CHESTER TO MANCHESTER PICCADILLY

Join this two-car class 175 of Transport for Wales for a journey from Chester to Manchester Piccadilly by way of Warrington and Newton-le-Willows.
We leave from platform 4 and turn north-east to meet with the Birkenhead line through Ellesmere Port at Helsby. After the mile and a quarter-long Sutton Tunnel we’ll parallel the West Coast Main Line for the crossing of the Manchester Ship Canal on the impressive Acton Grange Viaduct. By Warrington Bank Quay we’ve left the Helsby Line to join the WCML’s down fast and can increase speed.
At Winwick Junction we branch off for Earlestown and Newton-le-Willows, following the route of the first rail connection between London and Carlisle. Then, on the world’s first inter-city railway, the Liverpool & Manchester, we float our way across the infamous Chat Moss which presented the line’s engineer, George Stephenson, with so many problems.
After Eccles and Ordsall Junction we take to Britain’s most congested stretch of railway, the Castlefield Corridor, to pick our way slowly around Manchester city centre, passing through Oxford Road station to reach our destination on platform 13 at Manchester Piccadilly.
On-screen graphics display the current signal aspects and speed limits, along with the names of stations that we pass through or stop at. An animated map helps to show our routing.
There’s full commentary throughout, but as usual, if you prefer, you can opt to silence the narration and sit back to concentrate on the relaxing sounds of the journey.