Next Sunday, 15th January, there will be no trains in or out of Manchester Piccadilly because the 25kV overhead electric lines need to be switched off so that engineers can carry out essential repairs to the station roof.
Work began over Christmas to strengthen the gable end of the Victorian-built train shed, and the closure is for a continuation of that work. To allow mobile elevated working platforms (MEWPs) to reach the roof structure, a temporary route was created along the width of the station using polystyrene blocks to bridge the gaps between platforms.
Work on the roof involves replacing 12 ‘splice plates' that join the bottom chords of the steel trusses, and these have been specially designed in keeping with the heritage features of the building.
During the station's closure, rail-replacement buses will be provided although the station concourse and retail units will remain open. To complete their journeys, passengers will be directed to the buses on Station Approach.
Service in Manchester Piccadilly will also be disrupted on Sunday, 22nd January when platforms 13 and 14 are closed to complete resurfacing work that started over the Christmas break and to install tactile studs that make it safer for blind and partially sighted people.
Elsewhere in Greater Manchester, work on the Manchester Airport line that started last weekend will continue on Sundays in January and February whilst three stations, Mauldeth Road, East Didsbury, and Gatley, have their platforms extended so that longer trains can call there in the future. The work will take require closure of the line on Sundays, 15th and 22nd January, and 12th, 19th and 26th February, but rail-replacement buses will be provided.
Changes to services on Sunday, 15th January:
- Two trains per hour will operate between London Euston and Stockport, one via Crewe and one via Stoke-on-Trent.
- A rail-replacement bus service will operate between Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly.
- A rail-replacement bus service will operate between Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly.
- Trains between Manchester Piccadilly and Crewe, Buxton, and Chester will start and terminate at Stockport.
- A rail-replacement bus service will operate between Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly.
- Trains between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport will be replaced by a bus throughout.
- Services from York, Hull, Leeds, and Huddersfield will serve Manchester Victoria only.
- Services from Sheffield to Manchester Piccadilly will be replaced by alternative transport.
- Services from Liverpool to Sheffield and Cleethorpes via Warrington Central will terminate at Manchester Oxford Road.
- Services between Glasgow Central and Edinburgh and Manchester Airport will start and terminate at Preston.
- Rail-replacement bus services will operate between Preston and Manchester Airport via central Manchester.
- Buses will replace trains between Crewe and Warrington Bank Quay and Manchester Piccadilly.
- People intending to travel when services are disrupted should allow extra time for their journeys and check with National Rail Enquiries at www.nationalrail.co.uk or with their individual train operator before they travel.
Replacement Bus Travel Advice:
Kara Wood, Network Rail's North West head of performance and customer relationship, said: “We've been carrying out a lot of essential work to improve Manchester Piccadilly station over Christmas and New Year and this weekend the teams are coming back to complete the second phase of roof maintenance.
“Because we have to turn the power lines off to safely carry out the structural work it means we can't run any trains all day on Sunday. I'd like to thank passengers in advance for their patience while we keep people on the move with rail replacement buses and urge people to check National Rail Enquiries so they know how it will impact on their journey.”
