Marple railway station

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Map of historical railways around Stockport before 1978.svg
Red pog.svg
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Location (red dot) within Stockport's historical rail network

Marple railway station was built by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (MS&LR) on the extension of its Hyde branch to New Mills, opening to the public on 1 July 1865.

The line was built in conjunction with the Midland Railway's extension of its line to Millers Dale, thus it was also used by the latter's trains from London to Manchester Store Street (later called London Road, now Piccadilly). Until the Midland moved to Manchester Central, in 1880, as a member of the Cheshire Lines Committee, Marple was where carriages for Liverpool would be attached or detached.

At the time it had extensive station buildings, the Midland waiting room having upholstered seats and a coal fire in an attractive fireplace for cold winter days. It was rebuilt in 1970 and the MS&L facilities were demolished, with new brick buildings replacing the Midland's offices.

From Marple to Romiley, the line passes through Marple Tunnel to the junction with the short branch to Rose Hill Marple, then over the 308-yard (282 m) long stone viaduct that crosses the River Goyt and the Peak Forest Canal. Alongside the viaduct is the Marple Aqueduct, which carries the Peak Forest Canal over the River Goyt.

Agatha Christie's Miss Marple

In 1902, when Agatha Christie was twelve, her sister Margaret married James Watts and they lived at Abney Hall, Cheadle. Christie, encouraged by Watts to write, was a frequent visitor to Abney Hall from a young age into adulthood. [11] The area around the hall and Cheadle inspired many settings within her books. [12] From her home in Devon, Christie often used the railway to travel there, connecting from the Midland Main Line from London St Pancras onto the Hope Valley Line, and passing through Marple. It is theorised that a train was delayed there for long enough for the station sign to stick in her mind, to resurface in 1932 at the publication of the first novel featuring Jane Marple. [11] However, at a 2015 event to celebrate the station's 150th anniversary, Christie's grandson produced a letter she had written to a fan that appears to prove that the name was inspired by a sale at Marple Hall during a visit to her sister at Abney Hall. [13]

Future

As part of Manchester's Transport Innovation Fund bid in 2008, which would see a weekday peak time congestion charge introduced on roads into the city centre in order for a £3bn injection into the region's public transport, Marple would have seen an increase to four services per hour in both directions throughout the day to Manchester Piccadilly. The line would have effectively been run as a metro-style operation, offering users of Marple and other stations along the route the ease of showing up without needing to know exact departure times. However, no "station improvements" were planned, despite the comparatively high usage of this suburban station. The rejection of the TIF plans in a public referendum in December 2008 (by a 4 to 1 majority) led to the plans being abandoned in April 2010. [14]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rose Hill Marple railway station</span> Railway station in Stockport, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodley railway station</span> Railway station in Greater Manchester, England

Woodley railway station serves the suburb of Woodley in Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. The station is 9+1⁄4 miles (14.9 km) east of Manchester Piccadilly on a branch of the Hope Valley Line to Rose Hill Marple. It is situated where the A560 road from Stockport to Gee Cross, near Hyde, crosses over the railway line.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hayfield branch</span> Railway line in Derbyshire, England, 1868–1970

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References

  1. ↑ Marshall, John (1981). Forgotten Railways: North West England. David & Charles. p. 30. ISBN   978-0715380031.
  2. ↑ "National Rail Train Operators" (PDF). National Rail . Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  3. ↑ "Marple Station plan". National Rail . Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  4. ↑ "Marple Station: Onward Travel Information" (PDF). Network Rail. 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  5. ↑ "Station Usage Estimates 2014/15". Office of Rail and Road . Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  6. ↑ Topham, Gwyn (9 December 2015). "Arriva and FirstGroup win Northern and TransPennine rail franchises". The Guardian . Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  7. ↑ Cox, Charlotte (22 January 2016). "'Outdated and unpopular' Pacer trains set to be replaced". Manchester Evening News . Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  8. ↑ Salveson, Paul. "The Hope Valley Line: Through the Heart of the Peak" (PDF). Today's Railways UK . 121: 45. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 "Northern Timetable 22 - Manchester to New Mills Central and Rose Hill" (PDF). Northern . Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  10. 1 2 "Northern Timetable 23 - Manchester to Sheffield: The Hope Valley Line" (PDF). Northern . Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  11. 1 2 King, Ray (15 September 2010). "Was Miss Marple born in Cheshire?". Cheshire Life. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  12. ↑ Wagstaff, Vanessa; Poole, Stephen (2004). Agatha Christie: A Readers Companion . p.  14. ISBN   1-84513-015-4.
  13. ↑ Atkinson, Hilary (March 2017). "What's in a name ?". Marple Local History Society. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  14. ↑ "C-charge: A resounding 'NO'" Ottewell, David, Manchester Evening News 19 April 2010; Retrieved 1 April 2016
Marple
National Rail logo.svg
Footbridge, Marple railway station (geograph 4512624).jpg
The station in 2015
General information
Location Marple, Stockport
England
Managed by Northern Trains
Transit authority Transport for Greater Manchester
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeMPL
Classification DfT category D
History
Opened1865
Passengers
2018/19Increase2.svg 0.512 million
Bolton
Bury
Manchester
(Manchester station group in italics)
Oldham
Rochdale
Salford
Stockport
Tameside
Trafford
Wigan

53°24′04″N2°03′25″W / 53.401°N 2.057°W / 53.401; -2.057

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