Manchester is one of the North's most vibrant cities, bursting with infectious energy and character! Whether you're going on a day trip, staying one night or a whole weekend, you'll never be short of things to do in Manchester. Visiting Manchester by train is a must when travelling around the North of England.
Known as the birthplace of the industrial revolution, Manchester has a rich history in science, politics, music, arts and sport, to name but a few. From world-famous football stadiums to an iconic music scene and culture, there's plenty to explore. Plus, the city centre is jam-packed with diverse bars and restaurants, spanning a range of cuisines to suit your mood.
The Northern Quarter is also home to tonnes of indie shops, quirky cafes, street art, and has its own vibrant nightlife. Perfect for those looking for Manchester's fun and eclectic. Creative hearts will also love the Manchester Art Gallery, with fabulous paintings to intrigue and lift your mood everywhere you look. Find trains to Manchester or Manchester Airport and plan your journey with Northern today!
From Sunday 7 December 2025, rail fares across Greater Manchester were simplified to make train travel easier, fairer and more flexible. This means that Advance Purchase tickets will no longer be available to purchase on the day, however, they can be bought from 12 weeks in advance to midnight the day before travel. Find out more here.
Popular trains to Manchester
Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester Piccadilly
Average time: 0h 56m
Cheapest Advanced
£7.10
Sheffield to Manchester Piccadilly
Average time: 1h 8m
Cheapest Advanced
£10.00
Leeds to Manchester Victoria
Average time: 1h 49m
Cheapest Advanced
£6.90
Popular trains from Manchester
Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester Piccadilly
Average time: 0h 56m
Cheapest Advanced
£7.10
Leeds to Manchester Victoria
Average time: 1h 49m
Cheapest Advanced
£6.90
Newcastle to Manchester Piccadilly
Average time: 3h 22m
Cheapest Advanced
£23.70
Manchester train stations
As one of the North's biggest cities, Manchester has several train stations with direct routes from all over the UK. Find out more about each station Northern operates from below and plan your journey to Manchester by train today with train journeys to Manchester Airport, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Victoria and beyond.
Manchester Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly is the busiest train station in the city, welcoming over 30 million passengers through its doors each year. Centrally located, it is within easy walking distance of many attractions, as well as providing a great base for travel.
Learn more about Manchester Piccadilly station
Manchester Oxford Road
Opened in 1849, Manchester Oxford Road sees more than 9 million passengers annually to its five platforms. Known for its innovative design, not only is it a vibrant travel hub, it is also a stunning piece of architecture in the city centre.
Learn more about Manchester Oxford Road station
Manchester Airport
Manchester Airport provides a great base for coming and going from the city, welcoming 6 million passengers every year. Services run to and from Manchester Piccadilly every 10 minutes, 7 days a week, with a Sky Link for easy access to the terminal.
Learn more about Manchester Airport station
Manchester Victoria
Manchester Victoria serves as an interchange for the tramline, as well being attached to the Manchester Arena and next to the National Football Museum. It is also a short work to the Northern Quarter, which is home to an array of boutiques, bars and more.
Learn more about Manchester Victoria stationDid you know
Did you know that Manchester is symbolised by the Bee? The Manchester Bee symbol was founded in the 19th century to represent the city's industrious nature, it's where the Bee Network takes its name from!
Did you know
Did you know that Manchester is symbolised by the Bee? The Manchester Bee symbol was founded in the 19th century to represent the city's industrious nature, it's where the Bee Network takes its name from!
Cheap train tickets to Manchester
Buy an Advance train ticket to Manchester
Travelling outside of Greater Manchester? Booking in advance is the best way to get our lowest fares, allowing you to save up to 60% compared to buying an Anytime or Off-Peak ticket on the day. Advance train tickets are released 12 weeks before travel and can be purchased up to 15 minutes before departure if tickets are still available.
If you're travelling within Greater Manchester, there are two great ticket options available, making travel within Manchester even simpler. Travel with an Off-Peak ticket to save on your journey - they’re more flexible than Advance tickets and can be bought up to the day you travel.
Save by purchasing a Railcard
A Railcard is a discount card that lets you save up to one-third on train tickets. They are a great way to secure cheap rail fares. Purchasing a Railcard is easy and typically only costs £35 for a whole year.
Trains to Manchester FAQs
Save up to 60% on train tickets to Manchester when you book in advance with Northern. Advance tickets allow you to book up to 12 weeks in advance of travel. Visit National Rail to find out the list of dates currently available for booking our Advance tickets.
Don't worry if your plans change – you can swap the departure time of your Advanced train ticket for another same-day Northern service in just a few steps for as little as £1.50.
Manchester Piccadilly is the main train station in the city, thanks to its central location and connections to most destinations throughout the UK. With 16 platforms, Manchester Piccadilly sees over 30 million passengers passing through its doors annually.
While Manchester Piccadilly is the largest station and located in the city centre, Manchester Oxford Road and Manchester Victoria are also in the city centre. Manchester Oxford Road is only 2 minutes away from Manchester Piccadilly by train and 10 minutes on foot, while Manchester Victoria is 10 minutes away from Manchester Piccadilly by train and around 20 minutes on foot.
Manchester Piccadilly has two car parks, a long stay and short stay, which are both open 24/7. The long stay car park has over 800 spaces with 35 accessible spaces available, while the short stay has 47 spaces with 3 accessible spaces. You can also use the short stay car park to drop off and pick up passengers. Manchester Oxford Road and Manchester Victoria have no official car parks, however, there is limited parking nearby.
It takes around 20 minutes to get to Manchester Airport from Manchester Piccadilly train station, with trains running every 10 minutes, 7 days a week. You can then take a Sky Link to the terminal or a 10-minute walk.
Yes, several train services go directly to Manchester Airport, with the journey from Manchester Piccadilly taking approximately 20 minutes. The platforms at Manchester Airport are approximately a 10 - 15 minute walk from all three of the airport's terminals.
To find out if Northern trains to Manchester are running today, visit our service updates page for live train times, delay and disruption information.
Here's how to get to Manchester by train via some of the most travelled Northern destinations:
Trains from Liverpool to Manchester:
You can get a direct Northern train service from Liverpool Lime Street station to Manchester Oxford Road and Manchester Piccadilly. The journey to Oxford Road takes approximately an hour and 15 minutes, while the journey to Piccadilly takes approximately 46 minutes. For trains from Liverpool to Manchester Victoria, depart your Northern train at Manchester Piccadilly and take a connecting train or tram to complete the final leg of the journey.
Trains from Newcastle to Manchester:
Northern trains from Newcastle to Manchester require a transfer. Take a Northern train from Newcastle to Thornaby or Carlisle train station and complete the journey with a TransPennine Express to your chosen Manchester station.
Trains from Leeds to Manchester:
You can get a direct Northern train service from Leeds train station to Manchester Victoria train station. The journey takes approximately 1 hour and 25 minutes.
Trains from Sheffield to Manchester:
Northern trains from Sheffield to Manchester require a transfer. Take a Northern train to Leeds train station, then transfer to TransPennine Express to reach your chosen Manchester station.
Trains from Blackpool to Manchester:
You can get a direct Northern train service from Blackpool North train station to Manchester Piccadilly train station. The journey takes approximately an hour and 26 minutes.
Trains from Liverpool to Manchester:
You can get a direct Northern train service from Liverpool Lime Street train station to Manchester Piccadilly train station and Manchester Oxford Road. The journey takes approximately an hour from Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester Piccadilly and an hour and 10 minutes to Manchester Oxford Road.
Trains from Bolton to Manchester:
You can get a direct train service from Bolton train station to Manchester Piccadilly train station and Manchester Oxford Road. Trains to Piccadilly from Bolton take approximately 25 minutes, and trains to Oxford Road take approximately 20 minutes.
For information on other journeys to Manchester from Nottingham, the Lake District, and beyond, use the search tool at the top of the page.
Northern App
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Northern App
Streamline your journey and get tickets straight to your phone. Making your journey contact-free.