I don't understand quite what all these extra services that some people apparently expected to run over the Chord would be, given that it is designed to route services from Manchester Airport and Piccadilly to the lines east of Victoria which number only two - the Stalybridge and Calder Valley lines.
If you read the
Manchester Hub Study, you will see the rational behind the Chord which is in briefly two fold:
- To improve capacity at Piccadilly by removing two movements across the throat by Airport TPE services.
- To meet a host of connectivity requirements within/across Manchester for major lines that Network Rail were set to solve, which the Calder Valley uniquely of the main lines failed by terminating at Victoria.
Network Rail put forward two costed options for the Hub - one with and one without the Ordsall Chord and the government chose the more expensive option (otherwise Calder Valley services would have routed to Piccadilly and the Airport by reversing at Salford Crescent!).
The 2 TPE services can run over the Chord as soon as it opens. Unfortunately it seems that Calder Valley services can't - capacity/linespeed upgrades to the line have started in the west, and apparently will work eastwards but under the latest Hendy plan are only targeted to be complete in December 2019 (heavily asterisked as date to be confirmed) with additional capacity at Leeds Station.
Of course as well as services over the Chord, there will be improved services from Chat Moss through Victoria, which will be transformed from a grotty terminus for grotty Pacers and Sprinters from Bolton, Wigan and the Calder Valley with 4tph TPE services from Liverpool and Manchester Airport to points east and 3tph Northern Connect services from Liverpool, Man Airport and Chester via the Calder Valley.