St Peter's Square tram stop

Plans for a rapid transit station in St Peter's Square were made in the 1970s; proposals for the abandoned Picc-Vic tunnel envisaged the construction of an underground station to serve both St Peter's and the neighbouring Albert Square.[2] The early proposals for an on-street light rail system in Manchester revived the idea of a station in the square. St. Peter's Square was one of the original city-centre stops to open when Metrolink started operations in 1992, when it consisted of two side platforms and basic shelters. In common with most newly built Metrolink stops at the time, St. Peter's Square had two-level platforms, meaning only a short section of the platforms offered level boarding.

The stop was demolished and rebuilt with a full length platform and improved passenger facilities in November 2009. When a building called Elisabeth House, which had stood between Dickinson Street and Oxford Street since the 1970s, was demolished for redevelopment in 2011 as One St Peter's Square,[3] architects' plans were entered in a competition, which was modified in 2011 to incorporate proposals to improve the Metrolink station. In March 2012 a shortlist of two submissions was made.[4]

The stop closed in 2015 for 14 months to allow a total redevelopment,[5] and re-opened on 28 August 2016 as a four-platform interchange, comprising 2 island platforms, one for inbound services and the other for outbound. This offers same-direction cross-platform interchange. The stop was moved slightly north towards Princess Street, from that of its old location, which was in front of Manchester Central Library. A number of trees were planted within the structure of the platforms to improve the look and feel of the space.[6] The Manchester Cenotaph was also relocated and the entire square has been redeveloped into a new public space. During most of the work, a reduced service ran through the square on a single track[7] - but there were 2 full 2-month closures at the beginning and end of the project. This meant between late June and the end of August 2015[8] and from 26 June 2016 until 28 August 2016, no Metrolink services ran through the square. The rebuilding work uncovered the remnants of an 18th century church crypt.[9]

• 
  An artist's impression of light rail in St Peter's Square (1987)
• 
  T-68 Tram at the old St Peter's Square tram stop in 1992.
• 
  The rebuilt four platform stop, 2018

Deansgate – St Peter's Square
Moseley Street to Market Street or Piccadilly Gardens   Second City Crossing to Exchange Square Princess Street D A St Peter's Square Central Library Peter Street Oxford Street Midland Hotel Windmill Street Manchester Central Great Bridgewater Street Deansgate-Castlefield Deansgate Deansgate to Cornbrook

Wikimedia Commons has media related to St Peter's Square Metrolink station.

• Tram times and station information for St Peter's Square Metrolink station from Manchester Metrolink
• St Peter's Square area map

Manchester railways
City Centre and North Past, present and future
Manchester Metrolink Main line services to Rochdale to Oldham Moston Newton Heath to Bury Newton Heath and Moston Bowker Vale to Tameside Crumpsall Clayton Bridge Abraham Moss Park Woodlands Road to Tameside Queens Road Central Park Monsall Edge Lane Miles Platting Clayton Hall Velopark Oldham Road Holt Town Manchester Victoria Etihad Campus Exchange New Islington to Ordsall Chord and to Salford Ardwick Shudehill Ashburys High Street │ Manchester Piccadilly Mayfield Market Street │ Piccadilly Gardens to South Manchester Exchange Square Gorton Mosley Street Manchester Oxford Road St Peter's Square to Belle Vue Manchester Central │ Deansgate- Castlefield Deansgate Liverpool Road to Hyde Road to Ordsall Chord and to Salford to Tameside Cornbrook Cornbrook Pomona to Eccles Trafford Bar to Trafford to Trafford Firswood to Altrincham to Chorlton