Europe’s busiest mixed-traffic railway will shut for three weeks this August as Network Rail undertakes a major £20 million demolition and replacement of the Greek Street roundabout bridge in Stockport.
The West Coast Main Line between Stoke-on-Trent and Manchester Piccadilly will close from Saturday 2 August to Saturday 23 August, affecting approximately 50 miles of track across Staffordshire, Cheshire, and Greater Manchester.
No trains will run through Stockport station during this period, with services either diverted or replaced by buses as engineers demolish and rebuild the 67-year-old bridge that carries the roundabout over the railway.
Major Engineering Programme
The closure provides Network Rail with a rare opportunity to complete dozens of additional railway upgrades along the route, representing a combined investment of £43 million including the bridge replacement.
Christian Irwin OBE, Network Rail’s North West and Central region Capital Delivery director, said: “We know that any railway closure means changes to people’s travel plans, so we’ve worked hard to make sure we carry out as many improvement projects as efficiently and effectively as possible during this rare three-week window.
The Greek Street roundabout closed to road traffic in March 2025 as preparation work began on the structure, which was originally built in 1958 and has reached the end of its operational life.
Additional Works Programme
Network Rail has scheduled multiple large-scale projects to coincide with the bridge replacement, including a £23 million investment in infrastructure improvements.
Major works include strengthening and waterproofing the River Trent Viaduct in Stone, upgrading power supplies to overhead lines in Stockport, and track renewals in Stone, Hixon, and Congleton.
Railway point replacement will be carried out in Macclesfield, with platform work scheduled at Poynton station and drainage system upgrades at Trentham.
A new footbridge will be constructed at Longport station, alongside smaller maintenance activities including upgrades to signal boxes and level crossings.
Bridge Demolition Process
The existing bridge consists of approximately 200 concrete beams which will be removed using large cranes before the new structure is installed.
William Brandon, Network Rail’s project manager, described the work as “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make train journeys on the Manchester spur of the West Coast Main Line safer and more reliable.
The new bridge has been designed to last 120 years, ensuring the route remains operational well into the next century.
Travel Disruption
With the West Coast Main Line handling around 400 passenger and 50 freight trains daily passing under the bridge, the closure represents significant disruption to one of Britain’s key rail arteries.
Passengers travelling between Manchester Piccadilly and London Euston will see services reduced to two trains per hour, with trains diverted between Manchester Piccadilly and Wilmslow via Heald Green.
No services will operate north of Stoke-on-Trent to Manchester for the duration of the closure, affecting multiple operators including Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Northern, TransPennine Express, and East Midlands Railway.
Alternative Arrangements
Rail replacement bus services will operate between affected stations, with Transport for Greater Manchester accepting rail tickets on Bee Network buses in the Stockport, Manchester, and Altrincham areas.
Lisa Magee, Avanti West Coast Station Manager at Stockport, confirmed: “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.
Metrolink services between Altrincham/Navigation Road and Manchester city centre stops will also accept rail tickets during the closure period.
Strategic Timing
Network Rail has strategically scheduled the work during school summer holidays when fewer commuters use the railway network, aiming to minimise disruption to regular passengers.
Mr Irwin added: “When combined all of these upgrades will greatly improve the future reliability for passenger and freight trains on the West Coast Main Line for years to come.
The alternative to concentrating work into three weeks would involve years of disruptive weekend or overnight closures, making the intensive approach more efficient and cost-effective for taxpayers.
Utility Works
Engineers from contractor Murphy have been working closely with utility companies to safely divert essential services including water, gas, and electricity into a temporary bridge structure.
This complex operation ensures local communities maintain access to vital services throughout the demolition and construction period.
Once the new bridge is installed, utilities will be reinstated, the road surface rebuilt, and the Greek Street roundabout reopened to traffic by spring 2026.
Passenger Advice
Stephen Rhodes, Transport for Greater Manchester’s Director of Bus, acknowledged the scale of disruption: “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.”
He added: “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.”
Passengers planning to travel during the closure period are strongly advised to check National Rail Enquiries at www.nationalrail.co.uk before travelling, as replacement arrangements will vary from day to day.
The railway is scheduled to reopen on 23 August, with further engineering work planned for October and over Christmas 2025 to complete the project.
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Image Credit:
Javelins at St Pancras International, July 2020 – Photo by Chris McKenna, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
