Manchester Airport is a railway station at Manchester Airport, England opening simultaneously with a second air terminal in 1993. Manchester Metrolink tram services were extended to the airport in November 2014.
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Description
The station is 9 3/4 miles (15.7 km) south of Manchester Piccadilly at the end of a short branch from the Styal Line constructed by British Rail in 1993. A branch of Manchester Metrolink runs into it. It is accessed via a triangular junction located between Heald Green and Styal. 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 is a manned railway ticket office. Throughout the airport complex, the railway station is known as "The Station" and is signposted as such.
History
New platforms
In December 2008, a third 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."
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.
In July 2012, support for a fourth rail platform was announced by the Government. 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.
In February 2014, construction commenced on a new £20m fourth platform at the station. The start of construction was attended by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne. Construction of the new platform was completed in May 2015 - three years earlier than the 2018 estimate given in 2012. This was to allow engineering work to overlap with that being done on the Manchester Metrolink extension to the airport (see below) so that the fourth platform could be used for the extra traffic generated once the Ordsall Chord link is completed, which is currently scheduled for completion in late 2017, while the fourth platform itself opened to passengers in Autumn 2015.
HS2
In January 2013, the Government announced that Manchester Airport would be included in the second phase of the High Speed 2 railway line. This will enable Manchester Airport to be reached from London Euston 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, giving the airport two disconnected railways stations approximately 1 mile apart.
National Rail services
Northern, TransPennine Express and Arriva Trains Wales are the three current franchise holders that serve Manchester Airport. Services between the airport and Crewe (for connections to Southern England); Manchester Piccadilly; various destinations throughout Northern England and, since December 2007, to Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley via Carlisle.
There is a frequent service from the airport to Manchester Piccadilly. Services also operate during the night to Manchester Piccadilly and beyond including York; Doncaster; Sheffield; Scotland and Blackpool North.
There are currently nine trains per hour to Manchester Piccadilly. There are no long distance services to the airport from the south; a Central Trains service from Manchester Airport to Skegness via Derby was cut back to Crewe in 2003.
From May 2016 Arriva Trains Wales have operated an hourly (off peak) Monday - Saturday service to Llandudno via Chester. They now operate 57 services a week compared to the previous 17.
First TransPennine Express used to run the service to Blackpool North but this was passed on to the new Northern franchise in April 2016.
Infrastructure developments that are part of the Northern Hub system of schemes should allow direct trains to Manchester Victoria and on towards Bradford from December 2016.
Manchester Metrolink
The Manchester Metrolink light rail network was extended from St Werburgh's Road to Manchester Airport as part of the Phase 3 expansion project. The Metrolink station has been built adjacent to the airport station. It is the terminus of the Airport Line.
Following a period of uncertainty due to funding problems, the plans were finally given the go-ahead in May 2009. The confirmed route would not complete the full airport loop as proposed, but trams would run along the northern route via Wythenshawe. Completion of the western side of the loop is subject to further funding in a later project. An opening date of Summer 2016 had originally been indicated for opening of the Airport line but the line opened early on 3 November 2014.
Services
Trams run between Manchester Airport and Deansgate-Castlefield every 12 minutes. An early morning service runs from 03:19-06:00 am every 20 minutes. Later in 2017, services will run through to Victoria. The Second City Crossing is currently scheduled to have the first trams running on it in Winter 2015/16 and will be fully complete by 2017.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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