95-463: The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway ( L&YR ) was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping . It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways. It was the third-largest railway system based in northern England (after the Midland and North Eastern Railways ). The intensity of its service was reflected in the 1,650 locomotives it owned – it
190-461: A narrow gauge railway built near Wakefield , West Yorkshire , England. The early wooden railways were improved on in 1793 when Benjamin Outram constructed a mile-long tramway with L-shaped cast iron rails. These rails became obsolete when William Jessop began to manufacture cast iron rails without guiding ledges – the wheels of the carts had flanges instead. Cast iron is brittle and so
285-405: A bill had been put before Parliament suggesting the state purchase of the railways; this was not adopted. It did, however, lead to the introduction of minimum standards for the construction of carriages and the compulsory provision of 3rd class accommodation for passengers – so-called " Parliamentary trains ". The railway companies ceased to be profitable after the mid-1870s. Nationalisation of
380-439: A crankshaft beneath the frames which, in turn, drove the gears attached to the wheels. This meant that the wheels were coupled, allowing better traction. A year later, George Stephenson improved on that design with his first locomotive Blücher , which was the first locomotive to use single-flanged wheels. That design persuaded the backers of the proposed Stockton and Darlington Railway to appoint Stephenson as Engineer for
475-453: A dispute over the planned introduction of driver-only operation, and has since expanded to cover many different issues affecting the rail industry; as of February 2018, the majority of the industrial action remains unresolved, with further strikes planned. The COVID-19 pandemic of the early 2020s caused a massive drop in passenger numbers, As of 2018, government subsidies to the rail industry in real terms were roughly three times that of
570-776: A drip feed and seek economies through cutbacks. The desire for profitability led to a major reduction in the network during the mid-1960s. Dr. Richard Beeching was given the task by the government of re-organising the railways ("the Beeching Axe "). This policy resulted in many branch lines and secondary routes being closed because they were deemed uneconomic; the closure of one-third of all stations, typically serving rural communities, removed much feeder traffic from main line passenger services. The closure of many freight depots that had been used by larger industries such as coal and iron led to much freight transferring to road haulage. The sweeping closures were extremely unpopular with
665-595: A further five under joint ownership with the London and North Western Railway . The L&YR ran steamers between Liverpool and Drogheda , Hull and Zeebrugge , and between Goole and many continental ports including Amsterdam , Copenhagen , Hamburg , and Rotterdam . The jointly-owned vessels provided services between Fleetwood , Belfast and Derry . History of rail transport in Great Britain The railway system of Great Britain started with
760-763: A handful of larger companies remained (see Railway Mania ). Other nations quickly sought to obtain British expertise in this field to develop their own railways. The British-built Patentee class locomotive Le Belge was constructed for the first main line on the European mainland, the Brussels-Mechelen line, while Adler , another Patentee class locomotive, hauled the first commercially successful passengers and goods trains in Germany . To several of these customers, Britain's pioneering railway industry
855-558: A handful of larger companies remained. The period also saw a steady increase in government involvement, especially in safety matters, such as the Railway Inspectorate . The entire network was brought under government control during the First World War , during which time a number of advantages of amalgamation and central planning were demonstrated. However, the government resisted calls for the nationalisation of
950-526: A mainline route. In Liverpool , the fourth rail system pioneered by the tube railways in London was used at 600 V DC , although this was later converted to a third rail system. Suburban lines in the Liverpool area were electrified to reach a total of 37 miles (60 km). In 1912 Dick, Kerr & Co. 's Preston factory was considering tendering for a Brazilian contract, and approached
1045-638: A number exceeded only by the Great Western Railway , the London and North Western Railway , and the Midland Railway . It was the first mainline railway to introduce electrification of some of its lines, and it also ran steamboat services across the Irish Sea and North Sea , being a bigger shipowner than any other British railway company. It amalgamated with the London and North Western Railway on 1 January 1922. One year later,
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#17328012857701140-533: A one-third stake in the Dearne Valley Railway , the remaining two-thirds of which was owned by private shareholders. The system consisted of many branches and alternative routes, so that it is not easy to determine the location of its main line . For working purposes the railway was split into three divisions: Whereas there were various lines split between the Central and Western Divisions there
1235-437: A part of their WorldWired Tour . On 29 November 2017, Phil Collins performed one night here with his Not Dead Yet Tour . On 10 December 2017, Mariah Carey brought her All I Want for Christmas Is You, A Night of Joy and Festivity show here. On 16 December 2017, Liam Gallagher performed here as part of his UK tour to celebrate the release of his debut album As You Were . On 10 February 2018, Kendrick Lamar performed
1330-488: A period of slow decline. The "Big Four" cooperated closely during the Second World War and continued to run the railway system up until 31 December 1947. From the start of 1948, the "Big Four" were nationalised to form British Railways . Though there were few initial changes to services, usage increased and the network became profitable. A rapid introduction of diesel and electric rolling stock to replace steam
1425-669: A railway powered by animals drawing the cars or wagons, was used by German miners at Caldbeck , Cumbria , England, perhaps from the 1560s. A wagonway was built at Prescot , near Liverpool , sometime around 1600, possibly as early as 1594. Owned by Philip Layton, the line carried coal from a pit near Prescot Hall to a terminus about half a mile away. Another wagonway was Sir Francis Willoughby's Wollaton Wagonway in Nottinghamshire built between 1603 and 1604 to carry coal. As early as 1671 railed roads were in use in Durham to ease
1520-466: A record for an ice hockey match in Europe at that time. When 14,151 people watched Manchester Giants play London Leopards , it set a British record for attendance at a basketball match. The venue attracts over a million customers each year for concerts and family shows, making it one of the world's busiest indoor arenas, and was named "International Venue Of The Year" in 2002 in the 'Pollstar' awards, and
1615-421: A sold-out show at the arena on 4 December 2011 as part of their Mylo Xyloto Tour . American entertainer Beyoncé performed three sold-out shows at the arena as part of her The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour on 7, 8 and 9 May 2013. She returned on 25 and 26 February 2014 for two more sold-out shows. Both shows became the fastest concert to sell out the entire arena. This was the fifth tour Beyoncé has performed at
1710-424: Is due to privatisation is disputed . The Hatfield accident set in motion a series of events that resulted in the ultimate collapse of Railtrack and its replacement with Network Rail , a state-owned, not-for-dividend company. By 2018, government subsidies to the rail industry in real terms were roughly three times that of the late 1980s, while train fares cost more than under British Rail. A wagonway , essentially
1805-520: Is the case." The entire network was brought under government control during the First World War , and a number of advantages of amalgamation and planning were achieved. However, the Conservative members of the wartime coalition government resisted calls for the formal nationalisation of the railways in 1921. On 1 January 1923, almost all the railway companies were grouped into the Big Four :
1900-566: Is used to increase sound insulation. The upper parts of the building are clad in purple-grey with green glass. The arena was opened on 15 July 1995. The arena is the only indoor venue in the UK to be built following a layout of 360-degree seating. (London's The O2 , formerly the Millennium Dome , also has 360-degree seating, but only on its lower tier, whereas Manchester's arena features it on both tiers). Other European indoor venues built to
1995-404: The 2002 Commonwealth Games . The arena was temporarily closed following a terror attack on 22 May 2017 , in which suicide bomber Salman Abedi killed 22 people, and injured 500 more, at the end of an Ariana Grande concert during her Dangerous Woman Tour . Shows and events that were scheduled to take place at the arena were either moved to alternative venues, or cancelled completely. The arena
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#17328012857702090-702: The Cambrian Heritage Railways in Oswestry . The L&YR had the largest ship fleet of all the pre-grouping railway companies. In 1902 the assets of the Drogheda Steam Packet Company were acquired for the sum of £80,000 (equivalent to £10,970,000 in 2023). In 1905 they took over the Goole Steam Shipping Company . By 1913 they owned 26 vessels, with another two under construction, plus
2185-610: The Great Western Railway , the London and North Eastern Railway , the London, Midland and Scottish Railway and the Southern Railway companies. A number of other lines, already operating as joint railways , remained separate from the Big Four; these included the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway and the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway . The "Big Four" were joint-stock public companies and they continued to run
2280-607: The Park Lane railway goods station at Liverpool's south docks, accessed by the 1.26-mile Wapping Tunnel . In 1836, at the Liverpool end the line was extended to Lime Street station in Liverpool's city centre via a 1.1 mile long tunnel. Many of the first public railways were built as local rail links operated by small private railway companies. With increasing rapidity, more and more lines were built, often with scant regard for their potential for traffic. The 1840s were by far
2375-809: The Southall rail crash (where a train with its faulty Automatic Warning System disconnected passed a stop signal ), the Ladbroke Grove rail crash (also caused by a train passing a stop signal) and the Hatfield accident (caused by a rail fragmenting due to the development of microscopic cracks). Following the Hatfield accident, the rail infrastructure company Railtrack imposed over 1,200 emergency speed restrictions across its network and instigated an extremely costly nationwide track replacement programme. The consequential severe operational disruption to
2470-564: The 3rd date of the European leg of The Damn Tour . This was his first time performing in Manchester since 2013. On 22 June 2018, Katy Perry performed the 90th show of her fourth concert tour Witness: The Tour . South Korean girl group Blackpink performed their first UK arena concert on 21 May 2019 as part of the Blackpink World Tour (In Your Area) schedule here. Carrie Underwood bought her Cry Pretty Tour 360 to
2565-653: The Barry Railway Company also survive, one being a birdcage brake from 1882. A dynamometer car also survives at the Midland Rail Centre in Butterley. Mostly covered goods vans survive in the form of L&YR goods stock, some of these vans also passed into Cadbury ownership for use at Bournville . A brake van also survives at the Kent & East Sussex Railway and the body of a CCT van at
2660-421: The Conservative government under John Major . Ownership of the track and infrastructure passed to Railtrack , passenger operations were franchised to individual private sector operators (originally there were 25 franchises) and the freight services sold outright (six companies were set up, but five of these were sold to the same buyer). Since privatisation , numbers of passengers have grown rapidly; by 2010
2755-535: The Disco performed the final date of the project's Viva Las Vengeance Tour on 10 March 2023. It was its farewell concert, as leader Brendon Urie will subsequently disband the name to focus on family. Panic! at the Disco had previously performed at the arena on 30 March 2019 for its Pray for the Wicked Tour . On 5 and 6 April 2023, Celine Dion was supposed to perform here during her Courage World Tour due to
2850-561: The Great Western Railway introduced the first of its diesel-powered railcars , an early move towards the long term future of the passenger trains. On 3 July 1938, the London and North Eastern Railway's Class A4 4468 Mallard set a world speed record of 126 mph (202.8 km/h). During the Second World War, the companies' managements joined together, effectively operating as one company, to assisting
2945-619: The L&;YR and LNWR agreed terms under which the two railways would amalgamate. Before this could occur, the Railways Act 1921 became law on 19 August 1921, under which the L&YR and LNWR would be forced to amalgamate on 1 January 1923 with each other and with other railways, such as the Midland Railway and the Caledonian Railway . The Act included provisions for two or more railways to amalgamate voluntarily before 1923; and
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3040-518: The L&YR and LNWR took the opportunity to implement their March 1921 agreement, and on 1 January 1922 both railways were dissolved and a new company was formed, which was also named the London and North Western Railway; its board of twenty directors included six from the former L&YR. The 1923 Grouping duly occurred one years later, which involved the expanded LNWR forming part of the new London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS). The general manager, secretary and chief mechanical engineer positions of
3135-407: The L&YR stationed its locomotives at around sixty different depots, some of which belonged to another railway, or were shared. Not all were open at the same time: small depots were occasionally closed, with their duties being moved either to another existing depot, or to a new larger depot. By the early 20th century there were 32 depots, of which 27 were owned outright, three were jointly-owned with
3230-464: The L&YR to use the Bury to Holcombe Brook Line for test purposes at Dick, Kerr's expense. The line from Bury Bolton Street to Holcombe Brook was electrified with the overhead 3.5 kV DC system; rolling stock was also supplied at their cost. After prolonged trials the trains entered public use on 29 July 1913. The L&YR purchased the equipment and stock on the successful completion of
3325-401: The L&YR. The dates shown are, in most cases, the acts of Parliament authorising the incorporation and amalgamation of each company. In a few instances the effective date is used. The L&YR was a co-owner of several joint railways and joint stations. Besides those listed above, they included: Unless otherwise stated, the owning railways had equal shares. In addition, the L&YR had
3420-679: The LNWR, and two belonged to another railway. Each was given a code number: Surviving coaching stock of L&YR origin go as far as 1878, with Directors Saloon No. 1 being privately preserved at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway . Multiple coaches are preserved by Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Trust, at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, 6-wheel 5-comp third No. 1507, Blackpool Club Car No. 47, 6-wheel 4-comp First No. 279 and Brake third No. 1474. Many L&YR carriages, that were sold to
3515-577: The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway were originally painted dark green with ornate brasswork and copper-capped chimneys. Lining was black and white. In 1876 the dark green was changed to a light green and goods engines were painted plain black. 1878 saw the goods locomotives also appearing in light green. This livery was discontinued from 1883 when all locomotives were painted black. Lining was red and white for passenger locomotives and, if present, red only for goods locomotives. Passenger coaching stock
3610-413: The London area; Provincial (renamed Regional Railways in 1989) responsible for all other passenger services. Following sectorisation, InterCity became profitable and one of Britain's top 150 companies, operating city centre to city centre travel across the nation from Aberdeen and Inverness in the north to Poole and Penzance in the south. Between 1994 and 1997, British Rail was privatised by
3705-629: The TPi Awards in 2008 by the touring companies that bring the shows to the venue. On the evening of 27 May 1999, a reception was held at the arena to celebrate Manchester United's UEFA Champions League triumph in Barcelona 24 hours earlier, following the victorious side's parade around Manchester at the end of the season in which they became the first English team to win the treble of the Premier League , FA Cup and Champions League in
3800-481: The arena back to Manchester Arena. In September 2020, the arena was rebranded as the AO Arena as part of a five year sponsorship deal by the online electricals retailer AO . On the opening night, 15,000 spectators watched Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean perform. The crowd was a record for an ice event. Attendance records were set in 1997 when 17,425 people watched Manchester Storm play Sheffield Steelers ,
3895-491: The arena during her world tour on 7, 8 March and 10, 11 March 2016. Olly Murs performed at the arena on 17 and 18 March 2017, as part of the first leg for his new UK tour, Spring & Summer Tour 2017 . Shawn Mendes performed at the arena on 18 April 2017 as the second date of the Illuminate World Tour . He also performed on 7 April 2019 as part of his self-titled tour. Ariana Grande performed at
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3990-831: The arena on 11 and 12 August 2001, for their Elevation Tour . The band came back in 2018 during their Experience + Innocence Tour for two shows on 19 and 20 October. In 2002, Kylie Minogue performed for six shows as part of her KylieFever2002 tour. She returned for five sold-out shows in April 2005 as part of her Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour . In 2007, she performed for seven sold-out shows in January as part of her Showgirl: The Homecoming Tour . In 2008, she returned for six sold-out shows in July as part of her KylieX2008 tour. Minogue performed for four shows in April 2011 as part of her Aphrodite: Les Folies Tour . Minogue performed again at
4085-525: The arena on 22 May 2017 as part of the Dangerous Woman Tour . After this, a suicide bombing took place at the foyer of the arena. The arena was reopened by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds and a cohort of local stars such as The Courteeners , Blossoms , Rick Astley and comedian Peter Kay as part of the "We Are Manchester" event on 9 September 2017. Metallica performed at the arena on 28 October 2017 in front of 19,423 people, as
4180-690: The arena on 26 September 2014. The performance marked the 30th time Minogue has performed at the arena. It is a record for Minogue as the venue she has played to most in the world; she has played to 400,000 fans in total in the Manchester Arena. Barbadian singer Rihanna would perform her first concert in England here, as part of her worldwide Good Girl Gone Bad Tour that ran September 2006 to January 2009, starting and ending in North America. The full concert, named Good Girl Gone Bad Live
4275-505: The arena on 3 July 2019. Six time Grammy award-winning artist Christina Aguilera performed her 14th date of The X Tour to full attendance on 12 November 2019. On 15 April 2022, Dua Lipa performed the 1st date of the European leg of highly anticipated Future Nostalgia Tour . This was her first time performing in Manchester since 2016. On 7 and 8 May 2022, Little Mix performed 3 shows here. 2 evening shows and 1 Matinée, one of their 3 Matinée shows on The Confetti Tour . Panic! at
4370-514: The arena, following concerts for her Dangerously in Love Tour (2003), Destiny Fulfilled...and Lovin' It (2005), The Beyoncé Experience (2007) and the I Am... World Tour (2009). In 2014, Katy Perry performed twice at the venue, on 20 and 24 May as part of her third concert tour , Prismatic World Tour . Taylor Swift performed at the arena on 24 June 2015, as part of her fourth concert tour, The 1989 World Tour . Adele performed at
4465-511: The biggest decade for railway growth. In 1840, when the decade began, railway lines in Britain were few and scattered but, within ten years, a virtually complete network had been laid down and the vast majority of towns and villages had a rail connection and in some cases even two or three. Over the course of the 19th and early 20th centuries, most of the pioneering independent railway companies amalgamated or were bought by competitors, until only
4560-472: The building of local isolated wooden wagonways starting in the 1560s. A patchwork of local rail links operated by small private railway companies developed in the late 18th century. These isolated links expanded during the railway boom of the 1840s into a national network, although initially being run by over one hundred competing companies. Over the course of the 19th and early 20th centuries, many of these were amalgamated or were bought by competitors until only
4655-539: The conveyance of coal; the first of these was the Tanfield Wagonway . Many of these tramroads or wagon ways were built in the 17th and 18th centuries. They used simply straight and parallel rails of timber on which carts with simple flanged iron wheels were drawn by horses, enabling several wagons to be moved simultaneously. The first public railway in the world was the Lake Lock Rail Road ,
4750-451: The country at the time. It occupied 13 + 1 ⁄ 2 acres (55,000 m) and had 17 platforms with a total length of 9,332 feet (2,844 m). After the grouping, a structural change led platform 11 to run through and join with platform 3 in the LNWR 's adjacent Exchange station ; at 2,238 feet (682 m) between ramps it became the longest railway platform in Britain. Lately
4845-409: The country's war effort. The railway network suffered heavy damage in some areas due to German Luftwaffe bombing, especially in cities such as London and Coventry ; 482 locomotives, 13,314 passenger and 16,132 freight vehicles were damaged. This damage put a severe strain on the railways' resources and a substantial maintenance backlog developed. After 1945, for both practical and ideological reasons,
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#17328012857704940-485: The expanded company were taken by L&YR employees. Ex-L&YR lines formed the core of the LMS's Central Division. The LMS did little to develop the former L&YR routes, which in many places ran parallel to ex-LNWR or ex-Midland routes now forming part of the same network. Nationalisation followed in 1948 followed by a period of rationalisation and modernisation. The L&YR system has survived largely intact, although
5035-560: The following routes have been closed, many within the L&YR's old East Lancashire division: Most ex-L&YR routes are now operated by Northern . Manchester Victoria station has been rebuilt in a more modest form and retains the former terminal building. The Caldervale Line , as named by West Yorkshire Metro , is also operated by Northern and uses a large part of the former L&YR. The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway locomotive works were originally at Miles Platting , Manchester. From 1889 they were at Horwich . During its existence
5130-429: The general public at that time and remain so today. Passenger levels decreased steadily from the late fifties to late seventies. Passenger services then experienced a renaissance with the introduction of the high-speed InterCity 125 trains in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The 1980s saw severe cuts in government funding and above- inflation increases in fares, but the service became more cost-effective. Investment
5225-524: The government decided to bring the rail industry into the public sector . From the start of 1948, the railways were nationalised to form British Railways (latterly "British Rail") under the control of the British Transport Commission . Though there were few initial changes to the service, usage increased and the network became profitable. Regeneration of track and stations was completed by 1954. Rail revenue fell and, in 1955,
5320-677: The increase in capacity will retain the indoor arena's place as the largest in the city after the 23,500-seat Co-op Live Arena opened. The arena was constructed as part of the city's unsuccessful bid for the 2000 Summer Olympics . Construction cost £52 million of which £35.5m was provided by government grants and £2.5m from the European Regional Development Fund . Although built as an American style sports arena, it has been more successful hosting large music events. The arena opened in July 1995, sponsored by NYNEX CableComms as NYNEX Arena . In July 1998, it
5415-484: The ironwork which was black. After 1902 it was painted dark grey. The graphical symbol of an inverted solid triangle within a circle was replaced in 1902–03 with the letters LY. Brake vans were black and special traffic wagons were painted in various colours, such as red for gunpowder , white for fish, and pale blue for butter. The football team of the L&YR Carriage and Wagon works at Newton Heath , Manchester, evolved into Manchester United F.C. On 25 March 1921,
5510-402: The largest venues in the UK, the arena has hosted music concerts since opening in 1995. As of 2019, British pop group Take That , who were formed in Manchester, hold the record for the most performances, with 46. During the five-concert Manchester leg of their 2019 tour , the arena was temporarily renamed after the band to honour their 30-year career. Irish pop group Westlife previously held
5605-553: The late 1980s. pre-1830 The pioneers 1830–1922 Early development 1923–1947 The Big Four 1948–1994 British Rail since 1995 Private franchises Future Great British Railways Manchester Arena Manchester Arena (currently known as AO Arena for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena in Manchester , England, immediately north of the city centre and partly above Manchester Victoria station in air rights space. Prior to
5700-403: The line in 1821. While traffic was originally intended to be horse-drawn, Stephenson carried out a fresh survey of the route to allow steam haulage. The Act was subsequently amended to allow the usage of steam locomotives and also to allow passengers to be carried on the railway. The 25-mile (40 km) long route opened on 27 September 1825 and, with the aid of Stephenson's Locomotion No. 1 ,
5795-494: The merged company became the largest constituent of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway . The L&YR was incorporated in 1847 by the Manchester and Leeds Railway Act (No. 3) 1847 ( 10 & 11 Vict. c. clxiii), being an amalgamation of several important lines, the chief of which was the Manchester and Leeds Railway (itself having been incorporated in 1836). The following companies, in order, were amalgamated into
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#17328012857705890-459: The national network and the company's spiralling costs set in motion the series of events which resulted in the ultimate collapse of the company and its replacement with Network Rail , a state-owned, not-for-dividend company. Since April 2016, the British railway network has been severely disrupted on many occasions by wide-reaching rail strikes , affecting rail franchises across the country. The industrial action began on Southern services as
5985-430: The network again ceased to be profitable. The mid-1950s saw the hasty introduction of diesel and electric rolling stock to replace steam in a modernisation plan costing many millions of pounds but the expected transfer back from road to rail did not occur and losses began to mount. This failure to make the railways more profitable through investment led governments of all political persuasions to restrict rail investment to
6080-408: The network. In 1923, almost all the remaining companies were grouped into the "Big Four": the Great Western Railway , the London and North Eastern Railway , the London, Midland and Scottish Railway and the Southern Railway . The "Big Four" were joint-stock public companies. During the 1920s and 1930s, rising competition from road transport reduced revenues, leading to a lack of investment and thus
6175-548: The opening of Co-op Live , the arena had the highest seating capacity of any indoor venue in the United Kingdom, and is the third-largest in Europe with a capacity of 21,000. The arena is one of the world's busiest indoor arenas, hosting music and sporting events such as boxing and swimming. The arena was a key part of Manchester's bids to host the Olympic Games in 1996 and 2000 and was eventually used for
6270-561: The rails tended to break easily. Consequently, in 1820, John Birkenshaw introduced a method of rolling wrought iron rails, which were used from then onwards. The first passenger-carrying public railway was opened by the Swansea and Mumbles Railway at Oystermouth in 1807, using horse-drawn carriages on an existing tramline . In 1802, Richard Trevithick designed and built the first (unnamed) steam locomotive to run on smooth rails. The first commercially successful steam locomotive
6365-404: The railway system until 31 December 1947. The competition from road transport during the 1920s and 1930s greatly reduced the revenue available to the railways, even though the needs for maintenance on the network had never been higher, as investment had been deferred over the past decade. Rail companies accused the government of favouring road haulage through the construction of roads subsidised by
6460-621: The railways entered a period of slow decline, owing to a lack of investment and changes in transport policy and lifestyles. Several highpoints and innovations did occur during this period. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the Southern Railway invested heavily into railway electrification ; by the end of 1929, the Southern operated over 277 + 1 ⁄ 2 route miles ( 446.6 km) of third rail electrified track and in that year ran 17.8 million electric train miles. During 1933,
6555-480: The railways was first proposed by William Ewart Gladstone as early as the 1840s, and calls for nationalisation continued throughout that century, with F. Keddell writing in 1890 that "The only valid ground for maintaining the monopoly would be the proof that the Railway Companies have made a fair and proper use of their great powers, and have conduced to the prosperity of the people. But the exact contrary
6650-481: The railways were carrying more passengers than at any time since the 1920s. and by 2014 passenger numbers had expanded to their highest level ever, more than doubling in the 20 years since privatisation. Train fares cost more than under British Rail. The railways have become significantly safer since privatisation and are now the safest in Europe. However, the public image of rail travel was damaged by some prominent accidents shortly after privatisation. These included
6745-799: The record with 33 performances. Spice Girls performed 4 sold-out shows during their Spiceworld Tour in April 1998, 4 sold-out shows in December 1999 on the Christmas in Spiceworld Tour, and 3 sold-out shows in January 2008 on The Return of the Spice Girls World Tour. Led Zeppelin legends Jimmy Page and Robert Plant performed a sell out concert at the arena on 3 November 1998 as part of their Walking into Clarksdale tour. On 26 March 2000, English boy band Five performed at this venue as part of their Invincible Tour. The show
6840-584: The same concept include the Lanxess Arena ( Cologne , Germany), Arena Zagreb ( Zagreb , Croatia), Spaladium Arena ( Split , Croatia), Kombank Arena ( Belgrade , Serbia), O2 Arena ( Prague , Czech Republic), and the Barclaycard Arena ( Hamburg , Germany). A three-year £50 million re-development started in 2022. The arena's capacity will increase to 24,000, and new public entrances and custom lounges will be opened. Once complete,
6935-832: The same season, which remained the case until Manchester City achieved the same feat in 2022-23. In 2008, the arena was the world's third busiest arena behind London's The O2 Arena and New York's Madison Square Garden. In 2009, it was the world's second busiest arena behind The O2, and ahead of the Sportpaleis in Antwerp and Madison Square Garden in New York City. Although second to London's The O2, Manchester's arena had its busiest year with over 1,500,000 people attending concerts and family shows. The arena hosts over 250 events annually including comedy, live music and tours, sporting events, and occasionally musicals. As one of
7030-479: The sectorisation of British Rail, InterCity became profitable. Between 1994 and 1997, railway operations were privatised , under which the ownership of the track and infrastructure passed to Railtrack , whilst passenger operations were franchised to individual private sector operators (originally there were 25 franchises ) and the freight services were sold outright. Since privatisation, passenger volumes have increased to their highest ever level, but whether this
7125-407: The station capacity has been reduced to two platforms for Metrolink trams, two bay platforms , and four through platforms under Manchester Arena , which now replaces a significant area once occupied by the station. The main façade and station building of the original Hunts Bank station still exist and are kept in relatively good condition. The L&YR was the first in the country to electrify
7220-428: The station. The original plans included a glass tower which was not built. It originally hosted a seven-screen multiplex cinema, a multi-purpose arena and multi-storey parking. The former multiplex cinema, which opened in 1996, closed after just four years and is now a call centre . Following the bombing, the foyer underwent renovation. A large truss measuring 105 metres (344 ft) spans the roof. Reinforced concrete
7315-599: The taxpayer, while restricting the rail industry's ability to use flexible pricing because it was held to nationally agreed rate cards. The government response was to commission several inconclusive reports; the Salter Report of 1933 finally recommended that road transport should be taxed directly to fund the roads and increased Vehicle Excise Duty and fuel duties were introduced. It also noted that many small lines would never be likely to compete with road haulage. Although these road pricing changes helped their survival,
7410-402: The trials in 1916. In 1913 a decision was taken to electrify the Manchester to Bury route at 1.2 kV DC in an attempt to overcome competition from electric trams . Using the third rail system, trains powered by electric motor cars (or carriages) began running on 17 April 1916 but as Horwich was by then involved in war work, deliveries of the new electric stock were delayed and it
7505-534: Was Salamanca , built in 1812 by John Blenkinsop and Matthew Murray for the 4 ft ( 1,219 mm ) gauge Middleton Railway . Salamanca was a rack and pinion locomotive, with cog wheels driven by two cylinders embedded into the top of the centre-flue boiler. In 1813, William Hedley and Timothy Hackworth designed a locomotive ( Puffing Billy ) for use on the tramway between Stockton and Darlington . Puffing Billy featured piston rods extending upwards to pivoting beams, connected in turn by rods to
7600-572: Was also cancelled, this time because of scheduling conflicts. Britney Spears performed at the arena for the first time for two sold-out shows on 13 and 14 October 2000 during her Oops!...I Did It Again Tour . She has returned for additional sold-out shows on 1 May 2004 during Onyx Hotel Tour , 17 June 2009 during her Circus Tour , in 2011 for the Femme Fatale Tour , and on 18 August 2018 as part of her Piece of Me Tour . U2 performed at
7695-419: Was also filmed for a concert special called Five Live that was released on DVD and VHS later that same year. Janet Jackson performed here on 31 May 1998 as part of her The Velvet Rope Tour . Jackson was scheduled to perform during her All for You Tour on 5 December 2001, but the show was cancelled with the rest of her European tour because of possible terrorist threats. Her 2016 Unbreakable World Tour
7790-452: Was associated with power, daringness and rapidity. The period also saw a steady increase in government involvement, especially in safety matters. The 1840 " Act for Regulating Railways " empowered the Board of Trade to appoint railway inspectors. The Railway Inspectorate was established in 1840, to enquire into the causes of accidents and recommend ways of avoiding them. As early as 1844,
7885-536: Was by far the most densely-trafficked system in the British Isles with more locomotives per mile than any other company – and that one third of its 738 signal boxes controlled junctions averaging one every 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (6 km). No two adjacent stations were more than 5 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (9 km) apart and its 1,904 passenger services occupied 57 pages in Bradshaw ,
7980-718: Was cancelled due to unknown reasons. Madonna was late on stage in 2015 on the Rebel Heart Tour due to problems with the screen visuals resulting in a shortened set. In October 2023 the singer booked this arena to perform the final rehearsals prior to the kick-off of her Celebration Tour , set to begin in London on 14 October the same year. Pop/R&B singer Whitney Houston would hold her last concerts ever here, 16 & 17 June 2010 on her Nothing But Love World Tour . Houston died 11 February 2012, at age 48. On 12 December 2006 comedy rock duo Tenacious D performed as part of their Pick of Destiny Tour , Neil Hamburger
8075-437: Was enacted under the 1955 Modernisation Plan. However, declining passenger numbers and financial losses in the late 1950s and early 1960s prompted the controversial Beeching cuts , which saw the closure of many branch and main lines alike. High-speed intercity trains were introduced in the 1970s. During the 1980s, severe cuts in rail subsidies and above- inflation increases in fares were enacted, decreasing losses. Following
8170-745: Was made into the electrification of the East Coast Main Line (ECML) and the InterCity 225 electric high speed train introduced during the late 1980s. In the mid 1980s, British Rail begun to replace its large fleet of first generation DMUs with a new rolling stock, namely the Pacer and Sprinter families. During 1972, British Rail was reorganised; under sectorisation, three passenger sectors were created: InterCity , operating principal express services; London & South East (renamed Network SouthEast in 1986) operating commuter services in
8265-435: Was nominated in the same category from 2002 to 2009. The arena was named "Busiest Arena Venue In The World", based on ticket sales for concerts from 2003 to 2007, ahead of other indoor arenas including Madison Square Garden and Wembley Arena . The arena was the 'World's Busiest Arena' from 2001 until 2007 based on ticket sales for concerts, attracting five and a half million customers. It was voted 'Europe's Favourite Arena' at
8360-516: Was not until August 1916 that steam trains were withdrawn from the route. In 1920 the L&YR also considered electrifying the Manchester–Oldham–Shaw and Royton lines , but no work was carried out. During 1917 work began to convert the Bury to Holcombe Brook line to a third rail system, matching the Manchester to Bury system. Third-rail trains started to run on 29 March 1918. Locomotives of
8455-535: Was only one route connecting the Eastern and Central Divisions. This line cut through the Pennines between Lancashire and Yorkshire using a number of long tunnels, the longest of which was Summit Tunnel (2,885 yards (2,638 m) in length) near Rochdale . There were six other tunnels each more than 1,000 yards (900 m) long. Manchester Victoria railway station was one of the largest railway stations in
8550-412: Was opening act. [1] Tenacious D also performed on 8 May 2024 as part of The Spicy Meatball Tour . In July 2010, the arena celebrated its 15th birthday with a multi-artist gig, presented by Real Radio (North West) . Gorillaz performed at the arena on 12 November 2010 during their Escape to Plastic Beach Tour , and came back on 1 December 2017, as part of their Humanz Tour . Coldplay performed
8645-498: Was originally painted teak, changing in 1875 to an overall light brown. In 1879 a decision was made to use 'a little brighter shade'. Finally in June 1881 it was announced that the lower panels were to be painted 'lake colour'. Between 1896 and 1914 the upper panels became buff with the lower in purple-brown, ends were dark brown. Roofs were normally dark grey but some did appear in red oxide. Wagons were unpainted until 1902 except for
8740-588: Was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 9 June 2008, by Def Jam Recordings . The concert promoted the songs from the album of the same name , however, also featured songs by Rihanna's two previous albums Music of the Sun (2005) and A Girl like Me (2006). Madonna performed twice on her Re-Invention World Tour in Summer 2004, returning in 2009, on the second leg of the Sticky & Sweet Tour . Two shows were planned but one
8835-660: Was renamed the Manchester Evening News Arena , or just the MEN Arena , when it was sponsored by the Manchester Evening News newspaper. In December 2011, the newspaper ended its 13 year sponsorship, and the arena was renamed Manchester Arena in January 2012. In July 2013, the arena was renamed Phones 4u Arena after the mobile phone company Phones 4u , but this deal ended in January 2015 after Phones 4u went out of business, renaming
8930-506: Was reopened on 9 September with a special benefit concert headlined by Manchester-born singer Noel Gallagher . First proposed during the regeneration of Manchester city centre during the 1980s, the structure was designed by DLA Ellerbe Beckett, Ove Arup & Partners , and Austin-Smith:Lord . The arena is sited in air rights space over the Manchester Victoria railway station and was constructed without disrupting use of
9025-410: Was the first locomotive-hauled public railway in the world. In 1830, the Liverpool and Manchester Railway opened. Being the world's first inter-city passenger railway and the first to have 'scheduled' services, terminal stations and services as we know them today, it set the pattern for modern railways. The railways carried freight and passengers with also the world's first goods terminal station at
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