Manchester Airport station is set for a major £115m upgrade from December, with Network Rail and contractor Kier preparing to begin a programme designed to increase capacity and improve journeys for millions of passengers.
The works will see Platforms 1, 2 and 3 extended to accommodate longer trains, alongside upgrades to the track layout approaching the station and a modernised signalling system.
The programme is expected to run through to 2028, with the improvements intended to allow more trains to operate while making journeys to and from the airport more reliable.
The first major stage will take place on Sun 6 Dec, when Manchester Airport station will close for one day while engineers begin the works. Rail replacement buses will operate between Wilmslow and Manchester Airport, while Metrolink services will continue to run as normal.
The investment forms part of the wider Manchester Rail Upgrade programme, which aims to create a bigger and better-connected railway across Greater Manchester and the North West. Once complete, the station improvements will support future passenger growth and strengthen the airport’s role as a major gateway for international travel, business and tourism.
Rail minister Lord Hendy said: “Manchester Airport is a vital transport hub and this £115m investment from government will deliver more reliable services, increase capacity, and improve connections for the millions of passengers who use the station every year.
“This is the sort of improvement Great British Railways will be designed to deliver. By bringing track and train closer together under public ownership, we can take a more joined-up approach to investing in the railway, improving performance, putting passengers at the heart of every decision and growing the economy in the North.”
- Words:
- Wolf McFarlane
- Published on:
- Wed 7 Oct 2026
