Two Greater Manchester train stations to undergo accessibility upgrades - full details of possible disruption

Two Greater Manchester train stations will undergo improvement work this spring, Transport for Greater Manchester has announced. The work is to improve accessibility at the two stations.

Irlam and Daisy Hill will undergo various upgrades, expected to be around £10 million in total costs. The work at both will get underway in March 2024 and will finish in December 2024 at Irlam and January 2025 at Daisy Hill. 

At Daisy Hill, a passenger lift will be installed to provide step-free access to and from the platform, along with improvements to the station’s accessible car parking facilities, as part of a £4 million investment. An additional £5.7 million will be spent at Irlam with two new passenger lifts being installed to provide step-free access to and from the platforms. 

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: "Our rail stations, and our wider public transport system, should be accessible to everyone. There should be no barrier to anyone using trains to reach their destination or connecting to Metrolink or bus services for the next leg of their journey. Through the Bee Network we want to create a transport system that everyone can use.

“These two schemes will bring much needed accessibility improvements for passengers at Daisy Hill and Irlam – and a welcome step towards our ambition for every station in Greater Manchester being accessible to people with disabilities as well as those with prams, pushchairs and heavy luggage.”

Phil James, North West route director for Network Rail said: “ This £10m investment across the two stations will provide much needed step-free access to and from the platform which is vital to ensure our public transport is accessible for everyone. I’d like to give a huge thank you to passengers for their patience during the upgrades which will ensure the station remains accessible for everyone for years to come.”

TfGM outline possible disruption at stations during work 

The transport operator has outlined the disruption which may affect both Irlam and Daisy Hill stations during the upgrade work. 

Daisy Hill 

• The site team will be undertaking general construction works on weekdays (between 7am and 6pm) with network disruptive works taking place during evenings and weekends. 

• Both car parks will be affected during the works. The gravelled car park to the south west will be closed throughout duration of the scheme, while the car park to the north will be used for approximately eight weeks, further details to be confirmed. 

• To install the lift there will be a change to the ticket office and booking hall at the entrance of the station to create a new lift lobby area. During this phase of internal works, the ticket office will be closed with an alternative option for provision for tickets to be confirmed. Passengers will still be able to buy tickets via apps or on Northern Trains.

• It is anticipated that the works will require some traffic management on Leigh Road outside the station, further details will be confirmed ahead of the works starting. 

• All work areas will be separate from members of the public to minimise impact to station operation, although we apologise in advance for any disruption. 

Irlam 

• Some areas of the station car park will be used as a compound for site welfare facilities, equipment, and vehicles for the duration of the on-site works which will reduce some available parking for a temporary period.

• Two new passenger lifts will be installed in the subway underpass between platforms 1 and 2. While the station will remain open it is anticipated the underpass will be out of use for a certain period during construction, however access to rail services will be maintained at all times.

• All work areas will be kept separate from the public to minimise the impact to station operation.