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Manchester Victoria Station

2M views 8K replies 446 participants last post by  Tony_H1 
#1 ·
A hidden jewel in Manchester's transport arsenal, if only a bit of money was spent on it, it would mean Manchester having 2 world class Rail gateways, with Piccadilly Being the ultra modern one and Victoria being it's classy Sister.

Its a crying shame whats happened to Victoria, its dark, dingy, is only served by crappy cattle wagons, and has no shops whats so ever.

If only the council and the train companies would step in to clean up the place and give it the attention her achitects envisaged,

Get it sorted, its closer to The City Centre then Piccadilly and would be a even classier station.
 
#1,123 ·
Does anyone have any photos of the building from the air pre-MEN and pre-Beeching?
A quick google search brought up:-

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r293/VIEWLINER/GWRP/090503A.jpg
^^ class 40 and 31 there with some coaching stock (mark I/IIs)

http://album.atomic-systems.com/showPic.php/46744/25277_Mcr_Vic_0683.jpg
^^ class 25 in what was platform 10

http://www.lostrailwayswestyorkshire.co.uk/Manchester.htm
^^ images from the early 80s compared with 2008. There's a few shots of mayfield at the bottom too

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidhayes/6923016606/
^^ from 1973, class 40 in platform, Victoria proudly showing it London Midland region running in name boards

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33751709@N05/5215422468/
^^ finally 1989, where metrolink and the brick wall is now showing a 504 with some 101s in the background

There are loads more, a lot of these are focused on the trains but they show what a regional hub it once was

:banana:
 
#1,128 ·
Nothing during the current work. Northern Hub suggests two additional west facing bays but it's not clear where these can or will go.
They've got to go to the west of Great Ducie Street (?) i.e. the A56. In the vicinity of the former Exchange Station which incidentally was and still is connected to what is now Victoria's platform 3.

A travelator could suffice in bringing the platforms closer to the main Victoria concourse. Don't know if there is enough platform space for two travelators and a normal walkway. They could have one only on a tidal flow basis (AM Peak towards Victoria and PM Peak towards West).

They'd be daft not to include another entrance to the station where Exchange Car park is now. I'm sure those arriving from the West would be happy to get out of Victoria (West) at that point.
 
#1,133 ·
Give a rest, please. We heard you the first dozen times.

I'm beginning to realise why Cats has you on ignore...
Yes but if you don't agree with cats he puts you on ignore

He has a point, the north has been neglected. Look at when lines around Leeds were electified. They didn't get modern rolling stock until privatisation they got 308s from NSE. You can't hide from the fact that London has been favoured over any other Inferstructure projects in the north
 
#1,134 ·
Give a rest, please. We heard you the first dozen times.

I'm beginning to realise why Cats has you on ignore...
£8 billion pound from British taxpayers on the 'London Olympics' - which London only put £800 million in. £4.7 billion on Crossrail. £1 billion on massive white elephant. £32 billion on a "national" rail-line where the vast majority of jobs will be in London. An unprecedented £500 million on King's Cross renovation. £1 billion on BBC Broadcasting House in London. And apparently the £300 million move to Salford is "expensive" - according to guess who - the media from London.

What do the provinces get? Pretty much **** all! All Manchester got was a measly £100 million government contribution for Commonwealth Games and £500 million for Metrolink phase 3. And on both occasions they withdrew funding before local government had to essentially fight for some funding.

Is it any wonder the Scots want independence? Good luck to them I say.
 
#1,135 ·
£8 billion pound from British taxpayers on the 'London Olympics' - which London only put £800 million in. £4.7 billion on Crossrail. £1 billion on massive white elephant. £32 billion on a "national" rail-line where the vast majority of jobs will be in London. An unprecedented £500 million on King's Cross renovation. £1 billion on BBC Broadcasting House in London. And apparently the £300 million move to Salford is "expensive" - according to guess who - the media from London.

What do the provinces get? Pretty much **** all! All Manchester got was a measly £100 million government contribution for Commonwealth Games and £500 million for Metrolink phase 3. And on both occasions they withdrew funding before local government had to essentially fight for some funding.

Is it any wonder the Scots want independence? Good luck to them I say.
:bow::cheers2:

We didn't actually get the £500 million its a loan so we have to pay that back
 
#1,136 ·
Does anyone have any photos of the building from the air pre-MEN and pre-Beeching?
Not from the air, quite the opposite, going underground. Some photos of the ramp that led down to the subway giving access to platforms 12 to 16.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/patric_roft/5237485029/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/patric_roft/5237484751/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/patric_roft/5238079626/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/patric_roft/5237485183/in/photostream/
 
#1,138 ·
Give a rest, please. We heard you the first dozen times.

I'm beginning to realise why Cats has you on ignore...
Single-handedly ruined this place for me. Total shite compared to 3 years ago, and his endless contribution of sickly guff and unrealistic glorification of my city, has made it virtually unreadable. Which once was my evening digest, I now find this place too much to stomach.
 
#1,139 ·
A good set of pictures but to be fair, Victoria doesn't look too pretty pre-arena. I know WW2, Beeching and further neglect saw to that. When the new roof and other improvements are completed, Victoria could look better than it has for best part of 80 years?
It was never that bad (or at least didn't seem it at the time) - much of British transport infrastructure was in the same state in the late 70s/early 80s.......probably its lowest ebb.

It's a shame they don't, or can't open up the subway again, the far platforms were far easier and quicker to access than the current warren of different stairwells.
 
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