Castlefield – Proposal Published in Modern Railways Magazine
The Castlefield corridor in Manchester has become a byword for delays and cancellations. Described by some as a radioactive transmitter of delay minutes, it has generated many column-inches in Modern Railways both from those identifying the failings that created the current situation and those suggesting track and signalling modifications that might make the best of a bad job.
In the meantime, something has to give. At its board meeting last January, Transport for the North agreed that one or more passenger services should be identified for suspension while renewing its call for infrastructure improvements. Besides demanding the early delivery of Package C (additional tracks through the corridor with two additional platforms at Manchester Piccadilly and longer platforms at Oxford Road), TfN also requested a piece of work to assess the options for freight to avoid the Castlefield route. Railfuture has developed a proposal which it believes could do just that.
