Transport chiefs have welcomed Chancellor George Osborne's £85m budget bonanza for a direct train link between Manchester's two main stations.
The huge cash injection means the two stations will be linked by a new section of track at Ordsall in Salford as part of a plan to slash journey times and boost economic growth.
It comes more than 30 years after a proposed underground link between the two stations - the so-called 'Picc-Vic line' - was abandoned because of costs.
Bosses at the Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority have been campaigning for investment in the rail network around the city, known as the Northern Hub.
The so-called Ordsall Chord will help uncork a massive bottleneck on the network and cut journey times between Manchester and Leeds by 14 minutes. Average journey times in the region will be cut by 30 minutes.
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It is hoped Mr Osborne's surprise announcement – tipped earlier by the MEN - will lead to further investment in the 'hub', which is seen as a key to unlocking economic growth across the entire north of England.
Coun Ian Macdonald, the chairman of GMITA, said: "This is excellent news for Greater Manchester - and for the wider north.
"Building the Ordsall Chord would mean faster journey times from Leeds, Liverpool, Bradford and Newcastle, would improve rail access to the airport, and potentially provide better local connections to Manchester and Salford.
"The new line, which would be built mainly on brownfield land, would also take advantage of plans to improve Victoria and regenerate the area around it, as well as wider redevelopment in Salford and Manchester."
Coun Keith Whitmore, the authority's vice-chairman, said: "The Northern Hub is an excellent scheme for the region and today's announcement is a very positive start in making it a reality."
The rail network around Manchester is already heavily congested and is tipped to deal with an extra 3.5m passengers a year.
There is too little track space and a lack of places for faster trains to overtake slower services. Tangled lines at junctions and on the approach to stations also cause delays.
But rail travel in Greater Manchester has jumped 82 per cent over the last decade and a report by rail bosses last year said investment in the hub was now vital for future economic prosperity of the north.
The link could open in 2016. The project will be funded through savings made by the Department for Transport.
A Network Rail blueprint for the hub said £530m needs to be spent on a range of improvements - including the Ordsall Chord. Experts say it could help create 23,000 jobs and stimulate £4.2bn in economic benefits by providing an extra 700 train services through the region each day.
The blueprint said millions could also be spent on restoring Victoria to its former glory, building two new through platforms at Piccadilly and another one at Manchester airport under its plan to boost passenger and freight services to towns across Greater Manchester and beyond.
Transport secretary Philip Hammond is set to make a decision on the full Network Rail proposals in July next year.
Mr Osborne announced his backing for the £200m electrification of rail lines in the north west in his spending review last October.
But the MEN told in November how Greater Manchester will get just a handful of extra carriages promised by the government to ease chronic overcrowding on the nation's railways.
The government withdrew £5m that was due to go towards the revamp of Victoria station in spending cuts last year.
Graham Botham, Network Rail's programme sponsor, said: "We are delighted with the funding announcement from the chancellor today, which will allow Network Rail to bring forward work to develop a stage of development of the Northern Hub plans.
"The Northern Hub will help deliver faster, more frequent journeys between Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds and stimulate economic growth across the North."
Transport secretary Philip Hammond said the Ordsall Chord would allow a 50pc increase in trains between Manchester and Leeds and free up platforms at Piccadilly.
He added: "The government's investment in this £85m scheme is great news for rail passengers on both sides of the Pennines and shows the government's commitment to investing in our existing railways, while also planning a new high speed network."
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This is terrific news. What a contrast with our Labour Council who are creating traffic chaos for commuters - here's a Conservative-led Government reducing fuel duty and investing in our local rail network.
This is just TYPICAL of our mp's isn't it.
Poking their noses into our business,again. Did we ask for more train lines...NO
Do we want huge diesel engines tearing through our local town centres scaring the willies out of everyone...NO.
You can bet that there will be tolls at every level crossing that we have to pay for and the damage to the enviroment that these trains cause is incalculable.
Say no to this eco disaster before it starts and get everyone to use buses and bikes instead.
Simple.
I would have thought that there would have been better things to spend 85 million pounds on! The only saving grace is the fact that it may create jobs! British jobs???
George Osborne, you should be concentrating on health and education issues instead of travel!!
People want to get from Victoria to Piccadilly Whats wrong with the Tram that goes between the two stations. Money is needed to re-vamp Victoria I agree but money could be spent on the NHS
Can people just not get the tram or even (shock horror) walk, its not that far.
There is no need to have a train service connecting the two when the tram does that easy enough. Train tickets are vailid on the tram in city centre so why not advertise that more.
why not spend the money and do up Mayfield Station and use it for the long distance trains and piccadilly for local services., makes more sense to spend the money there than a pointless connection train service.
Can people just not get the tram or even (shock horror) walk, its not that far.
There is no need to have a train service connecting the two when the tram does that easy enough. Train tickets are vailid on the tram in city centre so why not advertise that more.
why not spend the money and do up Mayfield Station and use it for the long distance trains and piccadilly for local services., makes more sense to spend the money there than a pointless connection train service.
Can people just not get the tram or even (shock horror) walk, its not that far.
There is no need to have a train service connecting the two when the tram does that easy enough. Train tickets are vailid on the tram in city centre so why not advertise that more.
why not spend the money and do up Mayfield Station and use it for the long distance trains and piccadilly for local services., makes more sense to spend the money there than a pointless connection train service.
blimey. are people who leave comments on the MEN braindead? or does it just attract saddos that complain and moan about everything?! this can only be REALLY GOOD news. lets hope they raise the rest of the 500m for the Manchester Hub (they don't have problems raising 16bn for crossrail and 6bn for thameslink).
Can people just not get the tram or even (shock horror) walk, its not that far.
There is no need to have a train service connecting the two when the tram does that easy enough. Train tickets are vailid on the tram in city centre so why not advertise that more.
why not spend the money and do up Mayfield Station and use it for the long distance trains and piccadilly for local services., makes more sense to spend the money there than a pointless connection train service.
Can people just not get the tram or even (shock horror) walk, its not that far.
There is no need to have a train service connecting the two when the tram does that easy enough. Train tickets are vailid on the tram in city centre so why not advertise that more.
why not spend the money and do up Mayfield Station and use it for the long distance trains and piccadilly for local services., makes more sense to spend the money there than a pointless connection train service.
Can people just not get the tram or even (shock horror) walk, its not that far.
There is no need to have a train service connecting the two when the tram does that easy enough. Train tickets are vailid on the tram in city centre so why not advertise that more.
why not spend the money and do up Mayfield Station and use it for the long distance trains and piccadilly for local services., makes more sense to spend the money there than a pointless connection train service.
I can't believe some of the comments on this article! Creating this link will improve connections from the deprived northern towns to the south and Manchester Airport, encouraging growth and investment to towns that have so far been left to rot because they don't have links to London.
It will also hopefully encourage the DfT to invest more in Victoria since it would be seen more as a national rail station rather than a regional one, which is frankly why it has been left to it's current state while Picc regeneration was pushed through.
This new link can only be good news for those of us who like the region and want to see it prosper. This link isn't likely going to bring new huge diesel trains racing through currently unaffected town centres like one poster suggested. It will just likely provide scope for improvement on the current and future service in our region.
I think a few of you have got totally the wrong end of the stick. That's kind of understandable awith the way the story has been reported. This project is not about linking Piccadilly and Victoria - that is just an added bonus that comes as a by-product.
At the moment, trains coming from Yorkshire approach Piccadilly from the north side, park up, let passengers on and off, then reverse back out of the station and go to the airport on the south side of the tracks. This constant crossing of the tracks from the north side to the south side causes MAJOR delays right across the whole of the North of England.
When this new piece of track (which by the way will be on a viaduct in Salford, so no huge diesel engines on the street or level crossings [sheesh what an idiot!]) is put in place, trains from Yorkshire and beyond will be able to come into Manchester through Victoria station, then Salford Central, then over the new viaduct onto the tracks to Deansgate, Oxford road, and finally Piccadilly, where the train will already be on the south side of the tracks and pointing in the right direction to get to the airport, so no conflicting movements required. All of this also means that more places will be directly linked to the airport, like for example Bradford, and closer to home, Rochdale. It means that there will be loads more capacity too, so more trains (which any regular user will know are badly needed) can run more frequently and with shorter journey times on a range of routes across the North.
Despite the fact I seriously dislike the tories, this is a step in the right direction. Extra considerations should also be looked at, maybe reopen four (making six) platforms at Salford Central, and make the ageing signalling faster and better between Deansgate and Piccadilly. Network Rail need to also get of their backsides and finally improve the neglected, dimly lit platforms 13 & 14 at Piccadilly where these extra trains will end up.... as they are the scene of so much crime and ASB, they need all platform buildings demolished and new brighter steps introduced, and a new bright, glass canopy roof.
Fabulous news. The missing link between Piccadilly and Victoria will now be filled and once complete it should really energize and diversify Greater Manchester: Victoria Station returned to its former glory, less road congestion (glad we said No to the congestion charge), opportunity to explore other NW cities, and of course an increase in prosperity to help people out of poverty.
It's pleasing to see some straightforward common-sense after thirteen years of nonsense. It's hats in the air for our man from the North West in Number 11 - George.
Hip Hip, Hooray.
Next up, Easter and the Royal Wedding. Let's get it on.
Whilst I think this is a great idea, and will hopefully bring our rail network into the 21st century, it doesn't solve the problem. There is a serious bottleneck that is already overly congested between Piccadilly and Ordsall passing through Deansgate and Oxford Rd stations. Unfortunately these plans won't deal with that fundamental issue.
This is something I do not understand Platforms 13 and 14 are the worlds biggest nightmare putting more trains through there is ridiculous,and how do you save time going to Leeds. Trans Pennine go through Stalybridge. If you want a line what is wrong with the one from Ashburys that goes through Eastlands. I used to watch trains on there as a kid. My father saw a train crash in Viaduct street in the 1900s. They were mainly goods, but passengers as well.
While they are at it there are a few other old lines they could activate, and why not open Mayfield station?
all we need is decent rolling stock to do the job and we are laughing
This is one step nearer to handing Victoria Station to Metrolink and its trams
As mentioned only recently that Manchester Victoria has been ignored for nigh on 30 years - it's an absolute disgrace and a shameful facility that has been mistaken for a 'railway station' for so long. Shame on the old British Rail, shame those that look after rail stations in this city and shame on the MCC for turning a blind eye for so long.
I'll believe when I see it. This has been in the pipeline for years. Bearing in mind funding has yet to be confirmed !
To all the people repeatedly asking why people can't just walk from Vic to Picc (and vice versa) - have you ever had to walk across the city in the pouring rain with a suitcase or heavy hold-all in tow?
In the past I've used the metrolink but (maybe me just being dim) found the timetables hard to understand and endied up having to get on and off to switch trams which hampered my journey - it shouldn't be so complicated.
Like someone else said previously, this link is just a by-product, but it will make life much easier for people getting 2 trains (or possibly even 1!) to their final destination rather than having to catch 2 or 3 services, all of which are prone to delays or cancellation without any notice which can affect the rest of the journey.
You can bet half the people whining about people walking across town have never had to actually do it themselves or they wouldn't be so opposed to this new connection.
Well done George. Manchester is already seeing the benefits of the Conservative administration. Pity the councillors and local MPs can't bring themselves to say.
Well done George and thank you on behalf of the ignorant sheople of Manchester.
Is it Ordsall Chord or (as BBC reports it) Ordsall Curve? No matter, Picc-Vic will work just fine for everyone- 30 minutes reduction in average journey times means one hour each day- a huge productivity gain for empoyees in the region.