Northern Hub

The Northern Hub was a rail upgrade programme between 2009 and 2020 in Northern England to improve and increase train services and reduce journey times between its major cities and towns, by electrifying lines and removing a major rail bottleneck in Manchester. It was predicted to stimulate economic growth in the region. The project had several elements but the prime objective was to eradicate the bottleneck in Manchester and allow trains to travel through the city at speed without stopping. The project was announced as the Manchester Hub in 2009. The project's steering partnership involved Network Rail, Deutsche Bahn, First TransPennine Express, Northern Rail, East Midlands Trains, CrossCountry, Freightliner, the Department for Transport, Transport for Greater Manchester and Merseytravel. Services from Liverpool to Leeds and beyond were diverted from the Liverpool to Manchester line southern route, via Warrington Central and Manchester Piccadilly, to the more direct electrified Liverpool to Manchester northern route, via Newton-le-Willows and Manchester Victoria; this provides a fast route to and through Manchester. The original proposals included an additional two through platforms at Manchester Piccadilly station which would have allowed a further four trains per hour through the Castlefield corridor, however this was officially cancelled in May 2023. The refurbishment of Manchester Victoria station was completed in October 2015, this allowed it to become an east–west rail interchange and through station between Liverpool and Leeds. Trains from North-East England to Manchester Airport were planned to use the £85 million Ordsall Chord, between Manchester Victoria and Manchester Oxford Road, to access Piccadilly and would have continued to the airport without reversing at Piccadilly. The Manchester Hub Study, outlining the project, was released by Network Rail in February 2010. Costs were estimated at £530 million, subsequently reassessed to £560 million. Chancellor George Osborne approved expenditure of £85 million for the Ordsall Chord in his budget on 23 March 2011 and other aspects of the scheme were reviewed to ensure best value. A further £130 million was committed in Osborne's budget of March 2012 and approval for the full scheme was confirmed by the government on 16 July 2012. The first train ran on the chord on 10 December 2017 and the project was completed by 2018. Support for the scheme was vociferous from civic and business leaders, due to the high benefit-to-cost ratio, and from politicians, such as George Osborne; but was also criticised for being incremental and only improving the rail network in Northern England to "where it should have been a decade ago". The scheme had a benefit-to-cost ratio (BCR) of £4 for every £1 invested - double that of Crossrail in London and the proposed High Speed 2 project which in October 2013 had BCRs of £2.10 and £2.30, respectively. The Northern Hub project was completed in 2020 after the modernisation of Manchester Victoria station, completion of the Ordsall Chord, platform expansion at Manchester Airport and introduction of 138 new purpose-built trains for Northern and TransPennine Express. It has been superseded by the Great North Rail Project. Further projects included High Speed 3 which proposed an upgraded trans-Pennine railway line. A feasibility study of the west to east rail line and its branches into HS2 will be published in March 2016.

Background

The Northern Hub was proposed in February 2010 to resolve problems around Manchester city centre that restricted route capacity and caused delays.

Terminating trains in through platforms at Victoria station removed capacity for through trains. The problem could have been mitigated by an additional terminating platform west of the station but operational efficiencies were achieved by altering route paths to relieve congestion. Congestion at Piccadilly was caused by trains having to reverse to travel to Manchester Airport and trains between Liverpool and Yorkshire or the East Midlands had to switch lines across the throat of the station blocking all other services. Freight trains pass through Manchester city centre, unusual for a city centre rail network. Two freight trains per hour pass through Manchester to Trafford Park and no alternative route exists. Freight trains using passenger routes through Manchester was raised in Parliament in 2002. Network Rail concluded that no single intervention would unlock the bottlenecks but that greater efficiency and enhancement to services was possible. A proposal to use Piccadilly primarily for north–south services and Victoria for east–west services was agreed as the most effective course of action. The re-alignment of services commenced in May 2014 when First TransPennine Express services between Liverpool and Newcastle were routed through Manchester Victoria rather than Piccadilly. It is expected most TransPennine Express services will pass through Victoria after the May 2018 timetable change after the opening of the Ordsall Chord in December 2017.

Station improvements

Major stations will be improved to include new platforms, station layout re-configuration and redevelopment. Most improvements will be in Manchester aimed at alleviating bottlenecks that delay passing services and restricts routes.

Manchester

Delivered Victoria station will be re-configured as the Northern England hub for east–west rail services. Once voted the worst station in the United Kingdom, it has received a £44 million transformation including a £20 million roof covering the concourse and four platforms. At Manchester Airport station a new platform was built creating extra capacity and access for direct services from other cities in Northern England. Construction of the fourth platform began in February 2014 and it opened in Autumn 2015.

Cancelled Piccadilly's through platforms, 13 and 14, were to have been modernised and two through platforms (15 and 16) built over Fairfield Street to alleviate congestion. Oxford Road's platforms were to have been lengthened and a footbridge built. The Grade II listed timber grid-shell roof would have been incorporated into the new station design. The surrounding site could be redeveloped with office, residential and leisure space. These elements of the scheme were cancelled in May 2023.

Salford Salford Crescent station will be redeveloped at a cost of £12 million and further development could occur should extra capacity be required.

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