Crewe
| Crewe | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Opened | 4 July 1837 |
| CRS code | CRE |
| Operator | Avanti West Coast |
| Platforms | 12 |
| Community Details | |
| Station of the Month | October 2021 |
| Category | Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire |
Crewe station is one of the most significant railway stations in the world. Opening on 4 July 1837, it has grown to be a busy interchange between primary routes, as well as the site of significant railway depots and works which remain in use to the present day. The station boasts a number of firsts: the first to have an adjacent railway hotel; the first to be completely rebuilt due to growing passenger numbers; and the first to be by-passed by a completely separate set of lines (the 'Independents') to avoid congestion. All of these upgrades were complete by the turn of the 20th Century.
Barring a few further incremental upgrades, including a programme of resignalling during World War II to improve resilience, Crewe remained largely unaltered until the 1980s, when a £14.3 million modernisation scheme was authorised. A number of the 1902 platform extensions were taken out of use, whilst the track layout was also simplified, speeding up services through the station and helping to improve journey times not just at the station but across there west of the West Coast Mainline.
The station was listed at Grade II level in 2016, and is tied with Doncaster for the most train operating companies to serve the station - seven.
Our first encounter with Crewe was on the very first On Our Lines journey, in January 2019. We acquired refreshments from the Pumpkin Café whilst changing from an East Midlands Trains class 153 service from Uttoxeter onto a class 350 to Liverpool South Parkway operated by London Midland
Station of the Month[edit | edit source]
The station featured in the inaugural October 2021 Stations of the Month competition in the NR Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire category. There were no entries.
