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Ashton-under-Lyne railway station

Coordinates: 53°29′29″N 2°05′39″W / 53.4913°N 2.0943°W / 53.4913; -2.0943
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Ashton-under-Lyne
National Rail
The station's island platform, looking towards Manchester.
General information
LocationAshton-under-Lyne, Tameside
England
Coordinates53°29′29″N 2°05′39″W / 53.4913°N 2.0943°W / 53.4913; -2.0943
Grid referenceSJ938993
Managed byNorthern Trains
Transit authorityGreater Manchester
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeAHN
ClassificationDfT category E
History
Original companyAshton, Stalybridge & Liverpool Junction Railway
Pre-groupingLancashire & Yorkshire Railway
Post-groupingLondon, Midland & Scottish Railway
Key dates
13 April 1846 (1846-04-13)Opened as Ashton
1874Renamed Ashton (Charlestown)
6 May 1968Renamed Ashton-under-Lyne
Passengers
2018/19Increase 0.327 million
2019/20Increase 0.362 million
2020/21Decrease 70,596
2021/22Increase 0.168 million
2022/23Decrease 0.142 million
Location
Map
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Ashton-under-Lyne railway station serves the town of Ashton-under-Lyne, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the Huddersfield Line 6½ miles (10 km) east of Manchester Victoria and is operated by Northern Trains.

The station is a short walk from Ashton-under-Lyne bus station and Ashton-under-Lyne tram stop which opened in 2013, and is served by Manchester Metrolink trams to Droylsden, Manchester, and Eccles.

History

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Local train approaching Ashton (Charlestown) Station in 1951

The station, known originally as Ashton, was opened by the Ashton, Stalybridge & Liverpool Junction Railway (AS&LJR) on 13 April 1846.[1][2] The AS&LJR was absorbed by the Manchester & Leeds Railway in 1847, which was then renamed the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway (LYR).[3] The LYR renamed it Ashton (Charlestown) in 1874.[1] The LYR amalgamated with the London & North Western Railway at the start of 1922, and these in turn amalgamated with several other companies on 1 January 1923, to form the London, Midland & Scottish Railway during the 1923 Grouping. It then passed to the London Midland Region of British Railways on nationalisation in 1948. It was renamed Ashton-under-Lyne on 6 May 1968.[1]

When Sectorisation was introduced in the 1980s, the station was served by Regional Railways under arrangement with the Greater Manchester PTE until the privatisation of British Rail. Usage at this time was relatively low and trains called only rarely (see BR timetable 1974, 1975 et seq.). The train service was not regular and in essence operated at peak times only.

Other stations in Ashton

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1912 map of railway lines in the area

There were once three stations in the town: Charlestown, Park Parade and Oldham Road. Also, Guide Bridge, a few miles away, was known as Ashton & Hooley Hill and then Ashton in its earliest years.

Charlestown Station — the present Ashton-under-Lyne station — was owned by the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway, who ran services between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge. The London & North Western Railway also ran services along the line, most only calling at Ashton and Stalybridge before continuing to Leeds. The station once sported a large booking hall, where the car park is currently, as well as a substantial canopy.[4]

Park Parade Station was located on the Guide Bridge–Stalybridge line; the only remains of the station is the "Station Inn", a short stroll away.

Oldham Road Station was located on the line to Oldham (originally owned by the Oldham, Ashton and Guide Bridge Railway), which continued to Park Bridge before reaching Clegg Street, Oldham.

Facilities

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Ashton-under-Lyne station consists of a single island platform, accessible via a ramp from the underpass at street level, it is wheelchair accessible and also has a passenger lift. This was installed due to the 1-in-8 gradient between street level and platform level[5] Facilities of the station include a waiting room, ticket desk, wheelchair-accessible toilet and a hot-drinks vending machine.

A 3-week engineering blockade in July 2017 saw the track through the station re-aligned and a road underbridge replaced to allow for faster line speeds. Replacement buses were provided, with through trains diverted or terminating short at Stalybridge.[6]

Services

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The typical off-peak service from the station is:[7]

The same frequency operates on a Sunday. Trains continue beyond Manchester to Bolton and then either Southport (Mondays to Saturdays) or Wigan North Western (Sundays only).

[edit]
  • Station entrance
    Station entrance
  • The station platform and building.
    The station platform and building.
  • The waiting area on platform 1.
    The waiting area on platform 1.
  • A Northern Class 150 waits at platform 2.
    A Northern Class 150 waits at platform 2.

References

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  1. ^ a b c Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 20. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
  2. ^ Marshall, John (1969). The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway, volume 1. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. pp. 61, 63. ISBN 0-7153-4352-1.
  3. ^ Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. London: Guild Publishing. pp. 59, 90–91. CN 8983.
  4. ^ http://buffetbar.i8.com/photo.html - A selection of useful photographs showing this booking hall, as well as the platform.
  5. ^ The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Society, LYR Branchline 14 - "The Ashton and Stalybridge Branch", by Robert F Hartley. (Page 44)
  6. ^ Ashton train station set for temporary closure Higgins, Adam Tameside Reporter news article 27 June 2017; Retrieved 27 July 2017
  7. ^ Table 98 National Rail timetable, December 2023
  • Jowett, Alan (2000). Jowett's Nationalised Railway Atlas (1st ed.). Penryn, Cornwall: Atlantic Transport Publishers. ISBN 978-0-906899-99-1. OCLC 228266687.
  • The Manchester and Leeds Railway by Martin Bairstow
  • The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Society, LYR Branchiline 14 - "The Ashton and Stalybridge Branch", by Robert F Hartley.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ashton-under-Lyne railway station.
Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Manchester Victoria   Northern
Huddersfield Line 		  Stalybridge
Disused railways
Droylsden
Line open, station closed 		  Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway
Ashton, Stalybridge & Liverpool Junction Railway 		  Stalybridge (L&Y)
Line and station closed
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