On the afternoon of Thursday 15th January, a tour of Altrincham Interchange and Navigation Road stations took place to showcase the fabulous work initiated by Friends of Altrincham Interchange (FOAI) with the support of the Mid Cheshire Community Rail Partnership(MCCRP).
As you will discover the enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers from FOAI have had great success at reaching out to the local community during 2025 and involving them in projects to enhance these 2 stations-embodying the ethos of community rail!
At 2pm with the rumoured torrential rain thankfully holding off, the invited guests including special guests Mayor of Trafford Cllr Jane Brophy and Mayors Consort John Brophy assembled on Platform 4 at the Interchange.
Other guests included the station volunteers, project funders, CRP directors and members of the community who have been involved with CRP/FOAI projects.
MCCRP Community Rail Officer Sarah Muir welcomed the group to the Interchange and invited them to first look at the newly installed Altrincham running in board. FOAI Chair Ian Stuart explained that this traditional railway sign was the brainchild of the FOAI volunteers and created by local joinery company Atlantic Timber with funding provided by Northern Train Ltd. Ian then treated everyone to a short recital of a poem written by Altrincham local Dylan before inviting the mayor to snip the red ribbon on the running in board.
The guests were then invited to view the platform art in the poster case nearby. FOAI volunteer Bev Robinson explained that these brightly coloured pictures were created by local children for display in the case and everyone agreed they made a cheerful addition to Pl.4.
The next stop on the tour was the waiting room which is always a warm and welcome sanctuary from the winter weather with Northern staff member Roy often on duty to provide a friendly face and assistance to rail users. Here Bev pointed out the framed knitted totem made by local knitting group Library Knitters, the well-stocked platform library and the many awards which FOAI have won over the years for their work. All the guests posed for a group picture in the waiting room before moving on to view one of the recently installed Mid Cheshire line history panels.
These panels are a CRP project managed by CRO Sarah Muir who worked with rail historian Trevor Booth to produce the content. The panels, which were created to mark Railway 200 in 2025-(the 200th anniversary of the modern railway) have been installed at 13 of the Mid Cheshire Line stations this January. They detail the history of each station and the surrounding area as well as providing information on the whole line. They have already attracted a lot of interest from rail users who have been pausing to read them.
At the Interchange there are 2 matching history panels, one at the bottom of the stairs to the footbridge and one on the brick wall by the lift. Sarah Muir thanked Trevor Booth for his months of work researching and writing content for the panels and also the funders Northern, Trans Pennine, Community Rail Network and Mid Cheshire CRP for supporting the project along with Johnsons Printing for their expertise in producing them. The mayor officially marked the occasion by snipping the red ribbon on the panel by the stairs.
The guests then made their way to the “Flourish rooms” on Pl.4 to enjoy refreshments. Community Interest Company Flourish had kindly allowed use of their rooms for the event, to find out more about their work check out www.flourishtogether.org.uk
While the invited guests mingled and enjoyed refreshments a small group including the mayor broke off to take a look at the smart new fully accessible toilet pod which has been installed at the back of Pl.4 in the car park. The mayor posed for a picture with Cllr Michael Welton outside, they were very impressed by this clean and fully accessible pod which will no doubt be a welcome addition to rail users.
Back in the Flourish rooms local poet Pam Brashaw recited a poem from the CRP funded book Hare and Rabbit: Travels on a Train. This illustrated poetry compilation details the adventures of best friends Hare and Rabbit along the Mid Cheshire line and Pams` performance was greeted with a loud round of applause.
After the tea break the tour continued on the bus station side of the Interchange where the guests admired the aerial photo panel. This image was taken by Manchester based aerial and landscape photographer Any Mallins who used a drone to take a nighttime shot showing the Interchange and surrounding areas bathed in green blue and orange light. The light trails caused by the moving trains and trams were particularly impressive.
After admiring this eye catching image the mayor cut the red ribbon on the photo panel which had again been printed by Johnsons Printing. To see more of Andy`s amazing images go to www.andymallinsphotography.com
The guests then walked through the bus station concourse and admired the ceramic dove mosaics mounted on the walls. These artworks, installed in 2023, were the creation of young people from Blessed Thomas Holford Catholic College and were created using a mixture of new and foraged Victorian tiles. The doves, tradition symbols of peace, lend a peaceful quality amongst the hustle and bustle of the bus station.
Then it was time for the short hop on the tram to Navigation Rd with free travel kindly arranged by one of the guests Sarah Grimes of Transport for Greater Manchester. The mayor, who had drawn quite a few curious glances on the journey thanks to her ceremonial chain, disembarked with the other guests for the final call on the tour. Here they admired the 16 art panels which had been created by Altrincham and District Scouts and Explorers (which are based a stone’s throw from the station)under the guidance of scout leader Tom Hartley. Last summer the young people had gone out exploring the Mid Cheshire Line with camera and note pads to gather inspiration for the finished work which showcase the landscapes and land marks at each stop. Funding and support was provided by Northern, Transport for Greater Manchester, Community Rail Network, Friends of Altrincham Interchange and the Mid Cheshire CRP. The design and printing was arranged through Johnsons Printing who have worked on a number of projects for the CRP.
The scouts and explorers had a bbq and open day on Sunday 30th November to celebrate the project completion but unfortunately couldn’t attend the tour due to being at school.
Everyone was very impressed with these brightly coloured art works which really add some cheer on the Northern platform and take the viewer on a visual journey along the Mid Cheshire Line. With a final cut of the red ribbon on the art panels the mayor declared she may have achieved a new personal record in ribbon cutting!
With the tour concluded the guests said their goodbyes with smiles and waves and made their way home by tram or train. Hopefully those who attended were inspired by viewing the fantastic collaborative work which has been achieved to enhance Altrincham Interchange and Navigation Road station in the last year.
