Knutsford railway station serves the town of Knutsford in Cheshire, England. The station is south of Manchester Piccadilly on the Mid-Cheshire Line to Chester. The line is referred to as the Chester via Altrincham line at Manchester Piccadilly, but as the Manchester via Stockport line at Chester station. History Knutsford station opened to passengers on 12 May 1862 with a service between Knutsford and Altrincham. Trains to Northwich commenced from 1 January 1863. Services were operated by CLC until nationalisation on 1 January 1948. The station - as built by Cheshire Lines Railway - more correctly "Cheshire Lines Committee" (CLC) - was built on the site of the farm mentioned in Elizabeth Gaskell's novel Cranford where the cow fell into a lime-pit. The Goods Yard was originally on the south-east side of the track, above the huge brick retaining wall, which ever after became a home for large posters. Later it was re-sited to the north and the original site became the Station Master's garden. There used to be a competition for the best station garden: Knutsford often won this. In April 1916 there was an Easter Rising in Ireland, where rebels hoped to form an independent Ireland free from British rule. At least 600 rebels involved in that rising were transported to Knutsford by train from Holyhead and imprisoned in Knutsford Gaol. Facilities The station has a ticket office and two car parks but no taxi rank. A ticket vending machine is in place for purchase of tickets or promise to pay coupons when the ticket office is closed and for the collection of pre-paid tickets. Both platforms are step-free. Buses call at Adams Hill, adjacent to the car park next to the Chester bound platform. However, half of this car park is private office parking, and is not available to rail users. Station facilities were improved in March 2009 with the addition of a cold drinks and snacks vending machine in the station ticket office. On the Chester bound platform is a Bike & Go bike hire facility, similar in nature to London's Santander Cycles. In 2015, live passenger information screens were installed on both platforms. Station security Knutsford station has had a relatively large amount of crime in previous years. In November 2008, CCTV cameras were installed at the station. Services Monday to Saturday, there is an hourly service to Manchester Piccadilly, Chester, Stockport, Altrincham and Northwich,