Manchester’s three main railway stations, Victoria, Piccadilly and Oxford Road, were connected for the first time by the Ordsall Chord bridge – the historic centrepiece of the Great North Rail Project. Ordsall, the world’s first asymmetric rail bridge, will benefit customers across the north of England, including with speedy direct services to Manchester Airport from as far afield as Newcastle.
Rail Minister Paul Maynard installed the final rail clip onto this vital piece of rail infrastructure, ceremoniously marking completion of the Network Rail scheme. The first passenger train will run across Ordsall Chord in December.
The Ordsall Chord is part of the multi-billion-pound Great North Rail Project, a team effort by the rail industry to transform train travel for people across the north. By connecting Manchester’s three main stations – Piccadilly, Victoria and Oxford Road – it will reduce congestion at Piccadilly station by a quarter, allowing faster and more frequent trains to run.
“The construction of this new iconic bridge … will provide new and direct links to Manchester Airport from across the region. By 2020, the Great North Rail Project will deliver faster and more comfortable journeys, with new trains, extra carriages and more than 2,000 extra services a week,” Rail Minister Paul Maynard said.
“By connecting Manchester’s Victoria, Piccadilly and Oxford Road stations, the Ordsall Chord can hugely improve rail services in the North West, allowing millions more passengers to travel on more frequent, faster train services across the region. The completion of this scheme is excellent news for Manchester’s economy and indeed for the whole of the north of England,” the Leader of Manchester City Council, Sir Richard Leese, said.
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