Gorton railway station explained

Gorton
Symbol Location:gb
Symbol:rail
Borough:Gorton, Manchester
Country:England
Grid Name:Grid reference
Manager:Northern Trains
Platforms:2
Code:GTO
Classification:DfT category E
Transit Authority:Greater Manchester
Original:Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway
Pregroup:Great Central Railway
Postgroup:London and North Eastern Railway
Events:Opened as Gorton
Years1:25 August 1906
Events1:Resited and renamed Gorton and Openshaw
Years2:1 May 1926
Events2:Renamed Gorton
Footnotes:Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Gorton railway station serves the Gorton district of the city of Manchester, England. It is sited NaNmiles east of Manchester Piccadilly. The station is a stop on the Glossop and Hope Valley lines; Northern Trains operate all services that stop here and also manage the station.

History

The station was opened by the Great Central Railway (GCR) on 25 August 1906, replacing an earlier station sited 200yd to the east that had opened on the line on 23 May 1842. From 1 January 1923, it was operated by the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER).[1]

It was sited on the busy Woodhead Route to Sheffield Victoria and had four platforms. From its opening, the station was named Gorton and Openshaw;[1] it reverted to its original name by 1977.[2] Only two platforms now remain in use.

It was referred to as Openshaw in the 1964 song "Slow Train" by Flanders and Swann.

Facilities

The station has a ticket office, which is staffed on a part-time basis six days per week (06:25-13:30 weekdays, 07:00-14:10 Saturdays). At other times, tickets must be purchased in advance or on the train. There are no permanent buildings left at platform level other than basic waiting shelters. Train running information is offered via timetable posters, digital CIS displays and telephone. Step-free access is available to both platforms via ramps from the entrance and footbridge.[3]

Services

There are generally two trains per hour in each direction on the Hope Valley line between Manchester Piccadilly and on Mondays-Saturdays, with limited late evening services. There is no service on this line on Sundays.

There are only a small number of early morning, rush hour and late evening services on the Glossop line between Manchester Piccadilly, and ; however, there is an hourly service on Sundays.[4]

External links

53.4689°N -2.1678°W

Notes and References

  1. The Directory of Railway Stations, R.V.J. Butt, 1995, Patricks Stephens Ltd,
  2. Jowett's Railway Centres Volume 1 (Alan Jowett, published PSL 1993)
  3. http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/GTO/details.html Gorton station facilities
  4. Web site: Timetables and engineering information for travel with Northern . Northern Railway . 10 December 2023 . 8 March 2023 .