Manchester & North West Transformation Programme

[Greybeard33]

So is the 12bn just for the HS2-NPR core? If it is, where are they getting the money from to actually build the rest of NPR. They still need money to build the Warrington station and build the track to the Manchester tunnel, *and* tunnel out to diggle.

The Integrated Rail Plan of November 2021 promised total investment of £96.4bn [2019 prices] in the North and Midlands. Of this, £36.6bn was to complete HS2 Phase 1, £5.9bn for Phase 2a, £17bn for Phase 2b west and £12.2bn for Phase 2 east. Additionally £17.2bn was assigned to NPR Core, including Liverpool to High Legh with the Warrington BQ low level station, and a new line from Piccadilly to Marsden, part tunnelled. (The remainder of the £96bn was for smaller enhancement projects including TRU).

AIUI the Network North announcement purports to reassign the total Phase 2 funding of £35.1bn [2019 prices]. This has then been split into £12bn for NPR High Legh to Piccadilly and £36bn for all the other Network North proposals [both 2023 prices]. The £12bn is presumably meant to be the IRP estimated cost of Phase 2b west, less the costs of the Crewe tunnel, the Crewe to High Legh section and the Golborne link.

The announcement did not mention the £17.2bn already assigned to NPR core, so that theoretically remains available in addition to the £12bn.

However, the Treasury revaluation of 2019 prices will not allow for the amount that construction inflation has outstripped general inflation over the past four years, nor for any HS2 Ltd over-optimism in its Phase 2b cost estimates.

The additional £12bn cost transferred to NPR core will greatly worsen the value for money of the project. This will make it a sitting duck target for future Treasury budget cuts.

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

Grade Separating Ordsall and Slade Lane junctions are going to be a huge challenge. You are extremely hemmed in in infrastructure terms.
There are road bridges and such in awkward positions and Slade Lane is a very restricted site, I'm not convinced a solution is even available, let alone that it will be cheap.

And I dread to think how much and how long it would take to resurrect the four platform rebuild proposals for Manchester Piccadilly and Oxford Road, and I'm not sure if the latter even exist.

An opportunity for grade separation at Ordsall Lane was missed during the NWEP. Since then the Middlewood Locks property development scheme has made any such rail scheme more difficult and therefore expensive. Grade separation of Slade Lane would actually require works over a somewhat larger area than just the junction itself, extending to the north with viaducts and junctions in the Longsight area as well as likely needing to cut the southern rail access to the depot. Think in terms of structures similar to Ilford or Wimbledon Park. Disruptive and expensive for sure but the result would be a much more reliable operation from Piccadilly all the way out to Cheadle Hulme, and even more so if the Hazel Grove connection at Edgeley was also grade separated.

 

[td97]

The first stage of Oxford Rd remodeling has been announced today, with the front of the station to be redesigned and new ticket barriers installed (thankfully!).

Network Rail is investing £2.7m to upgrade Manchester Oxford Road station, giving passengers a smoother experience as they travel through the city centre.

Work begins in March 2024, and will redesign the front of the station. New ticket barriers will be installed, including an additional accessible barrier. The ticket office window will be relocated to the front of the station building.

Smoother journeys for passengers at Manchester Oxford Road station

Network Rail is investing £2.7m to upgrade Manchester Oxford Road station, giving passengers a smoother experience as they travel through the city centre.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk