Travel to and from Manchester

Rail

Manchester Liverpool Road was the world’s first purpose-built passenger railway station. Its buildings now form part of the Science & Industry Museum.

Manchester is at the centre of an extensive county-wide railway network with two mainline stations: Manchester Piccadilly station and Manchester Victoria station.

The Manchester station group – comprising Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Victoria, Manchester Oxford Road and Deansgate – is the third busiest in the United Kingdom.

Manchester city centre, specifically the Castlefield Corridor, suffers from constrained rail capacity that frequently leads to delays and cancellations.

Tram

The Manchester Metrolink opened in 1992. The present system crosses the city centre via on-street tram lines across 8 lines with 99 stops.

Bus

The city has an extensive bus network operating more than 100 routes across the Greater Manchester region.

Air

Manchester Airport serves Manchester, Northern England and North Wales. Services cover many destinations in Europe, North America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The smaller City Airport Manchester lies to the west of Manchester city centre. Today, it is a flight school, and home to both the Greater Manchester Police Air Support Unit and the North West Air Ambulance.

Canal

An extensive canal network, including the Manchester Ship Canal, was built to carry freight but is now largely used for leisure use.

Cycling

Cycling for transportation and leisure is common in Manchester. The city also plays a major role in British cycle racing.

Map showing Manchester stations