Manchester commits £1m to advance plans for underground Piccadilly station

Manchester City Council has pledged £1 million towards developing the business case for a proposed underground station at Manchester Piccadilly, a project leaders believe could unlock significant rail capacity and support future economic growth across the North.

The funding will be used to strengthen the evidence base for the scheme, including additional financial modelling, technical analysis and specialist staffing, as local leaders seek to secure government backing for the ambitious proposal.

A report considered by council leaders highlighted the need for greater certainty around plans for an underground station beneath Piccadilly, arguing that the project could help address long-standing capacity constraints on one of the region’s busiest rail corridors.

The proposal forms part of wider discussions surrounding Northern Powerhouse Rail and follows recent government commitments of up to £45 billion towards rail improvements across northern England. Plans include a new high-capacity rail connection between Liverpool and Manchester, with local leaders arguing that an underground station at Piccadilly would be a crucial component of the wider network.

According to council documents, there is already broad agreement between Greater Manchester leaders and central government that a subterranean station could act as a catalyst for regeneration, economic growth and improved connectivity throughout the city region and beyond.

Manchester City Council Leader Bev Craig said the authority was determined to demonstrate the value of the project and ensure it remains at the forefront of future rail investment discussions.

Speaking after the meeting, she highlighted examples of underground rail infrastructure across Europe and other major cities, arguing that such solutions are commonplace in modern transport systems.

Craig also suggested that the proposal represents a more practical alternative to previous HS2 plans for Manchester, which included extensive elevated infrastructure through parts of the city.

The concept has gained momentum since the Government reaffirmed its commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail, with Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham previously describing an underground station as a potential opportunity to transform Piccadilly into a major national rail hub comparable to London’s King’s Cross.

Local leaders argue that rail capacity constraints at Manchester Piccadilly are already limiting growth, particularly around platforms 13 and 14, which have become synonymous with congestion and delays on the regional network.

Craig said:

“You just have to go across Europe and the world to see – it’s not beyond the realms of man to put a train station underground. Even if you go to London, it’s entirely common and reasonable to expect to travel underground.

“Previous governments have made What we’ve tried to create from the ashes of HS2 is a reworked Northern Powerhouse Rail, that for the first time in its history has actually committed some proper money to get stuff done.”

Highlighting the economic importance of improving rail infrastructure, she added:

“Our pitch to successive governments has been really quite straight-forward. There have been levels of economic growth in this city region that have not been seen anywhere else in the UK. But we know there’ll come a point when our trains and transport infrastructure will hold us back. Anyone who has been stuck in the queue of trains trying to get through platform 14 may as well be sat in the queue of cars driving on the road beneath you. That’s no way to run a modern transport system.”

The £1 million allocation will be drawn from business rates growth reserves and is intended to help develop a more detailed case for investment ahead of future discussions with government.

If ultimately approved, the underground station would form one of the most significant rail infrastructure projects proposed in Manchester since the cancellation of the northern leg of HS2, with supporters arguing it could reshape rail travel across the North for decades to come.