Plan Your Journey During the Works at Manchester Piccadilly Train Station – February 2026

Anyone planning a train trip in or around Manchester this coming February will want to pay close attention. Big changes are scheduled for Manchester Piccadilly station, all part of a major project to make train journeys smoother and more reliable in the long run. From Saturday 14 to Sunday 22 February 2026, some serious work is happening on the tracks, which will affect a lot of services.

So, what’s actually happening at Manchester Piccadilly?

Basically, the railway is getting a much-needed upgrade. Network Rail is spending a whopping £7.9 million on improving the tracks leading into the south of Manchester Piccadilly station. Think of the tracks outside a big station like a complicated motorway junction. There are lots of switches that let trains move from one line to another. A team of engineers will be replacing a key part of this junction, nicknamed the "Ardwick Ladder."

So, what is the Ardwick Ladder? It's not a real ladder you can climb, but a complex series of points and crossings that guide trains to the right platforms. The current equipment has been working hard for 40 years. This old infrastructure is more likely to have faults, which is a major cause of frustrating delays for passengers. This vital upgrade will replace the old gear with modern, reliable technology, making the whole system more resilient for the millions of people who rely on these services every year. These improvements are essential for the future growth of the region's railway.

How this affects the journey

There's no easy way to say it: for nine days, there will be significant disruption. To allow the engineers to work safely, Platforms 1 to 12 at Manchester Piccadilly will be completely closed. That's a huge chunk of one of the busiest stations in the country. Only a few services will be able to run from Platforms 13 and 14.

What this means for passengers is that many train services that usually go to Manchester Piccadilly will have to stop at different stations instead. Some trains will terminate at Manchester Oxford Road, Stockport, Preston, or Manchester Victoria. Routes will be diverted and a completely different timetable will be in place for the whole period. It’s absolutely essential for anyone travelling to check their journey before they leave home. The usual timetable won't apply, so planning ahead is key to avoiding a headache. In some cases, rail replacement bus services will be running to connect passengers between stations.

A look at the new timetable

The changes to services will be different on weekends and weekdays. TransPennine Express, one of the main train operators affected, has released a plan for how its services will operate during the nine-day upgrade. It's a bit complicated, so here’s a simple breakdown of the main changes.

Weekend Services (14, 15, 21 & 22 February)

• Liverpool Lime Street ↔ Newcastle – Diverted via Castleford

• Liverpool Lime Street ↔ Manchester Victoria – Normal service

• Manchester Victoria ↔ Scarborough – Diverted via Castleford

• Leeds ↔ Hull – Diverted via Castleford

• Stockport ↔ Cleethorpes – Starts/terminates at Stockport

• Preston ↔ Glasgow/Edinburgh – Starts/terminates at Preston
  

Weekday Services (Monday 16 to Friday 20 February)

• Manchester Victoria ↔ Redcar Central – Normal service

• Manchester Victoria ↔ York – Normal service

• Preston ↔ Glasgow/Edinburgh – Starts/terminates at Preston

• Liverpool Lime Street ↔ Manchester Oxford Road – Starts/terminates at Oxford Road

• Stockport ↔ Cleethorpes – Starts/terminates at Stockport

Getting to Manchester Airport and other key spots

A big question for many people will be about getting to and from Manchester Airport. With direct train services affected, a solid plan B is needed, and one has been put in place. Working with Transport for Greater Manchester, the train operators have organised a fleet of rail replacement bus services to maintain this crucial connectivity.

High-frequency buses will run directly between Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly every 30 minutes. There will also be hourly bus services connecting the airport with other key hubs, including Preston, Stockport, and Huddersfield. To make things less confusing, extra staff will be on hand at key stations to help guide passengers between train platforms and the replacement bus services. This support is especially important for those travelling with lots of luggage or who need a bit of extra help navigating the changes.

Why all the fuss? The long-term benefits

Nobody likes disruption to their journey, but these improvements are a classic case of short-term pain for long-term gain. Once the work on the infrastructure is finished, passengers will see real, lasting benefits. The new, modern equipment will be far more reliable, which means a lower risk of signal failures and other issues that cause delays. This will lead to better punctuality and a more dependable timetable.

This major upgrade isn't just about fixing what's there; it's about preparing the railway for the future. The work will support future service growth across the North, ensuring the tracks into Manchester can handle more trains and more passengers for decades to come. So, while the closure of platforms at Manchester Piccadilly will be inconvenient for a week, the result will be a better railway for everyone who uses the services in and around Manchester. It’s an investment in smoother, faster, and more reliable train travel for the whole region, delivering tangible benefits for years. The growth of the network depends on this kind of forward-thinking upgrade.