The Victoria - Ipinda

A review for a railway station...I don't think I can go into too much depth here. It's a place where you get the train. I've seen this railway station for a good few years now and it has improved a lot over the years. The unattractive improvements have now been finished and the station looks a whole lot better for it. It's a very opened up location with huge roofs and plenty of stairs. There are a couple of cafes, one small one larger and a bar to get food and drink from so if you have a wait there's always somewhere where you can relax. There's a McDonald's located within the station so if your looking for a cheaper option, you've got one! There's not usually too big of a wait to buy tickets but this station can get extremely busy so bare that in mind. There's two self service ticket stations and also a small space dedicated to the history of victors station for you to gain more knowledge about if wanted. All in all a good station with all the necessary needs.

Originally built in the 1840s, Victoria Train Station still looks a bit of an architectural gem from the outside. The facade of the building is impressively large and there's nice touches like the carved stone signs, red iron railings and glass over-hang. Sadly, the inside is more of a disaster with the traditional signs, beautifully engraved map, glass ceiling and war memorial being overshadowed by cheap signage, tacky take away stands, a bad coffee stall, a run-down cafe-bar and a vending machine that never has any change. To add insult to injury, the platforms are bitterly cold, there's no nice seating anywhere and large, ugly stairwells were added in the mid nineties to bridge the gap between the station and the nearby M.E.N. Arena. There's regular trains to Liverpool, Leeds, Hebden Bridge and other areas in the North West. But sadly, Victoria Station itself is no longer a must-see destination. Let's hope the regeneration rumours are true and the building gets some much needed TLC.

No stress traveling into Manchester by train and no worries about parking and the cost of it

This is perhaps the worst of the three central train stations in Manchester. It cannot be excused due to size as the station is huge. When I am passing through Victoria I try to make my visit as short as possible due to the following three points: A) I don't spending my spare time with misfits, drunks and young trouble makers. B) I don't enjoy staff being rude to my family when they ask the times of a train. C) If I have to wait in a station I ideally want a decent coffee shop and a good shop. Oh I sound pinickity but I speak the truth my friends ...I speak the truth.

Plenty of construction work going on here so I'll likely update my review once it's completed, but even now it's an above average station. Victoria provides a connection to the city center from pretty much every outside town and with the new addition of a coffee shop and a trendy pub and kitchen, it makes for a comfortable waiting spot also.