No timetable for Piccadilly new platforms, says Rail Minister

There is no timetable for building two new platforms at Manchester Piccadilly that would ease capacity concerns at the station.

Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris confirmed the situation in a Commons Written Reply on September 4, following a question from Stephen Twigg (Labour/Co-operative, Liverpool, West Derby).

Heaton-Harris said the Government had commissioned work with the operators affected (Northern, TransPennine Express and East Midlands Railway), as well as Network Rail, to develop and support initiatives that could improve capacity on the Castlefield Corridor.

The Minister explained: “Network Rail applied for a Transport and Works Act Order for the Manchester Piccadilly and Oxford Road Capacity Enhancement scheme. This is a legal process which the Department is currently considering, and so at this time there is no timetable for building platforms 15 and 16 at Manchester Piccadilly station.”

• For the FULL story, read RAIL 888, published on September 25, and available digitally on Android, iPad and Kindle from September 21.