Could A Feeder Network Of Local Trains Be Developed For HS2 At Macclesfield Station?
Macclesfield station is one of the less important stations that will be served by High Speed Two.
I visited in July 2020 and afterwards wrote Macclesfield Station And High Speed Two.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the railway network around Macclesfield.
Note.
- Manchester Piccadilly station is at the top of the map .
- The station is surrounded by the green tracks of the Manchester Metrolink.
- Macclesfield station is at the bottom of the map and indicated by a blue arrow.
The West Coast Main Line can be followed North as it threads through Prestbury, Adlington (Cheshire), Poynton, Bramhall, Cheadle Hulme, Stockport, Heaton Chapel, Levenshulme and Ashburys on its way to Manchester Piccadilly.
This summary from the Wikipedia entry for the station outlines the services at the station.
Macclesfield is served by three train operating companies: Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry and Northern Trains.
Northbound to Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly, Avanti West Coast and Northern operate hourly services, with some peak time extras, and CrossCountry runs two services an hour.
Southbound, there are also four trains per hour: one stopping service to Stoke-on-Trent, operated by Northern Trains; one inter-city service to London Euston, operated by Avanti West Coast; one to Bournemouth, via Birmingham New Street and Reading; and one to Bristol Temple Meads, both operated by CrossCountry.
Sunday services are similar, but the local stopping service operated by Northern Trains no longer runs on Sunday, with rail replacement bus services operating between Stockport and Stoke-on-Trent.
It is not as busy a station, as the map suggests it is.
Searching in detail, I found these local trains.
- CrossCountry – 1 – tph – Manchester Piccadilly and Bournemouth via Stockport, Macclesfield, Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford
- CrossCountry – 1 – tph – Manchester Piccadilly and Bristol Temple Meads via Stockport, Macclesfield, Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford
- Northern – 1 tph – Manchester Piccadilly and Stoke-on-Trent via Stockport, Cheadle Hulme, Bramhall, Poynton, Adlington, Prestbury, Macclesfield, Congleton and Kidsgrove
Three trains per hour is not many.
The train and bus network from Macclesfield station needs to be developed, so travellers can make full use of HS2.
This second OpenRailwayMap shows the railway network to the East of Macclesfield.
Note.
- Macclesfield is in the South-West corner of the map.
- Stockport is in the North-West corner of the map.
- The orange track that stretches across the map is the busy Hope Valley Line, which is an important passenger route between Manchester and Sheffield and an important freight route for the quarry products of the Peak District to the South.
- The Buxton Line comes South from the Hope Valley Line to Chapel-en-le-Frith, Dove Holes and Buxton.
I believe a strong case can be made to link the area to the East of Macclesfield to HS2.
These points must be considered, when designed a road transport network to the East of Macclesfield.
Buxton
These are facts from Buxton’s Wikipedia entry.
- Buxton is a spa town of 20,000 people.
- It is England’s highest market town, sited at some 1,000 feet (300 m) above sea level.
- The University of Derby is a noted employer.
- Tourism is a major industry, with over a million visitors to Buxton each year.
- The Buxton Line connects Buxton to Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly.
I believe that travellers to Buxton, would use a quality transport link to HS2 at Macclesfield.
The Cat And Fiddle Inn
The road between Macclesfield and Buxton passes the famous Cat and Fiddle Inn.
This is the first paragraph of the Wikipedia entry for the public house.
The Cat and Fiddle Inn is a former public house in the English Peak District, close to the border between Cheshire and Derbyshire. It sits on the A537 road from Macclesfield to Buxton, which runs across a high and remote area of moorland. A section of the road is known as the “Cat and Fiddle Road” after the inn. The building is some 1,689 feet (515 m) above sea level, and it was the second-highest public house in Britain before it closed in 2015 (the Tan Hill Inn in Yorkshire is slightly higher). In 2020, it reopened as a distillery, shop and bar.
I visited it once in the 1960s with my future wife and two friends.
These roads in the Peak District will be challenging roads for modern electric buses.
Chatsworth House
I have never been to Chatsworth House and no very little about the house and its history.
So I asked Google AI,”Is Chatsworth House A Major Tourist Attraction?” and received this reply.
Yes, Chatsworth House is a major tourist attraction, frequently cited as one of the UK’s most popular country houses and a top destination in the Peak District. Located in Derbyshire, it draws hundreds of thousands of visitors annually to explore its historic house, 105-acre garden, farmyard, and massive parkland.
Key Reasons for Its Status:
Cultural Significance: As the home of the Cavendish family since 1549, it holds significant art collections (Old Masters, modern sculpture, Egyptian artifacts).
“Palace of the Peak”: Known for its grand interiors, including the Painted Hall and Sketch Galleries.
Famous Grounds: Features a 105-acre garden with a maze, cascading water features, and the impressive Emperor Fountain.
Media Appearance: Known as the real-life Pemberley from the 2005 Pride & Prejudice film.
Family Activities: The estate includes a popular farmyard and adventure playground.
Chatsworth is often ranked as a favorite stately home in Britain and is a key visitor attraction in the East Midlands region.
As with Buxton, I believe that travellers to Chatsworth House, would use a quality transport link to HS2 at Macclesfield.
Dore & Totley Station
I wrote about Dore &Totley station in Dore & Totley Station – 1st April 2025 and after a sympathetic restoration it is now a quality step-free station.
These pictures give a flavour of the station.
I’m sure space could be found in the car park for a bus stop with level access to the station.
The Anonymous Widower 