The UK government have outlined the next steps for the development of rail links between Manchester and Liverpool as part of the upcoming ‘Northern Powerhouse Rail’ plans, aiming to boost connectivity between more towns, citiesand rural areas.
Forming part of the Department for Transport‘s (DfT) wider Network North plans, which is receiving over £36 billion in funding, the next phase of the railway redevelopment will see journeys between Manchester and Liverpool massively improved.
Following meetings with local leaders and Northern MPs who expressed support for Northern Powerhouse Rail, the plans are also set to benefit the likes of Warrington Bank Quay and Manchester Airport as well as the two cities’ main stations.
It’s estimated that an additional £12 billion in taxpayer money will be directed towards the overall Powerhouse project with a view to act as a “catalyst for economic growth across the North of England by transforming east-west transport links and better-connecting people to work, education and business opportunities.”
What does this look like on paper? Well, first and foremost, projections have it that train travel time between Manchester and Liverpool is set to be reduced from approximately 50 minutes to around just 35 if all goes to plan.
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A statement from DfT goes on to detail how this “will also mean passengers are able to ‘turn up and go’, knowing the next train will only be 10-15 minutes away.”
Moreover, it has been suggested that passenger capacity could also be trebled between the likes of Liverpool and Leeds, offering 2,100 extra seats per hour in each direction and, in turn, having a positive knock-on effect at other Northern stations. Mayor Andy Burnham also feels confident that discussions surrounding a Manchester underground are now also a possibility.
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With options also posed for the redesigns of both Manchester Piccadilly and the approach into Liverpool, these sound like real tangible changes we’ll genuinely be able to feel the impact of. Brilliant news – provided the plans stick, of course.
🚆"We have long argued for an underground option at Manchester Piccadilly and finally the door has been opened to it."
Today's announcement from the Transport Secretary is a breakthrough for Greater Manchester and Northern Powerhouse Rail.
Better still, as part of Northern Powerhouse Rail, places like Liverpool, Warrington and several towns east of the Pennines could also benefit from direct services to Manchester Airport, with journey times slashed by almost an hour and passengers from Leeds potentially seeing a 41-minute reduction.
Lord McLoughlin, Chair of Transport for the North, said of the latest plans: “We welcome the progress of further engagement with Northern political and business leaders. It’s essential that any final route is place-based and meets the ambitions of local leaders for their residents and businesses.
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“Northern Powerhouse Rail is a key cornerstone to how we transform the North for generations to come. We look forward to working with the government to realise our shared ambition for a rail network that the people and businesses of the North truly deserve.”
With long-term investment in the huge infrastructure having been boosted since it was initially outlined back in 2020, Northern Powerhouse Rail is slated to be finished any time between 2029 and 2040. It’s still a long way off and the HS2 saga has certainly taught us not to get carried away, but it’s a start.
Featured Images — Hugh Llewelyn (via Flickr)/ HS2/Bob Martin (via Flickr)/Wikimedia Commons
News
Full list of road closures set to be in place for Manchester Day 2024
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Day is back for 2024 this weekend, and the full list of road closures set to be in place has been confirmed.
Now that schools are officially out across Greater Manchester, and the summer holidays are well and truly here, the hugely-popular Manchester Day is making a return once again this Saturday 27 July, and as always, it’s set to be “the day summer officially starts” in the city centre – with a massive celebration of “all things Mancunian” on the cards.
The theme of this year’s annual event is ‘Let The Games Begin’, and it’s inspired by the international summer of sport, just 2024 Olympics kicks off over in Paris.
The day will be packed full of free events and activities to get involved with.
Some city centre roads will be closed on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 July for Manchester Day.
These will include:
🛣️Deansgate 🛣️St Ann Street 🛣️St Mary’s Gate 🛣️Market Street 🛣️King Street
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) July 21, 2024
But of course, in order for the all the fun to go ahead as safely as possible, and as tends to be the case for events like these, Manchester City Council says it will need to make some temporary road closures to facilitate it.
The full list of road closures has now been confirmed by the Council, and there’s some major city centre thoroughfares set to be out of action.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Manchester Day is back for 2024 to celebrate the international summer of sport / Credit: Manchester City Council
Manchester Day 2024 – Road Closures
Saturday 27 July
From 6am to 11:59pm, Manchester City Council has confirmed that the following roads will be closed:
Deansgate (Manchester Cathedral to John Dalton Street) – access will be maintained to Marks and Spencer’s car park and Number One Deansgate.
St Ann Street (Deansgate to Cross Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
St Mary’s Street (Southbridge Street to Deansgate)
Market Street (Exchange Street to Cross Street)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
Barton Square (St Ann’s Square to St Ann Street)
King Street (Cross Street to Deansgate) – no access for deliveries.
All accessible bays, bus lanes, and taxi ranks within the closed areas will also be suspended during from 6pm on Friday 26 July to 11:59pm on Saturday 27 July.
The parking suspensions set to be in place are:
Deansgate (Manchester Cathedral to John Dalton Street)
St Ann Street – including the bays outside St Ann’s Church (Deansgate to Cross Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
St Mary’s Street (Southbridge Street to Deansgate)
Southgate (St Mary’s Street to King Street West)
Market Street (Exchange Street to Cross Street)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
Victoria Street (Cathedral Approach to Deansgate)
Todd Street (Corporation Street to Station Approach)
King Street (Spring Gardens to Southgate)
South King Street (Ridgefield to Deansgate)
Barton Square (St Ann’s Square to St Ann Street)
King Street West (Deansgate to St Mary’s Parsonage)
St James’s Square (John Dalton Street to South King Street)
Cross Street (King Street to Corporation Street)
Museum Street (Peter Street to Windmill Street)
Marsden Street (Cheapside to Brown Street)
Manchester Day 2024: Let The Games Begin! will take over the city centre on Saturday 27 July from 12pm-6pm.
Check out everything you need to know ahead of the event here.
‘Complex’ Metrolink repairs to the Rochdale via Oldham line could take weeks to complete
Emily Sergeant
Work currently underway on the Rochdale via Oldham line is expected to take several weeks to complete.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has confirmed that land movement affecting the Metrolink network near Derker has now “slowed”, and this means that detailed ground investigations and temporary repair works have been able to get underway.
In order for trams to run again on the crucial line from the city centre to the two major Greater Manchester towns, TfGM says that a small section of track has to be moved back – also known as ‘slewed’ – into its original position.
The overhead line poles also need to be repaired too, the transport operator revealed.
Rochdale line update
Land movement affecting the Metrolink network near Derker has slowed, enabling detailed ground investigations and temporary repair works to get underway.
To get trams running again, a small section of track has to be moved back into its original position… pic.twitter.com/byERjitdi1
Unfortunately though, due to the “complex” nature of these works, and despite the fact that TfGM says it’s actively looking to “accelerate” the repairs, the project is expected to take up to five weeks to complete in full.
On top of this, the detailed ground investigations will also establish whether any further work to strengthen foundations beneath the track will be needed at a later date.
TfGM has apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers.
‘Complex’ Metrolink repairs to the Rochdale via Oldham line could take weeks to complete / Credit: TfGM
Speaking on the scale of works currently underway, and how long he expects them to continue for, Pete Sommers, who is TfGM’s Network Director for Metrolink, said: “I’m sorry for the impact this is having, and will continue to have, on people’s journeys.
“We are working to get trams running through the area again, but this remains a complex and challenging issue and it could still be a few weeks before this happens.
“We will of course keep passengers updated, and I’d encourage people to check our social media channels and website for the latest information and advice.”