East Midlands Railway has announced that services will not stop at any stations northwest of Sheffield for 21 days
Train services will be halted for three weeks amid major bridge replacement works in Stockport next month.
The Greek Street bridge in the Greater Manchester borough is being replaced in a huge and complex £20m project. Built in 1958, the 67-year-old structure has ‘reached the end of its life, say Network Rail.
No trains will run to or from Stockport railway station for the most of August due to vital bridge repair work, with service changes also likely to hit a number of other Greater Manchester stations including Piccadilly and Oxford Road and other destinations in the north west.
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The ongoing £20m investment in the Greek Street bridge in Stockport will mean the closure of the Manchester spur of the West Coast Main Line. The bridge is being demolished and rebuilt over 21 days between August 2 and August 22.
“During that time no trains will be able to run through Stockport with rail replacement buses in operation. The railway will reopen the morning of the 23 August,” a Network Rail statement read. “Passengers are advised to plan their journey on the National Rail Enquires website, where they can find information about how their specific services are affected.
East Midlands Railway (EMR) has now announced that services will not stop at any stations northwest of Sheffield for 21 days in August due to the major project.
The most significant phase of the work takes place in August(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)
The most significant phase of the work takes place in August, when the railway will close to allow the demolition of the old bridge – made up of around 200 concrete beams – and the installation of a new structure.
From Saturday August 2 to Friday August 22, EMR services that usually run between Norwich and Liverpool Lime Street will instead terminate at Sheffield.
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Customers travelling between Sheffield and Manchester/Liverpool will be able to use their ticket at no extra cost on other train operators’ services. These trains will be diverted and will not call at Stockport.
If customers are travelling between Sheffield and Stockport, they can use their ticket on other train operators’ services to Manchester Piccadilly, where a rail replacement bus service will connect them to Stockport.
Rail replacement buses will also operate between Sheffield and Manchester Piccadilly to supplement other operators’ train services.
Philippa Cresswell, Customer Experience Director at East Midlands Railway, said: “We’d like to thank our customers for their patience and understanding while this important work takes place. The replacement of the bridge at Greek Street is essential to securing the long-term safety and reliability of services on the West Coast Main Line.
“We’re working closely with our industry partners to keep disruption to a minimum and ensure customers can continue their journeys with as little inconvenience as possible. Please check our website before you travel to see how your journey may be affected.”
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