Irlam railway station

Irlam
Irlam railway station in 2008
Location
Place	Irlam
Local authority	Salford
Coordinates	53.4343°N 2.4341°W / 53.4343; -2.4341
Grid reference	SJ713931
Operations
Station code	IRL
Managed by	Northern Rail
Number of platforms	2
Live arrivals/departures and station information from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage
2004/05 *	103,198
2005/06 *	120,164
2006/07 *	123,494
2007/08 *	135,105
2008/09 *	181,272
2009/10 *	177,304
Passenger Transport Executive
PTE	Greater Manchester
History
Opened 1873 (1873)
History
Original company	Cheshire Lines Committee
Pre-grouping	CLC
Post-grouping	CLC
2 September 1873	Original station opened as Irlam
1 August 1879	Renamed Irlam and Cadishead
26 March 1893	Station resited at higher level
August 1954	Renamed Irlam for Cadishead
6 May 1974	Renamed Irlam
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 Irlam from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. Please note: methodology may vary year on year.

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.

History

The original station, named Irlam, was opened by the Cheshire Lines Committee 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.

Irlam railway station in 1988

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 (Flixton) 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 Street 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.

External links

• Train times and station information for Irlam railway station from National Rail
• Friends of Irlam Station website

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Flixton Urmston on Sundays		Northern Rail Manchester to Liverpool Line		Glazebrook Birchwood on Sundays