It was constructed next to Longsight depot in the early 1990s as part of a plan to operate Regional Eurostar international train services from Manchester to Europe via the Channel Tunnel.

By the time that Eurostar services became operational through the Channel Tunnel in 1994, it was decided that regional Eurostar services from Manchester (via the West Coast Main Line) and Glasgow (via the East Coast Main Line) to Paris and Brussels were not economic to run, due to their long journey times compared to air travel: 500 mi (800 km) Manchester-Paris and 760 mi (1,230 km) Glasgow-Paris.

However, the depots and trains had all but been completed, by this time, and trial runs operated on both main lines.

A 7.5 mi (12.1 km) tunnel would have been built under the dense districts of south Manchester to minimise disruption.

This tunnel would have surfaced south of the A57 Hyde Road on the current site of the International Depot.