Manchester Oxford Road railway stationFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia"Oxford Road railway station" redirects here. For the former halt on the Varsity line, see Oxford Road Halt railway station.

Manchester Oxford Road 

The Grade-II listed timber facade of the station

Location

Place Manchester city centre

Local authority City of Manchester

Coordinates53.4739°N 2.2422°WCoordinates: 

53.4739°N 2.2422°W

Grid reference SJ840974

Operations

Station code MCO

Managed byNorthern Rail

Network Rail (from 2016)

Number of platforms 5

DfT category C1

Live arrivals/departures, station information andonward connections

from National Rail Enquiries

Annual rail passenger usage*

2004/05  0.562 million

2005/06  0.625 million

2006/07  4.331[1] million

2007/08  1.249[1] million

2008/09  5.212[1] million

2009/10  6.650 million

2010/11  7.116 million

2011/12  7.077 million

2012/13  7.149 million

2013/14  7.555 million

Passenger Transport Executive

PTE Greater Manchester

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

20 July 1849 Opened

1960 Rebuilt

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 Manchester Oxford Road from Office of Rail and

Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.

 UK Railways portal

Manchester Oxford Road railway station is an elevated railway station in the city centre of Manchester, England, at the junction of Whitworth Street West and Oxford Street. It opened in 1849 and was rebuilt in 1960. Historically a station for local services, it has undergone redevelopment in recent years and is the second busiest station in the Manchester station group.

The station serves the southern part of Manchester city centre, the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University, and is on the most-served bus route in Europe. It has a ticket office, waiting rooms, automatic ticket gates, toilets, a buffet and a newsagent. It stands on a line from Manchester Piccadilly westwards towards Warrington Bank Quay, Chester, Llandudno, Liverpool, Preston and Blackpool. Eastbound trains go beyond Piccadilly to Crewe, Leeds, Sheffield and other towns in Northern England.

The station is notable for its laminated wood structures and was Grade II listed in 1995. English Heritage describes it as a "building of outstanding architectural quality and technological interest; one of the most dramatic stations in England."[2] The station will undergo major renovation from 2016 as part of the Northern Hub plan, and its management is expected to be taken over by Network Rail.[3]

The station's cats help prevent problems caused by pigeons, rats and mice and are popular with passengers and regular commuters. They have been described as the "most photographed" cats in Manchester.[4]

Contents

  [hide] 

1 Historyo 1.1 Future

2 Architecture 3 Service pattern 4 References 5 External links

History[edit]

The station was opened as Oxford Road on 20 July 1849 by the Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway (MSJAR).[5] The station was the headquarters of the MSJAR from its opening until 1904. It had two platforms and two sidings, with temporary wooden buildings. To allow for extra trains in connection with the Manchester Art Treasures Exhibition in 1857, extra platforms and sidings were built. In 1874 the station was completely rebuilt providing two bay platforms and three through platforms. Further reconstruction took place during 1903-04. From 1931 it was served by the MSJAR's 1500V DC electric trains between Altrincham andManchester Piccadilly.

From July 1959, Altrincham electric trains were cut back from Piccadilly to terminate at Oxford Road in two new bay platforms. The station's other lines were re-electrified at 25 kV AC. The whole station was again rebuilt and reopened on 12 September 1960. When Manchester Central railway station closed in 1969, further rebuilding took place: one of the bay platforms was taken out of use and a new through platform provided (platform 1), the others being renumbered accordingly. The track layout was changed so that there were four through and one bay platforms. In 1971 the Altrincham line was re-electrified at 25 kV AC and the 1930s DC trains withdrawn; from then on, local trains from Altrincham ran through to Piccadilly and on to Crewe. Oxford Road thus became predominantly a through station.

Use of the station increased from May 1988 when the Windsor Link was inaugurated between Deansgate and Salford Crescent, connecting lines to the north and south of Manchester. This led to further investment in the station, including the installation of computer screens.

In 1992 the station's original raison d'etre as the terminus for Altrincham disappeared when the Altrincham line stopping service was converted to light rail operation for the Manchester Metrolink. Oxford Road, once served almost entirely by suburban stopping trains, now has many more longer-distance services.

The station, a Grade II listed structure, requires frequent maintenance. In 2004 the station roof was partially refurbished to prevent leaking. In 2011, facilities such as platform shelters, seats and toilets were refurbished at a cost of £500,000.[6] In 2013 the station received a £1.8 million renovation to improve access, including lifts and an emergency exit.[7]

Future[edit]

In the Northern Hub plans, the platforms will be extended to allow use by longer trains. The bay platform will be removed to allow the other platforms to be extended.[8]

Architecture[edit]

Manchester Oxford Road station platforms with the distinctive canopies

The station had become dilapidated by the 1950s, and in connection with the electrification and modernisation programme of the Manchester to London line in 1960, the old buildings were replaced by the current structure by architects W.R. Headley and Max Glendinning and structural engineer Hugh Tottenham. It was designed in a distinctive style in concrete and wood with curves bringing to mind the Sydney Opera House.

The station is a grade II listed building. In Pevsner's Architectural Guide - Manchester it is described as

One of the most interesting and innovative buildings of the period ... the most ambitious example in this country of timber conoid shell roofing.

— Clare Hartwell, Pevsner's Architectural Guide - Manchester, p.36

and

One of the most remarkable and unusual stations in the country both for the architectural form and the technological interest...it is the most dramatic and it is an important example of the deployment of timber to achieve large roof spans incorporating clerestory lighting.

— Clare Hartwell, Pevsner's Architectural Guide - Manchester, p.178

The choice of timber was forced by the weak viaduct on which the station is situated; anything heavier could have compromised its structural strength. The station has three overlapping conoid structures although they are only viewable from above. The light conoid roofs allow for a column-free interior space, maximising space and reducing load.[9]

Despite its architectural acclaim, the structure began to deteriorate within ten years. The roof started to leak and for years the station's platform buildings were encased in scaffolding and other metalwork (partially to support the structure and prevent material falling on the platforms and passengers). Partial remedial refurbishment was completed in 2004.