Network Rail have announced a £30m package of work to make Manchester’s Victoria station fit for the 21st century. The work is being jointly funded by Network Rail, Manchester City Council/NWDA and GMITA, working alongside Northern Rail who manage the station. It will include a new roof, a better, brighter and more open concourse and improved facilities for passengers.

Network Rail route director Jo Kaye said: “This is another good example of how we are giving passengers in the north the facilities they want. With more and more people choosing to travel in and out of Manchester by train every day, and the Northern Hub set to bring more trains through Victoria, it is vital that we give the people of Manchester and its many visitors a 21st century station they can be proud of.”

Councillor Keith Whitmore, Chair of GMITA, said: “We are delighted to contribute to the refurbishment of Victoria, which will transform it into a brighter, smarter, more passenger-friendly station and make journeys to and from it more enjoyable.

“Victoria is an important part of Manchester’s railway heritage and an impressive building that deserves investment. This project will help ensure that it can continue to serve the city well into the 21st century, and pave the way for it taking a bigger role as part of the Northern Hub proposals. The plans are also consistent with the electrification of some lines into Victoria, making train services cleaner and greener.”

Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council said: "The restoration of Victoria Station will contribute greatly to the continued regeneration of this area of the city, delivering both economic and environmental benefits.  The much needed transformation will bring the faded glory of the station into the 21st century and ensure that passengers have the modern facilities expected of one of the city's key transport hubs."

Network Rail will liaise closely with the city council to progress all the necessary building consents and get permissions in place for the work to go ahead as soon as possible.

The renovation could be completed as early as the end of 2014.

Steve Butcher, deputy managing director, Northern Rail said:  “This major investment will transform Manchester Victoria into a bright, welcoming station fit for the city and the increasing number of passengers using the station every day.  Working closely with Network Rail, Manchester City Council and GMITA is a perfect example of how we can work in partnership to deliver much improved facilities for our passengers and employees."

In addition to the roof work, there will be a new ticket office, information booth, waiting room and toilets. There will also be improvements to the concourse as well as the restoration and enhancement of some of the station’s key period features, including the glazed canopy at the front of the building.

Work is already progressing well on a £3.6m scheme to completely rebuild platforms one and two and renew their railway tracks, and a further £1.7m is being invested over the next 18 months as part of the Department for Transport’s National Stations Improvement Programme initiative designed to bring about a noticeable and lasting improvement in the environment at stations.
   1. Platforms one and two are bay or terminus platforms. The work is to completely rebuild the old uneven platforms and renew the railway tracks that serve them. Platform one has already been rebuilt and is open for passengers to use. Work continues on platform two.
   2. The £1.7m NSIP work includes a contribution of £40,000 from GMITA .The work is split into mini projects:-

• Northern Rail will deliver a £540,000 scheme that includes new toilet facilities fitted out for baby changing, additional electronic passenger help points and wind break shelters on platforms three to six., all of which are expected to be completed this year.
• Network Rail will provide an enhanced lighting system to the same platforms. This is valued at £1.2m and will be completed in early 2011.

   3. Manchester Victoria is one of a number of stations Network Rail is improving.  They recently undertook Action Stations, a national consultation on the future of Britain’s railway stations which is being led by Network Rail and PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Passengers, businesses and other stakeholders have contributed thoughts on ten key areas ranging from station design to passenger facilities. Network Rail will now assess the findings and use them to inform our 30 year vision for stations.
   4. Network Rail has already made major improvements to rail in the north.  In recent years they have upgraded the West Coast mainline to reduce journey times between London and Manchester to two hours and built a third platform at Manchester Airport.  In the next four years platforms will be lengthened at stations across the north to allow longer trains to run. Improving a number of stations with the DfT and train operators under Access for All and NSIP schemes including: Barrow-in-Furness, Blackburn, Cheadle Hulme, Hooton, Littleborough, Manchester Oxford Road, Marple, Stalybridge and Carlisle.

Northern Hub

In February 2010, Network Rail published the Northern Hub study which identified the need for £530m to be invested to transform rail travel in the north of England over the next 10 years.

The study calls for better stations, quicker and more frequent services. The plans include:

• A 40% increase in trains per day across the region – 700 extra services
•     * Capacity for a further 3.5m passengers per year
• Quicker, more frequent services for Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield

Network Rail will continue to work with the rail industry and stakeholders to develop the plan. By working with our partners we want to win funding for these proposals to be implemented from 2014.