Its “Manchester Metrolink Then & Now” time again.
This week we’re going out onto the Altrincham line and it’s the stop at Stretford that is featured. As with many of the stops on the original Metrolink network, Stretford was once a railway station until that was closed to allow conversion to trams. The station at Stretford can trace its history back to 1849 when it opened as Edge Lane. It didn’t stay as Edge Lane long, with its renaming as Stretford coming in September 1849 – less than two months after opening. It closed to trains on 24th December 1991 and reopened as a Metrolink stop on 15th June 1992.
The ”Then” image shows one of the pre-1971 electric units just arriving at Stretford station. These units were built in the 1930s and were unique to the line, running under 1500V DC electric wires. These were replaced in the 1970s after the conversion of the line to standard 25Kv AC overhead electrification.
We then move forward to 1st May 2024 and like many of the stations along the Altrincham line the complete length of the platform is no longer required. 3052 is the back unit of a double which is working into Piccadilly as it departs Stretford. (Both Photographs by Keith Chadbourne)