Welcome to Davenport
This site is for users of Davenport railway
station, Stockport, England - and for all the people of
Davenport.
Our aim is to have plenty of useful
information for users
of the station, and act as a forum for contributions and suggestions.
Please note that this site is unofficial and is not connected
with Northern Rail
or any rail company. Information here is presented in good faith, but
we
cannot be responsible if your train (or bus) does not arrive
when expected.
For more information, contributions to the site,
suggested web links, and any other comments and questions, please email
info@
davenportstation.org.uk
Visitors in 2008:3395
Visitors in 2009:4210
Created and compiled by Charlie Hulme.
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Station gets a new look
Work is under way to repaint the painted parts of the station in a new
scheme featuring blue in place of the previous red. Some have expressed
concerns that this not a traditional colour, but at least it is good to
see the place being cared for.
The return of the footbridge, removed for 'refurbishment' on 21 March,
supposedly for ten weeks, is still awaited.
27 July 2010
Co-op alterations
The large Co-operative store in Hazel Grove will be closed from August
to Octoberfor refurbishment, and while it is closed, a new direct road
entrance to the car park from the A6 will be opened up, replacing the
current endtrance on Brewers Green. Details of the project can be found
on the A6 Highways website.
Elsewhere, the Co-op store in the centre of Stockport, which has been
in business for many years, and recently traded under the name
'Westgate' is to close early in 2011, the building having been sold to
Primark.
27 July
2010
Class 180s to remain with Northern?
The three 5-coach Class 180 inter-city style trains which have recently
been in use by Northern Rail were due to be transferred to the East
Coast Main Line at the end of 2010, for use on a new service between
Lojdon Kings Cross and Lincoln. However, this plan has now been
cancelled as a money-saving measure; it would seem there is a chance
that Northern will be able to retain their 180s for a while longer.
To travel in style to Manchester and beyond, be sure to catch the 09:37
or 16:35 from Davenport, and the return train from Preston which calls
at Deansgate 15:12, Oxford Road 15:16 and Piccadilly 15:21.
27 July 2010
The Cotton Mill Express is back
'From the Railway Touring Company: 'It's back! Our special Cotton Mill
Express train, recalling the great textile heritage around Manchester,
returns on Saturday 17 July by
popular demand to provide another wonderful day out. The tour has been
extended to start and finish in Lancaster and also serves Preston and
Wigan North Western. We pick up the old route at Manchester Victoria.
'The Railway Touring Company is offering £5pp discount when you
quote CMM on this exciting day excursion. For more information or to
book visit our website at www.railwaytouring.co.uk
or contact us on 01553 661500.'
Expected locomotive for the tour is steam 4-6-0 6115 Scots Guardsman; Manchester
passengers board at approx. 10:00 or 14:43 and return at about 17:30.
Fares start at £60 for adults.
- 8 July 2010
Cale Green Park Fun
Day, Sunday 4 July
The Crazy Tramps trampoline act, plus Tea,
Coffee & Homemade Cakes are back at the Cale Green Park Fun Day, on
Sunday 4 July from 1 pm to 5 pm!
There's also Face Painting, Craft Stalls, Line Dancing, Raffle,
Children’s Fancy Dress Competition (judging at 3.45 pm), and music from
Annie's Saints & Sinners Jazz Band.
The event, which is Sponsored by Cale Green Park
Residents’ Association and the Community Foundation for Greater
Manchester (Grassroots Fund) is free to enter. Cale Green Park is
opposite Davenport station.
New Timetable from 23 May
There is a change of timetable from 23 May, but the times for the
Davenport line show little change. (The new booklet can be downloaded
from the Northern
Rail
website.) Sadly, the same faults are still apparent: notably
the lack of direct trains from Manchester Oxford Road on weekday
evenings, with a two-hour gap on Mondays to Fridays from 16:16 to the
18:16 which is the last through train from Oxford Road, the most
convenient station for theatres, etc., and the irritating breaks in the
rhythm of departures to Manchester shown by the 14:05 and 16:35 trains
to Manchester departing two or three minutes earlier than the normal
time on weekdays. And as before, all trains (except perhaps one?) are
formed of diesel units even though the line to Hazel Grove is
electrified. One of our councillors is Stockport's member of the
Intergated Transport Authority, maybe he will be able to raise these
matters in the appropriate quarter?
100 Years of Princess Road bus depot
A new book, produced to
celebrate the 100th year of the Princess Road depot, is a stunning
pictorial history of local transport, compiled from images supplied by
people from across the region. It traces the history of the last
century of transport around Manchester, and how the region has evolved.
Created with submissions from
local people following an appeal in the local press in 2009 it tells a
pictorial story of how the depot and the vehicles it has housed over
the past century, alongside real photos from real people who have
contributed to transport over the years. Contributors include Hazel Grove
resident, Edna Power, who donated a photo of her father, Manchester
Corporation Transport Chief Fire Officer, Mr. Robert John Maun, aboard
tram number 1007. The photograph was taken as Manchester’s last tram
was arriving at Hyde Road depot, before being burned.
Eric Herbert of Urmston
donated a photo of his mother alongside a team of cleaners who kept
public transport in pristine condition, and played a huge part in
maintaining a sense of normality throughout the ‘Manchester blitz’.
All proceeds from the book
will be donated to Stagecoach Manchester’s nominated charity, Moss
Side-based Manchester Young Lives. This organisation offers youth
work, educational and training programmes to children and young people
in some of the most disadvantaged areas of Manchester. The book is on sale now, price £7,
from outlets including the
Ian Allan Bookshop, 5 Piccadilly Station Approach, Manchester.
More information on the Stagecoach
website.
19 May 2010
Northern Rail franchise extended
Amid all the election hoo-hah, Rail News is reporting that
Northern Rail (which is a consortium of Serco and the Netherlands State
Railway) has won a two-year extension to their franchise to run trains
in our area, which will now continue until September 2011. Apparently
"Northern has improved the punctuality of its train services from 83.7%
in the 12 months to December 2004 to 91.6% in the last 12 months,
meaning that on average 200 more trains arrive on time every day now
than in 2004."
13 May 2010
Freight through Davenport

Freight trains are not common through Davenport, but here's a load of
stone diverted our way on 10 April while the line through Bredbury was
closed for engineering work.
Grand National Special
Saturday 10 April is 'Grand National' day, and as last year, East
Midlands Trains will be running one of their 'Merdian' Inter-City
trains on the Nottingham - Liverpool route to handle the extra
passengers.
The train will work the 08:45 Nottingham - Liverpool
(calls Stockport 10:25), 11:52 Liverpool - Nottingham (calls Stockport
12:54), 14:45 Nottingham - Liverpool (calls Stockport 16:25) and
17:52 Liverpool - Nottingham (calls Stockport 18:54).
9 April
Sunday 4 April: Trains are replaced
by buses between Stockport and Manchester due to engineering work.
Trains towards Buxton will depart Davenport approximately 20 minutes
later than normal. Northern Rail have a PDF Timetable
for
4
April.
Super-council?
A very strange news item in the Stockport
Express. Extract:
A transport revolution is on the
cards following Stockport’s decision to vote ‘yes’ to the Manchester
‘super-council’. In an exclusive interview with the Express, Councillor Goddard
revealed he expects a united Manchester to kick-start both Stockport’s
regeneration and its transport links with a major cash injection.
Coun Goddard said: "They have agreed Stockport is a special case and
there should be a committee looking at its specific transport
problems," he said. "Stockport has historically not received the
benefits but now I have negotiated that there will be a high level
officer group that looks at this – that’s new and has come out of
this." Likely improvements will include new railway stations at Cheadle
and Gatley, more trains between Stockport and Manchester, and electric
railway lines to Hazel Grove.
Is the reporter confused, or doesn't Cllr Goddard know the Hazel Grove
line is already electrified, even though Northern Rail choose not to
run any electric trains on it? Who knows? What makes them think there
can be more trains between Stockport and Manchester, when the line is
already said to be so congested that some trains from Chester have to
turn terminate at Stockport?
2 April
Those viaduct fences
We are told that the fences on the end of the platforms at Stockport,
illustrated here recently, have been erected to stop suicidal people
walking on to the viaduct with a view to jumping off. Sad.
2 April
The Western Rocks, 20 March

Richard Putley has kindly
sent these pictures of the railtour to Buxton hauled by D1015 Western Champion on 20 March. The
train stopped at Denton (above) for the passengers to take pictures at
this station which normally only sees one train a week.

After passing through Davenport, the train reached Buxton (above)
before returning via Peak Forest and the Hope Valley line.
Speaking of special trains, locally-based
charter
train
organisers
Retro
Railtours
are
running
an
excursion
from
Stockport
to
Edinburgh
on
31 May, with adult fares from
just £49.50. The train will be hauled by celebrity 'Deltic'
locomotive 55 022 Royal Scots Grey.
Details
and
online
booking
at
www.retrorailtours.co.uk
To the News Archive
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