Styal line
The Styal line is a suburban commuter railway line which runs through south Manchester, England; it commences at Slade Lane Junction, 1.2 miles (1.9 km) south of Manchester Piccadilly, and ends 12 miles (19 km) south at Wilmslow.
| Styal line Airport line | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Status | Operational | ||
| Owner | Network Rail | ||
| Locale | Greater Manchester Cheshire North West England | ||
| Termini | |||
| Stations | 9 | ||
| Service | |||
| System | National Rail | ||
| Rolling stock | Primarily: Class 185 Class 195 Class 197 Class 323 Class 331 Class 397 | ||
| Ridership | 7.4 million per year | ||
| History | |||
| Opened | 1909 | ||
| Technical | |||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||
| Electrification | 25 kV AC overhead | ||
| Operating speed | 70 mph speed restriction | ||
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Opened in 1909, by the London and North Western Railway company, it takes its name from the Cheshire station of Styal, the last stop before the junction at Wilmslow. A branch line to Manchester Airport was built in 1993, accessed via a triangular junction between Heald Green and Styal; it is also referred to as the Airport line.
Journeys into Manchester on the line have risen sharply since the 1990s and the opening of Manchester Airport railway station in 1993 fuelled an increase in express services from Northern England and beyond. As a result, it is now one of the most congested lines on the National Rail network, with services frequently susceptible to delays and cancellations.
Between May 2018 and December 2022, the line operated on a skip-stop basis, with each station having a dedicated express service to Liverpool Lime Street, Preston, Blackpool North and Windermere. This was to maximise the number of train slots between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport but, due to poor performance and falling passenger numbers, in December 2022 the service reverted to half-hourly service calling at all stations, with one service running between Crewe and Manchester Piccadilly and the other running between Manchester Airport and continuing on to Liverpool Lime Street. The three busiest stations, Heald Green, Gatley and East Didsbury retain a third hourly express service in addition to the stopping services. As only 1 train per hour runs between Manchester Airport and Wilmslow, Styal is served hourly.