Platforms 13 and 14 at Manchester Piccadilly are now being treated like ‘a station within a station’ to improve peak times for passengers.
Up to 40,000 people use the station’s only two through platforms each day – that’s equal to all of Nottingham station’s seven platforms combined.
With platforms 13 and 14 handling so many passengers, they can get heavily congested during the morning and evening rush hours and when there is unplanned disruption.
After a major rethink – the two through platforms will now be managed independently from the rest of Manchester Piccadilly.
The changes for passengers include a dedicated team of 12 new customer relations staff and four supervisors to keep passengers moving safely and provide travel advice.
There will be new Customer Information Screens in the airport style satellite lounge and station staff information screens on the platforms and new charging points, extra seating, free water points and free toilet facilities in the departure lounge as well as more safe waiting space along the platforms and behind the red line.
James Metcalfe, shift station manager for platforms 13 and 14, said:“For too long passengers have not been getting the experience they deserve when using platforms 13 and 14. These changes will greatly improve travel for customers and my team will be a new friendly face for passengers to keep them moving safely to and from platforms and on and off their trains.
“All staff will know the timetable inside out and will work as one team with our train operator colleagues to make sure platforms 13 and 14 truly become Piccadilly’s ‘station within a station’.”
Drivers have also been instructed to stop trains in the same place on the platforms so that passengers can wait along their full length.
