Manchester Liverpool Road was one of the earliest railway stations to open. Although it was only open for passenger services for a short time, parts of the station still exist and are thought to be the oldest railway station buildings still in existence.
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| View of part of the preserved station |
| Information |
| Type: |
National Rail
(Liverpool & Manchester Railway) |
| Opened: |
1830 |
| Closed: |
1844 |
| Platforms: |
2 |
The pioneering Liverpool & Manchester Railway was the first inter-city railway with steam hauled services. The line began operations on the September 15th 1830 between Manchester Liverpool Road and
Liverpool Crown Street. The opening day however was marred by the death of the Liverpool MP William Huskisson, who was run over by the Rocket locomotive during the running of a demonstration train for VIPs! The first actual passenger service ran the next day from Liverpool to Manchester, a trip with no mishaps [1].
The station was quite unlike what we would expect for a passenger station now. There were no platforms as such, ladders were used for passengers to get in and out of the carriages. There were waiting rooms and booking offices, a separate one of each for first and second class passengers.
The station was closed to passenger traffic in 1844 being quickly over taken by demand, the station was replaced for passenger services by
Manchester Victoria. The station remained in use as a goods yard until 1975. The station site is now part of the Museum of Science & Industry.
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| Sign explaining the site's significance |
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| Another view of the surviving station buildings |
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| A mix of modern and traditional |
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| Under the canopy |
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| Preserved wagons in the goods yard |
[1] Anthony Dawson, "The First Train on the Liverpool & Manchester Railway", Backtrack (Vol. 34 No. 7) July 2020, p. 380
