Manchester Piccadilly is the busiest train station in Manchester and North West England.
It dates back to the mid-nineteenth century but has undergone multi-million pound refurbishments in recent years. Piccadilly boasts extensive facilities including shops, restaurants, bars, and car parks.
The station is situated in the Piccadilly area of Manchester city centre, within easy walking distance of many hotels, restaurants, bars, pubs, shops and tourist attractions.
Destinations
Services from this station include trains to Liverpool Lime Street, Nottingham, Llandudno, Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester Airport, Sheffield, Barrow-in-Furness, Buxton, and Rose Hill Marple.
Entrances
There are two entrances to the station. The main entrance is accessed from London Road. The approach road here is controlled by barriers and the only authorised vehicles such as buses can pass. Most pedestrians use this entrance.
The other entrance is at the southern end of the station on Fairfield Street. The short-stay car park and taxi rank are here.
Shops
The station has a good selection of shops where you can pick up snacks, books, newspapers, and anything else you may need for your journey. Most shops are located on the concourse near the main entrance. They include Boots, a Sainsbury’s Local supermarket, and WHSmith.
Restaurants and Bars
The range of places to eat and drink is impressive. Outlets on the concourse include Pret a Manger (sandwiches, salads, soup etc.), Costa, Burger King, and Upper Crust (baguettes).
Go upstairs to the mezzanine level for TGI Friday’s, M&S Simply Food, Yo! Sushi, The Mill (bar), and more.
There are also places to eat on Station Approach, outside the main entrance.
Other Facilities
Other facilities include toilets and baby changing, left luggage, trolleys (deposit required), photo booths, car and cycle hire, cash machines, and public telephones.
Metrolink
Piccadilly Metrolink Tram Stop is situated on the lower level of Manchester Piccadilly, beneath the concourse and train platforms. It can be accessed from the concourse by lift or escalator or from the Fairfield Street entrance.
Connections & Parking
Free buses depart from outside the main entrance and travel around the city centre. Passengers can hop on or off at any stop.
The taxi rank is situated at the Fairfield Street entrance. The short-stay car park is also here. At the time of writing (August 2020) parking is free for the first 10 minutes.
The long-stay car park is accessed from Boad Street. Parking charges are pretty steep.
Postcode
The official postcode for Manchester Piccadilly is M60 7RA. However, this is the postcode of the offices of Network Rail.
Most people searching for the postcode want to use it to get directions with their satellite navigation system.
To get to the short-stay car park on Fairfield Street use the postcode M1 2QF. This is the recommended pick-up and drop-off point.
The long-stay car park is on Boad Street, just north of the station. Use the postcode M1 2ND to find it.
How to Travel from Manchester Piccadilly to Old Trafford
There are numerous options to travel from Manchester Piccadilly Train Station to Old Trafford, the stadium of Manchester United. They include:
- Taxi – Black cabs leave from the taxi rank near the Fairfield Street entrance.
- Metrolink – Trafford Bar Metrolink Tram Stop is a 10 minute walk from Old Trafford. There are direct trams from Piccadilly to Trafford Bar.
How to Travel to the Etihad Stadium
Etihad Stadium, the home ground of Manchester City FC, has a dedicated Metrolink stop (Etihad Campus). Trams run from Piccadilly Metrolink Tram Stop. The journey time is around 10 minutes.
How to Travel to Manchester Victoria Train Station
Options for travelling from Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester Victoria include:
- Train – A direct line linking Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria (the Ordsall Chord) opened in 2017. Services are not a frequent as originally envisaged.
- Metrolink – Metrolink trams go directly from Piccadilly Metrolink Tram Stop to Victoria Metrolink Tram Stop (inside Manchester Victoria Train Station).
- Free Bus – Free buses leave from outside the main entrance and go to various destinations around the city centre, including Manchester Victoria.
- Walk – Manchester Victoria is around 1 mile away. Walking does not take long.
