Old Trafford Metrolink station
Encyclopedia
Old Trafford Metrolink station is a station on the Metrolink
light rail
network in Greater Manchester
, England
. It is located on Warwick Road and Elsinore Road and serves Firswood
, Old Trafford
and Stretford
.
It is adjacent to Old Trafford Cricket Ground, the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club
, and only a short walk from Old Trafford football ground, the home of Manchester United
. As a result, Old Trafford Station regularly faces heavy usage from the crowds attending cricket and football matches and concerts. Crowd control operations often involve the use of turnstiles.
An average of 2,000 passenger journeys are made per day to or from Old Trafford stop, but this can rise to 9,500 on a match day. In order to manage the crowds more effectively, the station was rebuilt in 2009. The pedestrian underpass was closed and passengers instead cross the tram line to change platforms. The platforms themselves were rearranged into a staggered layout by moving the northbound platform (for trams into Manchester), and both platforms were doubled in length. A new match day gating system was installed and the station was redecorated with the new yellow and silver Metrolink corporate identity.
(MSJAR) in May 1857. It was known as Manchester Art Treasures Exhibition, being built to serve the exhibition of that name
, which was open between 5 May 1857 and 17 October 1857. The station closed in October 1857. It was adapted and reopened as Old Trafford Cricket Ground in 1862 for use every year thereafter until 1866, on match days only.
The station opened for special events, such as the Royal Agricultural Society
Exhibition in 1869, and again between May and October 1887 for the Royal Jubilee Exhibition in Stretford Royal Botanical Gardens, held to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria, during both of which the station was known as Exhibition; additional platforms were constructed for the latter. From 1887 until 1963 it operated as a four-platform station. It was renamed Cricket Ground (Old Trafford) and continued to open on match days only; in 1910 it became Cricket and Football Grounds following the opening of Manchester United's ground
on 19 February 1910.
On 11 May 1931, following the electrification of the MSJAR, the station was renamed Warwick Road and was open daily. It was also referred to as Warwick Road (Old Trafford) on early tickets, timetables, etc. Warwick Road closed as a British Rail
station on 25 December 1991 (the last trains having run on 24 December 1991) for conversion to light rail operation, and reopened as a Metrolink station on 15 June 1992, at which point it was renamed Old Trafford.
via the universities.
Manchester Metrolink
Metrolink is a light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of four lines which converge in Manchester city centre and terminate in Bury, Altrincham, Eccles and Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester and operated under contract by RATP Group...
light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
network 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...
. It is located on Warwick Road and Elsinore Road and serves Firswood
Firswood
Firswood is an area of Stretford, in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England.-Geography:Firswood borders Old Trafford and Chorlton-cum-Hardy.-Present day:...
, Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
and Stretford
Stretford
Stretford is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Lying on flat ground between the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal, it is to the southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Salford and northeast of Altrincham...
.
It is adjacent to Old Trafford Cricket Ground, the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
, and only a short walk from Old Trafford football ground, the home of Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. As a result, Old Trafford Station regularly faces heavy usage from the crowds attending cricket and football matches and concerts. Crowd control operations often involve the use of turnstiles.
An average of 2,000 passenger journeys are made per day to or from Old Trafford stop, but this can rise to 9,500 on a match day. In order to manage the crowds more effectively, the station was rebuilt in 2009. The pedestrian underpass was closed and passengers instead cross the tram line to change platforms. The platforms themselves were rearranged into a staggered layout by moving the northbound platform (for trams into Manchester), and both platforms were doubled in length. A new match day gating system was installed and the station was redecorated with the new yellow and silver Metrolink corporate identity.
History
A station, situated just to the north of the present station, was opened by the Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham RailwayManchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway
The Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway was a suburban railway which operated a 13.7 km route between Altrincham in Cheshire and London Road Station in Manchester....
(MSJAR) in May 1857. It was known as Manchester Art Treasures Exhibition, being built to serve the exhibition of that name
Art Treasures Exhibition, Manchester 1857
The Art Treasures of Great Britain was an exhibition of fine art held in Manchester, England, from 5 May to 17 October 1857. It remains the largest art exhibition to be held in the UK, possibly in the world, with over 16,000 works on display...
, which was open between 5 May 1857 and 17 October 1857. The station closed in October 1857. It was adapted and reopened as Old Trafford Cricket Ground in 1862 for use every year thereafter until 1866, on match days only.
The station opened for special events, such as the Royal Agricultural Society
Royal Agricultural Society
The Royal Agricultural Society of England was established in the United Kingdom in 1838 with the motto "Practice with Science". The RASE aim is to promote the scientific development of agriculture. The society received its Royal Charter from Queen Victoria in 1840.From its early days the society...
Exhibition in 1869, and again between May and October 1887 for the Royal Jubilee Exhibition in Stretford Royal Botanical Gardens, held to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria, during both of which the station was known as Exhibition; additional platforms were constructed for the latter. From 1887 until 1963 it operated as a four-platform station. It was renamed Cricket Ground (Old Trafford) and continued to open on match days only; in 1910 it became Cricket and Football Grounds following the opening of Manchester United's ground
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
on 19 February 1910.
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
station on 25 December 1991 (the last trains having run on 24 December 1991) for conversion to light rail operation, and reopened as a Metrolink station on 15 June 1992, at which point it was renamed Old Trafford.
Services
Old Trafford is located on the Altrincham Line with trams towards Altrincham stopping every 6 minutes during the day, Mondays to Saturdays, every 12 minutes Monday to Saturday evenings and Sunday daytime and every 15 minutes Sunday evenings. Trams also head towards Manchester and Bury, with the Monday to Saturday daytime service running every 12 minutes each to Manchester Piccadilly or Bury, while evening and Sundays journeys run to Bury via Manchester Piccadilly.Connecting bus routes
Old Trafford station is only served by one service, Stagecoach Manchester service 253, which runs weekdays mornings to Piccadilly GardensManchester Piccadilly bus station
Manchester Piccadilly Gardens Bus Station, often abbreviated to Piccadilly or Piccadilly Gardens is one of two main bus stations in Manchester's city centre....
via the universities.
External links
- Old Trafford Stop Information
- Old Trafford area map
- Link to Google street view location of Old Trafford Station, showing the crowd control turnstiles using on match days.