Network Rail announced that the £5.1m investment will provide Manchester Piccadilly station’s busiest platforms an even surface, clearer line markings, raised platform edges to make them safer for visually impaired people, and a new drainage system will be installed. 

Platforms 13 and 14 allow up to 14 trains per hour to briefly stop and then run straight through to Manchester Airport, Liverpool, North Wales, Wigan, Southport, Bolton, Blackpool, the Lake District, North East and Scotland.

People using the platforms will start to see preparation work during November.

This includes a hoarding area being constructed so building equipment and materials can be safely stored.

The scale of the essential upgrades will see changes to train services using the through platforms over Christmas and New Year.

Scott Green, station manager at Manchester Piccadilly, said:

“This much-needed platform upgrade will be a great way to welcome in the New Year, and an important investment to keep these very busy platforms safe for passengers. We've tried to plan the work so it causes as little disruption to people's journeys as possible, but unfortunately resurfacing work like this is impossible to do without having to shut the platforms completely. I'd urge people to please be aware when the work is taking place and to check National Rail Enquiries to plan their journeys and find out which stations will be available to them instead."