Macclesfield and Atherton stations in line for work
Network Rail will undertake improvements to Macclesfield and Atherton stations in the first quarter of next year.
In Macclesfield, a £400,000 investment as part of the Great North Rail Project will make step-free access more reliable to station platforms.
Work will start on Wednesday 20 January and take place until Wednesday 31 March 2021. Both lifts will be improved and will be out of use.
For passengers this means:
- No step free access will be available at Macclesfield station between Wednesday 20 January and Wednesday 31 March
- Anyone who needs step-free access should book assisted travel with their specific train operator
- During the lift upgrade work, tickets will be valid for passengers to travel via the nearest step-free stations
- While the lifts are out of use, only Platform 1 will have step-free access. This platform is used for trains travelling north.
In the Wigan town of Atherton, a £3m Great North Rail Project investment will see Shakerley Lane railway bridge rebuilt and more than a mile of track drainage replaced.
Network Rail said this will better protect the track between Manchester and Hindley from flooding caused by heavy rainfall.
For the work to be carried out, a series of weekend railway closures will be needed, as well as the closure of Shakerley Lane.
Some train services will be diverted, and buses will replace trains between Wigan Wallgate and Manchester Victoria via Walkden on:
- Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 February 2021
- Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 February 2021
- Sundays 7, 14, 21 and 28 March 2021
- Shakerley Lane railway bridge will be closed to the public from Monday 4 January until Friday 23 April.
Paul Hodson, head of capital delivery for Network Rail, said: “The work in Atherton as part of the Great North Rail Project will secure the future of this key Greater Manchester route for decades to come.
“As with any major project like this there will be some disruption and I’d like to thank passengers and local people for their patience.”
Underwhelmed at the scheduled works for Atherton rail station…track drainage and ‘Shak’ Lane bridge rebuild.
Sort out a proper park-and-rider instead of that dangerous little car park that’s been there for decades. Also, the station itself hasn’t been upgraded for a hundred years.
Ridiculous.
By Jess Arnott