Manchester Victoria station

	Victoria
	Manchester Metrolink
	Victoria station, showing a tram entering. The platforms are off-shot.
Location
Place	Manchester city centre
Local authority	Manchester
Fare zone information
Metrolink Zone	D (City)
Conversion to Metrolink operation	4 June 1992
City centre lines
	UK Trams portal

Manchester Victoria
Manchester Victoria
Location
Place	Manchester city centre
Local authority	Manchester
Coordinates	53°29′14″N 2°14′33″W / 53.4872°N 2.2424°WCoordinates: 53°29′14″N 2°14′33″W / 53.4872°N 2.2424°W
Operations
Station code	MCV
Managed by	Northern Rail
Platforms in use	6
	Live arrivals/departures and station information; from National Rail
Annual rail passenger usage
2004/05 *	0.467 million
2005/06 *	0.488 million
2006/07 *	5.060 million
2007/08 *	3.781 million
Passenger Transport Executive
PTE	Greater Manchester
Zone	City (D)
History
1844; 1902; 1996	Opened; Extended; Repaired
	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 passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Manchester Victoria from Office of Rail Regulation statistics.
	UK Railways Portal

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Manchester Victoria station is the second of Manchester's mainline railway stations. It is also a Metrolink station, one of eight that are within the City Zone. It is located to the north of the city centre on Hunts Bank, close to Manchester Cathedral.

The station serves destinations north and east of Manchester and some trains to Liverpool (mostly on the original Manchester to Liverpool line), it is the main terminus for the adjacent Manchester Evening News Arena, which was effectively joined onto the original station between 1992 and 1996 by means of a "raft" above the through rail platforms - the principal access to the MEN Arena is via stairs on Hunts Bank although there is another entrance from the main station concourse. The line from Bury was converted to light rail operation in the early 1990s when the Metrolink tram system was created, and the trams switch to on-street running once they emerge from the side wall of Victoria Station. Current plans for Phase 3 of Metrolink involve the conversion of the rail routes from Victoria to Rochdale via Oldham to light rail. Most of the trains which stop at the station are provided by Northern Rail except during engineering works when some trains are diverted from Manchester Piccadilly.

[edit] History

In 1838 Samuel Brooks, vice-chairman of the Manchester and Leeds Railway (M&LR) bought a piece of land at Hunt's Bank close to Manchester Cathedral, and presented it to the company for the purpose of creating a new station to replace the inconveniently located Manchester Oldham Road railway station opened by the company on 3 July 1839. The station was initially a long low single storey building designed by George Stephenson and completed by John Brogden^[1] on 1 January 1844. It was named Victoria by permission of Her Majesty. The long single platform handled M&LR trains to Leeds and elsewhere at its eastern end. The Liverpool and Manchester Railway extended its line from Ordsall, near the original Manchester Liverpool Road railway station, and its trains operated from Victoria's western end from 4 May 1844.^[2]

By the mid 1840s, there were six railway companies connecting Manchester to the cities of London, Glasgow, Liverpool, Leeds and Sheffield. Victoria Station came to dominate the Long Millgate area and was one of the biggest passenger stations in Britain.

Victoria was enlarged by William Dawes, who is responsible for most of the remaining facade, in 1909. It eventually boasted 17 platforms. Wealthy commuters travelled here from Blackpool and Southport rather faster than is possible today (eg 45 minutes from Southport in 1910, 67 today and 65 from Blackpool in 1910, 77 today) in specially-constructed club cars pulled by express steam locomotives. These non-stop services were abandoned in the early 1960s.

Railway Clearing House map of central Manchester railways in 1910

The present Edwardian building has a 160 yards (146 m) facade, which still carries an iron and glass canopy bearing the names of the original destinations which it served, and a tile mural depicting the routes of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway which operated most of the trains from the station between 1847 and 1923 when it became one of the main constituents of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway. The canopies served as covered waiting porch for taxi cabs until they were severely damaged in the Provisional IRA 1996 bombing - they have now been completely restored to their former glory. The cast iron train sheds behind the façade run back for some 700 yards (640 m). Initially the station was approached by a wooden footbridge over the River Irk which has subsequently disappeared beneath culverting alongside the Cathedral, where it makes its way un-noticed into the River Irwell.

From 1884, Victoria Station had Manchester Exchange Station, operated by the rival London and North Western Railway as a close neighbour and a single passenger platform linked them; this was the longest passenger platform in Europe at 2,194 feet (669 m). Exchange Station was closed in 1969 and its services were transferred to Victoria. Its site opposite the cathedral is now a car park.

In the early 1970s, as part of the ill-fated Picc-Vic tunnel project, there were proposals to build an underground station, Victoria Low Level.^[3] The project was eventually cancelled and subsequent rail improvements concentrated on surface projects and the introduction of light rail.

[edit] Facilities

The station includes a barber's shop, newsagents (run by WHSmith), coffee bars and buffet. Network Rail aims to rent out the offices on the first and second floors of the station to businesses. In 2009 the station was identified as one of ten 'worst' major stations on the network and is set to receive a share of £50m funding for improvements.^[4]

[edit] Services

[edit] Manchester Metrolink Station

Manchester Victoria is also served by Manchester's Metrolink light rail system, at the northern edge of the City Centre zone, forming part of the Bury Line. Metrolink services run through Victoria to Bury, Altrincham and Piccadilly. Trams enter Victoria station from Shudehill Interchange by crossing Corporation Street and Long Millgate and passing through a specially constructed arch in the station wall. From there they curve right and stop at the Metrolink platforms.

The Metrolink station is situated at the southern end of Victoria station, near the exits, and occupies the site of the former Bury electric train platforms. The Metrolink station was originally built with three platforms, denoted A, B and C; platform A, close to the point where the trams enter the station was used for Bury-bound trams, but is now closed to public use due to leaks in the station roof. Platforms B and C, located on a single island platform further along the tracks, are now used, and passengers must cross the tram lines to reach these platforms.

The Metrolink system was opened in 1992 and was the result of a long-running project to link the two main rail stations in Manchester, Piccadilly and Victoria, with a rail line running across the city.^[5] Previous proposals involving an underground railway were abandoned due to costs, but Greater Manchester Council instead secured funding for a light rail solution. The original system was based on the conversion of selected British Rail lines to light rail operation, linked by on-street tram tracks. The Bury line to Victoria opened as a Metrolink line in 1992, replacing former heavy rail services with Metrolink trams.

GMPTE information on Victoria

[edit] Trains

A tram departs from Victoria heading into the city

Manchester Victoria is currently served by one train operating company, Northern Rail. It is occasionally used by First Transpennine Express and CrossCountry services during engineering works.

[edit] Service Summary

Northern Rail train

2 trains per hour (tph) to Wigan Wallgate (via Bolton) calling:

Salford Central, Salford Crescent, Kearsley (1tph), Farnworth (1tph), Moses Gate (1tph), Bolton, Westhoughton (1tph), Hindley (1tph) and Wigan Wallgate

1tph to Kirkby calling:

Salford Central, Salford Crescent, Swinton, Moorside, Walkden, Atherton, Hag Fold, Daisy Hill, Hindley, Ince, Wigan Wallgate, Pemberton, Upholland, Rainford and Kirkby

1tph to Blackpool North calling at:

Salford Central, Salford Crescent, Bolton, Lostock, Horwich Parkway, Blackrod, Adlington, Chorley, Leyland, Preston, Kirkham and Wesham, Poulton-le-Flylde, Layton and Blackpool North

1tph to Southport calling at:

Salford Central, Salford Crescent, Swinton, Walkden, Atherton,Daisy Hill, Hindley, Wigan Wallgate, Gathurst, Appley Bridge, Parbold, Burscough Bridge, Meols Cop and Southport

1tph to Clitheroe calling at:

Salford Central, Salford Crescent, Bolton, Hall-i-th-Wood, Bromley Cross, Darwen, Blackburn, Ramsgreave & Wilpshire, Langho, Whalley and Clitheroe

1tph to Rochdale, calling at:

Moston, Mills Hill, Castleton and Rochdale

1tph to Liverpool Lime Street calling at:

Eccles, Patricroft, Newton-le-Willows, Earlestown, St. Helens Junction, Lea Green, Rainhill, Whiston, Huyton, Roby, Broad Green, Wavertree Tech Park, Edge Hill and Liverpool Lime Street

1tph to Stalybridge calling at:

Ashton-under-Lyne and Stalybridge

1tph to Huddersfield calling at:

Ashton-under-Lyne, Stalybridge, Mossley, Greenfield, Marsden, Slaithwaite and Huddersfield

2tph to Leeds City calling at:

Rochdale, Smithy Bridge(1tph), Littleborough(1tph), Walsden (1tph), Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd(1tph), Sowerby Bridge(1tph), Halifax, Bradford Interchange, New Pudsey, Bramley and Leeds City

1tph to Leeds City via Dewsbury calling at:

Moston , Mills Hill , Castleton , Rochdale , Smithy Bridge , Littleborough , Walsden (1800 service only) , Todmorden , Hebden Bridge , Mytholmroyd ,Sowerby Bridge , Brighouse , Mirfield , Ravensthorpe (Peak Hours only) , Dewsbury , Batley , Morley , Cottingley (Peak Hours only) and Leeds City

Typically Northern Rail operate class 142 pacers and 150 or 156 Sprinter DMU's on most train services around Manchester while the Leeds Calder Valley services normally use class 155 or 158 Sprinter DMU's. The Leeds via Dewsbury services mainly use 3 car Class 144's Monday - Friday although at weekends this services sees other classes on the route such as a pair of Class 153 DMU's or Class 150 or 155. Class 180's are often used on Blackpool services which has led to the situation where high-speed trains capable of 125mph being used on slow multiple station stopping services.

Manchester Victoria sees use by Transpennine Express as a diversionary route and alternative station when the normal route through Manchester Piccadilly is unavailable for Engineering Works. Night services between Manchester Airport and York run va Manchester Victoria although these do not stop at the station. The services then run via Ashton-under-Lyne in order to pick up the normal route at Stalybridge, or continue through Rochdale and Hebden Bridge before reaching Huddersfield.

[edit] Future

As part of the Phase 3 of the Metrolink expansion project, it is planned to extend the tram network to Rochdale by converting part of the Oldham Loop Line to light rail operation. The conversion of the line will involve electrification of the route and replacing the diesel Pacer and Sprinter train services with the new generation of Flexity Swift trams. The Rochdale line expected to come into service around 2011/2012.^[6] Further expansion of the line will see the addition of a Metrolink branch via the old branch line via Oldham Central and the extension of the northern end of the line via a tram line into Rochdale Town Centre.

In July 2009, it was announced that the line between Manchester and Liverpool (via Earlestown) will be electrified at 25 kV ac (overhead line). Class 319 EMU's will be used on services from Victoria and Piccadilly to Liverpool Lime Street. The project is expected to be completed within four years.

In November 2009, it was announced that Manchester Victoria was officially the worst station in Britain. As a result, the transport secretary, Lord Adonis, announced that the station, along with nine others, would receive an urgent injection of £50 million and an emergency rebuilding programme. ^[7]

[edit] Gallery

Manchester Victoria Entrance

Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Tile Mural

The main station concourse.

The platform entrances.

[edit] References

Notes

^ *Marshall, J.D. (1970). The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. 1 of 3. David and Charles. p. 56.
^ Ferneyhough 1980, p. 105
^ SELNEC PTE (October 1971), SELNEC Picc-Vic Line, SELNEC PTE publicity brochure
^ "£50m revamp for 'worst stations'". BBC News. 2009-11-17. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8363621.stm. Retrieved 20009-11-17.
^ Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (1984), Light Rapid Transit in Greater Manchester, GMPTE - publicity brochure
^ Linton, Deborah (2009-05-13). "£1.4bn transport deal unveiled". Manchester Evening News. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1115242_14bn_transport_deal_unveiled. Retrieved 2009-05-17.
^ Pank, Philip (2009-11-17). "Lord Adonis orders all change for Britain’s slum railway stations". The Times. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/transport/article6919167.ece. Retrieved 2009-11-17.

Bibliography

Bairstow, Martin (1987), The Manchester & Leeds Railway : the Calder Valley Line, M. Bairstow, ISBN 0-9510302-6-4
Ferneyhough, Frank (1980), Liverpool & Manchester Railway 1830-1980, Book Club Associates, ISBN none
Wells, Jeffery (2004), The Oldham Loop. Part 2, New Hey, Milnrow and Rochdale to Manchester Victoria via Castleton, Middleton Junction and Newton Heath and including the Middleton Branch and Werneth Incline, Scenes from the past, Foxline, ISBN 1-87011-976-2
Wray, Tom (2006), Manchester Victoria Station

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Manchester Victoria

Tram times and station information for Manchester Victoria station from Manchester Metrolink

Preceding station	Manchester Metrolink	Following station
Woodlands Road toward Bury	Bury-Altrincham line	Shudehill toward Altrincham or Piccadilly
	Proposed
Monsall toward Rochdale	Rochdale-Manchester line	Terminus
National Rail
Terminus	Northern Rail Caldervale Line	Moston
Terminus	Northern Rail Huddersfield Line	Ashton-under-Lyne
Salford Central	Northern Rail Manchester-Preston Line	Terminus
Salford Central	Northern Rail Ribble Valley Line	Terminus
Salford Central	Northern Rail Manchester-Southport Line	Terminus
Salford Central	Northern Rail Manchester-Kirkby Mondays-Saturdays only	Terminus
Eccles	Northern Rail Manchester-Liverpool Line	Terminus
Historical railways
Terminus	L&YR Oldham Loop Line Caldervale Line Huddersfield Line	Miles Platting
Manchester Exchange	L&YR Manchester-Liverpool Line	Terminus