Manchester and Salford Junction Railway

The Manchester and Salford Junction Railway was designed to link the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. The Manchester and Bolton Railway and the Manchester and Leeds Railway. The Manchester and Leeds Railway were to be responsible for the constriction of a spur from their line to Hunts Bank and the design and construction of a Joint Station at Hunts Bank on behalf of both companies. Thus the boundary of the works carried out by M and L Railway is the retaining wall on the east side of Great Ducie Street, although their boundary is the centre line of the station building.

Works by the Liverpool and Manchester Railway comprised a new line branching from the main line at Ordsall and running through Salford to Great Ducie Street on brick arches and including the bridge over Great Ducie Street and over the Irwell nearby, with the exception of the length of track between New Bailey Street and Irwell Street, immediately adjacent to Salford Station which was carried out by the Manchester and Bolton Railway on behalf of the L and M Railway.

At a special meeting of the proprietors of the Manchester and Leeds Railway, the Directors sought authorisation to apply to parliament for power to make a branch or extension to a station at Hunts Bank to join a proposed line of railway connecting with the Liverpool and Manchester Railway and the Manchester and Bolton Railway and to build a station at Hunts Bank. Power was also sought to enlarge the proposed station at Oldham Road. [Manchester Guardian 19 January 1839 page 3]

The company’s new offices were also established in the mansion formerly occupied by Miss Clowes, subsequently by Messrs Jackson and Rushworth and by the late Mr Harrison and Mr Edward Norris. It is situated on rising ground to the north-east of Hunts Bank, behind the Flying Horse Inn, and at the foot of the workhouse garden. This was understood to be the proposed site of the Manchester Station when the extended line was constructed.

The design, as is now pretty generally understood perhaps, is to unite the Liverpool and Manchester, the Manchester and Bolton, and the Manchester and Leeds Railways by means of extension lines branching off from them at the most convenient points at a common terminus, situated as nearly as possible to the centre of the town. The site fixed upon for this terminus is Hunt's Bank. The two extension lines are erecting at the cost of the Liverpool and Manchester, and the Manchester and Leeds Companies.    …. If we found the Liverpool and Manchester Extension part of the junction making rapid strides, we must confess that the Manchester and Leeds Extension is in a yet more forward state. The buildings requiring removal to make way for it have long since been pulled down. The direction taken by this line is through a cutting across the Workhouse burial-ground, whence it passes under York Street. It next crosses the Irk, then over Long Millgate, again spans the Irk, passes over Nelson Street, New Blakeley Street, Irk Street, Ashley Lane, Gould Street, Parker Street, and Lower Tebbutt Street, by means of a viaduct of considerable elevation. Many of the arches along this part of the line- that is, from York Street to Lower Tebbutt Street, a distance of 2076 feet, - have already been turned, and the abutments of most of the bridges, which are to be of iron, and some of them considerably askew, have been erected. The number of arches in this viaduct, including those of the bridges, is thirty-eight. From Lower Tebbutt Street the line crosses an open space, or waste, formerly occupied by brick-crofts, in New Town, on an embankment skirted with brickwork, of about 980 feet in length, after which a cutting of 1170 feet in length carries it under St. George's Road and Cropper Street; when there succeeds another embankment for 1320 feet, with a viaduct at the end of 118 feet, across Ryder's reservoir; and here it joins the main line. The junction is near to the engine-house on the main line, and at some considerable distance from the present terminus in Oldham Road. The line along these embankments and cuttings is in a very forward state, and in many places nearly ready to receive the permanent rails. The principal bridges on this line are those at Long Millgate, New Blakeley Street, Lower Tebbutt-street, St. George's Road and Cropper Street, all of which are of iron. [Manchester Times 25 March 1843 page 5]

Reference    Manchester Times 25 March 1843 page 5
Reference    Manchester Guardian 19 January 1839 page 3 – special meeting
Reference    Manchester Guardian 9 March 1839 page 1 – formal notice of application