Irlam station building has been turned into a restaurant and bar, and has added a number of railway artefacts. The station building was built for the line's opening in 1873, when the route was to the right (north side) of the building in this view. When Railway Deviation No.5 was built in 1893 for the Manchester Ship Canal, this ran to the left of the station building, so the station had to "about turn".