Deansgate, Oxford Road, Piccadilly

[umontu]

Why are there these three stations so close to each other and all open? I was at Deansgate today and wondered this. When I noticed from Deansgate you can see Oxford Road.
Is there some political reason or do they all make enough money to justify their existances?

Saw a Northern 156 leave packed so full the driver was leaning out of his window to see if the guard was still there as loading had taken so long, maybe the overcrowding of Piccadilly if these were closed is the reason?

 

[WatcherZero]

Yes they all are medium-high use stations.

Deansgate 300k
Oxford Road 6.6m
Piccadilly 20m

 

[umontu]

Thought so thanks.

 

[185]

I've had to climb through the yellow front door once with a 158, after shutting the passenger doors. Got too fat to climb through 158 cab windows some years ago

 

[umontu]

I've had to climb through the yellow front door once with a 158, after shutting the passenger doors. Got too fat to climb through 158 cab windows some years ago

Bet that delayed the train and was slightly dangerous.

 

[northwichcat]

Yes they all are medium-high use stations.

Deansgate 300k
Oxford Road 6.6m
Piccadilly 20m

Although in comparison 300,000 per annum for Deansgate considering how many trains call there is actually quite poor, when stations like Buxton and Knutsford get more than that with a fraction of the service.

 

[Nym]

Yes, but thats gased on group tickets, I'm sure the figure is actually mnuch higher, especially with the amount getting on and off in the peak periods when almost everything calls at deansgate in a morning, the 0755 off BON to Hazel Gr, an even amount oa passengers get off at each, with the most at Oxford Road if anywhere.

 

[175001]

And remember that Deansgate is an interchange to the Eccles/Alti Metrolink line.

Yep, as Deansgate comes under MANCHESTER STNS, the figure for Deansgate is much higher in reality

 

[strange6]

And remember that Deansgate is an interchange to the Eccles/Alti Metrolink line.

Yep, as Deansgate comes under MANCHESTER STNS, the figure for Deansgate is much higher in reality

I bet not many people get off at Deansgate at night for obvious reasons as well!

 

[MidnightFlyer]

And remember that Deansgate is an interchange to the Eccles/Alti Metrolink line.

Yep, as Deansgate comes under MANCHESTER STNS, the figure for Deansgate is much higher in reality

MS&I too.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
The cost to close Deansgate would be astronomical too, and to be fair, they all pay their worth, so, they aren't broken, therefore doesn't need to be fixed.

They all serve various areas too, Deansgate has the tram interchange, east Salford, MS&I; Oxford Road the theatres and west city centre; Piccadilly is the second busiest station in northern England, and sserves the city centre and shopping areas too.

 

[northwichcat]

Yep, as Deansgate comes under MANCHESTER STNS, the figure for Deansgate is much higher in reality

The figure for Deansgate has grown by 2250% over 5 years due to LENNON including PTE tickets and using more accurate methods of dividing up passengers using group tickets. Ticket barriers at Oxford Road and manual barriers at Piccadilly, Victoria and Deansgate have also helped to achieve this more accurate counting.

If you ask for a ticket to Deansgate from outside the GM area then you'll be given a ticket to Deansgate not Manchester STNs, even though they will be the same price. If you ask for Manchester Piccadilly you'll get a Manchester STNs ticket so it actually works in favour of Deansgate not against it.

Deansgate has very few passengers outside of the peak period (on some off-peak services less than 5 board and alight) so in comparison with figures for other stations in the North West just over 300,000 seems generous rather than too low.

 

[WatcherZero]

However as pointed out it is basically a metro station being a stones throw distance away from its neighbours, it doesnt exactly have a large catchment area itself but still pulls reasonable numbers.

 

[tbtc]

However as pointed out it is basically a metro station being a stones throw distance away from its neighbours, it doesnt exactly have a large catchment area itself but still pulls reasonable numbers.

Agreed. and I'm not sure that the other stations in central Manchester could cope with the numbers were Deansgate to close.

In fact, it may help if Leeds had a similar station in the east of the city centre to do an equivalent job.

 

[Nym]

I suppose this is one problem that will need to be overcome soon when Victoria sees more services, pepole in Manchester will have to think what station to go to (like in London) to get their train to wherever.

To be honest, if the 2nd tram line went the way sudgested, re-opening exchange with a moving walkway to Victoria wouldn't be too thicker idea, provided it had a proper service pattern in that everything from a spesific set of destinatons stopped there, with some through trains possibly even into Victoria. But still, Exchange won't be re-opening any time soon... Unless HS2 goes there, but that idealy needs to be to Piccadilly

 

[lancastrian]

And remember that Deansgate is an interchange to the Eccles/Alti Metrolink line.

Yep, as Deansgate comes under MANCHESTER STNS, the figure for Deansgate is much higher in reality

This is so true, in the 1980's I used to work for a Printers based just behind Deansgate. At first I used to have to travel to Salford Central and walk across Manchester. After they opened the Windsor Link, it was so much easier to get to work at Deansgate. Even today I travel to Deansgate quite regularly, and I always ask for return to Deansgate, and I get a ticket printed out for Manchester. Often I am not counted as I leave as I walk over the bridge to catch the metrolink out to Stretford, and the same in return. This means that I am recorded as traveling to Manchester, even though the only Manchester station that i use is Deansgate.

 

[142094]

In fact, it may help if Leeds had a similar station in the east of the city centre to do an equivalent job.

It used to a Marsh Lane, although the problems with the line coming east of out Leeds I don't see if they'd be able to reinstate it.

 

[12CSVT]

On a similar theme to the "Deansgate, Oxford Road, Piccadilly" question, is there any real justification for Heath Low Level, Ty Glas, Birchgrove, Rhiwbina and Whitchurch stations all to exist? All within 10 - 15 minutes walk from each other on a 2 mile branch line in the northern suburbs of Cardiff, the real anachronism is Ty Glas, opened as recently as 1987 less than 350 yds and 5 min walk from Birchgrove station.

 

[lancastrian]

It used to a Marsh Lane, although the problems with the line coming east of out Leeds I don't see if they'd be able to reinstate it.

There was some talk of either Cross Gates or Micklefield being used as a turnback point for trains that now terminate at Leeds. What is really needed is for the Trans-Pennine route to be electrified, so that the lines between Leeds to York/Hull are both electrified. This will mean that most services that terminate at Leeds, can become through services.

On a similar theme to the "Deansgate, Oxford Road, Piccadilly" question, is there any real justification for Heath Low Level, Ty Glas, Birchgrove, Rhiwbina and Whitchurch stations all to exist? All within 10 - 15 minutes walk from each other on a 2 mile branch line in the northern suburbs of Cardiff, the real anachronism is Ty Glas, opened as recently as 1987 less than 350 yds and 5 min walk from Birchgrove station.

An interesting observation. But surely if we want to encourage people out of their cars and onto the trains then the stations need to be close to where the customers are. So often I have been on trains, travelling through built up areas, and where there are stations, there seems to be little habitaion. Where the houses are, there are no stations. On short suburban routes like this, the stations do need to be closer together, and the routes electrified so make the services quicker. Just see how close the Metrolink stops are going to be on some of the new lines near the centre of Manchester and through Oldham centre.

 

[Invincibles]

As a regular user of Deansgate I know how busy it can be.

It is rather like the stations on the Thameslink core in being close together to serve different parts of a city.

Ideally when HS opens through Manchester Airport to access Scotland the Deansgate - Oxford Road - Piccadilly corridor can become like Thameslink and have all stations signalled to serve all stations. I would have only airport trains on this section as well, but that is me.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

As a regular user of Deansgate I know how busy it can be.

It is rather like the stations on the Thameslink core in being close together to serve different parts of a city.

Ideally when HS opens through Manchester Airport to access Scotland the Deansgate - Oxford Road - Piccadilly corridor can become like Thameslink and have all stations signalled to serve all stations. I would have only airport trains on this section as well, but that is me.

Deansgate and its sister Metrolink station also serves the Museum of Science and Technology which many people find train or tram easier to access, as the parking for that attraction is somewhat limited.