Clifton railway station (Greater Manchester) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clifton
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The ramp leading to the northbound platform in 2023
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| Location | Clifton, Salford England |
| Coordinates | 53°31′20″N 2°18′51″W / 53.5223°N 2.3141°W |
| Platforms | 2 |
| Other information | |
| Station code | CLI |
| Classification | DfT category F2 |
| History | |
| Original company | East Lancashire Railway |
| Pre-grouping | Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway |
| Post-grouping | London, Midland and Scottish Railway |
| Key dates | |
| June 1847 | Opened as Clifton Junction |
| 6 May 1974 | Renamed Clifton |
| Traffic | |
| Passengers (2018/19) |  282 |
| Passengers (2019/20) |  282 |
| Passengers (2020/21) |  128 |
| Passengers (2021/22) | 140 |
| Passengers (2022/23) | 208 |
Clifton railway station is a train station located in Clifton, Greater Manchester, England. It used to be known as Clifton Junction. The station is on the main railway line that connects Manchester and Preston.
Contents
History of Clifton Station
How the Railway Started
The first railway line near Clifton opened in 1838. It connected Salford and Bolton. This line was called the Manchester and Bolton Railway.
Later, in 1844, another railway company got permission to build a new line. This line would start at Clifton and go towards Rawtenstall. This new line opened in September 1846. By then, the company had joined with others to become the East Lancashire Railway.
Clifton Junction Opens
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The new line to Bury went north from Clifton. It crossed the Irwell Valley over a large bridge called the Clifton Viaduct. People often call this bridge the "13 arches." It's still an important local landmark today.
A station opened at this important railway meeting point in June 1847. It had platforms for trains going to both Bolton and Bury. This station was named Clifton Junction.
Changes Over Time
The railway line that went to Bury closed down in 1966. However, the Clifton Viaduct is still standing. It is a Grade II listed building, which means it's an important historical structure.
On May 6, 1974, the station's name was changed from Clifton Junction to simply Clifton. Even though the station's name changed, the local area is still often called Clifton Junction.
For many years, local factories used Clifton Junction station a lot. Before most people had cars, employees and visitors could easily get to work by train. Some of these factories included Magnesium Elektron Ltd, Chloride Batteries Ltd, and Pilkington's Tiles Ltd.
Train Services at Clifton
Current Services
Clifton railway station has very few trains stopping there today. This has been the case since 1992. In the current timetable for 2023, only one train stops in each direction per day.
- A train going south (towards Stalybridge) stops in the morning at 8:36 AM.
- A train going north (towards Southport) stops in the evening at 6:20 PM.
In 2010–11, only 170 passengers used the station in a whole year. This shows how few trains stop there.
Recent Updates
Between May and December 2015, the single daily train service was stopped. This was because of important work being done at Farnworth Tunnel. Buses were provided instead for passengers. The station reopened as planned on December 14, 2015.
Electric trains started using the line on February 11, 2019. These trains were Class 319 electric trains.
There are no train services at Clifton station on Sundays.
