It was singled during the Crewe remodelling in 1985. ..... The remodelling simplified the station layout too much anyway.
Wasn't this another of the 1980s schemes that was reduced beyond the point of common sense in order to bring down costs to a level where authorisation would be given (like Leicester MAS, etc)?
I certainly understood that the original plans were for a significantly faster Manchester junction amongst other things. (It could never be fast, of course, but I heard that 40/45 could have been got rather than the present 20 which is actually significantly more restrictive than the former layout.)
Incidentally, does anyone know if anything has been done to improve the run in from the down fast to platform 6, for which the 1980s scheme provided some nicely restrictive approach control?
Also, wasn't it intended that the speed on the up and down fast lines through the station should be 100, but then someone discovered that the pillars supporting the roofs were too close to the tracks to allow that?