Plans to build two additional platforms at Manchester Piccadilly as part of the £1bn Northern Hub investment are being discussed in a public consultation.
Network Rail is proposing to build the extra platforms which would allow the the number of trains travelling through the city to increase from 12 to 16 per hour in each direction.
The viaduct through the city towards Oxford Road station would also be widened under the plans.
The final decisions are to be presented by Network Rail after a consultation last year.
Ian Joslin, area director for Network Rail, said: "As part of investment totalling more than £1bn, the Northern Hub will help to meet the growing demands for rail travel and help to stimulate economic growth across the north of England.
"Along with our Ordsall Chord proposal to link Piccadilly and Victoria stations for the first time, which is currently being considered by secretary of state for transport, this is a vital part of our plans to develop the railway.
"This level of building and engineering through the centre of Manchester is a significant challenge and we are keen to speak to as many people as possible ahead of our final proposals being submitted."
Andrew Fender, chairman of the Transport for Greater Manchester committee, added: "The projects the Northern Hub investment will deliver are essential for us to bring our Victorian rail infrastructure into the modern age and ensure it can accommodate more trains and passengers both now and long into the future.
"But it is a programme that is very much the sum of its parts and the additional links between Piccadilly and Oxford Road are a crucial part of the overall piece.
"The start of this consultation signals an important milestone and I encourage passengers, residents and businesses to take the opportunity to find out more about the scheme and the benefits it will bring."
If approved, work is proposed to start in 2016 with trains due to use the new track from December 2018.