Councillor Mark Roberts

As some of you may know, major upgrade works are taking place on the Piccadilly rail corridor this February.

These essential improvements mean that between 14 and 22 February, right through the busy half‑term period, all trains that normally run to Manchester Piccadilly via Stockport will instead start and finish in our town.

Trains serving Reddish North, Brinnington, Bredbury, Romiley, Rose Hill Marple and Marple will also be impacted, with rail replacement bus services running between Manchester Victoria and Guide Bridge, where trains will then continue their stops onwards to Sheffield. Buses will also run between Victoria and Rose Hill Marple via Romiley.

This will mean changes for regular commuters, families heading out over half‑term, and visitors travelling across Greater Manchester and further afield.

Network Rail is delivering vital, significant upgrades to the Piccadilly corridor - replacing track, renewing signalling and improving junctions that have been in place for decades. These improvements will help reduce delays, strengthen the reliability of your journeys and future‑proof a key part of our region’s rail network for years to come.

During this period, Stockport will become a temporary hub for many services, and we’ll be ensuring that we will be giving a warm Stockport welcome - or at least a warm nod - to anyone who doesn’t usually pass through our town while the works take place. Keep your eyes peeled!

I’d like to thank everyone in advance for their patience while these essential works take place. It’s a short‑term change that will hopefully bring long‑term benefits for our transport network, our communities and everyone who depends on using the train through our borough.

For more information on the works, please visit the Network Rail webpage.