Manchester Airport railway station

Manchester Airport railway station is the railway station that serves Manchester Airport, England, and is built into the airport's terminal buildings. The station was opened together with the second airport terminal in 1993.

Description
The station is situated 9+3/4 mi south of at the end of a short branch from the Styal Line. It is accessed via a triangular junction located between and.

The station platforms are connected by escalator, elevator, ramps and an elevated covered walkway (known as the "Sky Link") to the airport terminal buildings in which a manned railway ticket office is situated. Throughout the airport complex, the railway station is known as "The Station" and is signposted as such.

In December 2008 a third rail platform opened after a year of construction and a total cost of £15 million. The following year Network Rail noted that it had "greatly increased operational flexibility at the station, and reduced the number of times that late-running trains had had to be terminated at Manchester Piccadilly."

Support for a fourth rail platform was announced by the Government in July 2012; it is expected to be completed by December 2018 or sooner. The current platforms are eight carriage lengths long, so each can accommodate two trains of four carriages. A fourth platform will allow greater use of longer trains of six carriages or more. This had been recommended as part of the Northern Hub scheme of rail improvements around Manchester by the 2010 Manchester Hub Rail Study and the 2011 Northern Route Utilisation Strategy, with an estimated cost of £23 million. It will be constructed between the existing three platforms and the bus station building.

In 2009 Network Rail stated that the creation of the third platform has meant that the capacity at Manchester Airport will become constrained by the layover of the trains and congestion at the throat. To solve this issue they have recommended building a line underneath the airport towards Northwich in the 2019 to 2024 period.

On 28 January 2013, the Conservative–Liberal Democrat Coalition Government announced that Manchester Airport will be included in the second phase of the High Speed 2 railway line. This will enable Manchester Airport to be reached from London Euston station in 59 minutes. The new line and associated new station will pass to the west of the Airport, away from the existing railway station and transport interchange.

Services


Northern Rail, First TransPennine Express and Arriva Trains Wales are the three current franchise holders that serve Manchester Airport. They operate services between the airport and Crewe (for connections to Southern England); Manchester Piccadilly; various destinations throughout Northern England and, since December 2007, to and  via.

There is a frequent service from the airport to Manchester Piccadilly. Services also operate during the night to Manchester Piccadilly and beyond including ; ; ; Scotland and.

There are currently nine trains per hour to Manchester Piccadilly. There are no long distance services to the airport from the south; a service from Manchester Airport to via  previously operated but was cut back to  due to poor passenger numbers.

There are also 3 trains per day to Chester via (of which one continues to Llandudno, operated by Arriva Trains Wales).

Infrastructure developments that are part of the Northern Hub system of schemes should allow direct trains to and on towards Bradford from December 2016.

Metrolink extension


As of 2013 construction is well under way to extend the Manchester Metrolink light rail network to Manchester Airport as part of Phase 3 of the Metrolink expansion project. A branch of the Metrolink South Manchester line will connect the airport station via tram lines through Wythenshawe and Chorlton to Manchester City Centre. A new Metrolink station is being constructed immediately adjacent to the airport station.

Following a period of uncertainty due to funding problems, the plans were finally given the go-ahead in May 2009. The confirmed route will not complete the full airport loop as proposed, but trams will run along the northern route via Wythenshawe. Completion of the western side of the loop would be subject to further funding in a later project. An opening date of Summer 2016 had been indicated for the Metrolink line but as of 2013 work is already advanced without, however, a new (earlier) opening date.