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Tuesday 1 Jul 2025

Passengers invited to find out more ahead of major Stockport bridge rebuild

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North West & Central: North West

| North West & Central

The £20m investment in the Greek Street bridge will close the Manchester spur of the West Coast Main Line for three weeks this August.

Network Rail is inviting passengers and the Stockport community to an information event where they can find out how their journeys will be affected during the work, which takes place from 2 -22 August.

The 67-year-old bridge is being demolished and rebuilt over 21 days in a once-in-a-lifetime project.

Some services will be diverted, and others will be replaced by a bus. The railway will reopen the morning of the 23 August.

The event is being held a short distance from Stockport railway station, at Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School*. From 4-7pm on Tuesday 15 July, members of the project team and rail industry representatives will be available to discuss alternative travel options with passengers.

William Brandon, Network Rail’s project manager, said: “The work to strengthen Stockport is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make train journeys on the Manchester spur of the West Coast Main Line safer and more reliable.

“I understand that closing the railway through Stockport for 21 days will be inconvenient to our passengers, and I am sorry about this.

“We are holding an information event on 15 July where passengers can come to speak to us about how their journeys will be affected. If you can’t make it, I’d advise you to plan your August journeys in advance on the National Rail Enquiries webpage.

“We have worked closely with train operators, Transport for Greater Manchester and Stockport Council on the best alternative travel plan possible for a closure of this size.”

The original bridge, which was constructed in 1958 needs to be replaced with a modern structure which will last for up to 120 years.

The effects of the closure are far-reaching because of the critical location of the bridge. During the closure, there will be no train services on the line between Stoke-on-Trent and Manchester Piccadilly via Macclesfield and Cheadle Hulme. There will be no train services on other lines into Stockport, such as Altrincham.

Where possible, services are being diverted around Stockport. Passengers should check how their journeys will be affected on the National Rail website.

Passengers are advised to plan their journey on the National Rail Enquires website, where they can find information about how their specific services are affected**.

Lisa Magee, Avanti West Coast station manager at Stockport, said: “While there’ll be no trains to or from Stockport for 21 days, the station’s ticket office and underpass will be open as normal during the works and the Avanti West Coast team will be on hand to support those making journeys via rail replacement bus.

“This event is an opportunity to find out how journeys will be affected while this major work takes place and the way best way to plan your route before travelling. For those who can’t make it, we’d like to remind them to plan ahead, leave extra time for their journeys, and check the National Rail website, as well as with their train operator for the latest updates.”  

In March 2025, the Greek Street roundabout, that sits on top of the structure, was closed to traffic.

Since then, Murphy, the contractor working on behalf of Network Rail, has been hard at work preparing the site for its big moment this summer.

Engineers have been working closely with utility companies to safely divert important services, such as water and electricity, out from below the road service and into a temporary bridge. This complex operation makes sure local communities have access to everything they need during the work.

In the weeks preceding the closure, the team will complete the utility diversions and deconstruct the road layer of the bridge. Once the bridge is ready to be replaced, two large cranes will be built on site ready to demolish and replace the bridge.

Network Rail has worked closely with Transport for Greater Manchester and Stockport Council throughout the project.  

Stephen Rhodes, TfGM’s director of bus, said: “The replacement of the Greek Street bridge is a once in a lifetime moment to ensure the safety of road and rail users for generations to come. 

“With a project of this scale there will always be disruption and by working closely with our partners we are looking to minimise this as much as we can and keep everyone on the move.

 “When the rail line is closed in August we’ll be accepting rail tickets on Bee Network buses in the area to help reduce the impact of the closure and make sure people can get where they need to be.” 

For more information about the project, visit the Network Rail Greek Street webpage.