Styal Line

The Styal Line is a railway line in south Manchester and north-east Cheshire. It runs from Slade Lane Junction, some 2 km south of Manchester Piccadilly, to Wilmslow. There also is a spur to Manchester Airport. The line is an early commuter line running through many suburban stations. It was electrified in 1959 as part of the West Coast Main Line electrification scheme but most of the trains now using the line are diesel powered. The branch to the airport leaves the Styal Line via a triangular junction between Heald Green and Styal.

Services are currently operated by:

• Northern Rail, whose trains run from Manchester Piccadilly to the Airport via all stations on the line. Services operate on a 30 minute frequency. They consist of an hourly Manchester Piccadilly to Crewe service via Manchester Airport and Wilmslow and an hourly Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester Airport service. Evening services on the Crewe to Manchester Line start and terminate at Wilmslow and are extended through Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester Oxford Road railway station. All services are operated by Class 323 Electric Multiple Units.

• TransPennine Express, which run trains on this line through Manchester Piccadilly (main line terminal platforms). Their services are through services from across the north of England including Newcastle upon Tyne, Middlesbrough, York and Leeds, and from Cleethorpes via Sheffield also serving Manchester suburban stations en route. Their trains also operate from Barrow-in-Furness, Windermere via Preston, Bolton and Manchester Piccadilly.