Ordsall Chord
Encyclopedia
The Ordsall Chord is a short proposed railway line in the Ordsall
area of Greater Manchester
. When constructed, it will provide a direct rail link between and . It is also expected to increase capacity in the region and reduce journey times into Manchester.
The chord was first proposed in the late 1970s. Parliamentary powers for its construction were received in 1979, but the project was cancelled. Network Rail
revived the proposal in 2010 as part of its Manchester Hub proposal. Funding for its construction was announced in the 2011 United Kingdom budget
. It is expected to be open by 2016, and will cost around £85 million to construct.
between the two stations, was proposed in the 1970s but rejected on cost grounds in 1977.
Journey times to Leeds would be reduced by 14 minutes on average; those to Bradford by ten, Sheffield by eight and Liverpool by 17. Railfreight
access to yards in the Trafford Park
area would also be improved.
In its most recent incarnation, the chord is part of a larger series of investments proposed by Network Rail
in the Manchester Hub Study of 2010. The complete scheme would cost around £530 million to implement, of which £85 million would be spent on the Ordsall Chord, and would allow around 700 extra trains per day to operate into Manchester. The chord would be built on brownfield land
.
Curve after the nearby district of the same name. A bill relating to the chord's constructuion proposal was debated in the House of Commons in June 1979, receiving support from some members, although it was also opposed on the grounds that a direct tunnel would provide a better alternative. By the end of the year, British Rail
had received parliamentary powers to construct the line. It was expected to cost around £10 million; however, following opposition from local politicians and a shortage of funding, the project was never started. By 1985 it had been officially abandoned.
The proposal was included in a draft Network Rail
report in 2005 as a possible solution to increased overcrowding in the region, at an expected cost of £44 million. In February 2010, the project was revived by Network Rail as part of the Manchester Hub Study, with the intention of receiving government funding by around 2014. On 23 March 2011 George Osborne
, the Chancellor of the Exchequer
, announced £85 million worth of funding for the scheme as part of the 2011 budget
. The announcement came as a surprise as funding was not expected for several years, and was welcomed by the Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority.
Ordsall, Greater Manchester
Ordsall is an inner city area of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It is situated chiefly to the south of the A57 road and close to the River Irwell, the main boundary with the city of Manchester...
area of Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
. When constructed, it will provide a direct rail link between and . It is also expected to increase capacity in the region and reduce journey times into Manchester.
The chord was first proposed in the late 1970s. Parliamentary powers for its construction were received in 1979, but the project was cancelled. Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
revived the proposal in 2010 as part of its Manchester Hub proposal. Funding for its construction was announced in the 2011 United Kingdom budget
2011 United Kingdom budget
The 2011 United Kingdom budget, officially called 2011 Budget - A strong and stable economy, growth and fairness, was delivered by George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to the House of Commons on 23 March 2011....
. It is expected to be open by 2016, and will cost around £85 million to construct.
Background
By the late 20th century, the rail network in Manchester had become insufficient to support the amount of capacity required. One problem was the lack of a direct link between the main stations at Piccadilly and Victoria, causing many trains to terminate at Victoria, which takes up excessive platform space. One proposed solution, the Picc-Vic tunnelPicc-Vic tunnel
Picc-Vic was a proposed, and later cancelled, underground railway designed in the early 1970s with the purpose of connecting two major mainline railway terminals in central Manchester, England. The name Picc-Vic was a contraction of the two station names, Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria...
between the two stations, was proposed in the 1970s but rejected on cost grounds in 1977.
Proposal
The Ordsall Chord would provide a direct link between Piccadilly and Victoria, allowing all trains on the TransPennine Express routes to , , and to run via Victoria, reducing journey times to each. It would also improve rail access to Manchester Airport, which at present cannot be reached easily from Victoria.Journey times to Leeds would be reduced by 14 minutes on average; those to Bradford by ten, Sheffield by eight and Liverpool by 17. Railfreight
Railfreight
Railfreight was a sector of British Rail responsible for all freight operations on the British network. The division was created in 1982 when BR sought to assign particular stock and management to the evolving requirements of freight traffic...
access to yards in the Trafford Park
Trafford Park
Trafford Park is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Located opposite Salford Quays, on the southern side of the Manchester Ship Canal, it is west-southwest of Manchester city centre, and north of Stretford. Until the late 19th century it was the...
area would also be improved.
In its most recent incarnation, the chord is part of a larger series of investments proposed by Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
in the Manchester Hub Study of 2010. The complete scheme would cost around £530 million to implement, of which £85 million would be spent on the Ordsall Chord, and would allow around 700 extra trains per day to operate into Manchester. The chord would be built on brownfield land
Brownfield land
Brownfield sites are abandoned or underused industrial and commercial facilities available for re-use. Expansion or redevelopment of such a facility may be complicated by real or perceived environmental contaminations. Cf. Waste...
.
History
A new curve at Ordsall linking Piccadilly to Victoria was first proposed in the late 1970s; it was then known as the CastlefieldCastlefield
Castlefield is an inner city area of Manchester, in North West England. The conservation area which bears its name is bounded by the River Irwell, Quay Street, Deansgate and the Chester Road. It was the site of the Roman era fort of Mamucium or Mancunium which gave its name to Manchester...
Curve after the nearby district of the same name. A bill relating to the chord's constructuion proposal was debated in the House of Commons in June 1979, receiving support from some members, although it was also opposed on the grounds that a direct tunnel would provide a better alternative. By the end of the year, British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
had received parliamentary powers to construct the line. It was expected to cost around £10 million; however, following opposition from local politicians and a shortage of funding, the project was never started. By 1985 it had been officially abandoned.
The proposal was included in a draft Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
report in 2005 as a possible solution to increased overcrowding in the region, at an expected cost of £44 million. In February 2010, the project was revived by Network Rail as part of the Manchester Hub Study, with the intention of receiving government funding by around 2014. On 23 March 2011 George Osborne
George Osborne
George Gideon Oliver Osborne, MP is a British Conservative politician. He is the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom, a role to which he was appointed in May 2010, and has been the Member of Parliament for Tatton since 2001.Osborne is part of the old Anglo-Irish aristocracy, known in...
, the Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
, announced £85 million worth of funding for the scheme as part of the 2011 budget
2011 United Kingdom budget
The 2011 United Kingdom budget, officially called 2011 Budget - A strong and stable economy, growth and fairness, was delivered by George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to the House of Commons on 23 March 2011....
. The announcement came as a surprise as funding was not expected for several years, and was welcomed by the Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority.