View source for Crewe–Manchester line

{{Short description|Railway line in  the UK}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox rail line
| name                            = Crewe–Manchester line
| box_width                       = 
| color                           = e60026
| logo                            = 
| logo_width                      = 
| image                           = Transport for Wales Class 197119 at Crewe Station platform 6.jpg
| image_width                     = 260px
| caption                         = [[Transport for Wales Rail]] {{BRC|197}} at [[Crewe_railway_station|Crewe]]
| type                            = [[Heavy rail]]
| system                          = [[National Rail]]
| status                          = 
| locale                          = [[Stockport]]<br>[[Crewe]]<br>[[Cheshire]]<br>[[Manchester]]<br>[[North West England]]
| start                           = 
| end                             = 
| stations                        = 
| routes                          = 
| open                            = 
| close                           = 
| owner                           = [[Network Rail]]
| operator                        = [[Avanti West Coast]]<br>[[CrossCountry]]<br>[[Northern Trains]]<br>[[TransPennine Express]]<br>[[Transport for Wales Rail]]
| character                       = 
| depot                           = 
| stock                           = Primarily:<br>[[British Rail Class 67]]/[[British Rail Mark 4]]<br>[[Class 197]]<br>[[Class 323]]<br>[[Class 331]]<br>[[Class 390]]
| linelength                      = 
| tracklength                     = 
| gauge                           = {{RailGauge|sg|allk=on}}
| speed                           = {{convert|110|mph|abbr=on}}
| elevation                       = 
| map                             = [[File:Crewe-Manchester line.png|260px]]<br />([[:commons:File:Crewe-Manchester line.png|Click to expand]])
| map_state                       = expanded
}}
{{Crewe to Manchester Line|collapse=y}}
The '''Crewe–Manchester line''' is a [[railway line]] in [[North West England]], running between [[Crewe_railway_station|Crewe]] and [[Manchester_Piccadilly_railway_station|Manchester Piccadilly]]. It is a spur of the [[West Coast Main Line]].

==History==
The line was built by the [[Manchester and Birmingham Railway]] Company, which diverted to Crewe in 1841 and merged in 1846 with others to form the [[London and North Western Railway]] Company. This, in turn, became part of the [[London Midland and Scottish Railway]] in 1923.

The route from Crewe to Manchester Piccadilly, including the Styal line, was the first section of the West Coast Main Line to be [[Railway electrification in Great Britain|electrified]], in 1959. The line was upgraded in the early 2000s, as part of the West Coast Main Line modernisation programme.  A full service resumed on the line in March 2007.

The line is joined at Cheadle Hulme by the [[Stafford–Manchester line|West Coast spur from Stoke-on-Trent]]. At Stockport, it is then joined by the [[Mid-Cheshire line]] from Chester, the [[Hope Valley line]] from Sheffield, and by the [[Buxton line]].

In April 2006, [[Network Rail]] organised its maintenance and train control operations into '26 Routes'; the Crewe–Manchester line was included in Route 20 (North West Urban).

==Services==
[[Northern Trains]] operates services between Crewe, Alderley Edge and Manchester Piccadilly, via Stockport and the [[Styal line]] via Manchester Airport. A number of the Crewe / Alderley Edge – Piccadilly services also extend beyond Piccadilly to terminate at {{rws|Liverpool Lime Street}}, {{rws|Southport}} and {{rws|Wigan North Western}}. Also, a number of services to/from Manchester start or terminate at Wilmslow. 

[[Transport for Wales Rail]] operates a through express service between {{rws|Milford Haven}} and [[Cardiff Central railway station|Cardiff]], via the [[Welsh Marches line]], to Manchester. 

[[Avanti West Coast]] operates West Coast Main Line services between London Euston, Crewe and Manchester. 

[[CrossCountry]] also operates a small number of services on the line between Manchester Piccadilly, Birmingham New Street and the South.

==External links==
{{portal|Cheshire}}
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.crewe2manchesterrail.org.uk Website of Crewe to Manchester Community Rail Partnership]

{{Railway lines in North West England}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crewe-Manchester line}}
[[Category:Transport in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport]]
[[Category:Crewe]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Cheshire]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Greater Manchester]]
[[Category:Railway lines in North West England]]