Manchester Ordsall Chord rail link completed
- Published
The first passenger train will run across the chord in December
A bridge connecting three railway stations in Manchester will open on 10 December, Network Rail has said.
The 300m (980ft) Ordsall Chord viaduct links Piccadilly, Oxford Road and Victoria stations enabling more trains to travel through the city centre.
The £85m rail link is a major part of the Northern Hub upgrade for rail services across the North of England.
It will increase capacity, ease congestion and provide a direct service through to Manchester Airport.
Construction, which has taken two years, included realigning existing track, building new bridges, removing disused arches and restoring Grade I listed structures.
The Ordsall Chord links Piccadilly, Oxford Road and Victoria stations
It has used 28,500 tonnes of ballast, 4,000 tonnes of steel and enough concrete to fill six Olympic-sized swimming pools.
The new chord, which crosses the River Irwell, sits close to where pioneering railway engineer George Stephenson unveiled the Liverpool-Manchester railway, the birthplace of modern inter-city railways, in 1830.
Network Rail said the viaduct will enable an extra two fast trains per hour between Manchester Victoria and Liverpool and Leeds and Manchester, plus a direct service through Manchester city centre to Manchester Airport.
It is hoped it will reduce congestion at Piccadilly station by 25%.
The Ordsall Chord crosses the River Irwell
The £85m rail link is a major part of the Northern Hub upgrade for rail services across the North of England
- Published23 March 2011