Travel & Tourism

Manchester Piccadilly to close for NINE days for ‘once-in-a-generation’ upgrade

Yikes.

Daisy Jackson - 25th November 2025

Manchester Piccadilly is set to close for nine days for a major ‘once-in-a-generation’ £7.9m upgrade.

The busiest train station in the North West will be almost entirely shut for more than a week next February, to enable improvements to take place to both track and signalling systems on the southern approach.

The work will span all main lines, which means passengers will find no trains from the south or east of the city will run into Manchester Piccadilly.

The main train shed – which is platforms one to 12 – will be closed completely, but the concourse will remain open and so will platforms 13 and 14 for limited westbound services.

Teams will be replacing 11 sets of points, renewing 9,000m of cabling, upgrading timber sleepers with modern concrete equivalents, and bringing lineside equipment bang up to date across six lines – some of which dates back to the 1980s.

Network Rail has said that this investment has been ‘long-awaited’, with the ageing infrastructure capable of disrupting all trains in and out of Manchester.

There will be no trains from the south and east of the city into Manchester Piccadilly for nine days over February half term (Saturday 14 – Sunday 22 February 2026).

Some trains from across the north will also be impacted during the essential upgrades as well as direct connections to Manchester Airport station.

These services will terminate at other stations, including Stockport, with staff on hand across the network to coordinate bus and Metrolink Bee Network journeys.

Alternative travel plans will be released in the coming months by Network Rail, train operators, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and Manchester City Council.

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.”

Simon Elliott, Network Director Rail at TfGM, said: “This investment in Manchester Piccadilly’s rail infrastructure is a crucial step forward in delivering a reliable and resilient railway for passengers, freight and supporting the city-region’s continued economic growth.

“While unfortunately there will be some short-term disruption due to the nature of the works, through the Bee Network we’re committed to working with rail industry colleagues to ensure people can still move easily across Greater Manchester while these essential upgrades take place.”

A spokesperson for train operators said: “This work will improve the reliability of trains running into the region’s busiest station.

“In the coming months, passengers can expect more detailed information about their specific journeys and any potential disruption.

“We would urge people to check with their operator or with National Rail Enquiries to plan their travel in advance.”

Featured image: The Manc Group