[5] When sectorisation was introduced in the 1980s, the station was served by Regional Railways under arrangement with the Greater Manchester PTE until the privatisation of British Rail.

[6][7] The line was electrified at 25 kV AC on 10 December 1984; it replaced the 1500 V DC electrification, which was inaugurated on 14 June 1954 by British Railways as part of the Manchester-Sheffield-Wath scheme via the Woodhead Tunnel.

[9][10] The new WCML North Rail Operating Centre is located a short distance east of the station, next to the line to Guide Bridge.

This opened in 2014 (one of 11 such centres either built or being planned in the UK) and will eventually control signalling across most of the routes across the North West England, including the northern end of the West Coast Main Line and the entire Manchester area network.

However, despite TIF not going ahead, it is still to receive safety, security and passenger information improvements, when funding can be obtained.

It would be incorporated within a major mixed-use development by Grangefield Estates, known as Chancellor Place, around the former Manchester Mayfield station site.