A number of restoration projects have begun on our historic Grade I listed 1830 Station and accompanying Viaduct and Warehouse.
1830 Viaduct
The 1830 Viaduct is part of the site's original railway station. The railway's engineer, George Stephenson, designed the Viaduct to solve the problem of Liverpool Road's sloping land, creating a flat, upper level to support the railway tracks. Mostly hidden by the station's buildings, the Viaduct runs from the middle of the Power Hall out towards Water Street and was essential in Liverpool Road Station becoming a hub of industry.
The 1830 Station and accompanying Viaduct remains the most complete surviving early railway station complex in the world, and reflects how Manchester became the world's first industrial city. From April 2024 until April 2025, we're undertaking essential repairs to reverse historic water ingress so it can be enjoyed for generations to come. This includes:
- The temporary removal of track and ballast to allow us to undertake secondary surveys of the water damage and repair work needed.
- Drainage of water currently trapped across the Viaduct.
- Application of new waterproofing solution to future-proof the Viaduct for generations to come.
- Reinstallation of track to reflect the site's original history as a working railway station.
1830 Station
Science Museum Group © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
The first stage of restoration work has already taken place on the Science and Industry Museum's historic Grade I listed 1830 Station. The globally significant building is the oldest surviving passenger railway station in the world.
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway was the world's first steam-powered, inter-city railway designed to transport both passengers and goods. Its Manchester terminus was Liverpool Road Station, now home to the Science and Industry Museum. The railway opened in 1830, sparking a revolution in trade and travel. The station buildings were substantially re-built in the 1970s and 1980s, when the museum first opened. Sadly, since then water ingress has started to cause serious deterioration.
Completed in Spring 2022, we undertook vital restoration work to conserve this globally significant site. Working with Manchester-based Buttress Architects, who specialise in restoring listed buildings and historic places, the first £1.9 million phase of work funded by DCMS has given the building a new roof, gutters and rainwater pipes, which will help protect the building, manage the water and dry the building out.
Future plans for the 1830 Station include the development of a revolutionary railroad and static locomotive experience to tell the railway story. There will also be a dedicated STEM learning space, together with an improved outdoor area linking new connections and entrances between the Science and Industry Museum, The Factory and the developing St John's and Castlefield neighbourhoods, as this vibrant area of the city comes alive together.
The restoration work is part of a much wider multi-million-pound development project of the historic site and buildings that Science and Industry Museum inhabits, and it is all part of a plan to create a more sustainable museum.
1830 Warehouse
Science Museum Group © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Alongside the 1830 Viaduct and Station we've also made conservation repairs to the Grade I listed 1830 Warehouse, the world's first railway warehouse.
First constructed in 1830 as part of the initial site of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, initial repair was undertaken when the building was handed over by British Rail in the early 1980s, and again in 2012 when the Science Museum Group became custodians of the site. The latest repairs have improved the structural integrity of the building (including repairs to the masonry and woodwork) and ensured that it remains wind- and weather-tight (including essential roof repairs).
