Withington is a

tram stop A tram stop, tram station, streetcar stop, or light rail station is a place designated for a tram, streetcar, or light rail vehicle to stop so passengers can board or alight it. Generally, tram stops share most characteristics of bus stops, ...

on the

South Manchester Line The South Manchester Line (SML) is a tram line of the Manchester Metrolink in Greater Manchester running from Manchester city centre to Didsbury. The line was opened as far as St. Werburgh's Road in 2011 and then to East Didsbury in 2013 as part ...

(SML) of

Greater Manchester Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county and combined authority area in North West England, with a population of 2.8 million; comprising ten metropolitan boroughs: Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tam ...

's light-rail Metrolink system. It is located on the west side of Princess Road on the fringe of

Withington Withington is a suburb of Manchester, England. Historically part of Lancashire, it lies from Manchester city centre, about south of Fallowfield, north-east of Didsbury and east of Chorlton-cum-Hardy. Withington has a population of just ...

in south

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

, England. The tram stop was opened on 23 May 2013. It was built in a

cutting Cutting is the separation or opening of a physical object, into two or more portions, through the application of an acutely directed force. Implements commonly used for wikt:cut, cutting are the knife and saw, or in medicine and science the scal ...

on a section of

abandoned railway An abandoned railroad is a railway line which is no longer used for that purpose. Such lines may be ''disused railways'', ''closed railways'', ''former railway lines'', or ''derelict'' railway lines. Some have had all their track and sleepers ...

which was re-opened for light rail operation. The line was originally opened in 1880 by the

Cheshire Lines Committee The Cheshire Lines Committee (CLC) was formed in the 1860s and became the second-largest joint railway in Great Britain. The committee, which was often styled the Cheshire Lines Railway, operated of track in the then counties of Lancashire a ...

as the

Manchester South District Line Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The two ...

, which ran trains from

Manchester Central railway station Manchester Central railway station is a former railway station in Manchester city centre, England. One of Manchester's main railway terminals between 1880 and 1969, it has been converted into an exhibition and conference centre, originally know ...

. The line was closed in 1967, but was re-opened in the 21st century as part of the Metrolink network. Trams now run from through Withington to Manchester city centre tram stops and on to . - publicity brochure

History

In 1880, the

Midland Railway The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had its headquarters. It ama ...

, in partnership with the

, opened its new

out of

Manchester Central Station Manchester Central railway station is a former railway station in Manchester city centre, England. One of Manchester's main railway terminals between 1880 and 1969, it has been converted into an exhibition and conference centre, originally know ...

. After

Chorlton-cum-Hardy railway station Chorlton is a stop on the South Manchester Line (SML) and Airport Line of the Metrolink light-rail system in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, England. It was built as part of Phase 3a of the network's expansion, and opened on 7 July 2011 on a ...

, the line ran south-east through the area with no stations until Withington railway station on the corner of Lapwing Lane and Palatine Road (Withington station was renamed ''Withington & Albert Park'' in 1884 and then ''Withington & West Didsbury'' in 1915). Withington & West Didsbury station closed in July 1961, although British Rail trains continued to use this route until 1969, when the entre line was closed as part of the

Beeching cuts The Beeching cuts (also Beeching Axe) was a plan to increase the efficiency of the nationalised railway system in Great Britain. The plan was outlined in two reports: ''The Reshaping of British Railways'' (1963) and ''The Development of the M ...

. In 1984,

Greater Manchester Council The Greater Manchester County Council (GMCC) was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater Manchester from 1974 to 1986. A strategic authority, with responsibilities for roads, public transport, planning, emergency services ...

and

GMPTE Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive was the public body responsible for public transport in Greater Manchester between 1974 and 2011, when it became part of Transport for Greater Manchester. SELNEC PTE Until 1969, the conurbati ...

announced the ''Project Light Rail'' scheme to develop a new light rail/

tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

system by re-opening use of disused railway lines in the region, including the route from Chorlton to East Didsbury. The first phase of the

Manchester Metrolink Manchester Metrolink (branded locally simply as Metrolink) is a tram/ light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. The network has 99 stops along of standard-gauge route, making it the most extensive light rail system in the United Ki ...

system opened in 1992, but the East Didsbury line was not included. Funding was limited, and re-opening the former midland line took place in segments; in 2006, it was announced that the Metrolink network would extend as far (opened 2011), and in 2008 with funding from the Greater Manchester Transport Fund was granted to extend the line to . Tram tracks were laid along the former

trackbed The track bed or trackbed is the groundwork onto which a railway track is laid. Trackbeds of disused railways are sometimes used for recreational paths or new light rail links. According to Network Rail, the trackbed is the layers of ballast a ...

, and a new intermediate tram stop was constructed by the Princess Road bridge next to Hough End Playing Fields. Withington Metrolink stop opened on 23 May 2013. Further south along the line, the original Withington railway station was not re-opened, but was replaced with a new Metrolink stop, , in close proximity to the old station site.

Location

Withington tram stop is situated on Princess Road in the Hough End area of Manchester, between Withington and

Chorlton-cum-Hardy Chorlton-cum-Hardy is a suburban area of Manchester, England, southwest of the city centre. Chorlton ward had a population of 14,138 at the 2011 census, and Chorlton Park 15,147. By the 9th century, there was an Anglo-Saxon settlement her ...

. It serves Hough End Playing Fields and Southern Cemetery, as well as the residential area to the east of Princess Road. Despite its name, the tram stop is located approximately from the present-day suburb of Withington. The choice of name has been criticised by local residents, who consider it to be incorrect. The surrounding area was historically considered to be part of Withington. The tram stop lies close to

Hough End Hall Hough End Hall is a historic house now in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, (originally in Withington), Manchester, North West England. It was built in 1596 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I by Sir Nicholas Mosley (''ca.'' 1527–1612), when he became Lord ...

, the historic seat of Withington Manor in medieval times, but in the 19th century the centre of Withington shifted to its present situation further east. and are the closest Metrolink tram stops to Withington Village.

Service pattern

*12 minute service to with double trams in the peak *12 minute service to with double trams in the peak *6 minute service to with double trams in the peak

Gallery

File:Cheadle, CHorlton, Heaton Mersey & Northenden RJD 149.jpg, 1914 map of South Manchester railways File:Metrolink extension to Chorlton.jpg, The derelict South Manchester line in 2008 File:Metrolink phase south manchester line.png, Map of the South Manchester line extensions 2006-2013 File:Metrolink Extension, Withington (geograph 2757297).jpg, Construction of Withington tram stop (2012) File:Withington Metrolink 18 43 04 249000.jpeg, The entrance of Withington tram stop on Princess Road File:Withington Metrolink Stop (geograph 3479459).jpg, Withington tram stop platforms File:Withington Metrolink tram stop.jpeg, A Metrolink tram at Withington tram stop File:Withington tram stop map.png, Map showing Metrolink tram stops in the vicinity of Withington Village

References

External links