Withington tram stop

Withington is a tram stop on the South Manchester Line (SML) of Greater Manchester's light-rail Metrolink system. Located on the west side of Princess Road on the fringe of Withington in south Manchester, England, it was built as part of Phase 3b of the network's expansion. It was opened on 23 May 2013 in a cutting within a section of the former Cheshire Lines Committee railway.[1]

Withington
Metrolink
Withington tram stop, on its opening day
Withington Location of Withington in Greater Manchester
Location
Place	Withington
Local authority	Manchester
Coordinates	53.433°N 2.25°W
Grid reference	SJ833929
Platforms	2
Fare zone information
Metrolink Zone	3
Present status	In operation
History
Opened	23 May 2013[1]
South Manchester Line to Rochdale 0:00 Deansgate-Castlefield ( Deansgate) Bridgewater Canal 0:03 Cornbrook to Eccles, MediaCityUK & Trafford Centre CLC Liverpool–Manchester line 0:06 Trafford Bar to Altrincham 0:09 Firswood 0:10 Chorlton 0:12 St Werburgh's Road to Manchester Airport 0:14 Withington 0:15 Burton Road 0:16 West Didsbury 0:18 Didsbury Village Styal Line 0:20 East Didsbury ( East Didsbury)

Withington is a new stop along what was the Cheshire Lines Committee line to Manchester Central railway station, which closed to passenger services on 2 January 1967. Proposals to re-open the line as part of Metrolink were made in the 1980s,[2] but remained unfunded until 2006. The line extension took over the disused tracks of the Cheshire Lines Committee as far as East Didsbury tram stop.

In 2006, it was announced that Phase 3a of Metrolink's expansion project would go ahead, expanding the network as far St Werburgh's Road Metrolink station.[3] Following the rejection of the Greater Manchester Transport Innovation Fund in a public referendum in 2008, extension of the line as East Didsbury (Phase 3b) went ahead with funding from the alternate Greater Manchester Transport Fund.[4][5][6]

Construction of the line began in April 2009 and part of the new line (to St Werburgh's Road) became operational in 2011. The extension to East Didsbury opened on 23 May 2013.[1]

In spite of being named Withington, the tram stop is located approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) from the suburb of Withington. The choice of name has been criticised by local residents, who consider it to be incorrect.[7]

Service pattern

• 12 minute service to Shaw and Crompton with double trams in the peak
• 12 minute service to Rochdale Town Centre with double trams in the peak
• 6 minute service to East Didsbury with double trams in the peak

Gallery

• 
  1914 map of South Manchester railways
• 
  Construction work on the line near Chorlton
• 
  Map of the planned South Manchester line extensions
• 
  Bridge under Mauldeth Road West near new station during construction
• 
  Trackbed near new station under construction

References

1. "Early doors for East Didsbury's new Metrolink line". Transport for Greater Manchester. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
2. Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (1984), Light Rapid Transit in Greater Manchester, GMPTE - publicity brochure
3. "Metrolink extension is announced". BBC News. 6 July 2006. Retrieved 28 December 2008.
4. Linton, Deborah (13 May 2009). "£1.4bn transport deal unveiled". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 17 May 2009.
5. "Tram line extension is approved". BBC News. 13 May 2009. Retrieved 17 May 2009.
6. "Metrolink: back on track?". BBC Manchester. 13 May 2009. Retrieved 17 May 2009.
7. Kirby, Dean (3 June 2013). "Calling tram stop Withington is misleading, claim residents". Manchester Evening News. Archived from the original on 8 June 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2017.

External links

• Manchester Metrolink Extension Project - map of the plans (Urban Transport Technology)
• http://www.lrta.org/Manchester/City_South.html
• Metrolink stop information
• Withington area map
• Withington Metrolink station plans