Crewe Station Cheshire

Crewe Station

Crewe Station is a station of historical importance in Cheshire in the north of the country. The gateway to the northwest of England, it is a major rail junction with 12 platforms.

The name "Crewe" means crossing in old Welsh and the new town took its name from the rail junction that developed here in the 19th century.

Part of the railway industry here was Crewe Works, a huge engineering factory that opened not long after the station in 1840. At its peak, Crewe Works employed up to 20,000 workers producing steam and later diesel locomotives.

Another major industry was motor vehicle manufacture. Rolls-Royce built cars in Crewe from 1946 to 2002 and the Pyms Lane factory still produces Bentleys.

Northern Railway train at the station. — Northern Railway train at the station

History

Crewe Station opened way back in 1837. The plan was to link the Liverpool and Manchester Railway with a proposed London & Birmingham Railway - thus connecting England's four largest cities.

Other lines were then built to Chester and Holyhead in Wales confirming Crewe as the major rail hub in Britain.

The London and North Western Railway Company, once the largest company in the world, extended its lines to Leeds, Lancaster, Carlisle and Shrewsbury.

To accommodate the increase in traffic, the station was rebuilt in 1867.

Much later in 2014 the station has been renovated with the addition of the Weston Road Entrance.

Crewe is a planned stop on the proposed HS2 high-speed rail route.

The Crewe Heritage Centre on the site of the original Crewe Locomotive Works has information on the town's industrial history including a 600-meter long miniature railway, locomotives and other railway-themed exhibits from around the country.

There are 12 platforms altogether at the station. — There are 12 platforms altogether at the station

Train Connections

Crewe has southbound connections to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, Bristol Temple Meads, Cardiff Central, Derby, Stoke-on-Trent, and Shrewsbury.

Heading north there are trains from Crewe to Manchester Piccadilly via Wilmslow and Stockport stations, Chester Station in Chester, Liverpool Lime Street, Runcorn, Blackpool North, via Preston or Piccadilly and Edinburgh Waverley in Edinburgh.

The Caledonian Sleeper runs north to Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness Station in Inverness and Fort William.

Train to London Euston. — Train to London Euston

Buses

Buses to and from Crewe Station include the number 3 to Hanley, the 6 to Leighton, the 12 Leighton Link, the 38 Sapphire to Macclesfield and the 39 to Nantwich.

Gresty Road aka the Alexandra Stadium, and now known as the Mornflake Stadium, is the home of Crewe Alexandra. It is a five-minute walk from the station.

Platform 11 at Crewe Station. — Platform 11 at Crewe Station

Facilities

Nantwich Road
Crewe
Cheshire, CW2 6HR

There are over 180 storage spaces for bicycles, a lost property office, an ATM, pay phones, a post box, waiting rooms (including a first class lounge) and various places for refreshments.

The ticket office is open from Monday to Saturday from 5.30 am to 7 pm and on Sunday from 6.10 am to 7 pm.

Train arriving at Crewe Station. — Train arriving at Crewe Station

Hotels near Crewe Station

There are several places to stay near Crewe Station. These include the Royal Hotel Crewe and the 3-star Best Western Crewe Arms Hotel. This hotel was built along with the station in 1837 and used to host Queen Victoria and Prince Albert on their trips to Balmoral in Scotland. A private underground passage connected the hotel and station for the royal family.

The Waverley is a modest three-star property also close by along with the Holiday Inn Express Crewe also with three stars.

More accommodation options near Crewe Station can be found here.