Guide Bridge railway station
Encyclopedia
Guide Bridge railway station serves Guide Bridge, a part of Audenshaw
, Tameside
in Greater Manchester
, England
and is operated by Northern Rail
. The station is 4¾ miles east of Manchester Piccadilly on the Glossop Line.
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 fueled. 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.
timetable, in order to accommodate the additional services, the application was withdrawn in August 2008.
EMU
service and an hourly (DMU
) service between Piccadilly and Rose Hill Marple
(see Northern Rail timetables 22 & 24 for details). There is no Sunday service on the Rose Hill line.
The Stockport-Stalybridge Line DMU service, which had been an hourly operation, was almost entirely withdrawn when TransPennine services between Manchester and Leeds were re-routed from Manchester Victoria to serve Manchester Piccadilly in 1989. There was for a time a 16:08 Friday only "service" from Stalybridge
to Guide Bridge whilst weekend engineering work was taking place in the Stockport area (in 2004) , but currently the once-weekly "parliamentary" service on the route operates in the other direction (leaving Stockport at 09.22 and calling at 09.38, on Fridays only). This train is also unusual in that it arrives at Guide Bridge on the Manchester-bound platform before changing tracks after departure.
TransPennine trains are routed through Guide Bridge but do not stop there.
Audenshaw
Audenshaw is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. It is located on the east side of the River Tame, along the course of both the M60 motorway and the Ashton Canal, southwest of Ashton-under-Lyne and east of the city of Manchester...
, Tameside
Tameside
The Metropolitan Borough of Tameside is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England. It is named after the River Tame which flows through the borough and spans the towns of Ashton-under-Lyne, Audenshaw, Denton, Droylsden, Dukinfield, Hyde, Mossley and Stalybridge. Its western...
in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and is operated by Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
. The station is 4¾ miles east of Manchester Piccadilly on the Glossop Line.
History
Sheffield, Ashton-Under-Lyne and Manchester Railway
The Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway was an early British railway company which opened in stages between 1841 and 1845 between Sheffield and Manchester via Ashton-under-Lyne...
on its new line from Ardwick Junction, near to the Manchester and Birmingham Railway's terminus at Store Street, (now Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly station
Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
) to Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, 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
Woodhead Line
The Woodhead Line was a railway line linking Sheffield, Penistone and Manchester in the north of England. A key feature of the route is the passage under the high moorlands of the northern Peak District through the Woodhead Tunnels...
) 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
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
towns of Glossop
Glossop
Glossop is a market town within the Borough of High Peak in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the Glossop Brook, a tributary of the River Etherow, about east of the city of Manchester, west of the city of Sheffield. Glossop is situated near Derbyshire's county borders with Cheshire, Greater...
and Hadfield
Hadfield, Derbyshire
Hadfield is a parish and small residential town in High Peak, Derbyshire, England. It lies very close to the River Etherow which forms the border between Derbyshire and Greater Manchester...
. 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
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
to Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
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 fueled. 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
British Rail Class 76
The British Rail Class 76, also known as Class EM1 , is a class of 1.5 kV DC, Bo-Bo electric locomotive designed for use on the now-closed Woodhead Line in Northern England.-Tommy — the prototype:...
electric locomotives were a frequent sight here, along with Class 25
British Rail Class 25
The British Rail Class 25 diesel locomotives were also known as Sulzer Type 2 and nicknamed Rats, as it was alleged they could be seen everywhere in Britain, and hence were "as common as rats"...
, Class 40
British Rail Class 40
The British Rail Class 40 is a type of British railway diesel locomotive. Built by English Electric between 1958 and 1962, and eventually numbering 200, they were for a time the pride of the British Rail early diesel fleet...
and numerous others classes of diesels.
The former TransPennine Express operator, Arriva Trains Northern
Arriva Trains Northern
Arriva Trains Northern was a train operating company that operated passenger trains in Yorkshire and the North East of England. The company had previously been known as Northern Spirit before being taken over by Arriva....
, 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
FirstGroup plc
FirstGroup plc is a public transport company, registered in Scotland at its headquarters in Aberdeen, operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Canada and the United States...
/Keolis
Keolis
Keolis is the largest private sector French transport group. It runs passenger railways, tramways, bus networks, funiculars, trolley buses, and airport services. The company, based in Paris, is majority owned by SNCF, the French state rail operator. AXA Private Equity and Caisse de dépôt et...
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.
Future
This station was proposed as being a possible stop of the railway company Grand Union Railway service running between London Euston & Bradford Interchange. However, due to the need to substantially rewrite the 2008 WCMLWest Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
timetable, in order to accommodate the additional services, the application was withdrawn in August 2008.
Services
The current service at Guide Bridge consists of a half hourly Manchester Piccadilly - HadfieldHadfield railway station
Hadfield railway station serves the village of Hadfield in Derbyshire, England. The station is one of the twin termini at the Derbyshire end of the Manchester-Glossop Line, the other being Glossop. It was opened by the Sheffield, Ashton-Under-Lyne and Manchester Railway in 1844.The line formerly...
EMU
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
service and an hourly (DMU
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
) service between Piccadilly and Rose Hill Marple
Rose Hill Marple railway station
Rose Hill Marple railway station is one of two stations serving Marple, in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, the other being Marple railway station....
(see Northern Rail timetables 22 & 24 for details). There is no Sunday service on the Rose Hill line.
The Stockport-Stalybridge Line DMU service, which had been an hourly operation, was almost entirely withdrawn when TransPennine services between Manchester and Leeds were re-routed from Manchester Victoria to serve Manchester Piccadilly in 1989. There was for a time a 16:08 Friday only "service" from Stalybridge
Stalybridge railway station
Stalybridge railway station serves Stalybridge, Greater Manchester. It lies on the Huddersfield Line 12 km east of Manchester Piccadilly and 13 km east of Manchester Victoria. The station is managed by First TransPennine Express....
to Guide Bridge whilst weekend engineering work was taking place in the Stockport area (in 2004) , but currently the once-weekly "parliamentary" service on the route operates in the other direction (leaving Stockport at 09.22 and calling at 09.38, on Fridays only). This train is also unusual in that it arrives at Guide Bridge on the Manchester-bound platform before changing tracks after departure.
TransPennine trains are routed through Guide Bridge but do not stop there.