World’s FIRST – Passenger Railway Station – Manchester, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 28.633 W 002° 15.518
30U E 549202 N 5925615
This building opened on 15th September 1830 and housed the passenger waiting rooms for people wishing to travel by train between Manchester and Liverpool.
Waymark Code: WMGG5C
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 03/02/2013
Views: 3
The main purpose of the line, like all existing railway lines at that time, was to carry goods, but as part of its plans the Liverpool and Manchester Railway company included facilities for carrying passengers.
There were separate entrances and waiting rooms for first and other classes of passengers and they remained in their rooms until they were notified that the train was ready by the ringing of a bell.
Unlike modern stations and trains there was no confusion with people trying to get on and off at the same time. Arriving passengers actually got off the train at a different building with no facilities.
The station had been placed at this location because it was near existing warehouses on the nearby Bridgewater Canal, The Rochdale Canal, and River Irwell. This made it ideal for its good business but was not ideal for passengers because the location is away from the city centre. Although not obvious from the outside of the building the platform was at the top of the building because the trains had to cross the River Irwell on a bridge high enough to allow working boats to pass underneath.
The passenger carrying side of the railway was more successful than expected, especially as other destinations had been added including London and in 1844 a new passenger station was built closer to the centre of Manchester.
The site continued to be used for goods services and passenger building was left intact. The building finally ceased to be used for goods handling in 1975, but reopened for a short time in 1980 as part of celebrations of its 150th anniversary.
The buildings are a part of a large conglomeration of buildings that now form the Manchester Museum Of Science And Industry.
The station and associated warehouses are an English Heritage
Grade I Listed Building.
There is a plaque on the wall celebrating the building’s history with the following text.
BUILDING OF ARCHITECTURAL
OR HISTORIC INTEREST
GRADE I
LIVERPOOL ROAD STATION
THE WORLD’S FIRST PASSENGER
RAILWAY STATION. TERMINUS OF THE
LIVERPOOL AND MANCHESTER
RAILWAY WHICH WAS OPENED BY
THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON
ON 15TH SEPETEMBER 1830
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