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Ordsall Chord appeal hearing brought forward to March

The Court of Appeal hearing into the much-delayed £85m Ordsall Court scheme has been brought forward from April to March, but work on the project will continue at the moment, RTM has been told.

In October 2015, a judge dismissed the legal challenge by Mark Whitby, a former president of the Institution of Civil Engineers, who said his alternative scheme, known as Option 15, could deliver the same performance improvements for passengers as the Chord without the same impact on the heritage of the structures in the area.

However, he accepted that Option 15 was more expensive than Network Rail’s proposal. In January, Whitby was given leave to appeal against the construction of the Ordsall Chord rail link by the Court of Appeal.

The original date had been set for mid-April, but this has been brought forward to 21-22 March, RTM has learned.

Martyn Angus, LNW route senior programme sponsor at Network Rail, told RTM: “We now have a programme of works that gets us to December 2017. The issues with the Transport Works Act Order (TWAO) are still ongoing, and we are aware of them.

“But as things currently stand, we are carrying on with the works and using the powers that we’ve been granted under the TWAO. We have a programme that we can deliver at the moment. Obviously, that could change depending on what happens at the court hearing. The Court of Appeal hearing has been brought forward to the 21-22 March.

“It was originally meant to be in April, but we made a request to bring it forward. The earlier we can have it, and have more certainty, the better.”

The Chord is a new section of track intended to link Manchester’s three main rail stations for the first time. It will be built north-west of Castlefield Junction, linking that line with the Deal Street Junction line.

 However, the line would also intersect the world’s first ever intercity railway line, built by George Stephenson in 1830, and see a number of other Grade-II listed buildings and bridges demolished. 

Network Rail’s original plan was to begin construction on the project in late 2014 or early 2015, but the objections and inquiry have significantly delayed the timescale. 

Network Rail started excavation work last month on the new Ordsall Chord, which is now due to be complete by December 2017. And, as things stand, Manchester Victoria and Salford Central will be closed for 11 days between 24 March and 4 April while engineers prepare station tracks and strengthen railway arches as part of ongoing Ordsall Chord works. However, this work is due to commence after the appeal hearing.

Read more about the upcoming Ordsall Chord works taking place during Easter in the Feb/March edition of RTM.