There are three adopted stations locally:

Walkden Station, Eccles Station and Irlam Station

Friends of Walkden Station

Like many suburban stations in Manchester, Walkden has suffered decades of neglect and now presents a bleak prospect with virtually no passenger facilities. Recently, the local population has grown dramatically, fuelling a doubling of passenger numbers and bringing an extra problem: over-crowding.

Friends of Walkden Station (FOWS) was formed in February 2007 with support from Northern Rail and GMPTE. After a few months of building relationships and prioritising issues, the group are now actively involved in station improvement projects.

FOWS’ achievements are quite modest: securing the installation of litter bins, performing station clean-ups, persuading the council to clean-up pigeon droppings, and planting a flower bed on the platform.

On-going projects include installation of a second flower bed and murals to be produced by local children. FOWS is pressing hard to achieve more substantial longer-term infrastructure improvements such as securing the station with CCTV cameras, re-opening a disused length of platform (to allow longer trains to call and alleviate over-crowding), reducing the unusually large gap between platform edge and trains, reintroducing Sunday services, and, improving accessibility for passengers who cannot climb the two flights of stairs to the platform.

The Group has the very active support of local councillors and the local MP, who has managed to secure a visit from the Transport Secretary, Ruth Kelly, to see the station’s problems first-hand. Another recent visitor was Theresa Villiers, Shadow Secretary of State for Transport. The Group also benefit from the assistance of some tremendously resourceful local Northern Rail staff who both take a keen interest in our work and share the commitment to improving the station.

FOWS’ work is regularly featured in local newspapers. They have a web site (http://www.walkdenstation.org.uk)  and a noticeboard blog(http://walkdenstation.wordpress.com/)

Friends of Eccles Station

Friends of Irlam Station was formed on 15th September 2005, the 175th anniversary of the opening of the world's first main line passenger railway between Manchester and Liverpool on 15th September 1830. Working in partnership with ACoRP, GMPTE, Salford City Council, Northern Rail and Network Rail to improve the environment and passenger services at Eccles Station and the immediate surrounding area. www.freccles.org.uk

Friends of Irlam Station

Friends of Irlam Station was formed in September 2005 with support from Northern Rail and GMPTE and has made steady progress. The station has been painted and some consideration has been given to flowers and planting.The Friends have also had an outing to Handforth Station, another adopted station. You can reach Friends of Irlam Station through their website www.friendsofirlamstation.colsal.org.uk/.