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Manchester Victoria roof collapse ‘isn’t good enough’ as MP calls for inquiry

The construction process for the roof at Manchester Victoria wasn’t “good enough” after it collapsed, a local MP has said.

Rain water leaked through part of the roof, filling one of the plastic panels underneath and leading it to collapse at about 4.30pm on 18 October.

The heavy torrent of water fell on passengers below, injuring two of them. However, train services were unaffected.

Graham Stringer, MP for Blackley and Broughton, said: “Either this was caused by a failure in the design, a failure in the construction or a failure in the manufacturing, but either way millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money was spent on this roof and this collapse isn’t good enough.

“An immediate investigation is needed to establish how this could have happened months after so much public money was invested upgrading the station.”

The roof, which was installed as part of a £44m upgrade programme last year, is made of the same ultra-thin polymer used in the Eden Project.

Stringer, who sits on the Transport Select Committee, said he had written to Mark Carne, the chief executive of Network Rail, pressing for an inquiry.

A Network Rail spokesperson said: “We are working with Northern and our contractors to understand what took place and we will implement any measures needed to ensure this doesn't happen again.”

Northern Rail, which operates the station, said it had sent contractors to ensure the roof was safe and conducted an inspection of the site.

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