Waverley125
Member
With the rebuild of Victoria now well underway it's good to see the old place becoming something like the grand old station it once was.
However, given there will still be only 4 through platforms, the ability to run cross-Manchester services from the NE & NW is greatly affected. Particularly problematic given the clear demand, and desire from TPE, for up to 6tph Leeds-Manchester going through Victoria and needing to move across the eastern entry lines.
Would it not have been better to close Victoria's through platforms, give more space for retail expansion in the current building and instead re-open Manchester Exchange, a few hundred metres down the line?
With platforms at Victoria cleared away there'd have been space for 6-line approaches on either side and at least 8 through platforms - much better for running both expresses & local services through from East to West, on routes such as Bradford - Liverpool and Todmorden - Wigan.
However, given there will still be only 4 through platforms, the ability to run cross-Manchester services from the NE & NW is greatly affected. Particularly problematic given the clear demand, and desire from TPE, for up to 6tph Leeds-Manchester going through Victoria and needing to move across the eastern entry lines.
Would it not have been better to close Victoria's through platforms, give more space for retail expansion in the current building and instead re-open Manchester Exchange, a few hundred metres down the line?
With platforms at Victoria cleared away there'd have been space for 6-line approaches on either side and at least 8 through platforms - much better for running both expresses & local services through from East to West, on routes such as Bradford - Liverpool and Todmorden - Wigan.