Place Longsight Grid reference SJ868959 | Area Manchester April 1843 (1843-04) Station opened | |
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Pre-grouping London and North Western Railway Post-grouping London, Midland and Scottish Railway Original company Manchester and Birmingham Railway Similar Staley and Millbrook railway st, Darcy Lever railway st, Irlams o' th' Height railway st, Shawclough and Healey railway st, Greenmount railway station | ||
Longsight railway station was built by the Manchester & Birmingham Railway Company (MBR).
History
The first station opened in June 1840. Its original location was on Stockport Road (A6) near its junction with Slade Lane in Longsight, Manchester, England. Its creation coincided with the then new Belle Vue Zoo. Its positioning had the unfortunate effect of bisecting part of the zoological gardens. After protests from the zoo owners MBR relented, and relocated the station to the northern end of Kirkmanshulme Lane. The new station opened in May 1842.
The site of the station was shared with the company's railway engineering depot, which is now the Manchester International Depot for Eurostar.
The second station opened in April 1843, and became very important to the early success of Belle Vue Zoo as it was close enough to be a drop-off point for organised excursions. A special platform, some 1,500 feet (457 metres) in length was constructed for these trains, much of which can still be seen among the depot sidings. The station closed on 15 September 1958, and very little is left of it today. A short platform has been built on part of the former station site for use of railway staff travelling to and from the adjacent carriage depot.