Manchester Oxford Road Railway Station - History

History

The station was opened as Oxford Road on 20 July 1849 by the Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway (MSJAR). The station was the headquarters of the MSJAR from opening until 1904. Initially it had two platforms and two sidings, with temporary wooden buildings. To allow for extra trains in connection with the Manchester Art Treasures Exhibition in Trafford in 1857, extra platforms and sidings were built. In 1874 the station was completely rebuilt. The station then had two bay platforms and three through platforms. Further reconstruction took place during 1903-04. From 1931 it was served by the MSJAR's 1500V DC electric trains to Altrincham.

As the station had become dilapidated by the 1950s, and as part of the electrification and modernisation of the Manchester to London line, it was replaced by the current building in 1960 (architects W. R. Headley and Max Glendinning, structural engineer Hugh Tottenham). This was designed in a distinctive style in concrete and wood with curves bringing to mind the Sydney Opera House. It is a grade II listed building. In Pevsner's Architectural Guide - Manchester the following comments were made:

One of the most interesting and innovative buildings of the period was the product of the public sector...it is the most ambitious example in this country of timber conoid shell roofing. —Clare Hartwell, Pevsner's Architectural Guide - Manchester, p.36

and

One of the most remarkable and unusual stations in the country both for the architectural form and the technological interest...it is the most dramatic and it is an important example of the deployment of timber to achieve large roof spans incorporating clerestory lighting. —Clare Hartwell, Pevsner's Architectural Guide - Manchester, p.178

From July 1959 the Altrincham electric trains began terminating at Oxford Road in two new bay platforms, still with 1500V DC electrification. The remaining three platforms were electrified at 25 kV AC from Manchester Piccadilly, one of these being a terminus platform. The whole station was reopened on 12 September 1960.

Due to the closure of Manchester Central railway station in 1969, further rebuilding of Oxford Road station took place: one of the bay platforms was taken out of use and a new through platform built (platform 1), the others being renumbered accordingly. The track layout was also changed so that there were now four through platforms and one bay platform. In 1971 the whole station became electrified at 25 kV AC with the re-electrification of the line to Altrincham. From this point, local trains from Altrincham started running through to Piccadilly and on to Crewe, and Oxford Road became predominantly a through station, with many fewer trains terminating there.

Use of the station increased from May 1988 with the construction of the Windsor Link between Deansgate and Salford Crescent, connecting the lines to the north and south of Manchester. This led to further investment in the station, including the installation of computer screens. For years the station's platform buildings were encased in scaffolding and other metalwork (partially to hold the structure up and also to prevent material falling on the platforms and passengers) and the whole station was in a sorry state: eventually refurbishment was completed in 2004.

In 1992 the station's original raison d'etre as the terminus for Altrincham disappeared with the conversion of the Altrincham line stopping service to light rail operation as part of Manchester Metrolink. Oxford Road, once served almost entirely by suburban stopping trains, now has many more longer-distance services as well.