Altrincham Interchange

Altrincham
Altrincham
Metrolink station
	<img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/Altrincham_Interchange_%283%29.JPG/300px-Altrincham_Interchange_%283%29.JPG" decoding="async" width="300" height="225" class="mw-file-element" data-file-width="4320" data-file-height="3240"> A M5000 at Altrincham Interchange on Platform 1
General information
Location	Altrincham, Trafford; England
Coordinates	53°23′15″N 2°20′50″W / 53.38752°N 2.34734°W
Line(s)	Altrincham Line
Platforms	2
Other information
Status	In operation
Fare zone	4
History
Original company	Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway
Pre-grouping	Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway
Post-grouping	Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway
Key dates
1992	Conversion to Metrolink operation
Route map
Route map
	Legend
	Deansgate-Castlefield
	(<img alt="National Rail" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/National_Rail_logo.svg/12px-National_Rail_logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="8" class="mw-file-element" data-file-width="62" data-file-height="39"> Deansgate)
	This diagram: view; talk; edit;
Location
Location
	<img src="https://maps.wikimedia.org/img/osm-intl,13,53.38752,-2.34734,300x300.png?lang=en&domain=en.wikipedia.org&title=Altrincham_Interchange&revid=1259429848&groups=_3333f3603744adabd94c7cac08dd3111f2c9486d" width="300" height="300" decoding="async" alt="Map">

Notes
	Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Altrincham
Altrincham
	Altrincham Interchange building, opened 2015
General information
Location	Altrincham, Trafford; England
Coordinates	53°23′15″N 2°20′50″W / 53.3875°N 2.3472°W
Grid reference	SJ770879
Managed by	Northern Trains
Transit authority	Transport for Greater Manchester
Platforms	4 (2 National Rail, 2 Metrolink)
Other information
Station code	ALT
Fare zone	G
Classification	DfT category C2
Key dates
20 July 1849	Original MSJA railway station opens
3 April 1881	MSJA station replaced on current site
6 May 1974	Name changed from Altrincham and Bowdon to Altrincham
15 June 1992	Metrolink service starts
Passengers
2019/20	0.373 million
2020/21	69,168
2021/22	0.222 million
2022/23	0.248 million
2023/24	0.273 million
Notes
Notes
	Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Altrincham Interchange is a transport hub in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, England. It consists of a bus station on Stamford New Road, a Northern Trains-operated heavy rail station on the Mid-Cheshire Line, and a light rail stop which forms the terminus of Manchester Metrolink's Altrincham line. The original heavy rail element of the station was opened by the Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway as Altrincham and Bowdon railway station in April 1881, changing to Altrincham railway station in May 1974. The Metrolink element opened in June 1992. The Interchange underwent a complete redevelopment, at a cost of £19 million, starting in mid-July 2013. The new bus station opened officially on 7 December 2014.

History

Altrincham Station entrance in 1975, before the introduction of a bus station

A British Rail Class 304 at Altrincham in 1990

Altrincham Station clock tower

The station was opened on 3 April 1881 as Altrincham & Bowdon by the Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway (MSJAR) to replace Altrincham (1st) railway station on Stockport Road and Bowdon station on Lloyd Street/Railway Street which both closed that day. All platforms were through, with Nos. 1 and 2 (nearest to the town) being used by the MSJAR.^{[citation needed]}

The Cheshire Lines Committee (CLC) trains from Manchester Central to Northwich and Chester Northgate used platforms 3 and 4. The CLC also operated a service from Stockport Tiviot Dale via Northenden to Altrincham, latterly using Sentinel steam railcars, but this service ceased in late 1939.^{[citation needed]}

The station became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway during the Grouping of 1923. The station then passed on to the London Midland Region of British Railways on nationalisation in 1948.^{[citation needed]}

Since 6 May 1974, the station has been named Altrincham.^[1] In 1975 a new booking office was opened on platform 4 to serve the car park on the site of the former goods yard. Also in 1975, work began to convert the former station forecourt on Stamford New Road into a bus station, and the Victorian glass-covered canopy over the station entrance was demolished. The new combined Altrincham Interchange bus/rail station was opened in November 1976.^{[citation needed]}

When Sectorisation was introduced in the 1980s, the station was served by Regional Railways under arrangement with the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive until the privatisation of British Rail.^{[citation needed]}

Regional Railways electric trains between Manchester and Altrincham ceased serving the station on 24 December 1991.^[2] The former electric train platforms (1 and 2) reopened for use by Metrolink on 15 June 1992.^[3]

A new roof for platform 1 costing £180,000 was installed in 2006. This platform had been uncovered since glazed panels were removed in 2003 due to safety concerns. The new roof is made of coated steel with clear panels to let in the light.^[4]

The station clock tower on Stamford New Road, erected in 1880, is a Grade II listed structure.^[5]^[6]

Redevelopment

The Interchange was redeveloped in 2013-15 by Laing O'Rourke. The project was partly funded by the Local Sustainable Transport Fund.^[7]

The interchange reopened on 7 December 2014, integrating Bus, Rail and Metrolink services again, although the lifts and some roofing in the railway station was not completed until 2015.^[8]^[9]

Services

Looking south to Altrincham Station; the terminating Metrolink tram tracks are to the right, and mainline railway through tracks to the left

Altrincham Interchange has four rail platforms. Two bay platforms are used for Metrolink services. Two further through platforms accommodate train services on the line between Manchester Piccadilly and Chester via Stockport.^[10]

Rail

There is a basic hourly service in each direction on the Mid-Cheshire line on Mondays to Saturdays with two peak extras to/from Stockport. The through service to Blackpool North ceased to run from 15 December 2008.

On Sundays there were five trains to and from Chester but these all terminated here prior to the timetable change, there being no service onwards to Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly. Through passengers had to use the Metrolink service to continue their journey (connections were advertised in the 2007-8 timetable and National Rail tickets were valid for through trips). From December 2008 however, the service frequency has been improved (to two-hourly each way) and through running to Stockport & Manchester Piccadilly reinstated for the first time since the early nineties. These services continued to Wigan Wallgate and Southport until May 2018; they now all terminate at Manchester Piccadilly.^[11]

Metrolink Stop Entrance

Metrolink

There is a frequent Metrolink service to Manchester and Bury, with a tram every six minutes to Manchester for most of the day (alternate trams running to Bury, avoiding Piccadilly). Monday-Saturday evening and Sunday journeys run every 12 minutes to Piccadilly, with journeys to Bury requiring a change of trams at Piccadilly Gardens.^[12]

Altrincham is in Metrolink fare zone 4.^[13]

Service pattern

5 trams per hour to Piccadilly
5 trams per hour to Bury (peak only)

1 train per hour to Manchester Piccadilly via Stockport
1 train per hour to Chester

Preceding station	Manchester Metrolink		Following station
Terminus		Altrincham–Bury (peak only)	Navigation Road towards Bury
Terminus		Altrincham–Piccadilly	Navigation Road towards Piccadilly
Preceding station	National Rail		Following station
Hale		Northern Trains Mid-Cheshire Line	Navigation Road
Historical railways
Hale Line and station open		Cheshire Lines Committee Mid-Cheshire Line	Sale Line and station open
Disused railways
Baguley		Cheshire Lines Committee Stockport, Timperley and Altrincham Junction Railway	Terminus

Bus services

The former station forecourt now serves as a Transport for Greater Manchester bus station, providing interchange with local bus services to locations within Trafford. Buses also operate to Stockport, Wythenshawe, Macclesfield, The Trafford Centre, Sale, Hale, Timperley, East Didsbury, Manchester Airport, Bowdon and Warrington. The main bus operator is Arriva North West but other significant operators include Stagecoach Manchester, Warrington's Own Buses, Warrington Coachways and Vale Travel.^[14]

There is also a taxi rank.^[15]

References

^ Slater, J.N., ed. (July 1974). "Notes and News: Stations renamed by LMR". Railway Magazine. 120 (879). London: IPC Transport Press Ltd: 363. ISSN 0033-8923.
^ Dixon 1994, p. 119.
^ "Altrincham Metrolink stop : Metrolink". TheTrams.co.uk. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
^ "Station roof" Archived 16 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine, This is Trafford - Retrieved 28 November 2006
^ Historic England. "CLOCK TOWER ON STATION FORECOURT (1067962)". National Heritage List for England.
^ Dickens, Steven (15 August 2018). Altrincham in 50 Buildings. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1-4456-7459-9. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ "Pages - Altrincham Interchange". Archived from the original on 8 December 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
^ "Confirmed: Altrincham Interchange to open on Sunday | Altrincham Today". Archived from the original on 8 December 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
^ "Altincham-layout". tfgm.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
^ GB National Rail Timetable 2013-14, Table 88
^ "Metrolink - Tram Times - Altrincham". Metrolink / Transport for Greater Manchester. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
^ "Metrolink ticket zones map". TfGM. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
^ "Altrincham Interchange". Transport for Greater Manchester. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
^ "Altrincham [ALT]". nationalrail.uk. Retrieved 11 December 2016.

Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
Dixon, Frank (1994). The Manchester South Junction & Altrincham Railway. Headington: Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-454-7.
Jowett, Alan (2000). Jowett's Nationalised Railway Atlas (1st ed.). Penryn, Cornwall: Atlantic Transport Publishers. ISBN 978-0-906899-99-1. OCLC 228266687.

External links

Train times and station information for Altrincham Interchange from National Rail
Metrolink Times and Stop Information
Altrincham Metrolink area map
Bus information for Altrincham Interchange from Transport for Greater Manchester
Mid-Cheshire Community Rail Partnership
Altrincham Interchange updates

[1] Slater, J.N., ed. (July 1974). "Notes and News: Stations renamed by LMR". Railway Magazine. 120 (879). London: IPC Transport Press Ltd: 363. ISSN 0033-8923.

[FOOTNOTEDixon1994119-2] Dixon 1994, p. 119.

[3] "Altrincham Metrolink stop : Metrolink". TheTrams.co.uk. Retrieved 28 November 2018.

[4] "Station roof" Archived 16 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine, This is Trafford - Retrieved 28 November 2006

[5] Historic England. "CLOCK TOWER ON STATION FORECOURT (1067962)". National Heritage List for England.

[6] Dickens, Steven (15 August 2018). Altrincham in 50 Buildings. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1-4456-7459-9. Retrieved 21 September 2021.

[7] "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[8] "Pages - Altrincham Interchange". Archived from the original on 8 December 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2014.

[9] "Confirmed: Altrincham Interchange to open on Sunday | Altrincham Today". Archived from the original on 8 December 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2014.

[10] "Altincham-layout". tfgm.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.

[11] GB National Rail Timetable 2013-14, Table 88

[12] "Metrolink - Tram Times - Altrincham". Metrolink / Transport for Greater Manchester. Retrieved 13 February 2013.

[13] "Metrolink ticket zones map". TfGM. Retrieved 5 December 2018.

[tfgm-bus-14] "Altrincham Interchange". Transport for Greater Manchester. Retrieved 21 September 2021.

[15] "Altrincham [ALT]". nationalrail.uk. Retrieved 11 December 2016.

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