It's an older, large station that is extremely busy but also easy to navigate to get to your transportation on time. Though it's older, it's clean with several places to grab food or coffee. Signage is really good and makes things easier trying to get through a big crowd to your platform. read more

Very convenient and effective train station where you can take bullet trains to London from Manchester. Shoppes and what not fill up the area and tickets are very convenient to purchase on the app Trainline. Highly recommended! read more

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Busy station with good transport links. Plenty of shops and places to grab food. Can get crowded during peak times, but overall it's well-organized and easy to navigate. read more

It's a train station albeit a very old and now neglected one. It's enormous by standards where I live just by the sheer scale of population. It existed before women had the vote, before the British Labour Party was formed and it pre existed the legalisation of the trades unions. Those days it was friendly societies, it even pre dated the invention of the 'Spinning Jenny'. It has withstood two world wars, it was publicly owned and nationalised in 1948 about a year after the creation of Pakistan, and the same year the Irish Republic was established. Today it is indirectly owned by a government that would have sold it for a penny via being controlled by Network Rail a government company. It escaped being sold for a penny and has seen privatisation fail abysmally and has been cash starved as a result. It is full of privatised workers and lots of trains that belong to museums. Had the right wing lunatics of the government of the day left well enough alone the rail network now would cost half as much to run as it does today and destroyed communities may have still stayed intact. The same right wing lunatic wing in power today from the same incompetent party (the equivalent of the GOP in USA today) ironically got enough votes from the working classes to allow and continue to allow the UK to be asset-stripped by privateers, their mates in the city, global mega corporations, vulture capital, greedflation, at this point the damage is close to if not irreversible and those who voted to let them have most to lose. And I think to myself what a wonderful world, oh yea? read more

Manchester Piccadilly - Inside - Train Stations Near Me - Manchester, XGM

It seems as if most of the trains that end up in Manchester end up pulling into this station. Okay, maybe not all of them because I noticed that some start elsewhere and completely miss this station, but this is the station that the train that I caught to Manchester from London dumped me at. Actually, as a railway station this place turned out to be pretty awesome. It's quite a bit station, but then again it is Manchester, which does happen to be the second biggest city in England, so yeah, that doesn't really surprise me one bit. While it isn't anywhere near as overwhelming as some of the stations in Europe, it is still quite large. read more

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It's alright it just busy and crowded and a lot of delays ! Overall it was okay and the people there are kind and trams were frequent ! read more

The Manchester Piccadilly Railway Station was very conveniently located a short walk from the airport in a covered indoor atrium like walkway that lead from the airport to the station and vice versa. Once at the station you proceed down a steep stairwell to the trains and once on the platform there is a little convenience shoppe with drinks, newspapers, candies, etc. read more

What a busy railway station! As a newcomer to this railway station, It was easy to navigate through. Theres plenty of signage and staff members to answer questions for the disoriented traveler. Theres a good assortment of shops, food and pharmacies at the Piccadilly Station. Theres plenty of automated ticket machines for ticket purchasing and printing. Screens with platforms numbers were easy to read. read more

Manchester Piccadilly - Train Stations Near Me - Manchester, XGM

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An average traveller experience. The tickets are overpriced and the staff are only averagely helpful. Awaiting an investment from Westminster since the seventies ! read more

My heart is torn at the moment. Well it has been since September 2006 to be honest. Its torn between Manchester and London. I hate feeling like I'm missing out you see so for the past three and a half years I jump on a train and then return to the city I have my own bed in when said event/ party/ interview/ quick catch up is over. It has worked both ways and I'm still doing it way too much now. So, even though I tend to just manage to get on trains that are seconds away from shutting their doors and leaving the platform, I have clocked up quite a lot of time at Piccadilly over the years. And I must say that since they had all the scaffolding ie that major refurbishments it is everything a girl could ask for, if she were dreaming of a train station. The Fast Ticket machines are in thoughtful places e.g. just at the top of the escalators as you come up from the buses/ taxi rank. As are the screens showing departure times - perfect when you have exactly four minutes till it leaves and need to know which platform to run to. On more leisurely stops, there's a good selections of chains - WH Smith, Boots, Starbucks, Sainsburies. More random are Accessorize, Thorntons etc but good for idle browsing. The staff here have always been really helpful - with tickets, times, advice, railcards. Plus they took it upon themselves to stop people going down to the metrolink when this first stopped running from the centre. Bless em. read more

Manchester Piccadilly - Train Stations Near Me - Manchester, XGM

I always find myself in Manchester so I'm pretty familiar with this train station. Edinburgh to Manchester Piccadilly is about 3 hours with no train change so it's pretty convenient. This station is huge and can get crowded. They have a small area to buy tickets so it sucks when you're in a hurry to get your ticket cause of the long queue. My advice is give yourself at least 20 minutes before you have to board your train to collect your ticket otherwise you'll miss it. There's loads of places to eat and shop in this station. On the second floor there's sit down restaurants and on the ground level there's places like sainburys, boots, and delis to get snacks for your journey. Some stations are like a maze but this one is easy to navigate because of the many monitors it has to let you know which platform your train will be on. The large numbers above the entry way for the platform also helps. Happy travels! read more

Manchester Piccadilly - Train Stations Near Me - Manchester, XGM

Largest station in manchester. It serves many locations with a regular 20 min service to london. There us a large concourse with the ticket office manned by virgin but plenty of self set e machine around the station. Below the station is the metrolink station so easy to get out of thr city centre. Food wise there is sainsburys an marks and spencer and just outside the concourse is a waitrose to go. Refrshments. There are 3 bars and carluccios all overpriced in my opinion. Plus many coffe shops. Places to sit down and eat there are 3 carluccios tgi and yo sushi. Take away. Numerous in small fronted bays on the main concourse. A lot of the take away places accept bite card so get one and save 10% read more

As I sit upon my temporary perch ( Virgin pendolino to London Euston ) I'll set the scene for you! I'm in a very warm Virgin train having returned from its London hub only to continue this yo yo journey! Listening to the new James blunt album through a broken set of apple earphones ( only one ear works ) I have to say I can look out at the station around me before we depart and I notice one major thing! It's busy yet tranquil, there is great hustle and bustle about Piccadilly and yes there are bad parts but we all have our imperfections! The grand ceiling of the concourse takes you back to the days pre a health and safety nanny state! With real thick girders ( calm down men ) . It's clean and open almost the complete contrast to how you feel when you arrive at Euston ( in my case ) ! I can see representatives from lots of TOCs ( train operating companies to you and me ) British transport police have an almost permanent presence even when your on the first train of the day that is like the never ending train ride! Lots of adverts - now these are catered towards more of the visitors that come to manchester ! But it is nice to see what is around! Now the issue you are going to have to face of how the heck do I get to this magnificent train station ! Well you have a multitude of options ; Metrolink into the stations own metrolink station ( in the catacombs of the concourse with a lift and escalated up to the concourse level ! Taxi - it will proberbly cost you and arm and both of your legs but let's be honest you don't have to stop every where on public transport ! There is a short stay carpark to pick up and drop off where you have twenty minutes waiting free it shoots up 0-20 mins - free 20-60 - £2.50 60-119 -£12.50 120-179- £35.00 So just think you can have that instant coffee at home instead of waiting for you Starbucks ( which see my seperate review of is not what I expect of Starbucks ) Over all this station is close to the city centre , it's warm in all the right places and feel as if it has every cog turning as it should do - so apart from manchester being the greatest city in its own manchester Piccadilly train station is an asset an you should pay us a visit soon :-) read more

Manchester Piccadilly - Train Stations Near Me - Manchester, XGM

Piccadilly is the station I spend most of my life in despite living nowhere near manchester town centre! It is usually the halfway point within my journeys and so I take full advantage of it during long waits for connecting trains, I absolutely worship the 24 hour starbucks here and the sainsburys is super handy! There are plenty of bars and food ppaces available just within picadilly and they even have a krispy kreme now!!! Not to mention the mini Natwest branch that now resides next door to sainsburys. There are plenty entrances to the station so this comes in handy for the close calls with train times and even a WHSmith to grab yourself a read for the journey. My only complaint about Manchester Picadilly is having to pay 30p for the loo, however, it is not the only station that does this. read more

Manchester Piccadilly - Platform 14 - Train Stations Near Me - Manchester, XGM

This review is actually for Virgin Trains, one of the lines going out of Picadilly station: Being from the San Diego CA I'm quite fascinated with the public transportation system in the UK. I used Virgin Trains to go round trip from Manchester to London. It was a 2 hour ride, the trains were clean and the seats were comfortable. I like the little store on board, that was quite neat for me. They have snacks, coffee, news papers, magazines and wine. Negatives: it's extremely hot, I know it's bitter cold out but it's a bit to warm to the point where you're not comfortable and the bathrooms could be a little cleaner. They offer a first class upgrade, I was told in the weekday prime work hours you get a nice cooked meal and coffee. read more

Manchester Piccadilly - Train Stations Near Me - Manchester, XGM

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Just a good station, though the ticket checking for platform 13 and 14 can be a tad awkward and unpredictable. The food and drink on offer is great for travellers but I do often feel some of these places would be better served on the station approach and away from the volume of the station's tannoy. All in all a good central hub for travel regular trains all over the country and regular airport trains for going further afield. Don't miss the pasty shop if you need something filling for travel! read more

Manchester Piccadilly - This guy look so chilled like he's saying 'I know what train I'm waiting for, this ain't me, don't worry though... I got this!' - Train Stations Near Me - Manchester, XGM

When commuting I always found that the staff were friendly, ticket checkers were quick and it was usually easy to find any train schedule changes. There is a seating area, lots of shops in the area and clean accessible toilets. I was very glad when the toilets became free to use! The station offers good transport links to get around Manchester too. read more

Difficult to know what to say about a railway station! Usually pass through here if I'm catching Virgin Trains to London or the train to Manchester airport. It has the usual range of food options- there's Pret, Starbucks, Burger King, upper crust, Delice de France, Cornish Pasty company etc. If you want to grab a quick ready meal on the way home Marks and Spencer is pretty handy. The shops include a card shop and an accessorize as well as a WH Smith. It's a fairly big station with several platforms...there are two I think 13 and 14 that are a bit of a walk up an escalator but the rest are right there in front of you. It would be nice if there were more ticket collection machines as on a busy day there can be massive queues and you can easily miss your train. The platform announcement board is always a bit annoying because just as you're about to find your destination, it rotates to the second half of the alphabet! Wi-Fi wise I use the wifi in pret a manger. It's a pretty clean and nice station, as usual you have to pay for the toilets but there are loads of cubicles. Oh and if you want to catch an uber or taxi- go down the escalator towards the car park, as opposed to out the front door. read more

Manchester Piccadilly - Train Stations Near Me - Manchester, XGM

I have used piccadilly station quite a few times on this occasion it was to go to Edinburgh for a surprise birthday trip, the train we got was the first pennine express at 7.45 it took about 3 and a half hours and it was very comfortable and we booked a table too. Most of the shops were open so you can get something to eat and drink. The station is very clean and tidy and there is a large selection of bars, coffee shops and eating places as well as sainsburys and m&s. It's the best train station in manchester and you don't mind waiting around in here for your train. read more

Manchester Piccadilly - Train Stations Near Me - Manchester, XGM

Usually when I get to Piccadilly Train Station I am flustered, have too much to carry and generally want to still be in bed. The reason for this is it's normally when I am staying in London on business. Considering the fact I am not at my best when I get to Piccadilly I usually calm down within ten minutes of being there. This is because the helpful people behind the desk tell me exactly where I need to be, I can go to multiple shops to get my newspaper and then I can sit down with a coffee and some breakfast. Piccadilly is the train station in the city centre by a mile. As it is considered the main station it has far more routes then Oxford or Victoria. It also has a couple of those flat escalators that eliminate the effort of walking or running for your train the joy! read more

Manchester Piccadilly - Train Stations Near Me - Manchester, XGM

Lovely station. Got great facilities, car park near by and right in the centre so close to all the shops. They even have a Yo Sushi bar here! Restaurants, bars and M&S are all adjoined to the station. read more

Manchester Piccadilly - Train Stations Near Me - Manchester, XGM

One of the business train stations in the country with than services to all corners of Great Britain. There are lots of facilities including restaurants, bars, banks, a Sainsbury's and an M&S food. The Virgin trains ticket office can sell train tickets to anywhere on any train company, though they always seem very busy, its better to use an unmanned terminal if possible. There is a large taxi rank on a lower level and a Metrolink tram station in the undercroft. There is a very small first class lounge for Virgin Trains on the upper level. The station underwent a lot of modernisation prior to the 2012 Commonwealth Games, those updates have kept the station looking bright and modern. I just hope they continually improve the place over time. read more

This station looks like a mini airport departure lounge. I'm feelin' it! Loads of eateries, watering holes & shops. Clean & great, legible and visible signage. All the usual bothersome bits are here too; people not paying attention as they walk & text, eat, look around, yell at kids or look for the person picking them up. The toilets also need a darn good scrubbing--seriously, these are pay toilets so where's the money going; down the drain? Overall, I like this station & Virgin Trains run here, a plus for me. read more

As a previous commuter on the trains around Yorkshire and Manchester I can honestly say I have tried and tested several of the stations......many by accidental stranding as opposed to choice but Manchester is my home city so I pass through Piccadilly regularly and I like this station. Piccadilly is a large,clean and modern station with a good variety of the usual coffee shops,food outlets and shops to peruse. There's loads of seating and it's pretty warm so if you do miss a connection don't fear you won't be stood shivering! If you don't like what's on offer inside there are also a few places outside on the descent to Piccadilly Gardens. All the platforms are a stones throw away from the entrance with the exception of 13 and 14 so set off early if you are heading in the Liverpool or Wales direction. You have to be good at scanning through alphabetised places to see where your platform is but as long as you're not in a rush this is fine. Be warned.....they have a 'demonstration' board to one side. I fell for this first time round I'm embarrassed to say and ended up stood there for a few minutes looking like a lemon! Please note they do charge you 30p for the luxury of going to the toilet....that said the bathrooms are extremely clean and there are lots of mirrors in the ladies toilet for those wanting to touch up their hair or make up so always a silver lining! Can't comment on the men's I'm afraid. read more

I've been here a couple of times now, and apart from the fact I constantly forget where platform 14 is (go through the doors for platforms 11 & 12 and allow 5 minutes to walk to the platform) I really like it. So it's Manchester's main station and it has a massive amount of shops. I was early for my train so headed to Boots for some drugs (antihistamines can help with travel sickness) and water. There's also restaurants and bars if you have more time. To get to platforms 13 & 14, it's bit of a walk and you'll need to allow enough time to get there. Overall though, this station is clean, efficient and in a good location for getting to in a taxi (they drop you off at the door and you get the escalator up). Too easy. read more

Piccadilly station is one of the biggest and busiest train stations in the north of the UK, as well as being the main station in all 4 of Manchester's city centre's stations. We all know what a station is like with loads of fast food shops (and a Sainsburys) so I won't go into mind numbing boring details but below I've listed a few tips for if you're ever here and want a heads up on what to do. 1. Toilets cost 35p so use the loo on the train or nip to one of the restaurants upstairs. 2. The Northern Quarter (especially Tariff street) are a 5-10 mins walk from Piccadilly so if you're after some good beers, coffee, food then head up to this area (Kosmonaut, Port Street Beer House, Takk and North Star Deli are all recommended) 3. Carluccios upstairs is good for coffee (and cheap) so check this place out as it's probably one of the best places to eat/drink inside the station. 4. Pret has a big outside terrace to the front that not many people use and is a great suntrap. 5. Platforms 13 and 14 become a bit of a survival of the fittest in the battle to get a seat. If you have a long journey to make, make sure you get there early and stake your claim! 6. Greggs just outside the main entrance does a bacon bap and latte for £2 before 11am So here you have it, all the greatest tips you could ever need when you're at Piccadilly station. read more

Whenever I catch a train from Manchester Piccadilly I can't help feeling I should be catching a plane somewhere hot and sunny. Ever since the building was regenerated, it's looked and felt more like an airport terminal than a train station. There's lots of flashing monitors with arrival and departure times, clusters of uncomfortable seating and wide open spaces. There's also two floors of handy shops, pubs and fast food joints. Honestly, all it would need to make the transistion to a fully fledged airport is a Duty Free and a landing strip on the roof! read more

Manchester Piccadilly - Train Stations Near Me - Manchester, XGM

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Oh Piccadilly, the places you've taken me. Or not, because you left me stranded (no hard feelings). This station is pretty much the main station in Manchester. It is very spacious, with a lot of standing space, with a few seats scattered here and there. And a good selection of shops. Trains are usually always on time, which I guess is a good thing (unless your'e me of course), and staff are very nice. Although platforms, 13 and 14 are SOOO far away! So many times that I could have easily missed my train because of it! Lesson learned. read more

I've always been impressed with picadilly station when visiting and now that I live in Manchester and use it more it's just as good. The network which it serves means you can get to all parts of the uk quickly and easily. It has lots of shops serving everything you could want at a train station and the layout and atmosphere is bright modern and a lot better than many of the major city train stations in the uk read more

Manchester Piccadilly - Train Stations Near Me - Manchester, XGM

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I don't drive. I get public transport. So while it's semi geeky to write about railway stations. I find myself checking into them and presenting you my dear yelpers with reviews of them. Positives: There's lots of choice for sit in food particularly breakfast and quick lunch options & grabbing dinner to take into town if you are stopping at an apartment is pretty easy here too. It's actually less than thirty seconds to walk across the main concourse to find yourself on a platform. Negatives: The departures board is actually a destinations board. which is usually 1 of 3 rotating boards. This is only useful if you can see your arrival station within the first few seconds of looking at the board. But if you are in a "rush" you have to wait nearly a minute to see what platform you require. Today the main entrance had metal bollards with stubbed out cigarettes on top of at least 7 of them. Where's the cigarette disposal?? Tip: Allow several minutes to walk down the platform. Sometimes the trains can be stacked into the platforms meaning you have to walk past the first one to get to your own train. Especially platforms 13-14 which are rather a long trek with luggage. Or RUN!!!!!! Run like the wind and avoid crashing into everyone!! read more

It does what you expect a station to do, provides trains that travel around the country. There are fairly good facilities, remember if you need to use the toilets you'll need 30p in change. Save yourself a bit of time if you want a Liverpool or Blackpool train that is platform 14 on the far right of the station, and remember to allow an extra couple of minutes to get there. If you have a bite card you can get them on the internet somewhere, it gives you 10% at most of the coffee places and stuff. Also there are two newsagents which it is useful to know about one up by platforms 13 & 14, and the other in the main concourse. read more

I find the acid test of public transport stations is waiting in them on cold winter nights. I'm really grateful for how much warmer the main concourse of Piccadilly Station is than most large train stations, due to the massive glass curtain which stops the wind blowing in off the platforms. And Piccadilly is also clean and modern, including the fantastic real time alphabetical destination board, which should be your first stop when entering the station. But if you're on Platform 13, you've drawn the short straw. It's a long trek from the station entrance, and when you add to that the length of Station Approach and probably also your rookie error in thinking Piccadilly Station was right next to Piccadilly Gardens, you need to allow at least half an hour for the walk from Market Street. And the lower platforms and waiting room are old skool and undersized. So while I'm happy to use Piccadilly for onward travel, other Manchester stations are generally handier when I'm doing a day trip to Manchester itself (and nicer that Piccadilly Platform 13). Tip: I mainly travel to Manchester on the Southport-Manchester line. There are two trains to Manchester each hour, with a Deansgate/Oxford Road/Piccadilly train followed 30 minutes later by a Salford Central/Victoria train. A bit of planning in advance with the timetable and Manchester map is definitely worth it. For example, Salford Central is short walk over the River Irwell from Spinningfields and Deansgate shops. Victoria is handy for the Arndale Centre, Market Street and the Northern Quarter. read more

We don't have trains in Vegas. Or Dallas. So when I arrived from Manchester Airport I was in complete awe. I must have looked like the lost American I was because as soon as I departed the train I was immediately met by someone who kindly pointed me in the right direction to exit the platform area & station altogether. The next day, I must have still appeared lost because a kind man approached me on the platform & helped me sort out where I needed to be. Both these individuals were employees, that much was clear. Sadly neither of them will know how their few seconds of kindness & information was not only appreciated, but helped get me to where I needed to be Christmas Eve. I have fond memories of this station & I am looking forward to passing through in a few months, this time knowing I won't be lost or confused. read more

I love this train station, I go through it everyday to get to work and often travel around the country for work (and play) from here. It's busy but easy to navigate with lots of helpful staff scattered about. There are plenty of shops and restaurants around, including Boots with a pharmacy, WH Smiths, Sainsbury's, StarSUCKS (I feel some type of way about this unethical establishment...), Costa, Pret a Manger, Yo Sushi and lots of other fab eateries. The metro link platforms are on the level below the train station, as are the black cabs. I love that practically every week there is some company giving out freebies here, this last month I've picked up Belvita breakfast biscuits, makeup and noodles. Can't complain! Plenty of seating around the station itself and it's pretty warm inside which is great during the cooler months. Platform 13 and 14 are my least favourite because they are situated furthest away from the main station building. Allow yourself an extra 5-10 minutes if your train's departing from either of these two platforms. Great place to people watch too. TIP: just outside the main entrance you'll find a little Waitrose on Piccadilly approach (the path leading up to the main entrance), if you pop in between 4.30pm and 7pm you can pick up some top quality, super discounted produce! I often pick up sandwiches for 50p (usually £2.99 plus) :) read more

Storage lockers have all but vanished throughout the UK, which means that Left Luggage -- a private, third-party baggage monitoring service independent from Network Rail -- is now your only choice if you're not keen on lugging your gear around a city like Manchester during a brief stopover. Assuming a physically and CCTV-monitored service would be even more reliable than a personal, coin-operated locker, I entrusted my laptop to Left Luggage in Manchester Piccadilly, where sometime during a 2.5-hour window the computer sustained £500 worth of damage. While trying to sort it out, we missed our train and then had to scramble, mid-vacation, to have the machine repaired so I could resume working. Left Luggage took a week to "investigate" through a slapdash claims process, then cited an our-word-vs.-yours impasse and paid absolutely nothing. All those CCTV cameras? Not trained on the storage area, apparently. They could have replaced my laptop with a brick and simply pled ignorance. What's to say they won't do something similar with your bags? Easily accessible public storage lockers might pose a safety risk, but clearly the third-party, Del Boy-operated alternative has its own severe shortcomings. One star for being a huge black mark over an otherwise pleasant trip to the UK. read more

It could be seen as biased, giving my hometown stations a good rep however when you visit Manchester Piccadilly you'll understand why it's so good! Comparing it to other big stations I've been too, Euston and New Street being the ones that spring to mind, Piccadilly does all it needs to, to be on par with it's rivals! Clean, spacious and easily assessable - do you need anything else in a train station? Okay I hear you, but the trains run on time pretty much all the time (I've never been delayed by a minute) and they have a decent selection of food and drink choices! The only downside to the whole station is Platforms 13 and 14 - which are outside in what I guess is the 'older' section of the station. Unfortunately for me, the train to Bolton is platform 14 - which as I say is outside and lacks to modern appeal of the inner platforms! Surely on the cards to be updated soon as pretty much everything else is done! So benefit of the doubt this time, but I'm watching you Piccadilly! read more

A great station with loads of shops and a superb way to get around the country! 2 hours and 9 minutes to get to London on the super fast Virgin Trains. read more

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Manchester Piccadilly is supposed to be the main gateway to our fantastic city and it is, but is it a gateway worthy of our city? For the most parts, yes, it is. Fourteen platforms, a number of cafes, shops, ample cash machines, trams, information boards, connectivity to pretty much everywhere in the country, it has it all. As for train companies, it has Virgin Trains to London, First Transpennine, East Midlands, Arriva and the delightfully "punctual" Northern Trains. And it is the Northern Rail's facilities or lack of them that takes away a star, straight away from what happens to be an excellent train station otherwise. However franchises like Virgin Trains and Transpennine make you feel sanguine about the whole situation. There's one more thing that takes away another star. Having to pay to use the loo, I mean using the loo is one of the basic human biological needs. Paying, simply to be a human being, is wrong on so many different levels, right. It's not how much you pay, but the principle behind it. Anyway, my other, bigger gripe is Northern Rail. Late services, help points constantly closed (even in crisis times) and a staff with an absolute lack of empathy make it a horrible experience, especially during peak hours. What ought to make you feel like you're entering the Garden of Eden, guarded by whatever pleasant things guard it, instead makes you feel like you're entering the Black Gates of Mordor, guarded by Orcs! But, just like LOTR had hope, in the form of Frodo with the one ring, I also have some semblance of hope with the new franchises being awarded. After all hope is the lifeline of humanity and I hope that this lifeline provides a better train line and experience for those who travel on Northern Rail. These two gripes apart, I think Manchester Piccadilly does a damn good job of being a train station. read more

Yep. At peak times this is a cattle market. Dont stand too long in front of the arrival boards in the main concourse because now and again you'll glance to your right and see a heaving wave-like mass of humanity sweeping towards you as they sod off in to the city from a nearby platform. Things to watch out for : The 'advisor' who sits in the little office below the arrival boards, surely a pre-requisite for this job *must* be to have your personality chip fully removed?!. That's the way it is. 'Which platform does the 10:52 to Scarborough depart from please?'....reply in monotone, Marvin from Hitchhikers Guide To The Universe Voice....'13'. 'Pigeons' - Sit on the upper deck eating your toasty at a table and watch as a pigeon arrives on the table next to yours, craps on the table whilst gazing adoringly at you eating and that flucks off....Niiiiiiiiccccccceeee!!!!. 'Ticket Checkers Platform 13/14' - From the Stormtroopers academy school of tact. On arrival at Piccadilly @platform14, climb the stairs as you carry your heavy himalayan luggage, get to the top and stagger forwards and then....'tickets!!!, tickets to be shown!!'. Yep, filtch around yer pockets as you try and catch yer breath to find yer little ticket stub. Feck me I had less of a grilling the last time I entered the USA via BMA. All of this to enter The Planet Of Manchester. ;-) read more

Piccadilly train station has become more than just a station, it's pretty much it's own independent shopping centre. It's hard to judge the station as whole... it has beautiful architecture and for the amazing view that is achieved by looking up I'd give it 5/5. ... but then you look back down and are often approached by angry looking security staff demanding your ticket.... g4s mood ruiners... Shop's wise it's great, I won't mention all the shops here but I'm pretty sure you can get 99% of things you would need on a daily basis here, from pharmacies, supermarkets and clothes shops to slotties, takeaways and restaurants... Piccadilly station has it all. I think I appreciate Piccadilly station more than city folk as my home town has two platforms and you're lucky if the vending machine is stocked! Appreciate Piccadilly more it's pretty awesome! : ) read more