More disruption expected as Manchester backs rail plans
MANCHESTER City Council is backing Network Rail’s proposed multi-million pound changes to the Oxford Road and Piccadilly railway stations despite the work requiring “some of the most invasive development activity” over the next decade.
The project, part of the Northern Hub improvements, will seek to increase rail capacity which is creaking under a 50% increase in passenger numbers over the last 10 years. Growth of 37% is expected over the next five years.
But the council, clearly mindful of the current transport disruption caused by the construction of a second tram line through the city centre, has warned changes must be made to reduce the impact.
A document, prepared ahead of a meeting of the executive next week, said: “While the proposed alignments are supported the details of the current schemes require developing further with Network Rail, as the concern still remains that the current architectural solutions could have an adverse impact upon Piccadilly/Mayfield and the Whitworth Street West/ Oxford Road Corridor.
“We therefore believe there is a need to further review and refine the detail of the structural and architectural components of the scheme in order to reduce the very real impact that they will have.”
The proposals involve two extra platforms at Piccadilly and the widening of a viaduct along Whitworth Street West (see a ‘fly-through’ video here). There has been a public consultation and Network Rail expects to submit plans by the end of the year but the executive is recommending the council supports the works.
The investment will allow for longer trains at Oxford Road and more capacity at Piccadilly where two new platforms will be built on a new section of viaduct close to the grade II-listed Star & Garter pub. This will run across Fairfield Street and close to the Macdonald Hotel before joining the existing track.
Network Rail said the changes will mean: 16 trains an hour running through the city, up from 12; longer trains with more seats; and capacity for faster services to overtake stopping trains. The intention is start construction in early 2016 and have trains running by the end of 2018.
The Piccadilly work would require the closure of Fairfield Street for 36 months while businesses located in the arches along Whitworth Street West would be relocated during the Oxford Road improvements.
The £600m Northern Hub project is expected to increase passenger capacity across the North by 44 million a year and create 20,000 jobs. Another major engineering project is the Ordsall Chord, a curved extension running from the Liverpool line in Castlefield to the Salford track that runs into Victoria. This will also help more trains run through the city centre by linking Piccadilly and Victoria.
