The town grew as a direct result of the industrial expansion of Manchester towards the end of the nineteenth century, and the need for both workers and owners to live close to but not on top of their work. An electric train service between Altrincham and Manchester made commuting simple. Today we have a modern tram service (Metrolink) using rail and road. The people of Altrincham still find employment in Manchester, but a large local shopping centre and outlying industrial units provide many of the population with local employment.