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First glimpse at how Manchester Piccadilly station's revamp could look

The first images which show what a transformed Piccadilly station could look like have been unveiled as part of plans which could see Manchester’s flagship station completely rebuilt.

It’s part of the updated Piccadilly Strategic Regeneration Framework with council bosses keen to improve accessibility and increase footfall through the station. Passengers could eventually see a new HS2 terminus on top of a new Metrolink stop, together with a new boulevard connecting three public places, a park, separate bus terminus and taxi ranks.

The latest designs and plans put forward are an upgrade on those set out in 2014 and focus on the idea of it being “One Station”, meaning that HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail will be fully integrated into the existing station area.

Manchester City Council also say part of the upgraded framework is to introduce a brand new city centre district named ‘Piccadilly Central’. It has projected for 5,000 new homes, 250 hotel rooms and hundreds of new shops and offices in the area.

Timescales for development remain unknown at this early stage but the overhaul has been planned to be in place for HS2 which is hoped to be completed by 2032. 

Just a few weeks ago, as part of a Northern Powerhouse Partnership campaign, northern mayors, MPs, and business leaders came together calling for a major overhaul of the northern rail network to ensure the north of the country does not get left behind. 

Greater Manchester city mayor Andy Burnham was among the group demanding Northern Powerhouse Rail was delivered at the same time as HS2 Phase 2B. He argued “Westminster has failed the north and given us a transport system that is simply not fit for the future” and believed a revamped Piccadilly station had to be part of the plans moving forward. The campaign claims improvements across the north could help create 20,000 new jobs and generate £703m for the economy.

Much of the development is proposed to be to the north of the station, in areas designated as East Village, Piccadilly North, Piccadilly Central, and Piccadilly Heights. A new tree-lined boulevard would run along the station’s northern edge, and act as a connection from east to west.

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