2006 redevelopment

Mauldeth Road in 1989 with concrete platforms from the 1960s

The station was modernised in 2006 with new steel platforms and shelters

As part of a £12 million station modernisation programme on the Manchester Airport Line, re-building work on Mauldeth Road railway station commenced in autumn 2006.^[4] Network Rail were able to keep the station operational for most of the time by demolishing the existing platforms in small parts and using temporary platforms. There was a temporary footbridge spanning the platforms while the pedestrians' access ramp to the northbound platform was out of use during renovation; the footbridge offered a vantage point for views over Manchester.^[5] As part of the re-building work new steel platforms, modern waiting shelters, new lighting and access ramps were constructed with work completed by June 2007.^[6]

Recent developments

Following extensive redevelopment of the station in 2006, passenger numbers doubled from approximately 148,000 to 323,000 in the five years between 2007 and 2012.^[7]

The portakabin ticket office, used since the late 1980s, was closed and removed in April 2013. A new purpose-built ticket office, funded by Network Rail, was constructed in summer 2013 and opened in October 2013.^[8]

In March 2017, the old rail bridge over Mauldeth Road, originally from when the line opened in 1909, had come to end of its life and was replaced with a new bridge.

Service patterns

Historically, the station has been served by a half-hourly service each way to Manchester Piccadilly and Crewe. In 1993, following the opening of the railway station at Manchester Airport, every other service terminated and commenced at Manchester Airport while another continued onto either Wilmslow, Alderley Edge or Crewe.

The new 2018 timetable was the most radical in decades and notable for its poor introduction, which was marked by many delays and cancellations. As part of the May 2018 timetable change, the Styal Line to the Airport operated on a skip-stop basis to free up additional capacity for express trains. Consequently, Mauldeth Road station was still served by two services per hour but at more irregular intervals and not all services stop at the four other commuter stations on the Styal Line (Burnage, East Didsbury, Gatley and Heald Green), as has been the case historically. Additionally, services were extended to Liverpool Lime Street which allowed for the service to utilise the two through platforms (13 and 14) at Piccadilly rather than terminating into a bay platform - which prevents the services from cutting across the 'throat' of the approach into Piccadilly and reducing capacity for Transpennine services.

Due to train crew shortages, between January and December 2022, the service was reduced to an hourly service with the semi-fast service between Manchester Airport and Liverpool Lime Street via Warrington Central being withdrawn. Following a sustained fall in patronage between 2017 and 2021 attributed to the introduction of irregular calling patterns and increased unreliability following the 2018 timetable recast, in December 2022 Mauldeth Road reverted to a service similar to pre-2018 timetable with a half-hourly service at 30 minute intervals.

The southbound platform was upgraded in early 2023. Six-car Class 195 and 331 can call through Mauldeth Road due to automatic selective door operation (ASDO), however the southbound platform extension will allow two Class 323 units (which do not possess ASDO) to call at Mauldeth Road and double seating capacity on the service.^[9]

Historical

Since the opening of Manchester Airport railway station in 1993, the Monday to Saturday service pattern was 2 trains per hour to Manchester Piccadilly. 2 trains per hour operated in the opposite direction - one to Manchester Airport and the other continued onto Crewe until 17:53, then terminated at Wilmslow in the evening. Sunday services consisted of 1 train per hour to Manchester Airport, with one service every 2 hours continuing to Alderley Edge and 1 train an hour to Manchester Piccadilly.

Between May 2018 and December 2021, the service pattern was amended to increase capacity on the line with several services not stopping at the other intermediate stations towards Manchester Airport. The Monday to Saturday service pattern consisted of

• 1 train per hour to Crewe via Manchester Airport stopping at most local stations- operated by a Class 319 or Class 323;
• 1 train per hour to Manchester Airport running semi-fast- operated by a Class 195;
• 1 train per hour to Liverpool Lime Street via Manchester Piccadilly and Newton-le-Willows stopping at all local stations - operated by a Class 319 or Class 323;
• 1 train per hour to Liverpool Lime Street via Manchester Piccadilly and Warrington Central running semi-fast- operated by a Class 195;
• 3 trains in the morning to Blackpool North via Chorley - operated by a Class 331;
• 1 train per day to Cleethorpes - operated by TransPennine Express with a Class 185.

Sunday services consisted of:

• 1 train per hour to Liverpool Lime Street - operated by a Class 319 or Class 323;
• 1 train an hour to Wilmslow - operated by a Class 319 or Class 323.^[10]

Present

The current Monday - Saturday service pattern consists of:

• 1 train per hour to Crewe via Manchester Airport (stopping service, terminates at Wilmslow on Sundays)
• 1 train per hour to Manchester Airport (stopping service, Monday to Saturday)
• 1 train per hour to Manchester Piccadilly (Monday to Saturday)
• 1 train per hour to Liverpool Lime Street via Newton-le-Willows

Preceding station		National Rail		Following station
Burnage		Northern Trains Manchester Airport to Liverpool Lime Street		Manchester Piccadilly
		Northern Trains Styal line local stopping service Monday to Saturday