Huge railway bridge sets sail for Stockport

Aerial drone shot of two thirds of Greek Street railway bridge during assembly trials in Ireland

Huge concrete components which will form a new £20 million railway bridge and roundabout in Stockport are now travelling over the Irish sea ready for the project’s main construction phase in just four days’ time. Network Rail and engineers from its contractor Murphy are gearing up for a meticulously planned three-week window during which Greek Street bridge is dismantled and rebuilt, starting on Saturday, 2 August.

It will see a rare railway closure of a 50-mile stretch of the West Coast Main Line for 21 days until 23 August, while the large-scale civil engineering project takes place. Rail passengers planning journeys across Staffordshire, Cheshire and Greater Manchester are being reminded to check National Rail with diversions and rail replacement buses in operation throughout the essential upgrade.

Ahead of the significant railway closure, behind the scenes footage has been released yesterday (29 July) showing how the components for the bridge have been made and tested over recent months at a huge manufacturing site in Ireland. Drone footage of a specially sequenced trial assembly was filmed as part of dress rehearsals to make sure installation in Stockport goes smoothly.

Pictured right: Edgeley Station mural which will be created on the new Greek Street bridge

With all the trial assemblies complete, the bridge components are now being transported on the back of 40 lorries and low-loaders, travelling by ferry from Dublin to Liverpool and then by road to Greater Manchester. Some of the bridge sections are being stored near Trafford Park, while others will arrive straight to site in special convoys ready to be immediately craned into position. Construction involves large cranes and careful choreography to tight timescales, so the learning from the tests in Ireland has been vital.

Major railway bridge upgrade
William Brandon, Network Rail scheme project manager, said: “After years of planning we are excited that this coming weekend all our preparations will be put into action, so we can successfully rebuild Greek Street railway bridge and improve both the road and rail network for the future for both road users and passengers.”

Paul Williams, Murphy senior engineering manager, said: “Completing the construction ‘dress rehearsal’ enabled us to fully test our installation methodology prior to installing the new Greek Street bridge for real. As a result of this test, we changed the sequence in which we will crane the sections into position in order to maximise the efficiency of our works during the closure. We look forward to completing these upgrades and improving transport links across the area.”

Pictured left: underneath Greek Street roundabout during Easter blockade 2025

As well as the £20 million investment to replace Greek Street railway bridge, Network Rail is using the rare railway closure between 2 and 23 August to carry out an additional £23 million of further improvements to the West Coast Main Line between Stafford and Stockport. As that will see significant changes to journeys for rail passengers over a large geography, people are strongly advised to check National Rail Enquiries to plan their individual journeys.

Three-week railway closure
Network Rail has worked extremely closely with train operators, Transport for Greater Manchester and Stockport Council on travel alternatives so people can get to where they need to be during the three-week railway closure.

Lisa Magee, Avanti West Coast station manager at Stockport, said: “While there will be no trains to or from Stockport for 21 days, the station’s ticket office and underpass will be open as normal during this period and the Avanti West Coast team will be on hand to support those making journeys via rail replacement buses. We would like to thank customers for their patience and understanding while this major work takes place. We strongly advise customers to plan ahead, leave extra time for their journeys, and check the National Rail website, as well as with their train operator for the latest updates.”

Pictured right: underside view of the new Greek Street bridge at its manufacturing site in Ireland

Stephen Rhodes, TfGM’s director of bus, said: “The replacement of the Greek Street bridge is a once in a lifetime moment to ensure the safety of road and rail users for generations to come. With a project of this scale there will always be disruption and by working closely with our partners we are looking to minimise this as much as we can and keep everyone on the move. When the rail line is closed in August we will be accepting rail tickets on Bee Network buses in the area to help reduce the impact of the closure and make sure people can get where they need to be.”

During a recent site visit to the manufacturing facility, 35 miles north-west of Dublin, Network Rail project engineers also saw the street facing sides to the bridge under construction, including where the replica of the much-admired Edgeley Station mosaic will be recreated. Once the new railway bridge is in, and the West Coast Main Line reopens, work will then move to the reconstruction of Greek Street roundabout and relaying of surrounding roads. This work will continue until early 2026.