Warning to rail travellers ahead of major works around Manchester

Credit: Network Rail

Rail travellers are being warned to plan ahead as work starts on a major upgrade to the lines connecting Greater Manchester and Yorkshire.

A section of the Transpennine Route will close from Saturday until the middle of next month for work to track and bridges between Manchester Victoria, Stalybridge, and Rochdale.

It is part of a multi-billion-pound upgrade, aimed at improving links between Manchester, Leeds and York.

Neil Holm, Transpennine Route Upgrade Director for Network Rail, said: “During this complex upgrade we’ll be demolishing ageing railway bridges to install new ones and upgrading track.

"This work is crucial to enable us to run more trains and faster trains in future as part of the wider TRU programme.

"Though we can’t keep these railway lines open through Manchester Victoria while we do this, we’ve created diversionary routes so passengers can still get in and out of Manchester by train as much as possible."

The following changes to services will be in place between Saturday 31 July and Sunday 15 August:

Leeds – Manchester Victoria via Todmorden and Rochdale

  • Trains will start/terminate at Moston station.

  • Express buses will run between Rochdale and Manchester Victoria and between Manchester Victoria and Moston. No calling buses will run between Rochdale and Moston.

Ashton-under-Lyne – Manchester

  • Trains will not run, but Metrolink services will be available to/from Manchester Piccadilly.

  • On Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 August only, Metrolink services will not run on the Ashton line due to engineering work. Replacement bus services will be in place for passengers.

Liverpool Lime Street – Newcastle

  • Trains from Liverpool Lime Street will be diverted to run to/from Manchester Airport via Manchester Piccadilly. Newcastle services will start/terminate at Manchester Piccadilly for onward connections.

Manchester – Leeds/York/Hull/Redcar

  • Trains will divert to/from Manchester Piccadilly only

Stalybridge – Manchester via Guide Bridge

  • Trains between Leeds (via Huddersfield) and Manchester Piccadilly will divert via Stalybridge and Guide Bridge.

  • Buses will run between Stalybridge, Ashton-under-Lyne and Guide Bridge.