Walkden  | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| General information | |||||
| Location | Walkden,Salford England | ||||
| Grid reference | SD738026 | ||||
| Managed by | Northern Trains | ||||
| Transit authority | Greater Manchester | ||||
| Platforms | 2 | ||||
| Other information | |||||
| Station code | WKD | ||||
| Classification | DfT category E | ||||
| Key dates | |||||
| 1888 | Opened | ||||
| Passengers | |||||
| 2020/21 |  70,630 | ||||
| 2021/22 |  0.217 million | ||||
| 2022/23 | 0.242 million | ||||
| 2023/24 | 0.275 million | ||||
| 2024/25 | 0.301 million | ||||
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Walkden railway station serves the town ofWalkden inCity of Salford,Greater Manchester, England on theManchester to Southport Line. The station is located8+1⁄4 miles (13.3 km) north-west ofManchester with regularNorthern Trains services to these towns as well as the city ofSalford,Swinton andHindley. It was opened by theLancashire and Yorkshire Railway.
One of the busier stations on the line, the station used to be known asWalkden High Level to differentiate it from theLondon and North Western Railway'sWalkden Low Level railway station (on the line fromManchester Exchange toBolton Great Moor Street, which was closed to passengers in 1954).[1] It controlled a junction for the goods line toEllesmere Colliery.[2]
First opened in 1888 with the line, it has only ever had two platform faces - when the line was quadrupled at the turn of the century, the two additional tracks were laid to the south and were not provided with platforms. The fast lines were subsequently decommissioned in November 1965 and lifted.
In February 2007 the Friends of Walkden Station community volunteer group was founded to campaign for improvements to the station's facilities and services.
One of the line's two remaining signal boxes was formerly located here (it acted as the 'fringe' box to Manchester Piccadilly signalling centre), but it and neighbouring Atherton Goods Yard box were both closed in the spring of 2013 and their semaphore signals replaced by colour lights worked from Piccadilly SCC.[3]
The station has a staffed ticket office, though this is only staffed part-time (06:10 to 12:40 weekdays, 07:10 to 13:40 Saturdays, closed Sundays). A ticket machine is also available. Train running information is provided by digital display screens, automated announcements and timetable posters. No step-free access is possible, as the station is above street level and is reached via two flights of stairs.[4]
On 11 March 2020, The Chancellor of The Exchequer announced that Walkden Station would be one of 12 stations to receive Access for All funding fromNetwork Rail, in order to develop step-free access to the station.[5]
In April 2023, a Park and Ride facility for 107 cars was opened by Salford City Council. The site also includes a bike storage shed for 32 bikes, electric charging stations for electric vehicles and motorcycle bays.[6]
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Monday to Saturday daytimes, two trains per hour go eastbound to Manchester Victoria and two per hour towards Wigan - both trains continue toWigan Wallgate westbound and one continues toHeadbolt Lane (down from three each way prior to the pandemic). Only one train per day (weekdays and Saturdays) continues toSouthport since the summer 2019 timetable change. All Sunday services continue to Southport.
Most Manchester departures continue along theCaldervale Line toTodmorden,Burnley Manchester Road andBlackburn or toLeeds viaBrighouse.[7]
On 18 December 2009 theGreater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) voted to approve funding for a one-year trial of Sunday trains from Walkden, starting on 23 May 2010.[8] This proved successful and now runs twice per hour in each direction (one Blackburn to Southport train and a second between Wigan and Manchester Victoria).
| Preceding station |  National Rail | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atherton | Northern Trains Manchester-Southport Line or Manchester-Headbolt Lane | Swinton or Moorside | ||
| Bolton | |
|---|---|
| Bury | |
| Manchester (Manchester station group in italics) | |
| Oldham | |
| Rochdale | |
| Salford | |
| Stockport | |
| Tameside | |
| Trafford | |
| Wigan | |
† stations on theEast Lancashire Railway (heritage) | |
53°31′11″N2°23′46″W / 53.5197°N 2.3960°W /53.5197; -2.3960
