Why Manchester has two main railway stations - and why you're only just able to catch a train between them
For more than a century pretty much the only way of getting between Manchester's two main railway stations was on foot. Piccadilly and Victoria might have been two of the busiest stations in the North of England - but for a long time it was impossible to catch a train from one to the other.
But while Liverpool Road, which still stands as part of the Science and Industry Museum, may have been the world's first railway station, it was also one of the first stations to close, as the line was quickly overtaken in the boom of the following decade. "The Victorian approach to railway building was laissez-faire, it was a bit like the Wild West," said Paul Williams, from the Museum of Transport Greater Manchester. "The railway companies were immensely profitable and had very influential friends and backers. At the time there was never any thought of a national network.
And it also had an fascinating impact on the geography and economy of Manchester. Companies on the north side of the city centre such as the Co-op tended to draw the bulk of their workforce from the suburbs and towns to the north, such as Rochdale, Bury and Bolton. Manchester is by no means the only British city where this is the case. Glasgow and Birmingham still have similar, but less aggravating complications.
Picc-Vicc would have cost £9,271,300 – equivalent to about £80m today. But it was shelved by transport minister John Peyton after the government announced £500m of spending cuts.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
America taps 150+ prosecutors to fight cryptocurrency crimeAs President Biden rolls out a blueprint for future regulations
Read more »
Family's heartbreaking goodbye to 'mum-in-a-million' who died two days after cancer diagnosisThe heartbroken family of a mum-of-four who died two days after discovering she had cancer have paid tribute to an ‘amazing and special lady’ who touched the lives of many.
Read more »
The two parts to the Jack Grealish debate - and why they are both rightJack Grealish says he needs to provide more goals and assists for Manchester City. Pep Guardiola says they are not his most important contributions to the team. Can they both be right? Yes, explains SamLee ➡️
Read more »