Impressive footage has been released showing the installation of a new £20m railway bridge over the West Coast Main Line in Stockport, with the final stages of the project set to be completed in time for the bank holiday weekend.
Network Rail and its contractor Murphy are in the final days of a 21-day suspension of all train services to complete the major civil engineering project. Over the last two weeks, teams have successfully dismantled the old structure, which was in place for 67 years, and installed new steel and concrete beams for its replacement.
The new bridge beams, weighing hundreds of tonnes, were transported with a special police escort from a storage site in Trafford Park. They were then craned into position across a 60-metre gap above the tracks using two cranes with a combined capacity of 1,300 tonnes. The installation of the beams was completed over a four-day period, as shown in the footage.
Around 100 engineers per day have been working around the clock to rebuild the Greek Street bridge. Once complete, the new structure will provide more reliable journeys for both road users above and passenger and freight traffic on the railway below for the next 120 years.
William Brandon, Network Rail’s project manager, said: “The work at Greek Street has been planned meticulously, and its great to see it all come together on site as we expected. I’m so grateful to everyone working so hard on the project. Once the railway reopens, journeys for passengers will be safer and more reliable for the next 120 years. This truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to improve the West Coast Main Line for future generations. I’d like to thank local people for their patience while the project continues, and to passengers whose journeys have been affected over the last few weeks.”
The closure has had far-reaching effects on services, with no trains running on the line between Stoke-on-Trent and Manchester Piccadilly, or on other lines into Stockport. However, the clear tracks have provided an opportunity for Network Rail and its contractors to carry out dozens of additional upgrades along a 50-mile stretch of the West Coast Main Line.
Stephen Harnett, Murphy project manager, said: “It’s immensely rewarding to complete this core milestone of the project. The effort put in by our team has been nothing short of amazing as they work around the clock to upgrade and return this critical piece of infrastructure to the local community.”
