use until later. In April 2016, management of the station transferred to Arriva Rail North (ARN). At the end of February 2020, ARN's franchise was transferred to an operator of last resort known as Northern Trains due to ARN's poor performance. Under ARN and Northern Trains, several improvements were made to the station, including refurbishment of the waiting rooms; replacement of the station lighting, customer information screens and ticket machines; and installation of an Amazon Locker. In addition, the PA equipment installed in 2011 was finally brought into use to provide automated announcements across the station. Modern-day station layout The station is immediately south of a V-shaped junction station on the West Coast Main Line, where the lines to Crewe and Stoke-on-Trent split. It is above street level. There are four platforms: Platforms 1, accessed from a long flight of stairs from Station Road, serves trains towards Manchester from the direction of Alderley Edge and Crewe. Platform 2, accessed through the ticket office, serves trains towards Alderley Edge and Crewe. Platform 3, also accessed through the ticket office, serves trains towards Manchester from Stoke-on-Trent Platform 4, accessed either from the car-park to the east of the station, or via another long flight of stairs, serves trains towards Stoke-on-Trent. Each platform is provided with waiting shelters, passenger information screens, and lifts and stairs to footbridges enabling access between platforms, which were constructed in 2011. There is also a lift to the car park, enabling disabled access to the station. An Amazon Locker is located between platforms 2 and 3. Services Northern Trains provides passenger services. Three trains per hour run northeastwards to , one of which extends north of to via . In the other direction, trains run hourly on the line (serving all stations to , then ). On the line, one train per hour runs to serving all stations, and one train per hour serves the same stations and continues to Crewe. Sundays sees an hourly to service each way and six trains to and from . References Bibliography Further reading External links Crewe-Manchester Community Rail Partnership Railway stations in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport DfT Category D stations Former London and North Western Railway stations Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1845 Northern franchise railway stations Cheadle Hulme