Study unlocks rail capacity for Manchester bottleneck

Network Rail has today published its Manchester Hub study, which identifies the infrastructure required to deliver a step change in rail services across the north of England as well as their next steps with delivery by 2019.

Steer Davies Gleave is proud to have supported Network Rail and the Northern Way’s work on the Manchester Hub, helping identify the economic benefits that improved rail services could deliver to the north of England.

Manchester Hub is the network of lines that cross central Manchester and provide journey opportunities across the north of England. The Hub has been identified as the most important rail bottleneck in the north of England, limiting the number of services across the region and restricting economic development.

Network Rail’s study has identified an economically viable solution that will unlock rail capacity in the Manchester area and provide for a step change in the number of services through Manchester to and from destinations across the north of England.

Steer Davies Gleave supported the study by developing an innovative and bespoke benefit forecasting approach. This allowed Network Rail’s study to consider in detail the impact that proposals might have on demand, rail revenue, economic benefits and wider impacts.

The modelling approach made specific consideration of the impact on those travelling to and from Manchester Airport and those making journeys that are currently unattractive for rail users, including poorly served connections across Manchester. The modelling approach also quantified the potential wider impacts as a result of better connectivity to and through Manchester in terms of agglomeration, improved competition and labour market benefits.