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Picc-Vic tunnel project

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AY1975

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In the 1970s BR and the then SELNEC (later to become Greater Manchester) PTE proposed to build a tunnel under Manchester city centre linking Piccadilly and Victoria stations, known as the Picc-Vic tunnel. There would have been three intermediate stations at Princess Street, Albert Square and Market Street. The scheme was abandoned in 1977 on cost grounds.

As part of the scheme BR planned to order new EMUs to be known as Class 316, which would have been based on the Class 313/314/315/507/508 family of units.

Does anyone know if BR/SELNEC PTE ever got as far as working out a proposed pattern of services that would have operated via the Picc-Vic tunnel?

There is more info on the scheme on Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picc-Vic_tunnel
 
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Journeyman

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In the 1970s BR and the then SELNEC (later to become Greater Manchester) PTE proposed to build a tunnel under Manchester city centre linking Piccadilly and Victoria stations, known as the Picc-Vic tunnel. There would have been three intermediate stations at Princess Street, Albert Square and Market Street. The scheme was abandoned in 1977 on cost grounds.

As part of the scheme BR planned to order new EMUs to be known as Class 316, which would have been based on the Class 313/314/315/507/508 family of units.

Does anyone know if BR/SELNEC PTE ever got as far as working out a proposed pattern of services that would have operated via the Picc-Vic tunnel?

There is more info on the scheme on Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picc-Vic_tunnel

There was a bit of information about it in the Platform 5 book about Metrolink, that was published just after opening. Obviously Metrolink ended up replacing the Picc-Vic plans, but the book gave some details on the project and I'm sure there was a map of proposed services in there. Unfortunately I no longer have my copy of the book, so can't tell you any more than that.
 

theageofthetra

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There was a small section about this at that Manchester tram and bus museum up near the Irish centre not sure if they have any more information?
 

Ianno87

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Yes, there is a small display at the Greater Manchester Museum of Transport*, with an electronic routemap

*Worth a visit generally, but heavily bus-focused.
 

Ianno87

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Note the Bolton-Radcliffe link - it's been a long time since that route had any chance of re-opening. Most but not all of the in-between length seems reasonably un-built on, but Burnden is pretty well obliterated by shopping sheds.

The housing estate at Bradley Fold is a big obstacle now as well. Plus I'd imagine the Burnden and Darcy Lever viaducts would need a heck of alot doing to them to bring them up to scratch.
 

Springs Branch

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Note the Bolton-Radcliffe link - it's been a long time since that route had any chance of re-opening. Most but not all of the in-between length seems reasonably un-built on, but Burnden is pretty well obliterated by shopping sheds.
That's certainly true today. But in the early 70s, when the Picc-Vic proposal was on the table, the section from Bolton to Bradley Fold had not been closed for very long at all (Bolton to Bury Knowsley Street closed in October 1970) and the chord from Radcliffe North to Bradley Fold had closed around ten years previously in 1964.

So the outer part of the Bolton via Radcliffe trackbed would have been in reasonably operational shape at that stage (Beeching-era "deferred maintenance" and the like excepted, of course).

I seem to remember reading that this rail alignment was kept free of encroachment for some time after the original Picc-Vic scheme had been cancelled (I wonder whether there were ever thoughts to bring Metrolink into Bolton this way?) But 40 years on, inevitably the parts with more commercial value have now succumbed to the developers.
 

furnessvale

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I seem to remember reading that this rail alignment was kept free of encroachment for some time after the original Picc-Vic scheme had been cancelled (I wonder whether there were ever thoughts to bring Metrolink into Bolton this way?) But 40 years on, inevitably the parts with more commercial value have now succumbed to the developers.
I recall this was more than just thoughts at the time but eventually came to nothing.
 
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