Major investment in Manchester’s railway this Christmas

Major improvements will be getting underway at Manchester Victoria this Christmas as Network Rail delivers the next stage of its plan to electrify the railway throughout Manchester and the North West.

To allow the project to be completed safely, there will be no Northern Rail trains serving Manchester Victoria after the last service on Christmas Eve until Thursday 2 January 2014 when services resume. Customers are being advised to check travel details thoroughly when booking tickets and before they travel.

Martin Frobisher, area director for Network Rail said: “With more passengers and more journeys being made than ever before, demand for rail is booming. The work happening at Manchester Victoria is a key part of our plans to improve rail across Manchester and the north of England.

“This project represents a significant investment in the railway in Manchester and in conjunction with the Northern Hub will see more trains and faster journeys, improving travel between major towns and cities across the north.

The project is part of the £400 million North West Electrification scheme that will allow electric train services to be introduced from the station in December 2014. During the closure, work will also continue to deliver the redevelopment of the station.

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