receive a share of £50m funding for improvements. Some improvements to the station have begun, with changes to the signs to make them clearer.
Current passenger routes
Trains running north-west all serve Manchester Piccadilly, with some continuing to Manchester Oxford RoadManchester 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....
and beyond to Liverpool
Liverpool 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...
, , Blackpool
Blackpool North railway station
Blackpool North railway station is the main railway station serving the seaside resort of Blackpool in Lancashire, England. It is the terminus of the main Blackpool branch line from Preston....
, Wigan
Wigan Wallgate railway station
Wigan Wallgate railway station is one of two main railway stations serving the town of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England. The station is on 2 lines, the Manchester-Southport Line and the Manchester-Kirkby Line. It is north west of Manchester Victoria...
, and .
South-east from Stockport, express services run to and onwards to , and with local services running to and Buxton.
The two southern (West Coast Main Line) routes are via Cheadle Hulme
Cheadle Hulme railway station
Cheadle Hulme railway station is an open triangular railway station serving Cheadle Hulme in Greater Manchester. It is located on the West Coast Main Line and is included in Network Rail Route 20...
. The first continues via and to London
Euston railway station
Euston railway station, also known as London Euston, is a central London railway terminus in the London Borough of Camden. It is the sixth busiest rail terminal in London . It is one of 18 railway stations managed by Network Rail, and is the southern terminus of the West Coast Main Line...
and Birmingham and the second via and also with through services to London and Birmingham as well as via and the Welsh Marches Line
Welsh Marches Line
The Welsh Marches Line , known historically as the North and West Route, is the railway line running from Newport in south-east Wales to Shrewsbury in the West Midlands region of England by way of Abergavenny, Hereford and Craven Arms, and thence to Crewe via Whitchurch...
to Cardiff
Cardiff Central railway station
Cardiff Central railway station is a major railway station on the South Wales Main Line in Cardiff, Wales.It is the largest and busiest station in Wales and one of the major stations of the British rail network, the tenth busiest station in the United Kingdom outside of London , based on 2007/08...
, , and . Many trains to Birmingham continue to destinations in the south of England such as .
The Mid-Cheshire Line
Mid-Cheshire Line
The Mid-Cheshire Line is a railway line in the north-west of England, between Chester and Manchester.- History :The Mid Cheshire line has its origins in railways promoted by three separate railway companies in the 19th century. The Cheshire Midland Railway was opened to passengers between...
runs westerly to , , and .
The line running north-east from Stockport via Guide Bridge
Guide Bridge railway station
Guide Bridge railway station serves Guide Bridge, a part of Audenshaw, Tameside in Greater Manchester, England and is operated by Northern Rail. The station is 4¾ miles east of Manchester Piccadilly on the Glossop Line.-History:...
to no longer has a regular passenger service, being reduced in the early 1990s from an hourly shuttle service to a once a week, one direction only skeleton service. (See Stockport to Stalybridge Line
Stockport to Stalybridge Line
The Stockport to Stalybridge Line is a short railway line in Greater Manchester, running from Stockport north east to Stalybridge. Although it once received a frequent service, for the past few years it has been served by a single train run by Northern Rail, once a week in one direction.This...
).
The main concourse was opened in September 2004, as part of a development including a new platform (platform 0). This platform had been dubbed by many as "The white elephant" because it was hardly ever used and the new track which was installed was rusting. However, at the beginning of March 2008 platform 0 came into operation mid-timetable. A pedestrian subway leads to the two older island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
s, which include a buffet and newsagent.
The service pattern is as follows:
- Northern Rail
- 1tph to Preston
- 6tph to Manchester Piccadilly (one continues to Preston)
- 1tph to Chester
- 2tph to Crewe
- 2tph to Alderley Edge (one continues to Crewe)
- 1tph to Stoke-on-Trent via Macclesfield
- 2tph to Hazel Grove (one continues to Buxton)
- 1tph to Buxton
- Virgin Trains
- 3tph to Manchester Piccadilly
- 2tph to London Euston via Stoke-on-Trent
- 1tph to London Euston via Crewe
- East Midlands Trains
- 1tph to Liverpool Lime Street
- 1tph to Norwich via Sheffield and Nottingham
- Arriva Trains Wales
- 1tph Manchester Piccadily
- 1tph to Milford Havern/Carmarthen via Shrewsbury
- First Transpenine Express
- 1tph to Manchester Airport via Manchester Piccadilly
- 1tph to Cleethorpes
- CrossCountry Trains
- 2tph to Manchester Piccadilly
- 1tph to Bristol Temple Meads via Stoke-on-Trent and Birmingham New Street
- 1tph to Bournemouth via Stoke-on-Trent and Birmingham New Street
Platform use
Platform 0 - Hazel Grove, Buxton, Sheffield, Norwich, Nottingham and Cleethorpes (built in 2003).Platform 1 - Southbound services to Macclesfield, Crewe, Stoke-on-Trent and Alderley Edge. It is also signalled for use by trains in the Manchester direction and is used by services to Southport on Sundays.
Platform 2 - Southbound platform for services to Stoke-on-Trent, Chester, Crewe, Alderley Edge, services to South Wales, London, Bristol, Bournemouth, Paignton and Plymouth.
Platform 3 - Mainly used by Fast services to Manchester Piccadilly along with services to Manchester Airport, Liverpool Lime Street, Blackpool North, Preston, Salford Crescent,Bolton, Wigan, Southport and Barrow-in-Furness.
Platform 3a - used by a small number of services to Wigan and Southport as well as the once per week Parliamentary train
Parliamentary train
A Parliamentary train or Parly is, nowadays, a British English term for a train that operates a Parliamentary service - that is to say a token service to a given station, thus maintaining a legal fiction that either the station or, in some cases, the whole line is open, although in reality the...
to Stalybridge.
Platform 4 - Mainly used by stopping services to Manchester Piccadilly along with services to Manchester Airport, Liverpool Lime Street, Blackpool North, Preston, Salford Crescent, Bolton, Wigan, Southport and Barrow-in-Furness.
Non-stopping trains
It is often claimed that the building of Stockport’s railway viaduct was on the condition that any passenger train using the structure is required to stop at Stockport station. However, no verifiable reference or copy of this law has been produced.The draft December 2008 West Coast Main Line timetable drawn up by the Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
had Arriva CrossCountry's Manchester to Bristol via Birmingham trains passing through Stockport without stopping. This resulted in a 2,600 signature petition against such a move. However, the government did not change its mind. Stops in the Cross Country services withdrawn in December 2008 were, however, reinstated at the May 2009 timetable change.