History
Originally known as "Ashton and Hooley Hill", it was renamed "Ashton" in February 1842 and became "Guide Bridge" in July 1845. It was built by the Sheffield, Ashton-Under-Lyne and Manchester Railway on its new line from Ardwick Junction, near to the Manchester and Birmingham Railway's terminus at Store Street, (now Piccadilly) to Sheffield, opening on 11 November 1841 as far as Godley Toll Bar and finally reaching Sheffield on 14 July 1845.
The station originally had a 4 platform configuration with a large office on the southern side. However, this (along with 2 platforms and associated tracks) was removed after the 1980s. Today the area has been covered and used as access for the southern platform, but some evidence remains of the previous 2 tracks.
Tickets can be obtained at the ticket office on the north side.
With the electrification of the Manchester–Sheffield (via Woodhead) line in the early 1950s, Guide Bridge, already a major centre of railway operations, increased in importance. Express trains called here, as well as EMU trains between Manchester London Road and the north Derbyshire towns of Glossop and Hadfield. There were also Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) services from Manchester London Road (Piccadilly) to Macclesfield, Stockport Edgeley to Stalybridge and to Oldham (via the Oldham, Ashton & Guide Bridge Railway, which closed to passengers in 1959). The station was also where Express Trains to and from Manchester Central on the London Marylebone route, changed locomotive. Drawn by a Bo-Bo or Co-Co Electric Locomotive from Sheffield, a Steam or in later years Diesel Locomotive would take the train the final few miles to Manchester Central and vice versa. The Woodhead Line was busy with freight traffic, especially with coal traffic from South Yorkshire to Lancashire power stations. The station also accepted freight under British Railways "Passenger" freight service and had a licensed Buffet.
There was a large marshalling yard about a mile east of Guide Bridge at Dewsnap. There was also a stabling point immediately to the east of Guide Bridge station where engines could be fuelled. Guide Bridge was also where the local Retail Coal Merchants transferred Coal from British Rail Coal wagons, carefully weighed into One Hundredweight sacks for delivery to homes around Ashton, Audenshaw and Denton.Express passenger trains via the Woodhead line ceased operation on 5 January 1970, but Dewsnap sidings and Guide Bridge stabling point were busy until the final closure of the Woodhead Line (east of Hadfield) on 20 July 1981. The Class 76 electric locomotives were a frequent sight here, along with Class 25, Class 40 and numerous others classes of diesels.
The former TransPennine Express operator, Arriva Trains Northern, had plans to establish Guide Bridge as a major interchange station, coupled with hopes that the Woodhead line might re-open. Such aspirations seem to have fallen by the wayside, however, since First/Keolis took over the TransPennine Express franchise
On 22 October 2006 a fire gutted the waiting room, footbridge and ticket office. The fire has subsequently been attributed to arson and caused around £1m of damage to the station, necessitating the demolition of the footbridge. This has not been rebuilt, necessitating a lengthy walk out of the station and along the adjacent main road to change platforms.
In January 2009 the previously free car parking was abolished, with a daily charge of £3 being made. As a result, the once packed car park is now largely empty during the day.
Read more about this topic: Guide Bridge Railway Station
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