Published on : Saturday, March 26, 2016
Passengers are being reminded that essential work to improve rail links across the north will mean closures to two stations in Greater Manchester over the Easter holiday and following week.
The work – part of over £1bn of railway improvements in the north by Network Rail – means Manchester Victoria and Salford Central stations will be closed from the end of service on Thursday 24 March 2016 for 10 days, reopening for the first train on Monday 4 April.While no services will run in and out of Salford Central and Manchester Victoria during this time, alternative city centre stations such as Manchester Piccadilly and Oxford Road will remain open as usual.
Bus replacement services will be provided and the Metro service will still be operating from both stations.Engineers will be moving existing track on the approach to Manchester Victoria station so that once the 300 metre-long new section of track has been completed, it will be able to connect and fit in with the new track layout.
Over the Easter closure arches supporting the railway will be strengthened to enable heavier loads to be carried in future. Other work will involve widening Middlewood viaduct and installing a new bridge in the same area.Martin Frobisher, route managing director for Network Rail, said: “The 10 day closure is necessary to improve the rail network for passengers.
“Once the Ordsall Chord is completed, both Manchester Victoria and Piccadilly will be connected for the first time in history. This will enable better connectivity and faster journeys between the great cities of the North, including Hull, Newcastle, Liverpool, Leeds and Manchester.”
Councillor Andrew Fender, chair of the Transport for Greater Manchester committee, said: “The Ordsall Chord project is part of a transformational programme of work that will significantly improve our railway infrastructure and services and, as with all major projects, there will unfortunately be periods of disruption for passengers.
“The closures of Manchester Victoria and Salford Central have been planned to coincide with the Easter school break, when traditionally fewer people will be travelling.“Replacement bus services will be in operation and other major rail stations of course remain open as usual. Coupled with the frequent Metrolink services – which will not be affected by the closure of Manchester Victoria – Metroshuttle and other bus services that will be operating in and around the city, there are plenty of options to help people get around and I’d encourage anyone intending to travel during this period to plan their journey well in advance.”
Alex Hynes, managing director, Northern Rail said: “Once completed in 2017, the Ordsall Chord development will not only link Manchester city centre by Victoria, Oxford Road and Piccadilly stations but it will also enable faster trains to run across the north of England.
“This closure of Manchester Victoria and Salford Central is one of the first steps towards these benefits. While these stations are closed, journeys into other Manchester stations are not impacted. Our advice to customers is to check before travelling and allow additional time where possible.”
First TransPennine Express interim managing director Liz Collins said: “Ordsall Chord is an essential piece of infrastructure which will help ease congestion and improve connectivity across the north. The 10 day closure of Manchester Victoria will cause a small number of our services to be altered or diverted via Piccadilly. We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause and we ask customers to check their journey before they travel to see if the closure will impact them.”
Source:- Network Rail
Tags: Correction- Manchester Victoria and Salford Central station closures over Easter, Railway News
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