Ardwick Station

[Pinus contorta]

The former Olympic container yard was previously the skid pan at the back of Hyde Road bus garage and, until 1923, was the site of Manchester City's football ground.

So has that been sold on for redevelopment then?

 

[Rail Ranger]

Yes. Site clearance has been under way for the last couple of years. There is planning permission for housing.

 

[Man_with_beard]

It's less than a mile to Piccadilly, and the area is well served by buses. No point introducing an hourly service

so is Manchester Oxford Road and Deansgate.

 

[Merseysider]

so is Manchester Oxford Road and Deansgate.

difference being they're in the middle of the city centre and Ardwick station's in the middle of sod all.

 

[Man_with_beard]

difference being they're in the middle of the city centre and Ardwick station's in the middle of sod all.

If Ardwick had never cut its services in the 1990s and still had regular trains stopping throughout the day i guarantee people would frequently be using it today, just as people use other stations that are a mile away from a major station. Chorlton-on-Medlock is home to a few people living there, and Ardwick would serve the residential areas off Ashton Old Road.

 

[dggar]

Bang on. It's my closest station, and as I travel to Sheffield and the peaks quite regularly, I would use it quite frequently if the Sheffield stopper called here. As it's a lot closer to actually quite a large population centre (Ardwick, Longsight, Plymouth Grove etc) than Picc, given some signage and time I think it could be quite well used.
I wonder if some services do get "devolution", this station could be included in plans.

As a resident of the large population centre (Ardwick, Longsight, Plymouth Grove etc)
if I wish to travel by rail I catch a 192 bus which stops outside Piccadilly station.
To get to Ardwick station I would have to get off the 192 At the Apollo 02 venue
and walk almost half a mile with an estimated journey time of about 10 minutes.

 

[zwk500]

As a resident of the large population centre (Ardwick, Longsight, Plymouth Grove etc)
if I wish to travel by rail I catch a 192 bus which stops outside Piccadilly station.
To get to Ardwick station I would have to get off the 192 At the Apollo 02 venue
and walk almost half a mile with an estimated journey time of about 10 minutes.

My acid test for these sort of circumstances is to ask 'if it had never been built, would people be proposing to build it today?'. From the responses on here, it appears that there would be a small campaign but it would not be gaining any significant local support.

 

[Efini92]

If Ardwick had never cut its services in the 1990s and still had regular trains stopping throughout the day i guarantee people would frequently be using it today, just as people use other stations that are a mile away from a major station. Chorlton-on-Medlock is home to a few people living there, and Ardwick would serve the residential areas off Ashton Old Road.

I suspect they would just get the bus into town.
I wouldn’t be surprised if most of the residents don’t even know where the station is.

 

[willgreen]

My acid test for these sort of circumstances is to ask 'if it had never been built, would people be proposing to build it today?'. From the responses on here, it appears that there would be a small campaign but it would not be gaining any significant local support.

Although of course this assumes that locals' appreciation of demand is infallible. Residents without access to detailed forecasting etc can't be expected to know if a project will be a success or not!

 

[zwk500]

Although of course this assumes that locals' appreciation of demand is infallible. Residents without access to detailed forecasting etc can't be expected to know if a project will be a success or not!

The business case is a separate thing. However, in general, if there isn't any local strength of feeling the business case isn't worth putting together. At least if there's demonstrable demand, it can be worth looking at what the specifics might be.

 

[Springs Branch]

Given all the rebuilding of other formerly dismal areas around the periphery of the city centre - Green Quarter, Spinningfields, Ancoats, Greengate/Chapel Street (last two technically in Salford) - the area around Mayfield station and on towards Ardwick seems to have been very slow off the mark.

I wonder, if and when redevelopment eventually gets to Ardwick, and it's finally deemed worthwhile upgrading the station, which side of £100 million the station rebuild will cost?

It's more of an awkward site than many other minor stations, with the long alleyway, steps up to the height of the viaduct, footbridge to island platform etc., so it would need quite a bit spent on stuff beyond platform resurfacing and a decent shelter. At least the vacant land between Blind Lane and the railway viaduct seems to be owned by Network Rail (according to signs on the gates), so should not be too hard to open out that horrible long alleyway for proper station access by foot and car.

Slightly OT, but speaking of Mayfield - anyone know if anything is happening to that station site & its surroundings?

 

[Old Yard Dog]

Ardwick station was adjacent to Hyde Road, which was Manchester City's ground from 1887 to 1923. City were known as Ardwick until 1894. One of the stands at Hyde Road is still extant in Halifax after it was moved across the Pennines and re-erected at the Shay.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Ardwick station was adjacent to Hyde Road, which was Manchester City's ground from 1887 to 1923. City were known as Ardwick until 1894. One of the stands at Hyde Road is still extant in Halifax after it was moved across the Pennines and re-erected at the Shay.

Ordnance Survey maps from pre WW1, show a section of a railway loop line leading to a neighbouring boilerworks (Galloway's) which ran between the terrace and the Hyde Road stadium pitch at a corner of the cramped ground.

 

[SJL2020]

Ordnance Survey maps from pre WW1, show a section of a railway loop line leading to a neighbouring boilerworks (Galloway's) which ran between the terrace and the Hyde Road stadium pitch at one corner of the ground.
View attachment 132700

The small stand in the top RH corner was known as the Lad's Stand.

I have read that sometimes wagons were shunted in front of this stand during games, but I have never managed to find a photo that proves this occurred.

 

[Chester1]

Given all the rebuilding of other formerly dismal areas around the periphery of the city centre - Green Quarter, Spinningfields, Ancoats, Greengate/Chapel Street (last two technically in Salford) - the area around Mayfield station and on towards Ardwick seems to have been very slow off the mark.

I wonder, if and when redevelopment eventually gets to Ardwick, and it's finally deemed worthwhile upgrading the station, which side of £100 million the station rebuild will cost?

It's more of an awkward site than many other minor stations, with the long alleyway, steps up to the height of the viaduct, footbridge to island platform etc., so it would need quite a bit spent on stuff beyond platform resurfacing and a decent shelter. At least the vacant land between Blind Lane and the railway viaduct seems to be owned by Network Rail (according to signs on the gates), so should not be too hard to open out that horrible long alleyway for proper station access by foot and car.

Slightly OT, but speaking of Mayfield - anyone know if anything is happening to that station site & its surroundings?

The city centre is defined for planning purposes as area within the ring road. Buildings outside this area are generally limited to 15 floors for instance. The area around Ardwick station will never be part of city centre but it will hopefully see considerable development.

Mayfield station is now a semi temporary music venue and restaurant. The area to the south opened in September last year as Mayfield Park. Just to the south of it (and on approaches to old station), there will be office blocks. Mayfield Park was built as a requirement of the development.

 

[slipdigby]

Bang on. It's my closest station, and as I travel to Sheffield and the peaks quite regularly, I would use it quite frequently if the Sheffield stopper called here. As it's a lot closer to actually quite a large population centre (Ardwick, Longsight, Plymouth Grove etc) than Picc, given some signage and time I think it could be quite well used.
I wonder if some services do get "devolution", this station could be included in plans.

Doubt it. As much as Andy Burnham and TfGM might want to pretend they can somehow make Manchester's rail capacity problems evaporate by painting everything yellow, calling at Ardwick will almost certainly mean dropping a call somewhere else more useful (i.e. Ashburys)

(edited to remove double reference to Ardwick!)

 

[Mcr Warrior]

...calling at Ardwick will almost certainly mean dropping a call somewhere else more useful (i.e. Ardwick)

Eh? Did you perhaps mean Ashburys?

 

[dggar]

The city centre is defined for planning purposes as area within the ring road. Buildings outside this area are generally limited to 15 floors for instance. The area around Ardwick station will never be part of city centre but it will hopefully see considerable development.

Mayfield station is now a semi temporary music venue and restaurant. The area to the south opened in September last year as Mayfield Park. Just to the south of it (and on approaches to old station), there will be office blocks. Mayfield Park was built as a requirement of the development.

There are plans which involve a 42 story block just outside of ring road,
duscussed on this Skyscrapercity thread.

Upper Brook Street Masterplan | 96/70/49/43m |...

www.skyscrapercity.com

 

[Old Yard Dog]

The small stand in the top RH corner was known as the Lad's Stand.

I have read that sometimes wagons were shunted in front of this stand during games, but I have never managed to find a photo that proves this occurred.

The site later became the training ground and offices of the local bus company but the buses are long gone

 

[slipdigby]

Eh? Did you perhaps mean Ashburys?

I did, apologies!

 

[Chester1]

There are plans which involve a 42 story block just outside of ring road,
duscussed on this Skyscrapercity thread.

Upper Brook Street Masterplan | 96/70/49/43m |...

www.skyscrapercity.com

It will be interesting to see if the 42 floor building gets approved. Garry Neville was involved in a development that had planning permission rejected for a skyscrapper just outside the ring road, I think maybe three or four years ago. There is a tower block in New Islington that was built a few years ago that springs to mind, so occasionally they are allowed. I doubt Ardwick will become super dense either way. There might be sufficient residents to justify a frequent service at some point but heavy rail is far from ideal public transport solution for area.

 

[Meerkat]

Wouldn't it only be viable if it became a destination, ie offices/entertainment/industry, rather than a source , ie housing?
Would anyone bother to get on a train that only got them to Piccadilly rather than a bus into the city centre?

 

[jfollows]

Wouldn't it only be viable if it became a destination, ie offices/entertainment/industry, rather than a source , ie housing?
Would anyone bother to get on a train that only got them to Piccadilly rather than a bus into the city centre?

I'd say not, unless they were then changing trains at Piccadilly - I used to live next to Oxford Road and rarely took the train to Piccadilly even if I were changing trains there, and never when I wasn't. But I would see walking rather than the bus as the alternative. I think I walked to Ardwick once but I suspect I walked back also.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'd say not, unless they were then changing trains at Piccadilly - I used to live next to Oxford Road and rarely took the train to Piccadilly even if I were changing trains there, and never when I wasn't. But I would see walking rather than the bus as the alternative. I think I walked to Ardwick once but I suspect I walked back also.

I'm not sure Oxford Road is a sensible comparison to Ardwick, because Piccadilly isn't any more central than Oxford Road is, whereas Piccadilly certainly is more central than Ardwick. The main Manchester city centre stations basically sit on or near the ring road.