The local community and partner organisations joined local charity Hamilton Davies Trust to celebrate the station house’s official opening by Ian Stewart, City Mayor of Salford and Cllr Christine Hudson, Ceremonial Mayor of Salford, 122 years to the day since it first opened its doors.
The building, which was originally built in 1893, has undergone extensive restoration work and now provides lots of new facilities alongside original architectural features, offering visitors a taste of the present and a flavour of the past. The transformation is part of a wider project to regenerate the whole site which had been in a poor state of repair for some time.
Irlam is the busiest unmanned station in Greater Manchester with over 240,000 rail users every year. Rail passengers will now be able to enjoy the station house facilities including 1923 café bistro, waiting area, toilets and meeting facilities, a cycle hub and a 60 space car park providing a more comfortable atmosphere for commuters, networking area for business and a leisure destination for the local community.
HDT Founder and Chair Neil McArthur said: “The station house was derelict and in a sorry state of repair. We wanted to help regenerate the district and create a landmark, so much more than a station. I feel we have done this, by not only improving the environment and introducing great new facilities, but by restoring the old station house to its former glory.
“Irlam Station will hopefully become a must-visit location for residents from neighbouring communities, whether for leisure or their daily commute. I’m delighted to have been part of this partnership to make this regeneration happen and I think it can only benefit Irlam for the future.”
Salford City Mayor Ian Stewart said: “This is a great example of partnership working. Irlam Station has been totally transformed from an embarrassment to somewhere the whole community can be really proud of. The new free car park and secure cycle hub championed by local councillors will help residents to make sustainable travel choices while the refurbished station house will be a real asset to rail users and should become a real hub for the community.
Irlam resident Margaret Vaudrey has been using the station for over 50 years, first as a school girl, then a commuter and now because it is the most convenient way to travel.
Margaret said: “The station building and its surroundings are a joy to see. After many years of neglect the once solid old building had slowly become derelict, an eyesore with boarded up windows, slates missing from the roof and birds flying in and out of it. It’s been wonderful to watch its transformation back into such a fine-looking station, something for the people of the district to be proud of. I seriously believe it can now be considered one of the best stations in the country.”
Irlam Station also has new external lighting with special optics to brighten the car park and minimise antisocial behavior whilst improvements to fencing at the rear of residential properties will create a more secure environment. Further improvements will include the construction of a ramp to the Liverpool-bound platform, as well as landscaping and a station garden.
The project cost more than £2 million, with a £300,000 contribution from Hamilton Davies Trust to support the public realm and environmental improvements.
