Northern Hub
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The Northern Hub was a rail upgrade programme between 2009 and 2020 in Northern England to improve and increase train services and reduce journey times between its major cities and towns, by electrifying lines and removing a major rail bottleneck in Manchester. It was predicted to stimulate economic growth in the region. The project had several elements but the prime objective was to eradicate the bottleneck in Manchester and allow trains to travel through the city at speed without stopping. The project was announced as the Manchester Hub in 2009. The project's steering partnership involved Network Rail, Deutsche Bahn, First TransPennine Express, Northern Rail, East Midlands Trains, CrossCountry, Freightliner, the Department for Transport, Transport for Greater Manchester and Merseytravel.
Terminating platforms at Manchester Victoria in 2012, before modernisation
Approximately 90% of Arriva Rail North's rolling stock was built in the 1980s, including the unpopular "Pacers" (pictured). As of 2017, the last investment in new-built rolling stock for Northern was in 1998.
The partially complete new roof at Manchester Victoria in July 2014
A diagram showing the Ordsall Chord.
Manchester Oxford Road railway station is a railway station in Manchester, England, at the junction of Whitworth Street West and Oxford Street. It opened in 1849 and was rebuilt in 1960. It is the third busiest of the four stations in Manchester city centre.
The Grade-II listed timber facade of the station
Following the construction of the Windsor Link, the station was refurbished in 1988 to cope with increased patronage
Oxford Road platforms 2 and 3 in 1992
A Class 323 and the distinctive canopies