Manchester’s Piccadilly Station will close for nine days next February as Network Rail invests £7.9m to improve tracks, points and signalling systems on the southern approach to the station which date back to the 1980s.
Teams will replace 11 sets of points, renew 9,000m of cabling, upgrade timber sleepers with modern concrete equivalents and bring lineside equipment bang up to date across six lines to improve future journeys for passengers and freight.
Investment in this critical stretch of track has been long awaited, as any issues with the ageing infrastructure can disrupt all trains running in and out of Manchester.
no trains from the south and east of the city will run into Manchester Piccadilly for nine days over February half term (Saturday 14 – Sunday 22).
Some trains from across the north will also be impacted during the essential upgrades as well as direct connections to Manchester Airport station.
Services normally running to and from Manchester Piccadilly will terminate at other stations, including Stockport.
While the train shed (platforms 1-12) will close, Manchester Piccadilly’s concourse will remain open to the public. There will be a limited service westbound from platforms 13 and 14. Staff will be on hand to coordinate bus and Metrolink Bee Network journeys.
Julien Dehornoy, Network Rail’s North West & Central deputy regional managing director, said: “We’re investing £7.9m in renewing the Piccadilly corridor, a stretch of track critical to the journeys of around 400,000 trains into Manchester every year.
“This work is going to significantly reduce disruption for the many passengers who regularly use this route. Once the job is done, we will have a better, more reliable railway.
“The major overhaul over six railway lines can only take place during a full railway closure and we are working closely with train operators, TfGM and Manchester City Council on alternative travel plans to keep people on the move, the full details on which will be published in mid-November.”
