The Greater Manchester Picc-Vic Underground Link

[Mollington St]

A 10 page Handbill produced in the early 1970s to promote the building of the Manchester Picc- Vic Underground Link

With its 3 new stations in between.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Already discussed here...

Trivia: Railway Infrastructure (e.g. buildings) that was built but never used

OLE masts were put in place quite a way from Didcot to Oxford before the electrification scheme was cancelled (hopefully only temporarily). Similarly, all the preparation work was completed through Box tunnel and in Sydney Gardens (Bath) before that scheme was cancelled (again, hopefully only...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Dr Hoo]

A 10 page Handbill produced in the early 1970s to promote the building of the Manchester Picc- Vic Underground Link

With its 3 new stations in between.

No exactly a very compelling vision on the front cover!

Random staircase out in the rain on Piccadilly Approach, no lifts, train stops halfway along the platform, past the stairs...

 

[Revaulx]

No exactly a very compelling vision on the front cover!

Random staircase out in the rain on Piccadilly Approach, no lifts, train stops halfway along the platform, past the stairs...

I think the position of the train in the platform can be put down to artistic licence

You’re right about the others though. As someone who was very much there at the time, Picc-Vic always felt a bit half-baked, with neither SELNEC nor BR appearing terribly enthusiastic.

The cancellation due to “government cuts” and the lack of fight that greeted it seemed all too convenient, especially given that similar projects involving at least as much capex went ahead on Merseyside and Tyneside.

Rumours at the time suggested that SELNEC bosses were only interested in their bus empire, the declining use of which was only matched by the rate at which they managed to pile up overheads. The Merseyside and Tyneside projects both managed to relieve BR of the need to run pesky local services themselves, and freed up infrastructure for their core Inter City brand. Picc-Vic would have done the opposite, at least at its south end, increasing stopping services on the main line through Stockport.

It would have given us grade separation at Slade Lane though, which would be jolly nice to have now. The Airport branch was certainly not included in the initial plans.

 

[nw1]

The Picc-Vic was also the reason for the lack of a Class 316 EMU wasn't it? (i.e. there's a gap between 315 and 317).

The 316 was, I believe, the class which was to have operated it.

 

[Mollington St]

The Art work does not shout of much more than a pipe dream the reserve details a Map detailing frequency of trains and journey times etc

Moving on from the failed Picc to Vic Link , here are some examples of 12/16 page handbills when GMC and GMPTE did get their Rail Policy sorted with new opening of Stations and the like in the 1980s

Here is a copy of the GMC April 1985 Full Brochure - This time we get to see impressions of the Trains along with Maps and Projected Costings