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Written by Jon Martin - 19 Mar 2010
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Location notes
Small station just outside Manchester Piccadilly on the lines towards Hope Valley, Stalybridge and Glossop, next to the WCML. Station only served my a few stopping trains a day (morning and evening peak) but has countless though trains, with almost everything from Manchester Piccadilly passing through.
Railway type and traffic
The lines through Ardwick station see 323s to Glossop, 142 Pacers and 150 / 156 Sprinters to Marple and Sheffield, and 185 and 170s Transpennine via Guide bridge and Stalybridge.
The Mainline sees all other traffic through Man Pic, including Arriva 175s, Northern 142 150, 156s and 323s, East Midlands 158s, the occational Northern 180, Transpennine 185 and 170s, X Country 220 and 221s, Virgin 390s. Transpennine 185s also have a depot nearby.
Freight traffic is normally 66 and 92s and the Longsight 57 Thunderbirds also pass through.
Link to Real Time Trains
RTT Link Ardwick Station
This link should be close to the location, but may not be the actual location so please check the page. This link will take you to what is happening 'around now'. Dates and times can be changed at the top of the page.
Environment
Inner city, mainly industrial area. Not staffed, area is very much urban decay with a a lot of dereliction around. Only the fact that nobody would expect you to be on the station would make it vaguely safe after dark, but not recommended.
The station is an island platform, accessed by a footbridge.
Road directions
Just off Blind Lane, from A685 Devonshire Road North, which links A57 and A6.

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Ardwick Station map co-ordinates
Parking
Cars are parked nearby, but not recommended.
Public transport
Buses from city centre, but is only 15 minutes walk from Piccadilly Station.

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Amenities
Pretty much nothing aside from the odd pub.
Accommodation
Manchester city centre has a lot of hotels.
Sun Compass
Sun Compass using Suncalc by brought to you by Vladimir Agafonkin:
It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
Ardwick Station

Googly map
Streetmap links
Ardwick Station general view map
Ardwick Station close up map

Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Ardwick Station



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Railway Gen Group
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Photographic notes
Line goes (Manchester) NW-SE (Stockport). Can have problems in afternoon as sun shines directly from across the main line. However there is a large office block that can sometimes block that.
It is totally open, so there is no problems with shade.
Shots from path into station are at track level and are very close/
From footbridge, shots over the lines through the station are good, but lots of overhead gantries get in the way of mainline shots.
From platform, good shots of both main line and line through station. Some signals opposite the station on the mainline, so occasional trains stop opposite.
Should be quite for video.


General views - All photographs © Jon Martin unless otherwise stated
Fig 1 - Looking north west


Fig 1 - Looking north west


Fig 2 - Looking south east


Fig 2 -  Looking south east


Fig 3 - Looking south east


Fig 3 - Looking south east


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