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Monday 23 Jun 2025

Passengers urged to plan journeys ahead of major Stockport bridge rebuild

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North West & Central

| North West & Central: North West

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

The 67-year-old bridge is being demolished and rebuilt over 21 days between 2-22 August in a once-in-a-lifetime project.

During that time no trains will be able to run through Stockport with rail replacement buses in operation. The railway will reopen the morning of the 23 August.

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*.

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

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.

“Between 2 – the morning of 23 August, I’d advise passengers to plan ahead and allow extra travel time for their journey.

“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. I’d advise you to check your specific journey on National Rail Enquiries website to understand exactly how your services will be affected.”

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, and no train services on other lines into Stockport. Where possible, services are being diverted around Stockport.

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 this period and the Avanti West Coast team will be on hand to support those making journeys via rail replacement bus.

“We’d like to thank customers for their patience and understanding while this major work takes place. We strongly advise customers 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 Network Rail's webpage.