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06:00.

Ugh, a daft time to be up and about on a Saturday morning but I’m off to Manchester to join a train that only runs on a Saturday, and then only on one return trip. More on that when I get there. First I have to traverse the Pennines once more to get to the start line…

07:30.

This morning’s a grey, chilly one in the Pennines. My stroll down into tge Calder valley to Sowerby Bridge was pleasant enough though. The town was quiet, with just two other people waiting to join Northern’s 07:23 to Leeds which is operated by a pair of Class 158s. It’s lovely and warm inside and the train’s on-time, which is a good start to the day.

08:00.

Sao far, so good. My connection at Mirfield (I won’t bore you with anymore new platform pictures) was faultless. I’m now aboard a quiet 07:46 to Manchester Piccadilly, but on as far as Stalybridge. The weather’s just as gloomy here in the Colne valley as it is in the Calder. I hope it’ll pick up when we’re the other side of the Pennines.

08:35.

Remind me never to apply for a job as a weather forecaster! There’s fog and drizzle over in Greater Manchester right now! But at least I’m on the train I wanted. Once a week, on a Saturday, Northern run a return service from Stalybridge to Stockport via Guide Bridge and the (normally) freight only line through Denton and Reddish to Stockport. There’s only the one return service and right now – I’m on it.

The 08:30 Stalybridge to Stockport.
There’s only me and one other passenger in the front car.

09:00.

We’re now at Stockport, waiting to head back to Stalybridge. The old bay platform this service used was filled in long ago. Now we have to occupy the adjacent through platform. I’ll write at length about the trip, the line and its stations later. Right now I’m travelling back as far as Denton – the last in a very long list of stations I needed to photograph.

What’s suprised me about the return trip is how many people are using it. There’s a handful of older men who look like rail enthusiasts, but there’s several ordinary passengers with luggage who seem to have stumbled upon it for some reason.

Our train in platform 1. The old Stalybridge bay platform was to the right.
Calling at Reddish South on the return. The old couple had got on here purely to have a trip on the train to Stockport and back. According to the ORR passenger use statistics, the station had an annual footfall of 100 passengers in 2022/23, down from 158 in 2019/20. I wonder how many of those trips were made by this couple?

09:30.

Today I was one of two people to use Denton station.

156426 at Denton. The other chap who got off was keen to stay out of the picture! According to the ORR (Office of Road and Rail) statistics, the station saw 34 passengers in 2022/23, down from 92 in 2019/20. It retains its title as Britain’s least used station.

Now to walk back to Guide Bridge…

12:00.

I’m back in central Manchester after my explorations. I’ll add more pictures from Guide Bridge later. Now for a short interlude in a packed city-centre before catching a train back East.

20:55.

Wow! The day’s flown by! I’m afraid I won’t have time to add anymore words and pictures for now as I’m back at home, catching my breath before the next adventure. Tomorrow I’ll be in Liverpool for a Labour party conference fringe event. Sunday is world car-free day I’ll be there with Cycling UK and Community Rail Network to help get the message across. Watch out for the fun!

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