A Manchester train station is scheduled to close for nine days due to a “major overhaul” that aims to “significantly reduce disruption.”
Manchester Piccadilly will shut from 14th February to 22nd February as £7.9 million worth of upgrades on tracks, points and signalling systems south of the station take place.
No trains from the south or east of the station will run into the station during the work, and some northern and Manchester Airport trains will also be impacted.
This means that platforms 1-12 will close, whilst platforms 13 and 14 will run limited westbound services. Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) staff will coordinate bus and Metrolink Bee Network journeys.
Sevices that typically run to the station will instead terminate at other stations while works are taking place.
Manchester Piccadilly’s concourse will remain open to the public.
9,000 metres of cabling will be renewed and 11 sets of points will be replaced. Additionally, timber sleepers will be upgraded to modern concrete and lineside equiptment will be brought “up to date.”
Network Rail described the upgrades as “once-in-a-generation.”
Julien Dehornoy, the North West and Central deputy regional managing director for Network Rail, said the stretch of track being upgraded is “critical to the journeys of around 400,000 trains into Manchester every year.”
He continued: “This work is going to significantly reduce disruption for the many passengers who regularly use this route. Once the job is done, we will have a better, more reliable railway.
“The major overhaul over six railway lines can only take place during a full railway closure and we are working closely with train operators, TfGM and Manchester City Council on alternative travel plans to keep people on the move, the full details on which will be published in mid-November.”
Alternative travel plans will be released in the coming months.
Featured image via Canva
