The Friends of Reddish South & Denton Stations (FORSADS) Campaign page
December 2024
Another article regarding the footfall figures at Denton for 2023/24 was written for the Sun online. FORSS Committee members met up with the journalist and photographer on Denton Station.
I reproduce the article here in full with pictures, as published with permission from the writer Stewart Whittingham:
"ALL ABOARD
Inside UK’s loneliest station where 54 passengers a year have to hail train like a bus… and wait a WEEK if they miss it
The unusual 'ghost station' has become a curious tourist attraction for train enthusiasts
A PASSENGER walks to the end of the platform and puts his hand out to flag down the ‘Denton Flyer’ as it comes into Britain’s least used railway station.
Just one train service runs a week run through the eerily quiet station in Denton, Greater Manchester, on Saturday morning.
Rail enthusiasts call it a ‘ghost station’ and it has gained cult status as the train has to be flagged down before it will stop.
Over the last year, just 54 passengers were recorded using the station, which is hidden by a slip road onto the M67 motorway.
It is a sharp spike in popularity from the year before, when it welcomed just 34 travellers, according to statistics released this week by the Office of Rail and Road.
When we visit the station on a recent Saturday, the 8.42am train is about to get unusually busy – with two passengers.
The train guard jokes that this morning is "rush hour" as Derek Lack, 73, waves down the train to make sure it stops.
The pensioner has walked two miles from his home in Denton to reach the station.
He said: "I'm of the view that if you don't use it you lose it so that's why I've come.
"Mind you, it's not that reliable. I came the other week and it just didn't turn up.
I do wish they’d run more trains as it would be very handy.”
Leaning out of one of two carriages as the train pulls into Denton, guard Darren Scholes, 51, said: "This is a busy day – there’s not often this many here.
“We do get the odd rail enthusiasts mind. I love working this route as it’s so unusual.”
Man on a mission
The second passenger has put in a considerable effort to catch the train, nicknamed the Denton Flyer, as it slowly meanders from a station in the foothills of the Pennines to Stockport.
Charity manager Mark Morton, 51, left his home in Bradford, West Yorks, at 6.30am to make sure he was on time.
Mark is a rail enthusiast who is on a mission to visit everyone of Britain’s 2,600 rail .stations.
Denton is about number 500 for him.
Its hidden away location, next to a Sainsbury’s, and by a motorway makes access difficult and is two miles from Denton itself.
Some locals of the town, which has a population of more than 150,000, do not even know it’s there.
Student Tom Wright, 18, said: “I didn’t know there was a station. I’ve never seem it and don’t know anyone who’s used it.
“I catch the bus.”
Why station won't close
The lonely station hosts the single train to Stockport at 8.42am on Saturday. The train then turns around and comes back towards the hills in Stalybridge.
The weekly train is what is known as a parliamentary service. It would be more expensive to close down the station so it is cheaper to just run one train service a week, which stops it having to be closed down.
Campaigners want to revitalise the station and would like a regular service to run into Manchester Victoria, which is next door to Manchester Arena.
However, a sign by the entrance to the station warns that Friends of Denton Station have had to suspend their group activities "due to circumstances beyond their control".
Campaigners have now migrated to the Friends of Reddish South Station, who want to revitalise both stations.
David Ashworth’s brother Peter used to work as a porter at Denton station when it had four lines and two platforms.
The retired airport security officer, 75, said: “He loved working here and was here for years.
“Sadly he also got badly injured. We think he got hit by a train as he walked down towards a signal box.
“He was found lying by the tracks. He recovered but that was him done working on the railways as he was too badly hurt.”
He added: “It’s sad to see the place like this as it could be so much more.
“But it’s all about money.”
Manchester United fan Alan Burrows, 64, said: “I go to Old Trafford to watch games but I can’t get the train, which is sad.
“I have to drive and get the tram. I just can’t get a train from here as there aren’t any.
“It’s a crying shame. If I could get a train into Manchester Victoria from here then it would be easier to get to the football.
“It’s would be the same for people going to watch Man City or Stockport County.”
Their fellow campaigner Noel Henry, 63, said: “We believe we have the population here to merit more trains. University students have told us they’d use it and it would make sense to run into Manchester Victoria. We also have the backing of local MPs.”
The morning 8.42am service had just one passenger already on board as it slowed into Denton station.
Rail fan Mark stopped as he posed for a photograph by the train door.
Eager to get on board before the door closed, he joked: “I’d better get on – I’d have to wait a week if I miss it.”
Least used stations April 2023 - April 2024
1. Denton, Greater Manchester - 54 passengers a year
2. Shippea Hill, Cambridgeshire - 70 passengers a year
3. Ince and Elton, Cheshire - 86 passengers a year
4. Polesworth, Warwickshire - 118 passengers a year
5. Reddish South, Greater Manchester - 128 passengers a year
Top 5 most used stations in Great Britain
1. London Liverpool Street - 94.5m passengers a year
2. London Paddington 66.9m passengers a year
3. Tottenham Court Road 64.2m passengers a year
4. London Waterloo 62.5m passengers a year
5. Stratford (London) 56.6m passengers a year"
A passenger flags down the
once-a-week train, which will
not stop if not hailed
Credit: Zenpix
The eerie station of Denton, Greater Manchester, is the least used in Britain.
Credit: alamy
Train guard Darren Scholes gives a
wave onboard the 'Denton Flyer
Credit: Zenpix
Only one train stops at the station
every week
Credit: Zenpix
David Ashworth, Alan Burrows and Noel Henry are among a handful of visitors to the
station on the day The Sun visited
Credit: Zenpix
The station runs one train a week
as it is more cost-effective than closing
Credit: alamy
Train fan Mark Morton made his way from Bradford to ride the train Credit: Zenpix
Reporter Stewart and photographer Paul at Denton Saturday 9th November
picture by Noel Henry
15th September 2024:
Locomotive Services 'Midland Pullman' empty stock working 5Z85 York Yard North to Crewe H.S passes Denton.
November 2024
Denton Station newspaper article
The Friends Committee were very interested to learn from Northern Rail about an interview for the Telegraph newspaper with Owain Roberts from Northern, on the subject of Denton Station being the ‘loneliest railway station’ having only 34 passengers in a year. In fact as the Friends of Reddish South are now collaborating more and more with Denton Friends as they are not active presently, we were asked to contribute to Owain’s part of the article, which of course we were very happy to do.
However, when the article was produced the interview with Owain had been cut completely (due to article word count) and what remained was out of date (figures were for 2022/23) and a bit misleading. The latest figures for footfall for the period 1/4/23 to 31/3/24 will be coming out on 21st November. Our Noel actually spoke to the journalist and did inform him also that the train had only run for 28 weeks out of the 52!
However, Mark Charnley, Green Badge Tourist Guide did speak for us all when he said’ I believe improving infrastructure and capacity are the key to the future. It’s simple really; provide a decent service and people will return to rail’ If you build it they will come!
Its just a shame that Mr Atkinson was unable to share the positive news from FORSS/FODS on our ambition and current work keeping our stations beautiful and our campaign current.
August 2024
Our new MP, Nav Mishra, has hit the ground running on our behalf: extract from Hansard July 18th 2024:
"On railways, I thank the Friends of Reddish South Station for meeting me on several occasions. I will campaign to restore proper rail services to Reddish South station, which has one service a week—that is simply not acceptable. I also want to see disabled access at all train stations, starting of course in my constituency. Brinnington, Heaton Chapel, Reddish North and Reddish South stations all need proper disabled access.
We must also invest in Stockport station, which is quite old and worn out. It is a wonderful asset, offering services to London, Birmingham, Wales and across England. In 2022-23, passengers entered and exited Stockport station a total of 3.2 million times. It is vital that our regional and national rail infrastructure is protected and invested in. The station is dated, the lifts are often faulty and it is a poor experience for passengers and for the staff working there."
Hansard Vol 752 Thursday July 18th 2024
Editorial opinion:
Restoring Your Railways continued....
Meanwhile, it has been announced that the 'Restoring Your Railways' scheme has been dropped, as it was an unfunded scheme.
It does prove, despite the initial support for building a business case, it was one of Boris Johnson's ideas that was set up without any thought or consideration for the impact of deceitfully building up hopes in neighbourhoods and Community groups such as ours..
The amount of hard work and time put in by the Committee and the Friends to publicise and encourage public participation in the scheme, plus the 2 years we waited for an outcome of our application, which, it now seems, was never likely to be positive when some investment and motivation was going to be required to make it happen, is inexcusable.
However given the record of the previous government was probably only to be expected.
We carry on!
The Restoring Your Railways Bid
The Committee are very saddened to inform you that the Restoring Your Railways bid for a Stockport-Manchester Victoria heavy rail passenger service has been rejected.
However, we still believe we have a very strong case - which many Rail Groups across the country support - and will continue to campaign.
We now have 2 MPs who give us their strong support, the bid for Metrolink from Stockport - East Didsbury is strikingly similar to our own and we are not convinced there are enough reasons for us not carry on.
We really hope that you will stay interested and come along with us; we are convinced that we can still make significant progress, especially as the roads get more congested, the building of new homes gains momentum and our local population further increases. Facilities in Reddish are woeful - library falling down, no pool, very few restaurants, no leisure facilities, no space for activities/social occasions and no real plans to make them happen, so we need sustainable public transport to be able to travel outside our locality.
Keep the faith!
thank you all
July 2024
As mentioned in the previous article, due to boundary changes, Reddish South Station is now in the new Stockport constituency, and Navendu Mishra has been elected as our MP. Nav was interviewed yesterday and said:
" I want to see the expansion of better public transport; we've got the bus franchising coming up in January but Stockport station needs real investment, REDDISH SOUTH has issues with services"
Thanks to Nav, for making us part of his first interview. The election also means that we now have 2 MPs fighting our corner and a Labour Government, which gives us more hope than we have had for a while. The Campaign goes on!!
June 2024
Andrew Gwynne asks question in parliament:
Andrew asked: "With fares up and cancellations at a record high, rail passengers are crying out for change. In my patch, Reddish South and Denton stations are served by just one train a week. I would like a train service that meets our needs, but the Minister seems to have put rail reform on the back burner. Is that because he cannot deliver, or he thinks Labour will?"
The answer did not answer the question though-
Huw Merriman, Minister for Transport replied "The hon. Member is completely wrong. The pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Rail Reform Bill is being done right now by the Transport Committee. I think I am the final witness to appear before the Committee next week, so that it can, I hope, report in July. Contrast that with the passenger-in-chief approach of meddling with the railways and indeed of a resource-led timetable to fit the existing staff, and I think it is quite clear that it is the Conservatives who want to improve the rail system."
from Hansard Reliability of Rail Services
Volume 750: debated on Thursday 16 May 2024
so that answers that then!
June 2024
Thank you Andrew
The news of an election being announced has been welcomed by many. However it has a downside for the Friends of Reddish South Station as it means that Andrew Gwynne will no longer be our MP due to boundary changes.
The Committee would like to take this opportunity to say how much we will miss him and his support for us.
He has been an unwavering advocate on our behalf right from the beginning of our campaign in 2007 and has opened doors for us that would have been otherwise firmly slammed in our face!
It is through him that both stations remained open, that Denton got desperately needed repair work done, we were able to see Andy Burnham on so many occasions which gave us the opportunity to access the Restoring Your Railways scheme.
However he still remains our Honorary President and will still be MP (we hope) for Denton after the election.
We would not have got so far without him and would like to give him huge thanks for all the work he has done. Good luck with the new constituents!
May 2024
It is with sadness that we announce, that for the time being, Friends of Denton Station have suspended their group activites due to circumstances beyond their control.
The Chair, Alan Jones is still involved with the campaign, but for now, the Friends of Reddish South will carry on in the name of both groups. Therefore if you are from the Denton area and wish to join the campaign, joining the Friends of Reddish South will be as effective as if you had joined Friends of Denton. Indeed if anyone wishes to join us do not hesitate to get in touch!
March 2024:
Campaign Editorial & Update
When it was announced in the free Independent local newspaper that Councillor Mark Hunter, the Leader of Stockport Council, was announcing his intention to put Stockport on the Metrolink map, with the new Interchange ‘Tram ready’; it piqued enough of our interest to investigate a little further, especially as, even with full council backing, our campaign receives nary a mention from one year’s end to the next in any council literature or publicity.
Surprise, surprise when reading the meeting minutes for the Metrolink proposals, it was described as a ‘Key Southern Gateway’ from Stockport to Manchester to make Stockport a ‘key strategic transport hub’ and that ‘beyond the direct transport benefits, Metrolink connectivity to Stockport has the potential to deliver truly transformational economic, environmental and social benefits for the borough and beyond into southern greater Manchester and beyond’
If this sounds familiar, you are right! It has been at the heart of the Friends campaign for years!
Now, while we applaud any attempts to improve public transport in Stockport we would argue that all of the improvements that Metrolink could potentially bring to the borough could be equally served, by reinstating the Stockport—Manchester Victoria line via Reddish South & Denton Stations and therefore should be as robustly supported alongside the current negotiations!
As the proposed Metrolink route, although not yet finalized, is a link with the current terminus at East Didsbury , it is clearly coming nowhere near Reddish which has been a neglected area of Stockport borough for far too long.
The Committee have written detailing the similarities with the Metrolink plan, without the, up to, £1 billion price tag, not to mention the 35 minute journey time on the train as opposed to the 1 hour plus journey time on Metrolink to get to the heart of Manchester.
We have received a reply from Cllr Hunter, who says we are fully supported by the Council, but he did not respond to our invitation to visit and discuss the matter with us. Therefore we are in the process of formulating a response.
We are, however, very grateful to the Stockport Transport & Communities Scrutiny Committee for bringing this to the attention of the Council planners, as well as Cllr Grace Baynham’s remarks to Robert Fickling at the Travelwatch conference, (see next item) calling our line ‘a missed opportunity’ (subject of course, to the outcome of the Restoring Your Railways Report by the Department for Transport
The Committee feel that there are as many (if not more) compelling reasons to reinstate rail passenger services from Stockport to Manchester Victoria as there are those that advocate the building of the Stockport Metrolink. Combine the ambitions of both campaigns—and Stockport will become the ‘key strategic transport hub’ of Stockport Council’s ambitions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"RAILWAY COMMUNICATION WITH VICTORIA– Considering the numerous sums of money expended by the Railway Companies running into the Metropolis to gain inter-communication with the termini situated in the other parts of London, it is surprising that efforts have not been made to satisfy so great a desideratum for Manchester, more especially when it is borne in mind that London and North-Western Railway Company have already a short loop line near the Denton Station , which communicates with the line from Stalybridge to Victoria close to Droylsden. A regular service of trains between Stockport and Victoria would meet with plenty of patronage from Reddish & Denton to avoid the long and tiresome journey through the most busy parts of the city. The traffic between Reddish and Bolton is considerable; all of which must of necessity pass through Manchester; the crowded and inconvenient state of the Denton omnibuses shows that communication between that much-extending place and Manchester is needed; while those who form part of the yearly-increasing exodus to Blackpool & Southport would be thankful for such a saving of their time and of shifting their bags and baggage.”
Stockport Advertiser Friday 2nd August 1878
pictured above, The Mayor of Stockport, Cllr Graham Greenhalgh, opening the conference.
Travelwatch NW Conference, Guildhall, Stockport , 12th March 2024
FORSS were invited to the Conference, held on 12th March 2024, at the Guildhall on Wellington Road in Stockport.
The topics covered were the introduction of the bus Bee Network, The future of Rail and a presentation from Transpennine Rail Company.
The Bee Network is being introduced in 3 tranches– NW Manchester was introduced in September 2023, NE Manchester on 24th March 2024, and finally , our part of Manchester in January 2025. They are introducing new routes and trialing a night service in the coming months.
Robert Fickling of TfGM informed the Conference of the difficulties rail are having since Covid, the changing pattern of rail travel and the efforts of the rail industry to follow the new trends of home working and leisure travel.
Transpennine have gone through myriad changes since they were taken over after many failings of the service.
They are now in the process of buying new trains, introducing new services, deep cleaning existing trains, and trialing a hot food service. They are part of a major infrastructure rebuild and are negotiating with staff over pay and conditions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Speaking to Mr Fickling of TfGM after the Travelwatch Conference was rather unedifying as he argued that Manchester Victoria was not in the social/retail hub of Manchester despite being next door to the Arena, the theatres, the retail centre, and the Manchester markets.
He stated Manchester Victoria was not where people wanted to travel, according to his data. However, he then mentioned he was quoting from data from 2017, despite earlier explaining to the conference how much travel preferences by rail had changed since Covid, more for leisure reasons than business!
Mr Fickling was also asked about the signaling upgrade at Stockport Station, considering he had said in his talk to Conference that Stockport Station was ’stuffed’. He said that updating the signaling would mean less trains could go through Stockport than do now!
Incidentally, did you know, that when making a business case for introducing a new rail service, that calculations are included as to how much petrol tax would be lost by taking public transport not to mention the road tax if you can actually dispense with a car?
Andrew Gwynne unveiling our most recent project belatedly celebrating the 75th anniversary of VE Day.
December 2023
Looking towards 2024
As we say goodbye to what has been a rather difficult year for many of us, we look forward to a better 2024—for FORSS particularly that we have some encouraging news on the Restoring Your Railways front.
With the cancellation of HS2, more rail investment should be coming northwards, and, relatively speaking, ours is a small investment for a great gain. We have great local and regional support.
However, as we have always learnt to look at both sides, should the news be unfavourable, we still look forward to a change of government and fresh campaigning if necessary.
All we can do is cross fingers and hope for some joined up thinking from the decision makers.
Least used station figures released
Denton 2nd from bottom with 34 recorded passengers
Reddish South 5th from bottom with 100 passengers.
The figures are for the period April 1st 2022 to 31st March 2023.
The Office of Road and Rail didn't mention both the stations were effectively closed half the year.
The 'Service' ran 28 weeks, didn't run for 15 weeks due to engineering works at Stalybridge, and for 9 weeks due to strike action.
56 journeys out of a possible 104 actually ran, = 53.8%
Report Noel Henry