Manchester Central railway station

Manchester Central stands in the heart of Manchester, a vast iron-and-glass railway shed built between 1875 and 1880. The architect Sir John Fowler designed the single-span roof, 550 feet long and 90 feet high, with glass in the centre and slate at the sides. Beneath the tracks lies a brick undercroft of intersecting vaults once used for storage and goods. The Midland Hotel, built in 1898–1903, sits beside the station on an adjacent site. In 1969 the station closed to passengers and later became a car park before its conversion into an exhibition centre. The building’s importance is recognised by its Grade II* listing, granted in 1963 for its architectural and historic interest. During the Second World War it handled express trains to London, and in peacetime the Midland Pullman diesel unit ran non-stop to St Pancras. In 2020 the undercroft became a temporary hospital with 1,000 beds for COVID-19 patients, opened in April and closed the following March. The structure has also witnessed notable events, including the discovery of evidence linked to the Moors murders in 1965. Visitors enter through the grand north façade of 15 bays with round-headed and square-headed windows. Inside, the vast hall retains its iron trusses and glazed roof, now lit by modern lighting for exhibitions and conferences. The adjacent undercroft vaults are used as a car park serving the centre and Bridgewater Hall. Outside, the Deansgate-Castlefield tram stop brings light-rail passengers alongside the southern side of the former train shed. The building’s railway past is honoured in its present name, Manchester Central.