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One Piccadilly Gardens stands at the confluence of Manchester's integrated transport network, an interchange between road, rail and tram with access to the airport providing superb national and international connections. The rejuvinated Piccadilly Gardens stands at the crossroads of pedestrian links between Piccadilly Station, Exchange Square, St. Ann's Square, Cathedral Gardens, St. Peter's Square and other parts of the City. The station's connections are unrivalled with direct services to London, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Sheffield and Glasgow. Manchester's Piccadilly Station has undergone a £108 million enhancement, completed for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. On National Rail, Virgin trains predict that the new generation of 225kph trains will cut future journey times between Manchester and London to one hour 45 minutes. Manchester Airport is the UK's third largest airport, and the largest outside London, accommodating 95 airlines which carry up to 20 million passengers per annum. British Airways has its own dedicated terminal serving both domestic and international traffic; the third largest BA operation in the world. For business within the UK, five airlines serve 15 destinations. The airport is only 20 minutes away from the city centre by car. Seven trains an hour run between Piccadilly Station and the airport's new £28 million rail station. A new transport interchange integrates bus, rail and coach links at a site next to Victoria Station, only a short walk through the City Centre. 14 million passengers a year are carried by Manchester's popular Metrolink tram service. Soon a £488 million investment in the Metrolink will create three new lines including an airport link. |