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Manchester Oxford Road station could close for more than two years for a major refurb

A public consultation has been launched.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 20th January 2025

One of Manchester’s major central train stations could be set to close to the public for more than two years.

Hundreds of trains pass through Manchester Oxford Road each week, but that could soon be set to change, as Network Rail has today launched a public consultation on plans to carry out major upgrades at the station in a bid to “deliver improvements” for passengers and the wider rail network.

Upgrades include longer platforms, track and signalling improvements, and even the construction of a new station footbridge.

Proposed track layout and signalling improvements would reduce congestion by removing conflicting train movements, while overhead line equipment would also be upgraded, as well as over 900m of new track being laid.

Accessibility would also be improved throughout the station, with the proposed new footbridge increasing movement space for passengers and new lifts allowing step-free access to all platforms.

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Wider resurfaced platforms, and improvements to existing lifts are also planned.

Network Rail says the aim of the public consultation is to “give everyone the opportunity to review outline proposals” and to “provide their views” so that these can be taken into account and inform further design.

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Feedback is being invited on all scheme elements – such as design, construction, and the impacts of the scheme on the rail network, environment and community.  

Manchester Oxford Road station could close for more than two years for a major refurb / Credit: Northern

Speaking on the consultation as it launched today, Councillor Bev Craig, who is the Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “We have said for a long time that Oxford Road Station is in need of a range of improvements from easing the congestion, increasing capacity, improving reliability and ensuring that the station is accessible for all commuters.

“Any future development will be a long-term project but infrastructure upgrades like these are essential if we are to continue growing Manchester as the leading city of the North.”

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The first round of consultation will run up until 28 February, both online via the feedback form available at here, as well as at two drop-in events at Friends’ Meeting House, on Mount Street in the city centre, on Saturday 1 February from 11am-4pm, and Monday 17 February from 2pm-7pm.

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A second round of consultation is due to take place before the end of 2025, and once both consultations have been considered, Network Rail is looking to submit the applications needed to build the scheme next year.

Featured Image – Network Rail

News

Manchester United reinstate season ticket of fan with dementia after fury over cancellation

Danny Jones Danny Jones Man United fan with dementia has season ticket reinstated after being mistakenly cancelled

Manchester United have quickly reinstated the season ticket of a lifelong fan suffering from dementia after it was cancelled following confusion over his attendance.

The Premier League was met with huge backlash this week after a fan account on social media posted a message from a fellow supporter explaining how their grandfather had been stripped of his season ticket for supposedly failing to attend the last five games – only that wasn’t the case at all.

As detailed in the lengthy text shared countless times on X, the elderly fan who not only struggles with the neurological condition but also doesn’t own a mobile phone, has been using a paper ticket with a QR code printed on it ever since the majority of stadiums transitioned to largely digital ticketing systems.

Not only were many quick to point out that e-ticketing can be excluding for fans of a certain age and/or accessibility needs but the result in this instance could have been avoided had they taken into account an issue no doubt many other supporters face week in and week out.

As the message goes on to explain, the QR code itself “hasn’t worked all season” and the stewards have simply been making an exception and letting him in on good faith and discretion, along with the presumption that there may have just been an error during the printing of the ticket.

However, since had and could not be scanned on each of these occasions, there was no real record of his entry on their database whatsoever, meaning that he unknowingly hit the limit of games supporters are allowed to miss before a season ticket can be removed.

As a result, not only was his season ticket of more than 45 years cancelled but his seat was immediately relisted for the ballot and quickly sold to someone else ahead of the Brighton game on Sunday, 21 January – at a now inflated price, no less.

Understandably, United supporters and various other clubs were left shocked by the error of the club, damning the decision as “shameful” and disgusting”, with many claiming that they are once again turning their back on so-called ‘legacy fans’.

One person replied: “Man United failing in their duties under the Disability Discrimination Act / Equality Act 2010, with regard to reasonable adjustments, and the club is now vulnerable to legal action […] Scandalous that clubs cannot just do the right thing anymore and only see fans as cash cows to exploit and (effectively) abuse as they see fit.”

What’s even more alarming is the worry that this has already or will happen again to other fans in similar situations, as a fellow Red responding to a response from the club reinforced the same concerns, claiming that they were unwilling to make reasonable adjustments for a family member with Alzheimer’s.

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Thankfully, as per multiple outlets, the club has now at the very least rectified this particular mistake and although the club’s Director of Supporter Services had been “unhelpful” up until that point, the right steps have finally been taken.

On the other hand, as the original poster wrote following the update, “Good to hear this has now been resolved, but it should never have happened in the first place.”

He quite rightly added, “Well done to everyone who reached out and played their part. Football is nothing without fans.”

Moreover, it’s clear that better measures and safeguarding practices need to be put into place when it comes to contingencies like this because although the Premier League has stated a full switch to digital e-tickets must be complete by the end of 2027 at the latest, there will always need to be exceptions.

As for ticket prices themselves, another banner up at Old Trafford after the club adjusted ticket prices and removed concessions across all categories for the remainder of the season – it read: £66 of your debt, not ours”. It’s not the first time fans have already protested since Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s tenure began.

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Featured Images — The Manc Group

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Greater Manchester set to be battered by ‘impactful’ heavy rain and wind this week

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Greater Manchester is set to be battered by some heavy rain and wind this week, according to the Met Office.

While things have seemed surprisingly more settled for the time of year over the last week or so, with clearer skies and chilly winter mornings being fairly commonplace, all that will change very soon, as the Met Office has forecasted that the UK is set to be battered by some ‘impactful’ heavy rain and strong winds as the week goes on.

Low pressure systems will bring a more ‘unsettled’ spell of weather, with a severe weather warning for wind issued for certain parts of the UK.

Today is expected to be filled with grey skies and light rain here in Greater Manchester, with cloud covering much of the rest of the country, and other outbreaks of rain elsewhere, whereas on Wednesday, the focus of rain will shift to southern England instead.

Thursday is where it’s set to take the biggest downturn though, as a front bringing heavy rain moves eastwards through the day, and it’s us here in North West England that are expected to see the highest accumulations too, with 20-30mm could falling over the hills, and some hill snow even possible over the Scottish mountains too.

A deep area of low pressure will also have ‘deepened rapidly’ by Thursday, bringing ‘strengthening winds’ to western parts of the UK along with it overnight, followed by more heavy rainfall.

Greater Manchester is set to be battered by ‘impactful’ heavy rain and wind this week / Credit: Wikimedia Commons

“A very deep area of low pressure will bring a very unsettled, potentially disruptive, spell of weather to the UK through Friday and into Saturday,” explained Chris Almond, who is the Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist.

“Winds will begin to strengthen on Thursday night, with the peak gusts forecast through Friday in Northern Ireland and western Scotland. The wind will also be accompanied by heavy rain bringing some unpleasant conditions to end the week.

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“We have issued a Yellow weather warning for wind, and with several days before the impactful weather, the forecast details are likely to be fine-tuned during the week, so stay tuned to your local forecast and keep up to date with Met Office warnings.”

Featured Image – Instagram (@the.manc via @emmabeaumont10)

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