Around 100 engineers per day are working around the clock to rebuild the Greek Street bridge. A 67-year-old railway bridge carrying a roundabout over the West Coast Main Line in Stockport has been successfully removed in the first week of its major £20m replacement. Our Murphy project team is ten days into a 21-day railway closure for the huge civil engineering project to transform transport in the Northwest. One week into the highly anticipated project, 200 old concrete beams have been cut out and removed from the site. Lifted by two huge cranes, with a combined capacity of 1300 tonnes, the redundant bridge beams were carefully placed to the ground and taken off site by a fleet of 67 heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). With a 60m cavernous gap where the old bridge used to be, the team can now prepare to install the new bridge this week. The new bridge structure is made up of 51 parts which will be moved into their final position by the two crawler cranes, which have a maximum hoisting height of 196m. Footage of the first week of work is now available, showing the impressive scale of the task at hand. Stephen Harnett, Murphy project manager, said: “At Murphy our aim is to improve life by delivering world-class infrastructure, so we are proud to be delivering this critical work with Network Rail. The project is a real team effort and we are all united in our commitment to improving the transportation network for the local community and the wider North West. We look forward to seeing the new bridge in use again very soon.” William Brandon, Network Rail project manager, said: “After years of planning it is fantastic to see the work at Greek Street get off to such a good start. The team on site are doing a great job, and I’m really looking forward to seeing the new bridge installed within the next two weeks. “Once the railway reopens, journeys for passengers will be safer and more reliable for the next 120 years. This truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to improve the West Coast Main Line for future generations. “I’m very grateful to passengers and the Stockport community for their patience during this essential work. I’d advise everyone to continue to plan their journeys carefully on the National Rail Enquiries website. We’ve done everything we can to create the best possible alternative travel plan.” The original bridge, which was constructed in 1958 needs to be replaced with a modern structure which will last for up to 120 years. HIGHLIGHTS One week into the project, 200 old concrete beams have been cut out and removed from the site The new bridge structure is made up of 10 concrete cills, 22 steel beams, 6 concrete beams and 13 parapet wall sections made of concrete and faced with brick to match the previous bridge colour
On 5 August 2025, the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) team welcomed Heidi Alexander, Secretary of State for Transport, along with David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire and Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, to the route as they marked a significant milestone in the delivery of an electrified railway across the North. Sunday 3 August saw the first electric passenger train run between York (Colton Junction) and Church Fenton. This means that 25% of the 70-mile Transpennine route is now electrified following the introduction of electric services between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge last year. By summer 2027 this will be 40%, with full-route electrification expected in 2030. Once complete, the programme will cut carbon emissions by up to 108,000 tonnes per year and enable more rail freight, removing over 1000 lorries from the road daily. “We have reached a key milestone as 25% of the route is now electrified. enabling greener, faster, and more reliable journeys between York, Leeds, Huddersfield, and Manchester in the future. The improvements are already bringing economic and social benefits along the route and wider communities across the North”, said TRU Managing Director, James Richardson. Murphy has been delivering this work as part of the TRU East Alliance, consisting of Network Rail, Murphy, VolkerRail, Siemens and Systra. To read more about the TRU East Alliance, please click here. HIGHLIGHTS The first electric passenger train ran between York (Colton Junction) and Church Fenton on Sunday 3 August By summer 2027, TRU will be 40% electrified, with full-route electrification expected in 2030 Once complete, the programme will cut carbon emissions by up to 108,000 tonnes per year
