Latest News
26/07/2010
Photos of Styal station from the 1940s and 1950's have been passed to this website by the family of Albert Brown and some have been posted onto the website gallery.
25/05/2010
A large article on Styal station has appeared in the June edition of Backtrack magazine.
20/05/2010
It appears that Northern Rail have no immediate plans to increase rail services stopping at Styal despite support from the local community and the National Trust. We'll keep lobbying....
05/03/2010
Train Information Coming?
It is hoped that funds may be secured by Northern Rail and the Community Rail Partnership to provide a train infromation point on one of the platfroms - watch this space.
04/03/2010
New Photos Unearthed
Photos from the 1940's and 1950's have been uneathered courtesy of Mr P. Hilton and Mr T. Hodson and will be punblised soon.
08/02/2010
Happy New Year!
We have approached Northern Rail again to ask that a couple of Saturday services be addedd to make trips to and from Styal more viable.
If you feel likewie please contact us via the website or email mark.barker@northernrail.org.
27/08/09
Churchill Visit
A photo of Winston Churchill by a train was recently passed to me and we had it published in the Manchester Evening News. It appears to depict Churchill arriving at Heald Green station en route to Ringway (Manchester Airport) to visit the military station there on 26 April 1941.
The train was probably stored at the Styal sidings during the visit.
If you know more please get in touch.
27/08/09
We would like to rediscover the 7 foot-high "STYAL" lettering from the side of the railway cutting by the Northbound platform (it can be seen on some of the 1950s photos in the photo gallery section).
If you'd like to help by bringing a spade and digging please get in touch.
27/08/09
Friends of Styal Station News
Frends of Styal Station are looking to get established as a more formal body.
We have joined the Asociation of Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP) thanks to financial backing from Styal Village Association.
If anyone is prepared to spare a very small ammount of time we'd welcome you on our steering group.
05/06/09
More details are in the proccess of being added to the station history on this site - using first hand testimony form Harry Jackson and Sid Turner - former staff at Styal station.
18/05/09
Special Offer For Visitors to Quarry Bank Mill
If you arrive by rail or bus please show your ticket when purchasing a tour of the Mill and you will also be offered free admission to the Apprentice House or Secret Garden (subject to availability on the day).
17/05/09
Styal Rail 100
The Styal Rail 100 Centenary event went well despite "variable" weather.
Thanks to everyone who attended and those that helped organise the vent.
Look out for photos in the gallery section.
08/05/09
The Last Stationmaster
Harry Jackson, the last Stationmaster at Styal, is alive and well and living in Styal aged 89. He worked at Styal from approximately 1957 to 1966 when the role was removed. He will be guest of honour at the Styal Rail 100 event on 17th May. Look out for his recollections and photos on this site soon.
01/03/09
Sunday Services Announced!
Nothern Rail will operate Sunday services at roughly 2-hourly intrervals from 17th May 2009.
Southbound services: 09:13, 11:12, 13:10, 15:10, 17:10, 19:10, 21:10
Northbound services: 10:51, 12:58, 14:58, 16:58, 18:58, 20:58, 22:58
This is great news and we hope that visitors to the village will make full use of them.
Details can be checked at www.nationalrail.co.uk
05/02/09
"Styal Rail 100" - Centenary Fun Day at Quarry Bank Mill
A event will take place to celebrate 100 years on the Styal Line on Sunday 17th May 2009 (11am-4pm).
This will be a free event in the Mill Yard (usual museum admission and car parking charges apply).
There will be model railway sets, railwayana, face painting, kids activities and a 1970's bus shuttling to/from the station.
14/01/09
Happy New Year!
Services have settled down nicely and at least one regular passenger has been spotted using the 0759 to Manchester.
14/12/08
The new timetable commences today with 3 services in each direction Monday-Saturday:
Northbound: 0759, 1559, 1759
Southbound: 0818, 1318, 1818
5/12/08
Thanks to those who completed the survey conducted by the Community Rail Rartnership - it helps bolster the case for better services at Styal.
Click on for details:
http://www.crewe2manchesterrail.org.uk/news/passenger-survey--free-rail-tickets-to-be-won/
08/11/08
Styal Village Association will hold their AGM on 12th November at 8pm at The Pavilion on Altincham Road.
01/10/08
The good news regarding extra services was featured in the Wilmslow Express newspaper and website:
Copy and paste this onto your internet address bar to view the article:
http://www.wilmslowexpress.co.uk/news/s/1070053_on_track_for_good_old_days_at_styal
24/09/08
The Styal station campaign was featrued on Channel M TV again with news of the additional services from 14th December 2008.
Click for the video:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1214105369/bctid1817750966
23/09/08
The winter timetable has been published on www.nationalrail.co.uk.
The campaign for improved services has resulted in an extra train in each direction during afternoons Mon-Sat. Great news!
These services will be ideal for visitors to HMP Styal and children attending high schools in Wilmslow and Alderley Edge.
A new morning service to Manchester has been added at 0759.
Here is the schedule from 14/12/08:
Trains to Manchester: 0759, 1559, 1759
Trains to Alderley Edge/Wilmslow: 0818, 1318, 1818
We will continue to press for extra trains to permit visits to National Trust at Styal ans some Sunday services for Summer 2008.
Thanks for your support.
09/09/08
We have added some recollections of the station to the website and also posted a copy of a 1937 timetable kindly supplied by Mr. leslie Bell.
03/09/08
There was a productive meeting held with National Trust officials today in order to seek their support for improved rail connections to Styal to serve their properties from Summer 2009 onwards.
31/07/08
It is with sadness that we announce the recent death of Mike Fairley. Known by many as "Mr Styal", Mike was Chairman of the Styal Village Association and a keen supporter of our quest for better rail services at Styal.
10/07/08
More vintage photos added to gallery today.
09/07/08
The 2008-9 winter rail timetable details should be announced shortly. The group have been supplying information to Northern Rail to help them in their planning so fingers crossed.
16/06/08
We now have 200 signatories calling for enhanced rail services to/from Styal. The details have been forwarded to Northern Rail and we await their response.
24/05/08
We continue to receive signatories to the campaign petition. The Styal Prison visitors' petition should be in hand soon - at which point the petition will be sent to Northern rail and the Department for Transport.
04/05/08
Contact has been made with HMP Styal (Styal Prison) Visitor Centre. Anywhere between 50 and 120 people visit offenders each afternoon. The visitors come from around the UK. The petition will be available at the Visitor Centre for people to sign.
01/05/08
We have written to The National Trust's Head of Access (Jo Burgom), asking for her support for our campaign.
18/04/08
The campaign is featured in the Wilmslow Express and Manchester Evening News newspapers and websites:
Click here for scan of M.E.N. article:
http://www.styal-station.org.uk/userimages/styalpdf.pdf
Clock here for web-based M.E.N article:
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1045960_styal_stations_single_service
Click here for Wilmslow Express article:
http://www.wilmslowexpress.co.uk/news/s/1045511_campaign_for_more_trains_gets_up_steam
It is also featured on Channel M TV - click here for the news report:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1184834029/bctid1509297917
15/04/08
The Manchester Evening News took more photos today. The article should appear soon.
The Wilmslow Express also intend to publish an article this week or next week.
12/04/08
The Manchester Evening News is taking interest in our campaign and came down to get some photos on Saturday (12th April). Thanks to the 10 local supporters came down, at short notice, for the photo session.
They intend to publish an article in the coming days.
Hopefully this will raise awareness of the station amongst Styal visitors living in Greater Manchester and beyond.
10/04/08
We now have 50 signatures on the station petition.
Please sign up and support the campaign for better services.
09/04/08
A presentation was given to Styal Village Association Committee.
The Committee were very supportive and hopefully we can work together to bring about a change of fortune for our 99 year old station.
21/03/08
We have started delivering leaflets in the Styal area regarding the campaign. Please sign up to the petition if you agree with our aims.
20/03/08
The Styal Sation campaign has been featured in two rail industry magazines: "Rail" and "Today's Railways UK". This follows an article in the Wilmslow Express.
10/03/08
The Crewe to Manchester Community Rail Group meet this evening in Sandbach.
Issues concerning Styal will be raised at this meeting.
27/02/08
Sign the petition:
The petition for imporved rail services is now on the website (see the main menu).
If you agree with it please email us with your details.
26/02/08
We have contacted several rail industry magazines to raise awareness of our website and campaign.
Any other suggestions of how to improve the campaign are welcomed.
24/02/08
The Community Rail Partnership hold a meeting at Sandbach on March 10th.
Representatives of statins friends groups, local authorities and rail operators meet to discuss how the line can be revitalised.
20/02/08
We plan to do a letter drop at every address in Styal to highlight the campaign and get a petition underway to present to Northern Rail.
07/02/08
The Wilmslow Express carried an article on the new website and the Styal Station campaign.
We have had several expressions of interest in supporting the cause - please keep them coming.
06/02/08
Styal Village Assocation met on Wednesday 6th Febraury.
On the agenda was the new campaign to promote Styal Station.
A campaign member will address the next meeting in April.