Editing Manchester (section)

==Transport==
{{Main|Transport in Manchester}}
{{See also|Transport for Greater Manchester}}

===Rail===
[[Manchester Liverpool Road railway station|Manchester Liverpool Road]] was the world's first purpose-built passenger and goods railway station<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/aGqH_KJZSq6XUSo3q5UdEw |title=A History of the World: Liverpool Road Station sundial |publisher=BBC |access-date=9 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140802230037/http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/aGqH_KJZSq6XUSo3q5UdEw |archive-date=2 August 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> and served as the Manchester terminus on the [[Liverpool & Manchester Railway]] – the world's first [[Inter-city rail|inter-city]] passenger railway. It is still extant and its buildings form part of the [[Science & Industry Museum]].

[[File:Piccadilly Station Manchester - geograph.org.uk - 692981.jpg|thumb|[[Manchester Piccadilly station|Manchester Piccadilly railway station]], the busiest of the four major railway stations in the [[Manchester station group]], with over 32&nbsp;million passengers using the station in 2019/20<ref name=ORR/>]]
Two of the city's four main line termini did not survive the 1960s: [[Manchester Central railway station|Manchester Central]] and [[Manchester Exchange railway station|Manchester Exchange]] each closed in 1969. In addition, [[Manchester Mayfield railway station|Manchester Mayfield station]] closed to passenger services in 1960; its buildings and platforms are still extant, next to [[Manchester Piccadilly station|Piccadilly station]], but are due to be redeveloped in the 2020s.

Today, the city is well served by its rail network although it is now working to capacity,<ref>{{Cite news |title=Extra track suggested to ease Manchester's rail bottlenecks |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/eef5e63a-1b62-11df-838f-00144feab49a,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2Feef5e63a-1b62-11df-838f-00144feab49a.html%3Fsiteedition%3Duk&siteedition=uk&_i_referer=#axzz2jybR0Zv4#axzz1ox1RWxvB |work=Financial Times |date=17 February 2010 |access-date=13 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116173005/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/eef5e63a-1b62-11df-838f-00144feab49a,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2Feef5e63a-1b62-11df-838f-00144feab49a.html%3Fsiteedition%3Duk&siteedition=uk&_i_referer=#axzz2jybR0Zv4 |archive-date=16 January 2014 }}</ref> and is at the centre of an extensive county-wide railway network, including the [[West Coast Main Line]], with two mainline stations: [[Manchester Piccadilly railway station|Manchester Piccadilly]] and [[Manchester Victoria railway station|Manchester Victoria]]. The [[Manchester station group]] – comprising Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Victoria, [[Manchester Oxford Road railway station|Manchester Oxford Road]] and [[Deansgate railway station|Deansgate]] – is the third busiest in the United Kingdom, with 44.9&nbsp;million passengers recorded in 2017/2018.<ref name="ORR">{{cite web |url=http://orr.gov.uk/statistics/published-stats/station-usage-estimates |title=Estimates of station usage |publisher=[[Office of Rail & Road|Office of Rail Regulation]]|date=22 April 2014 |access-date=9 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170625013846/http://www.orr.gov.uk/statistics/published-stats/station-usage-estimates |archive-date=25 June 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[High Speed 2]] link to [[Birmingham Curzon Street railway station|Birmingham]] and [[Euston railway station|London]] was also planned, which would have included a {{Convert|12|km|abbr=on|0}} tunnel under Manchester on the final approach into an upgraded Piccadilly station,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-21230543 |title=HS2 to enter Manchester via tunnel under city |work=BBC News |date=28 January 2013 |access-date=9 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924131121/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-21230543 |archive-date=24 September 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> however this was cancelled by Prime Minister [[Rishi Sunak]] in October 2023.<ref>{{cite web |title=North West to benefit from £19.8 billion transport investment |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/north-west-to-benefit-from-198-billion-transport-investment |website=GOV.UK |access-date=5 October 2023}}</ref>

Recent improvements in Manchester as part of the [[Northern Hub]] in the 2010s have been numerous electrification schemes into and through Manchester, redevelopment of Victoria station and construction of the [[Ordsall Chord]] directly linking Victoria and Piccadilly.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Topham |first=Gwyn |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/feb/07/george-osborne-northern-hub-rail-project |title=George Osborne launches £600m Northern Hub rail project |journal=The Guardian |date=7 February 2014 |access-date=9 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141009134654/http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/feb/07/george-osborne-northern-hub-rail-project |archive-date=9 October 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> Work on two new through platforms at Piccadilly and an extensive upgrade at Oxford Road had not commenced as of 2019. Manchester city centre, specifically the [[Castlefield Corridor]], suffers from constrained rail capacity that frequently leads to delays and cancellations – a 2018 report found that all three major Manchester stations are among the top ten worst stations in the United Kingdom for punctuality, with Oxford Road deemed the worst in the country.<ref>{{Cite web |title=UK's railway stations with most train delays revealed |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-45864908 |work=BBC News |date=16 October 2018 |access-date=26 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190517223302/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-45864908 |archive-date=17 May 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Metrolink (tram/light rail)===
{{Main|Manchester Metrolink}}
[[File:Two M5000 trams passing.jpg|thumb|Manchester Metrolink is the [[Transport in the United Kingdom#Trams and light rail|largest tram system in the UK]], with a total route length of {{convert|64|mi|km}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=New Metrolink line to Wythenshawe and Manchester Airport to open on November 3 – a year ahead of schedule |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/new-metrolink-line-wythenshawe-manchester-7927130 |newspaper=Manchester Evening News |date=13 October 2014 |access-date=2 November 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018021056/http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/new-metrolink-line-wythenshawe-manchester-7927130 |archive-date=18 October 2014 }}</ref>]]
Manchester became the first city in the UK to acquire a modern [[light rail]] tram system when the [[Manchester Metrolink]] opened in 1992. In 2016–2017, 37.8&nbsp;million passenger journeys were made on the system.<ref name="16/17DfTstats">{{cite web |title=Light Rail and Tram Statistics: England 2016/17 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/623366/light-rail-tram-ending-march-2017.pdf |publisher=Department for Transport |access-date=30 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170709131401/https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/623366/light-rail-tram-ending-march-2017.pdf |archive-date=9 July 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> The present system mostly runs on former commuter rail lines converted for light rail use, and crosses the city centre via on-street tram lines.<ref name="metrolink-history">{{cite web |url=http://www.metrolink.co.uk/pdf/past_present_future.pdf |title=Metrolink History |date=9 March 2004 |publisher=Manchester Metrolink |access-date=21 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325191627/http://www.metrolink.co.uk/pdf/past_present_future.pdf |archive-date=25 March 2009}}</ref> The network consists of eight lines with [[List of Manchester Metrolink tram stops|99 stops]].<ref name="RTC">{{cite news |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/rochdales-first-passenger-tram-80-6897266 |work=Manchester Evening News |date=31 March 2014 |access-date=31 March 2014 |title=Passenger trams start running to and from Rochdale town centre for first time in 80 years |first=John |last=Scheerhout |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407072444/http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/rochdales-first-passenger-tram-80-6897266 |archive-date=7 April 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> A new line to the [[Trafford Centre tram stop|Trafford Centre]] opened in 2020.<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-37645935 "Metrolink's Trafford Park £350m Tramline Approved"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129101729/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-37645935 |date=29 November 2018 }}. ''BBC News''. 13 October 2016.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.railtechnologymagazine.com/Rail-News/enabling-works-begin-on-new-trafford-park-metrolink-line |title=Enabling works begin on new Trafford Park Metrolink line |access-date=20 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170820163108/http://www.railtechnologymagazine.com/Rail-News/enabling-works-begin-on-new-trafford-park-metrolink-line |archive-date=20 August 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> Manchester city centre is also serviced by over a dozen heavy and light rail-based park and ride sites.<ref name="Park & Ride">{{cite web |url=http://www.tfgm.com/journey_planning/ParkandRide/Pages/default.aspx |title=TFGM Park & Ride – Stations and Stops |publisher=[[Transport for Greater Manchester]] |year=2007 |access-date=8 November 2013|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022114452/http://www.tfgm.com/journey_planning/ParkandRide/Pages/default.aspx|archive-date=22 October 2013}}</ref>

===Bus===
[[File:Manchester free bus.jpg|thumb|Free buses operate on three Manchester Metroshuttle routes around Manchester city centre.]]
The city has one of the most extensive bus networks outside London, with over 50 bus companies operating in the [[Greater Manchester]] region radiating from the city. In 2011, 80 per cent of public transport journeys in Greater Manchester were made by bus, amounting to 220&nbsp;million passenger journeys each year.<ref name="2012 Annual Report" /> After [[Bus deregulation in the United Kingdom|deregulation]] in 1986, the bus system was taken over by [[GM Buses]], which after privatisation was split into GM Buses North and GM Buses South. Later these were taken over by [[First Greater Manchester]] and [[Stagecoach Manchester]]. Much of the First Greater Manchester business was sold to [[Diamond North West]] and [[Go North West]] in 2019.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gmpte.com/upload/library/t&s01_02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327122708/http://www.gmpte.com/upload/library/t%26s01_02.pdf |archive-date=27 March 2009 |title=GMPTE Trends and Statistics 2001/2002 |access-date=19 September 2007 |year=2002 |publisher=[[Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive]]|pages=28–9 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Go North West operate a three-route [[Zero-fare public transport|zero-fare]] [[Free buses in Greater Manchester|Manchester Metroshuttle]], which carries 2.8&nbsp;million commuters a year around Manchester's business districts.<ref name="2012 Annual Report">{{cite web |url=http://www.tfgm.com/Corporate/Documents/AnnualReportsBusinessPerformancePlans/11-0909-Ann_Performance-Report-AW.pdf |title=2011/2012 Annual Report |publisher=Transport for Greater Manchester |date=2012 |pages=10, 16 |access-date=9 August 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140302015458/http://www.tfgm.com/Corporate/Documents/AnnualReportsBusinessPerformancePlans/11-0909-Ann_Performance-Report-AW.pdf |archive-date=2 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Clarissa |last=Satchell |title=Free buses on another city route |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/free-buses-on-another-city-route-1085213 |work=[[Manchester Evening News]] |publisher=M.E.N. media |date=22 September 2005 |access-date=18 September 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131026062602/http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/free-buses-on-another-city-route-1085213 |archive-date=26 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tfgm.com/public-transport/bus/free-bus |title=Free bus in Manchester |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190714144636/https://tfgm.com/public-transport/bus/free-bus|archive-date=14 July 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> Stagecoach Manchester is the [[Stagecoach Group]]'s largest subsidiary and operates around 690 buses.<ref>{{cite web |title=Stagecoach welcomes government funding for Greater Manchester transport strategy |url=http://www.stagecoach.com/media/news-releases/2008/2008-06-09.aspx |publisher=stagecoachplc.co.uk |date=9 June 2008 |access-date=26 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020194124/http://www.stagecoach.com/media/news-releases/2008/2008-06-09.aspx |archive-date=20 October 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Air===
[[File:Manchester Airport.jpg|thumb|Manchester Airport from above]]
{{Main|Manchester Airport}}
[[Manchester Airport]] serves Manchester, [[Northern England]] and [[North Wales]]. The airport is the [[Busiest airports in the United Kingdom by total passenger traffic#2010 / 2011 data|third busiest in the United Kingdom]], with [[Busiest airports in the United Kingdom by total passenger traffic#2012 / 2013 data|over double the number of annual passengers]] of the next busiest non-London airport.<ref name="caa1990">{{cite web |url=http://www.caa.co.uk/Data-and-analysis/UK-aviation-market/Airports/Datasets/UK-Airport-data/Airport-data-1990-onwards/ |title=CAA Airport Data 1990-2014 |website=caa.co.uk |publisher=UK Civil Aviation Authority |access-date=13 March 2017}}</ref> Services cover many destinations in Europe, North America, the [[Caribbean]], Africa, the Middle East, and Asia (with more destinations from Manchester than any other airport in Britain).<ref>{{cite news |first=James |last=Wilson |title=A busy hub of connectivity |work=[[Financial Times]] |publisher=The Financial Times Limited |date=26 April 2007}}</ref> A second runway was opened in 2001 and there have been continued terminal improvements. The airport has the highest rating available: "''Category 10''", encompassing an elite group of airports able to handle "''Code F''" aircraft, including the [[Airbus A380]] and [[Boeing 747-8]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Manchester Airport is Officially 'A380 Ready' |url=http://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/manweb.nsf/Content/A380Ready |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100821061436/http://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/manweb.nsf/Content/A380Ready |archive-date=21 August 2010 |publisher=manchesterairport.co.uk |date=18 August 2010 |access-date=1 September 2010}}</ref> From September 2010 the airport became one of only 17 airports in the world and the only UK airport other than [[Heathrow Airport]] and [[Gatwick Airport]] to operate the Airbus A380.<ref>{{cite news |title=Giant Airbus A380 lands at Manchester Airport |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-11148598 |work=BBC News |date=1 September 2010 |access-date=9 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141017075939/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-11148598 |archive-date=17 October 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>

A smaller [[Manchester Barton Aerodrome]] exists {{Convert|9.3|km|abbr=on|0}} to the west of Manchester city centre. It was Manchester's first municipal airport and became the site of the first [[air traffic control]] tower in the UK, and the first municipal airfield in the UK to be licensed by the [[Air Ministry]].<ref name="CAMHIST">{{cite web |url=http://www.cityairportandheliport.com/about-us/airport-history |title=Airport History: City Airport and Heliport |publisher=City Airport Ltd |access-date=9 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140625164943/http://cityairportandheliport.com/about-us/airport-history |archive-date=25 June 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Today, private [[Air charter|charter flights]] and [[general aviation]] use City. It also has a [[Flight training|flight school]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cityairportandheliport.com/learn-to-fly/where-to-start |title=Where to start: City Airport and Heliport |publisher=City Airport Ltd |access-date=9 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140809033457/http://cityairportandheliport.com/learn-to-fly/where-to-start |archive-date=9 August 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> and both the [[Greater Manchester Police#Air Support Unit|Greater Manchester Police Air Support Unit]] and the [[North West Air Ambulance]] have helicopters based there.

===Canal===
An extensive canal network, including the [[Manchester Ship Canal]], was built to carry freight from the Industrial Revolution onward; the canals are still maintained, though now largely repurposed for leisure use.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.waterways.org.uk/waterways/canals_rivers/manchester_ship_canal/manchester_ship_canal |title=Manchester Ship Canal |access-date=16 March 2015 |publisher=Inland Waterways Association |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402110941/https://www.waterways.org.uk/waterways/canals_rivers/manchester_ship_canal/manchester_ship_canal |archive-date=2 April 2015 |url-status=live }}<br />{{cite news |first=Nigel |last=Pivaro |title=Ship canal cruising is all the rage |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/ship-canal-cruising-is-all-the-rage-1045298 |work=[[Manchester Evening News]] |publisher=M.E.N. media |date=20 October 2006 |access-date=19 September 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110100910/http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/ship-canal-cruising-is-all-the-rage-1045298 |archive-date=10 November 2013}}</ref> In 2012, plans were approved to introduce a [[water taxi]] service between Manchester city centre and [[MediaCityUK]] at [[Salford Quays]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.manchesterwatertaxis.com/links/ |title=Links |publisher=Manchester Water Taxis |access-date=9 August 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140422233226/http://www.manchesterwatertaxis.com/links/ |archive-date=22 April 2014 }}</ref> It ceased to operate in June 2018, citing poor infrastructure.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/waxi-manchester-water-taxi-closed-14815702.amp |title=Manchester's Waxi water taxi service runs aground after two years – and the boats are being sold off too |newspaper=Manchester Evening News |date=22 June 2018 |first=Emily |last=Heward |access-date=7 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190707222754/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/waxi-manchester-water-taxi-closed-14815702.amp |archive-date=7 July 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Cycling===
{{Further|Cycling in Greater Manchester}}
Cycling for transportation and leisure enjoys popularity in Manchester and the city also plays a major role in British cycle racing.<ref>{{cite news |title=Census shows more people in Manchester are cycling to work |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/census-shows-more-manchester-people-7021775 |author=Charlotte Cox |date=2014-04-23 |publisher=Manchester Evening News |access-date=2016-02-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/rapha-cycle-club-opens-manchester-7842026 |title=Rapha Cycle Club opens in Manchester |publisher=Manchester Evening News |quote=There’s a rich cycling heritage here, and Manchester is the home of British cycling. |date=2014-09-26 |author=Justin Connolly |access-date=2016-02-16}}</ref>