List of railway stations in Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England, has a rail network of 142 route miles (229 km) and 100 stations. [cite web|url=http://www.gmpte.com/content.cfm?category_id=102785|title=GMPTE - Trains|author=GMPTE (Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive)|publisher=gmpte.com|date=N.D.|accessdate=2007-09-13] ref label|GMPTEMap|a|a The Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive is responsible for specifying fares and service levels of train services operating in the county. The Northern Rail train operating company provides most of these services.cite web|title=Network Map|url=http://www.northernrail.org/pdfs/network_map/network_map.pdf|format=PDF|accessdate=2008-09-13|publisher=FWT (part of the Cook Hammond & Kell Group)|date=2007-03-22|work=Northern Rail Network Map]

All services run to or through one of Manchester city centre's major stations, Manchester Victoria and Manchester Piccadilly. The network is effectively divided into two operating halves based on these stations, although the opening of a connecting line in 1988 improved operational flexibility by joining the north and south halves.cite book |last=Sanderson |first=Kathy |editor=Andrew Macfarlane |others=Railway Development Society |title=Peaks and Plains by Rail |origyear=1989 |publisher=Jarrold Colour Publications |location=Norwich |isbn=0-7117-0429-5 |chapter=Manchester–Glossop–Hadfield |pages=p42 ] Services radiate northwards from Manchester Victoria, providing inter-city transport to West Yorkshire, North East England and Liverpool as well as local suburban services to Rochdale, Oldham and Wigan. The south side's services radiate from Manchester Piccadilly and run to Manchester Airport, south Manchester, Cheshire, Staffordshire, London and other major destinations.

The region's rail network started to develop during the Industrial Revolution, when it was at the centre of a textile manufacturing boom.cite book|title=Railways: It Happened Round Greater Manchester|last=Clarke|first=John|date=1976|publisher=Greater Manchester Council|isbn=] Manchester was at the forefront of the railway building revolution during the Victorian era. The world's first passenger railway, the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, opened on 15 September 1830.cite book|title=Railways in Greater Manchester (1974-1986); Volume One|last=Roughley|first=Malcolm|date=1986|publisher=M.R. Roughley|isbn=0-9511246-0-9] Its original terminus, Liverpool Road railway station, was closed to passengers in 1844, but still exists and is the oldest surviving passenger station in the world.cite web|title=History of the Museum|url=http://www.msim.org.uk/about-us/history-of-the-museum|accessdate=2008-09-10|publisher=Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester|year=2008|work=Museum of Science and Industry] Since the Beeching Axe many of Greater Manchester's stations have closed and many station facilities have been removed. Others, however, have been converted to the Manchester Metrolink, Greater Manchester's light-rail network. In preparation for the 2002 Commonwealth Games Manchester Piccadilly, the principal station for the City of Manchester, was extensively redeveloped and as a consequence has been voted as having the highest customer satisfaction rating of all the main stations in the United Kingdom.Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/6927406.stm|title=Revamped station tops train poll|accessdate=2007-12-01|publisher=bbc.co.uk|date=2007-08-02|work=BBC]

Railway stations currently in use

ee also

* List of closed railway stations in Greater Manchester
* Transport in Manchester

Footnotes

:note label|GMPTEMap|a|a The total of 98 given at [http://www.gmpte.com www.gmpte.com] excludes Reddish South and Denton, which have one service per week.:note label|ALT|b|b Two other platforms are used by Manchester Metrolink services.cite web|title=Station Facilities for Altrincham|url=http://nationalrail.co.uk/stations/alt/details.html|accessdate=2008-09-10|publisher=ATOC (Association of Train Operating Companies) Ltd|year=2008|work=National Rail Enquiries website] cite web|title=Metrolink in the City Centre|url=http://www.lrta.org/Manchester/City_Centre.html|accssdate=2008-09-19|publisher=Tony Williams, Manchester Area Officer, Light Rail Transit Association|date=2008-08-14|work=Light Rail Transit Association website] :note label|MIH|c|c Originally opened in 1839 and closed in 1842. Reopened 25 March 1985 on the same site.:note label|NVR|d|d One other platform is used by Metrolink services.cite web|title=Station Facilities for Navigation Road|url=http://nationalrail.co.uk/stations/nvr/details.html|accessdate=2008-09-10|publisher=ATOC Ltd|year=2008|work=National Rail Enquiries website]

References