View source for Styal line

{{Short description|Railway line in Greater Manchester and Cheshire, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2017}}
{{refimprove|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox rail line
| box_width                       = auto
| color                           = 00cdfe
| name                            = Styal line<br><small>Airport line</small>
| logo                            = 
| logo_width                      = 
| image                           = File:NT 195105 East Didsbury.jpg
| image_width                     = 300px
| caption                         = A [[Northern Trains|Northern]] {{brc|195}} passing {{rws|East Didsbury}} in April 2025
| type                            = 
| system                          = [[National Rail]]
| status                          = Operational
| locale                          = [[Greater Manchester]]<br>[[Cheshire]]<br>[[North West England]]
| start                           = {{rws|Manchester Piccadilly}}
| end                             = {{rws|Wilmslow}}
| stations                        = 9
| routes                          = 
| ridership2                      = 7.4 million per year
| open                            = 1909
| close                           = 
| owner                           = [[Network Rail]]
| operator                        = 
| character                       = 
| depot                           = 
| stock                           = Primarily:<br>[[British Rail Class 185|Class 185]]<br>[[Class 195]]<br>[[Class 197]]<br>[[British Rail Class 323|Class 323]]<br>[[British Rail Class 321|Class 331]]<br>[[British Rail Class 397|Class 397]]
| linelength                      = 
| tracklength                     = 
| gauge                           = {{RailGauge|sg|allk=on}}
| speed                           = 70 mph speed restriction
| electrification                 = 25 kV AC overhead
| elevation                       = 
| map                             = [[File:Styal line.png|300px]]<br />([[:commons:File:Styal line.png|Click to expand]])
| map_state                       = expanded
}}
{{Styal Line|collapse=y}}
The '''Styal line''' is a suburban [[Commuter rail|commuter railway line]] which runs through south [[Manchester]], England; it commences at Slade Lane Junction, {{convert|1.2|mi}} south of {{rws|Manchester Piccadilly}}, and ends {{convert|12|mi}} south at {{rws|Wilmslow}}.

Opened in 1909, by the [[London and North Western Railway]] company,{{sfn|Haywood|2009|p=237}} it takes its name from the Cheshire station of {{rws|Styal}}, the last stop before the junction at Wilmslow. A branch line to {{rws|Manchester Airport}} was built in 1993, accessed via a [[triangular junction]] between {{rws|Heald Green}} and Styal; it is also referred to as the '''Airport line'''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Commons Transport Select Committee - Memorandum by the Greater Manchester Branch of the Institute of Logistics and Transport (REN 40) |quote="Increased TransPennine services to Manchester Airport: these presently reverse out of bay platforms on the eastern side of Piccadilly, with consequent waiting delays for through passengers from the west, and then cross West Coast Main Line and local tracks to reach the Styal (Airport) line approach to Slade Lane junction, on the extreme west of the layout." |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmselect/cmtran/782/782ap47.htm |work=HM Government |date=11 July 2003 |access-date=2018-12-09}}</ref>

Journeys into Manchester on the line have risen sharply since the 1990s and the opening of Manchester Airport 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Timetable recast: too much, too quickly |url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/news/uk/single-view/view/too-much-too-quickly.html |work=Railway Gazette |date=4 June 2018 |access-date=2018-08-13}}</ref> 

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 railway station|Preston]], [[Blackpool North railway station|Blackpool North]] and [[Windermere railway station|Windermere]]. This was to maximise the number of train slots between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport; however, due to poor performance and falling passenger numbers, the service reverted to half-hourly calling at all stations in December 2022, with one service running between {{rws|Crewe}} and Manchester Piccadilly and the other running between Manchester Airport and Liverpool Lime Street.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Manchester Recovery Task Force Public Consultation |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1024623/manchester-recovery-task-force-public-consultation-response.pdf |work=Department for Transport |date=September 2021}}</ref> The three busiest stations (Heald Green, {{rws|Gatley}} and {{rws|East Didsbury}}) retain a third hourly express service in addition to the stopping services. As only one train per hour runs between Manchester Airport and Wilmslow, Styal station is served hourly.

== History ==
[[File:Gatley station - up side - geograph.org.uk - 827101.jpg|thumb|left|When operated by [[British Rail]], the line was served by [[British Rail Class 304|Class 304]] [[electric multiple units]]]]

In the early twentieth century, the line between Manchester London Road (now called ''Piccadilly'' station) and [[Stockport railway station|Stockport]] became unable to cope with the increasing traffic. To solve the problem, a new route avoiding Stockport was constructed by the [[London and North Western Railway]]; it ran from Slade Lane Junction, located in [[Longsight]], to Wilmslow through what was then mainly a rural area. The primary purpose was to provide a bypass for express trains, but a few wooden stations were built on the line to encourage suburban development. In practice, very few expresses latterly used the line, as it was necessary for most trains to serve the important station at Stockport. The line opened in 1909 and, from 1923, was operated by the [[London Midland and Scottish Railway]].

In the 1950s, as part of [[British Rail]]'s [[1955 Modernisation Plan|Modernisation Plan]], the [[British Transport Commission]] identified the Styal line as a suitable test track to prove its new [[Railway electrification in Great Britain|electrification scheme]]; the line was electrified in 1959. Some of the stations were rebuilt using the Mod-X system at this time.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-02-14 |title=Station to station: a spotter’s guide to prefab design on the railways |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2022/feb/14/station-to-station-a-spotters-guide-to-prefab-design-on-the-railways |access-date=2023-07-12 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Following the Styal line tests, it was decided to adopt the [[25 kV AC|25 kV]] system across the electrified Great Britain rail network, outside the [[Southern Region of British Railways|Southern Region]].<ref name="Gourvish">{{cite book |last1=Gourvish |first1=T. R. |last2=Blake |first2=N. |title=British Railways 1948-73: A Business History |date=1986 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9780521264808 |pages=625–6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_HaaS3Q7jAcC&dq=Styal%20Line&pg=PA626 |access-date=19 June 2018 |language=en}}</ref> There was a half-hourly electric service (Monday - Saturday) between {{rws|Manchester Oxford Road}} and {{rws|Alderley Edge}}, operated by Class 304 EMUs.{{sfn|Haywood|2009|p=261}} Services were extended to {{rws|Altrincham}} when the [[Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway|MSJAR]] was re-electrified at 25 kV AC in 1971 and operated in this way until the line between Altrincham and Manchester was transferred to [[Manchester Metrolink]] in 1990.

In the 1970s, the Styal line was included in a proposal to create an underground railway across [[Manchester City Centre]]. The [[Picc-Vic tunnel]] was planned to connect the two major mainline railway termini, Manchester Piccadilly and {{rws|Manchester Victoria}}; it would have enabled Styal line trains to run directly across the city to {{rws|Bolton}} and {{rws|Bury}}. The Picc-Vic scheme was abandoned in 1977, due to funding difficulties.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brook |first1=Richard |last2=Dodge |first2=Martin |title=Infra_MANC |url=http://personalpages.manchester.ac.uk/staff/m.dodge/Infra_MANC_catalogue.pdf |publisher=CUBE Gallery |page=131 |date= 2012|access-date=27 January 2016}}</ref>

In 1993, a short [[spur line]] to Manchester Airport was opened, branching away the Styal line between Heald Green and Styal. Initially, services ran via Heald Green only, until a triangular junction was added a few years later which provided a link towards Styal.{{sfn|Haywood|2009|p=210}} Many services were then diesel powered until 2014. The introduction of [[British Rail Class 350|Class 350]]s by [[First TransPennine Express]] on the Edinburgh-Manchester Airport line in December 2013 and [[British Rail Class 319|Class 319]]s by [[Northern Rail (Serco-Abellio)|Northern Rail]] in early 2015 curtailed the use of diesel trains on the line; this allowed for a 100&nbsp;mph service compared with 75&nbsp;mph limit for many diesel trains, such as the [[British Rail Class 156|Class 156]] and the now-retired [[British Rail Class 142|Class 142]] ''[[Pacer (British Rail)|Pacer]]'' trains.{{cn|date=June 2021}}

In 2006, the platforms at Mauldeth Road, Burnage, East Didsbury and Gatley stations were all reconstructed, as well as access improvements at Heald Green; patronage on the line increased after this investment. At the time, most platforms were future-proofed and extended to allow six carriage operation; however, it was not until 2019, with the arrival of the [[British Rail Class 195|Class 195]] and [[British Rail Class 331|Class 331]] units, that this platform capacity was fully utilised on Northern routes to Liverpool (Mauldeth Road) and Blackpool North (Burnage, East Didsbury and Gatley) which operate with six coaches.{{cn|date=June 2021}}

In recent years, usage of the line has surged with growing commuter patronage, along with non-stopping services which use the line between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport. Nowadays, most services on the line operate via the airport. There are a couple of services each day (mainly long-distance trains) which take the direct route from Styal to Heald Green; that is to say, from Heald Green South Junction to Heald Green North Junction, for train crew route knowledge retention purposes northbound. However, the only services on the junction southbound are either freight or a Transport for Wales service which doesn't stop at either station and only operates on Sundays. This route can also be used for diversions if the Stockport route is closed for engineering work or is blocked due to an operational incident.{{cn|date=June 2021}}
{{-}}

==Stations==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Styal line stations (with 5 year patronage statistics)
|-
! Station
! class="unsortable" |Image
! Location
! National services
! Annual<br />entry/exit<br />(millions)<br />1997/98<ref name="stats">{{cite web | url=http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1529 | title=Station usage | publisher=[[Office of Rail Regulation]] | access-date=13 December 2016}}</ref>
! Annual<br />entry/exit<br /><br />1999/00<ref name="stats"/>
! Annual<br />entry/exit<br /><br />2004/05<ref name="stats"/>
! Annual<br />entry/exit<br /><br />2009/10<ref name="stats"/>
! Annual<br />entry/exit<br /><br />2014/15<ref name="stats"/>
! Annual<br />entry/exit<br /><br />2019/20<ref name="stats"/>
|-
| [[Mauldeth Road railway station|Mauldeth Road]]
| [[File:Mauldeth Road railway station (3).JPG|75px]] 
| Ladybarn
| [[Northern Trains]]
| 87,054
| {{decrease}} 82,723
| {{increase}} 118,566
| {{increase}} 239,796
| {{increase}} 321,878
| {{decrease}} 305,762
|-
| [[Burnage railway station|Burnage]]
| [[File:Burnage railway station (1).JPG|75px]] 
| [[Burnage]]
| [[Northern Trains]]
| 71,774
| {{decrease}} 70,803
| {{increase}} 92,908
| {{increase}} 158,674
| {{increase}} 186,778
| {{increase}} 213,780
|-
| [[East Didsbury railway station|East Didsbury]]
| [[File:East Didsbury Railway Station (July 2015).jpg|75px]] 
| [[Didsbury]]
| [[Northern Trains]]<br>[[Transport for Wales Rail|Transport for Wales]]
| 87,893
| {{decrease}} 86,832
| {{increase}} 124,511
| {{increase}} 272,656
| {{decrease}} 254,256
| {{increase}} 296,966
|-
| [[Gatley railway station|Gatley]]
| [[File:Gatley railway station.jpg|75px]] 
| [[Gatley]] 
| [[Northern Trains]]<br>[[TransPennine Express]]
| 121,459
| {{increase}} 130,086
| {{increase}} 151,681
| {{increase}} 238,096
| {{increase}} 309,926
| {{decrease}} 338,506
|-
| [[Heald Green railway station|Heald Green]]
| [[File:Heald green railway station.jpg|75px]] 
| [[Heald Green]] 
| [[Northern Trains]]
| 191,537
| {{increase}} 204,190
| {{increase}} 245,950
| {{increase}} 379,956
| {{increase}} 497,988
| {{decrease}} 482,318
|-
| [[Manchester Airport station|Manchester Airport]]
| [[File:The Station - geograph.org.uk - 511890.jpg|75px]] 
| [[Ringway, Manchester|Ringway]] 
| [[Northern Trains]]<br>[[TransPennine Express]]<br>[[Transport for Wales Rail|Transport for Wales]]
| 1,132,740
| {{increase}} 1,259,513
| {{increase}} 1,576,260
| {{increase}} 2,620,252
| {{increase}} 3,460,854
| {{increase}} 5,747,000
|-
| [[Styal railway station|Styal]]
| [[File:Styal railway station, Cheshire - geograph.org.uk - 2333614.jpg|75px]] 
| [[Styal]] 
| [[Northern Trains]]
| 679
| {{increase}} 1,332
| {{increase}} 3,719
| {{decrease}} 2,206
| {{increase}} 5,668
| {{decrease}} 21,670
|-
! Total
| 
| 
|
| 1,693,136
| {{increase}} 1,835,479
| {{increase}} 2,313,595
| {{increase}} 3,911,609
| {{increase}} 5,037,348
| {{increase}} 7,406,002
|}

== Services ==
=== Stopping services ===
All stations on the line are served by two stopping services per hour operated by [[Northern Trains]]: one runs between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Airport and the other runs between Manchester Piccadilly and Crewe. On Sundays, this is reduced to one train per hour which runs between Liverpool Lime Street and Wilmslow. These services are usually operated by a {{brc|323}} [[electric multiple unit]] (EMU).  

The busier stations (East Didsbury, Gatley and Heald Green) are served by an additional third express train every hour.
Early morning, late evening and peak services sometimes make additional stops to provide additional services; for example, Gatley is served by a Blackpool North train at 07:43 on Sunday mornings.

Mauldeth Road, Burnage and Heald Green are served exclusively by Northern Trains.

East Didsbury is also served by [[Transport for Wales Rail]] and Gatley is also served by TransPennine Express services.<ref>{{NRtimes|December 2022|85}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Styal line off-peak services (as of December 2021)
|-
! Station!! {{abbr|tph|trains per hour}} !! Stopping service !! colspan="2"|Express service !! colspan="2"|Additional express service
|-
| {{rws|Mauldeth Road}} || 2 || rowspan="7"|''Half hourly [[Regional rail|'stopping' service]] <br> {{rws|Crewe}} to {{rws|Manchester Piccadilly}} <br> {{rws|Manchester Airport}} to {{rws|Liverpool Lime Street}}<br> calling at all stations on the Styal line'' || || |||
|-
| {{rws|Burnage}} || 2 || || || |||
|-
| {{rws|East Didsbury}} || 3 || style="background:#{{National Rail colour|Transport for Wales Rail}}; color:white; width:10px;"| || {{rws|Manchester Airport}} to {{rws|Llandudno}} <br>([[Transport for Wales Rail|Transport for Wales]]) ||  style="background:#{{Northern colour|Barrow-Manchester Airport}}; color:white; width:10px;"| || {{rws|Manchester Airport}} to {{rws|Barrow-in-Furness}}/{{rws|Windermere}}
|-
| {{rws|Gatley}} || 3 || style="background:#{{Northern colour|Barrow-Manchester Airport}}; color:white; width:10px;"| || {{rws|Manchester Airport}} to {{rws|Barrow-in-Furness}}/{{rws|Windermere}} || style="background:#{{National Rail colour|TransPennine Express}}; color:white; width:10px;"| || {{rws|Manchester Airport}} to {{rws|Saltburn}}<br> ([[TransPennine Express]])
|-
| {{rws|Heald Green}} || 3 || style="background:#{{Northern colour|Blackpool-Manchester Airport}}; color:white; width:10px;"| || {{rws|Manchester Airport}} to {{rws|Blackpool North}} || style="background:#{{Northern colour|Barrow-Manchester Airport}}; color:white; width:10px;"| || {{rws|Manchester Airport}} to {{rws|Barrow-in-Furness}}/{{rws|Windermere}}
|-
| {{rws|Manchester Airport}} || 7 || style="background:#{{National Rail colour|Northern Trains}}; color:white; width:10px;" | || to {{rws|Barrow-in-Furness}}, {{rws|Blackpool North}} and {{rws|Llandudno}} ||style="background:#{{National Rail colour|TransPennine Express}}; color:white; width:10px;"| || to {{rws|Redcar Central}}, [[Edinburgh Waverley railway station|Edinburgh]] and {{rws|Glasgow Central}}
|-
| {{rws|Styal}} || 1 ||  | ||  ||  | ||
|}

=== Express services ===
[[TransPennine Express]] run through services, via Manchester Piccadilly, from across the north of England; these include to {{rws|Redcar Central}}, via {{rws|Leeds}} and {{stnlnk|York}}, operated by [[British Rail class 185|Class 185s]]. Their trains also operate from {{stnlnk|Glasgow Central}}/{{rws|Edinburgh Waverley}} (both two-hourly) via Preston and Manchester Piccadilly.<ref>{{cite web |title = Timetables {{vbar}} Download timetables {{vbar}} TransPennine Express |url = https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/travel-updates/timetables |publisher = TransPennine Express |access-date = 10 February 2025}}</ref>  These were operated by Class 185 [[diesel multiple units]] until December 2013, when they were replaced with [[British Rail Class 350|Class 350]] EMUs.<ref>{{cite web |title = New Rolling Stock for London Midland and for First TransPennine Express |url = http://www.londonmidland.com/about-us/latest-news/news-archive/2011/09/new-rolling-stock-for-london-midland-and-for-first-transpennine-express/|publisher = London Midland | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927142442/http://www.londonmidland.com/about-us/latest-news/news-archive/2011/09/new-rolling-stock-for-london-midland-and-for-first-transpennine-express/ |access-date = 15 December 2022| archive-date=27 September 2013 }}</ref> which were transferred to [[London Northwestern Railway]] in 2020, following replacement by [[British Rail Class 397|Class 397]] EMUs. 

Transport for Wales Rail run an hourly service between the Airport and {{stnlnk|Llandudno}} via {{rws|Chester}}, using [[British Rail Class 197|Class 197]] units.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tfw.wales/sites/default/files/2024-12/8_Holyhead-Llandudno-Chester-Manchester_December-2024_V1.pdf|title=Transport for Wales North Wales services December 2024-June 2025}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Airport Line (Manchester Metrolink)]]; Metrolink tram line also serving Manchester Airport.

==References==
===Citations===
{{reflist}}

===Sources===
* {{cite book |last1=Haywood |first1=Russ |title=Railways, Urban Development and Town Planning in Britain: 1948-2008 |date=2009|publisher=Ashgate Publishing Ltd. |isbn=9780754673927 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vWhpkyrFvjAC&dq=Manchester%20Airport%20station%201993&pg=PA237 |access-date=19 June 2018 |language=en}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Styal Line}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070717020622/http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/strategyfinance/strategy/greatermancesterstrategicrai3509 Greater Manchester Strategic Rail Study Final Report June 2001]

{{Railway lines in North West England}}
{{Airport rail links in the United Kingdom}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Rail transport in Greater Manchester]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Cheshire]]
[[Category:Railway lines opened in 1909]]
[[Category:Railway lines in North West England]]
[[Category:Airport rail links in the United Kingdom]]