The Liverpool & Manchester Railway opened to much fanfare on 15 September 1830. So much so that a new station had to be built to satisfy passenger numbers and to plan for the ongoing ‘rail fever’ at the time.
Liverpool Road Station saw passengers booking tickets and awaiting their train’s arrival. Passengers were separated into first and second class and had different booking halls and waiting rooms.
Second class passengers were transported in carriages with low wooden sides and a small canopy to shelter them from the elements. They were also in slower trains compared to their first-class counterparts who had a more luxurious travel experience.
While travelling in a second-class train, there was a ‘stopping’ service where passengers could request to stop at an intermediate second-class station, whereas first class passengers experienced a non-stop service between Liverpool and Manchester.
Requests had to be pre-booked so that the crew knew where to halt the train. Selling alcohol and food was forbidden at the second-class stations so if passengers wanted refreshments, they would have to travel via first class. All trains stopped at first class stations with incorporated refreshment rooms.