Following the major Manchester Piccadilly upgrades, the first train returned to the station just after 5 am this morning (23rd February).

Passengers have been thanked for their patience while the work was carried out to overhaul sections of track and infrastructure.

Some of the infrastructure was last replaced in the 1980s, and now the points, cabling, sleepers, ballast and signalling equipment are up to date.

Network Rail has also released a time-lapse of the external work, and passengers will be able to see improvements that have been made inside the station.

During the large-scale 9-day project, 8,922 rail replacement buses ran to keep passengers connected.

In total over the nine days, 8,922 rail replacement bus services ran to keep thousands of passengers on the move during the major railway improvements.

“We would like to say a big thank you to passengers for their patience while this once-in-a-generation upgrade has taken place over the last nine days. 

“Manchester Piccadilly is one of the country’s busiest stations and it’s a key hub for people travelling to the North West. Upgrading the track over six lines in what’s known as the Piccadilly corridor will make journeys more reliable and the points and signalling systems less prone to faults – meaning fewer delays for passengers. It’s all part of our long-term commitment to invest millions of pounds to make the North West’s railway fit for the future.”

Brian Paynter, Network Rail Capital Delivery track director