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Ordsall Chord
Schematic map showing the Ordsall Chord (also known as the Castlefield Curve) marked in red
Overview
StatusComplete
OwnerNetwork Rail
LocaleGreater Manchester, England
Service
TypeHeavy rail
SystemNational Rail
History
Opened10 December 2017
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Castlefield corridor
Legend
To Leeds
 Manchester Victoria Manchester Metrolink
Salford Central
To Bolton
Salford Crescent
To Liverpool
Ordsall Chord
To Warrington
Deansgate Manchester Metrolink
Manchester Oxford Road
Manchester Piccadilly Manchester Metrolink
To Stockport and Airport
Panoramic view of the completed Ordsall Chord with the River Irwell, Aviva studios and the Prince's bridge in 2024

Ordsall Chord, also known as the Castlefield Curve, is a short railway line in Ordsall, Salford, England, which links Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Oxford Road to Manchester Victoria, designed to increase capacity and reduce journey times into and through Manchester. It allows trains to run from Leeds, Newcastle and Redcar Central direct to Manchester Airport.

A chord was proposed in the late-1970s and parliamentary powers for its construction were received in 1979, but the project was cancelled. Network Rail revived the proposal in 2010 as part of its Northern Hub proposal. Funding for its construction totalling £85 million was announced in the 2011 United Kingdom budget and construction commenced in 2016. It became operational on 10 December 2017.[1]

Its use since becoming operational has been limited as no additional capacity at Victoria, Oxford Road and Piccadilly has been built to cope with more through services.[2]

Background

[edit]

By the late 20th century, the rail network in Manchester could not support demand. The main stations at Piccadilly and Victoria were not linked and many trains terminated at Victoria taking up excessive platform space.[3] One solution, the Picc-Vic tunnel between the stations, was proposed in the 1970s but rejected on cost grounds in 1977.[4][5]

A curve at Ordsall linking Piccadilly to Victoria was proposed in the late 1970s when it was known as the Castlefield Curve after the nearby district.[6] A bill relating to its proposed construction was debated in the House of Commons in June 1979, receiving some support but it was opposed on the grounds that a tunnel would provide a better alternative.[7] By the end of the year, British Rail had received parliamentary powers to construct the line.[8] It was estimated to cost around £10 million but following opposition from local politicians and a shortage of funding, the project was never started.[9] By 1985 it had been abandoned.[10]

The proposal was included in a draft Network Rail report in 2005 as a solution to overcrowding in the region, at an expected cost of £44 million.[9] In February 2010, the project was revived by Network Rail as part of the Manchester Hub Study, with the intention of receiving government funding by around 2014.[3] On 23 March 2011 George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced £85 million funding for the scheme in the 2011 budget.[11] The announcement was unexpected and was welcomed by the Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority.[12]

Proposal

[edit]

The Ordsall Chord provides a direct link between Piccadilly and Victoria stations, allowing trains from Manchester Victoria and the east to continue to Piccadilly. Following completion of the chord, in theory four trains per hour will travel between Manchester Airport/Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria in each direction, and associated reorganisation of train paths and retimetabling will provide eight trains per hour from Manchester Victoria towards the west via Chat Moss, and six trains per hour from Manchester Piccadilly towards either Chat Moss or Bolton and Preston (trains from both Victoria and Piccadilly stations to the west and north west (Chat Moss, Liverpool, Bolton, Preston, etc.) do not actually pass over the Ordsall Chord, both ends of which lead eastwards, but travel over pre-existing track).[13]

The chord is part of the larger Northern Hub project, proposed by Network Rail in the Manchester Hub Study of 2010. The complete scheme would cost around £530 million to implement. The Ordsall Chord will cost £85 million and will allow around 700 extra trains per day to operate into Manchester.[14] Most through trains on TransPennine Express (TPE) routes to Leeds, Newcastle and Liverpool Lime Street will be re-routed via Victoria rather than Piccadilly but some TPE services to Leeds, Liverpool and Newcastle will continue to run via Piccadilly and will stop at Ashburys and/or Gorton and Guide Bridge. The current fast North TransPennine services will operate via Victoria reducing journey times.

The full scheme includes new through platforms at Piccadilly and track improvements outside Manchester to allow fast expresses to overtake slower stopping trains, reducing journey times to Leeds by 14 minutes on average and to Liverpool by 17. Railfreight access to yards in the Trafford Park area will be improved.[3]

Construction of the Ordsall Chord in October 2016

The chord will preserve connectivity between the relocated east–west services and the city's main rail interchange at Manchester Piccadilly. It will improve access to Manchester Airport which cannot be reached easily from Victoria.[15] Without the chord, such operations would require trains to be run to Salford Crescent and then reverse.

Concern was raised about the impact the scheme will have on the historic Grade I listed 1830 railway bridge over the River Irwell, part of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway's original approach to Manchester Liverpool Road railway station, (now the site of the Science & Industry Museum (SIM)), which lies in the path of construction.[16][17]

Detailed designs were presented by Network Rail in November 2012,[18] followed in May by the intended planning application, for submission at the end of August 2013.[19] The plan proposed avoiding the Stephenson Bridge to cross the river on a network arch bridge but severing the museum's main-line rail connection immediately to the east of the bridge, ending the museum's out-and-back live steam trips using a replica of one of Stephenson's 1830 Planet-class locomotives. According to Network Rail, "The removal of this connection is not something that Network Rail takes lightly, and we have explored many alternative solutions before reaching the conclusion that the connection would need to be removed to make way for the chord."[20] The museum opposed the alignment, claiming that it would have "a damaging effect on SIM visitors, volunteers and income."[21][22][23]

Construction

[edit]
Ordsall Chord under construction in April 2017

Network Rail submitted the Transport and Works Act application to construct the Ordsall Chord in September 2013.[24] The statutory instrument authorising construction was made on 31 March 2015,[25] and preparatory works began in October 2015. In January 2016, Network Rail began work on the foundations with a planned completion date of late 2017.[26] In November 2016, Network Rail announced they expected services to run to Manchester Airport from December 2017 and electric trains to run between Manchester and Preston via Bolton with new connections into Manchester from the Calder Valley. 2018 will see the introduction of an hourly direct service from Newcastle to Manchester Airport, which will also mean an extra hourly service between Leeds and Newcastle, and six trains an hour between Manchester Victoria and Rochdale.[27]

Mark Whitby, civil engineer and former President of the Institution of Civil Engineers, appealed against the decision to approve its construction in the High Court. On 14 October 2015, the High Court rejected his appeal and denied Whitby the right to appeal the decision. Whitby did appeal and on 11 January 2016, the Court of Appeal granted Leave to Appeal saying "The grounds of appeal raise important points and have real prospects of success".[28] Whitby wanted an alternative that would not sever the main-line rail connection to the Museum of Science and Industry, nor destroy heritage structures.[29] The case was heard in March 2016 but Whitby's appeal was rejected.[30]

The 600-tonne (660-ton) network arch was lifted into place on 21 February 2017.[31]

Operation

[edit]

The first passenger service was at 08:40 on 10 December 2017: Manchester Victoria to Manchester Oxford Road followed by the return service continuing to Leeds.[32]

It was envisaged that congestion at Manchester Piccadilly would reduce by a quarter, in part due to the reduced need for trains to cross the throat of the station, blocking other services.[33][34][35] It was hoped there would be more frequent train services through Manchester.[36]

However this has not yet materialised, particularly after the May 2018 timetable which created widespread disruption around Manchester. The Ordsall Chord's lack of use in comparison to its £100 million cost has been attributed to a lack of capacity at Piccadilly, Oxford Road and Victoria to cope with increased 'through' services that the Chord generates.[2]

Chief Executive of Network Rail, Andrew Haines, remarked upon the inadequacies of the infrastructure to support the Ordsall Chord as part of a review in Network Rail's operations:

"The Ordsall Chord is a classic example of a fantastic piece of infrastructure which has unlocked great new journey opportunities ... but where the new infrastructure was not supported by a sufficiently rigorous operating plan. Nobody really looked at how we would reliably operate 15 trains an hour, across six flat junctions in the space of a few miles, with disparate rolling stock, much of which will have travelled for several hours picking up potential delay on the way."[37]

In January 2021, the UK government published proposals to deal with congestion on the Castlefield corridor through Manchester Oxford Road and Piccadilly. One option would reduce the use of the Ordsall Chord to one train each way every hour.[38]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Ordsall Chord

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
The Ordsall Chord is a 300-metre chord in Ordsall, , , , that for the first time directly connects the approaches to Manchester Piccadilly, Oxford Road, and Victoria stations, bypassing the congested corridor. Opened to passenger services in December 2017 as a core element of Network Rail's initiative, it facilitates increased train frequencies, new direct routes to from northern lines, and reduced delays by diverting east-west services away from central Manchester's bottlenecks. The project features an innovative network arch viaduct crossing the River Irwell—the UK's first such structure and the world's first asymmetric variant—comprising twin weathering steel arches spanning 89 metres, supported by a concrete deck and tied by horizontal girders, enabling efficient load transfer and aesthetic integration with the urban landscape. Constructed amid tight urban constraints using prefabricated elements lifted into place, including a 400-tonne bowstring arch moved by self-propelled modular transporter, the chord incorporates over 30 new and widened spans totaling nearly 700 metres of aligned track infrastructure. As part of the £1 billion Great North Rail Project, the Ordsall Chord has enhanced regional connectivity by allowing up to 3,000 additional passengers per hour during peaks and supporting for faster, greener services, earning accolades such as the Royal Academy of Engineering's Major Project Award for its engineering ingenuity and delivery under budget and schedule.

Historical Development

Early Proposals and Abandonment

The concept of a rail chord linking Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria stations was first proposed in the late 1970s, initially under the name , to address connectivity issues in the congested area. An associated railways bill was debated in , granting parliamentary powers for construction in 1979. Alternative designs, including an underground tunnel option, were considered but abandoned by 1977, followed by the cancellation of the surface-level Curve proposal in the mid-1980s amid broader shifts in rail investment priorities. The abandonment reflected fiscal constraints and a national focus on cost-cutting in transport infrastructure during the early Thatcher administration, leaving the idea dormant for over two decades.

Revival Under Network Rail

revived the Ordsall Chord proposal in 2010 through the Manchester Hub study, identifying it as a critical component to enhance rail capacity in the region by enabling direct passenger connections between Manchester Piccadilly, Oxford Road, and Victoria stations for the first time. This addressed longstanding bottlenecks in the corridor, where conflicting freight and passenger movements had constrained service frequencies and reliability. The revival aligned with the broader programme, launched to increase train paths, reduce journey times to key destinations like , and support economic growth in northern England by diverting some through services away from congested central routes. 's initiative emphasized infrastructure upgrades to accommodate projected demand rises, with the chord projected to free up capacity for up to 4,000 additional passengers per hour during peaks. Following detailed feasibility assessments, pursued statutory powers via a Development Consent Order under the Planning Act 2008, culminating in the Network Rail (Ordsall Chord) Order 2015, which came into force on 21 April 2015. This approval overcame challenges primarily concerning impacts on listed structures, affirming the project's necessity for network resilience despite heritage concerns raised by opponents. The order facilitated progression to construction, integrating the chord into 's electrification and signalling enhancements under the framework.

Engineering and Design

Route Alignment and Key Structures

The Ordsall Chord alignment begins at a new junction northwest of Junction, connecting the corridor—serving approaches to Manchester Oxford Road and stations from the south—with the line to Crescent and Manchester Victoria to the north. This elevated route, spanning approximately 300 metres of new track, curves northward through Ordsall in , integrating with widened existing viaducts to avoid reversal maneuvers at Oxford Road station and alleviate congestion in the area. The path ties into the southern end of the expanded viaduct (carrying lines from ) at the northern terminus and the widened viaduct at the south, enabling direct through-running for services from the west and south to Victoria without traversing the congested approaches to . Central to the alignment is the Ordsall Chord Viaduct, featuring the United Kingdom's first network with an 89-metre main span over the River Irwell, constructed using box-girder arch ribs that taper asymmetrically from 2.5 metres to 0.7 metres in depth for structural efficiency and aesthetic integration with surrounding heritage infrastructure. The network arch design employs 46 hangers (85 mm diameter) to suspend a composite deck, providing enhanced stiffness compared to traditional tied arches while minimizing material use. Adjacent to this, a 100-metre twin plate-girder bridge crosses Trinity Way, linked by cascades accommodating a 300 mm height differential, with the entire viaduct employing BIM Level 2 modeling for precise fabrication and . The project incorporates nine steel bridges in total, including renovations to the Grade I listed Stephenson's Viaduct over the Irwell with its two 63-foot segmental brick arches, restored by replacing eroded stonework to maintain structural integrity alongside the new alignment. widenings at and utilized extensions monitored for settlement, while ancillary features include a 50-metre over the Irwell designed via alone and upgrades to Water Street bridge, ensuring the chord's seamless elevation above urban obstacles without disrupting listed structures like the remnants. These elements collectively form a compact, resilient linkage prioritizing capacity gains over expansive new construction.

Innovative Bridge Features

The Ordsall Chord's bridge represents a pioneering application of network arch bridge technology in the , marking the first such structure built in the country and the world's first asymmetric variant. This 89-meter single-span bridge employs a network arch configuration, where inclined hangers form a crisscross pattern between the arch and the track-bearing tie, optimizing material efficiency and stiffness for the constrained urban site adjacent to the Grade I-listed Liverpool Road viaduct. The arises from geometric necessities, including the need to navigate tight curvatures and clearances over the river, with the arch inclined differently on each side to accommodate the chord's alignment. Fabricated from , the bridge's deck integrates twin girders that transition into a sculptural "cascades" element at one , enhancing both structural performance and aesthetic integration with Manchester's industrial heritage. Its design leveraged (BIM) throughout, enabling precise handling of the complex geometry and multi-disciplinary coordination to minimize on-site adjustments and accelerate fabrication. Installation occurred in March 2017 via a 1,200-tonne lift using a specialist crawler crane, demonstrating feasibility for heavy urban rail infrastructure. Complementing the arch bridge, the broader Ordsall Chord viaduct incorporates a 100-meter twin-girder section and innovative systems, including sensors for real-time assessment of dynamic loads and long-term durability in a vibration-prone rail environment. These features addressed site-specific challenges, such as proximity to heritage structures and flood risks, while ensuring minimal disruption to the operational Castlefield corridor. The overall viaduct, spanning 350 meters, utilized 4,378 tonnes of steelwork to achieve enhanced capacity without excessive height increases.

Construction Process

Timeline and Major Milestones

The Ordsall Chord project advanced to following earlier phases, with principal works commencing in 2016 after £85 million in funding was allocated via the 2011 budget. By September 2016, fabrication and erection of the network over the River Irwell were underway, alongside of new road and rail bridges to support the chord's alignment. Progress accelerated through 2017, with the project reaching final tracklaying and signalling integration stages by July. The centrepiece bridge achieved structural completion on November 9, 2017, linking Manchester Victoria, Oxford Road, and stations directly for the first time, an event marked by Rail Minister placing the final component. Passenger operations commenced on December 10, 2017, enabling initial direct services such as those to from northern routes, with full timetabled integration following shortly thereafter. The two-year build adhered to schedule despite complexities in urban realignment and heritage site works, delivering enhanced capacity under the Great North Rail Project.

Contractors and Technical Challenges

The Ordsall Chord project was delivered by a between and as the primary contractors, responsible for the core and works. Severfield served as the steelwork contractor, fabricating and erecting approximately 4,500 tonnes of , including the innovative network arch viaduct. design was handled by a between and , with BDP as the project architect, while Mace acted as project managers under as the client. Key technical challenges included constructing the UK's first network arch bridge, which featured an asymmetric tapering design to accommodate the curved rail alignment over the River Irwell, demanding precise fabrication and erection to maintain structural integrity under dynamic rail loads. Demolition of an existing Water Street bridge was required prior to installation, complicated by its location in a constrained urban environment near operational rail lines and residential areas. Construction monitoring encountered issues such as electrical faults in sensors during the River Irwell bridge erection, necessitating adaptive non-destructive testing protocols. Integration with the existing network posed further hurdles, including the realignment of 6.5 km of tracks, upgrades to , and signaling systems, all executed to BIM Level 2 standards for interdisciplinary coordination amid unresolved load capacities on some legacy bridge spans at design outset. Tight possession windows, such as intensive blockade works, amplified logistical difficulties in a high-traffic corridor. Environmental constraints, including proximity to heritage sites and noise-sensitive zones, influenced mitigations like phased to minimize disruptions.

Controversies and Opposition

Heritage and Environmental Concerns

The Ordsall Chord project faced significant opposition due to its potential impact on Manchester's railway heritage, particularly the remnants of the 1830 , recognized as the world's first intercity passenger line. Critics, including , argued that the 340-meter chord would demolish sections of the historic infrastructure adjacent to the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI), described by the heritage body as "the Stonehenge of railway history" for its unparalleled significance in industrial transport evolution. The scheme affected approximately 30 heritage assets, including the Grade I-listed Stephenson's Bridge, with proposed works involving parapet repairs and reinstatement but also requiring partial demolition of 19th-century viaducts and arches to accommodate the new alignment. Legal challenges highlighted these concerns, with Mark Whitby launching a in 2015, contending that the project inadequately assessed harm to the Liverpool Road station complex—a key site of the 1830 railway terminus—and violated heritage protection under the Planning Act 2008. opposed the bridge's location during a 2014 planning inquiry, emphasizing irreversible damage akin to demolishing , though the inspector ruled in favor of the route in 2015, upheld by the High Court and via a Transport and Works Act Order. Proponents, including Network Rail, incorporated mitigation such as heritage assessments and fabric conservation, arguing the benefits to modern rail capacity outweighed localized impacts on non-World Heritage sites. Environmental impacts were addressed through a full (EIA), mandated given the project's scale, which evaluated effects on , noise, and urban setting near the River Irwell. The chord achieved a CEEQUAL "Excellent" rating of 91.9% for sustainable , with a 95.4% sustainability strategy score, reflecting measures like net gain, a 10% reduction in construction embedded carbon, and diversion of 98% of waste from . Option selection prioritized the chord for its balance of cost and minimal environmental footprint compared to alternatives like tunnels or longer elevated sections, which posed greater visual and ecological disruption. While heritage objections dominated discourse, environmental critiques were limited, with post-construction evaluations confirming compliance and enhancements to local ecology. The Ordsall Chord faced significant public opposition primarily from heritage preservation groups and local campaigners concerned about its visual and structural impact on Manchester's Conservation Area, including the Grade I-listed Liverpool Road Station—the world's oldest surviving passenger railway terminus. Critics, including , argued that the proposed curved bridge would cause "catastrophic damage" to 30 heritage assets by obstructing key sightlines and altering the historic railway landscape, prompting a in April and May 2014. Additional public concerns included potential increases in , environmental disruption during construction, and the compulsory purchase of private properties along the route. These objections culminated in legal challenges spearheaded by Mark Whitby, a former consultant on the project who resigned in opposition. In July 2015, Whitby initiated a in the , alleging procedural errors by the Secretary of State for Transport in granting the Transport and Works Act Order, Listed Building Consent, and , including inadequate assessment of heritage harm versus public benefits. On October 14, 2015, the High Court (Mr Justice Lang) dismissed Whitby's claims, ruling that the Secretary of State had lawfully balanced the scheme's transport benefits—such as improved connectivity and capacity—against heritage impacts under national planning policy. Whitby appealed, raising three grounds: two statutory challenges to the consents and one to the planning permission. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeals on March 23, 2016, affirming the lower court's decision and allowing construction to proceed without further delay.

Operational Implementation

Integration into Network

The Ordsall Chord integrates into the rail network by providing a direct elevated link between the lines approaching Manchester Victoria from the north and west and the Castlefield corridor serving Oxford Road and stations. This connection, spanning approximately 300 meters across the River Irwell, allows trains to travel between Victoria and the southern stations without navigating the congested approaches to Victoria or conflicting with terminating services. Operationally, the chord entered service on 10 December 2017, initially supporting six trains per day in each direction between Manchester Victoria and Oxford Road. Full integration occurred with the May 2018 timetable recast, coinciding with North West electrification upgrades, which routed three trains per hour each way over the chord, including and services such as Manchester Airport to Leeds and Liverpool to Scarborough via Victoria. This enables direct access to from northern routes and reduces platform conflicts at by rerouting services through Victoria, thereby decreasing congestion there by 25 percent. As a core component of Network Rail's initiative—later encompassed in the £1 billion Great North Rail Projects—the chord enhances overall network capacity by adding up to 15 train paths per hour through the corridor and facilitating hundreds of additional daily services across . Technical integration involved complex signaling upgrades and track realignments at junctions to accommodate the new alignment, ensuring compatibility with existing infrastructure while minimizing disruptions during commissioning.

Enabled Services and Capacity Gains

The Ordsall Chord, operational since December 10, 2017, enables direct passenger services between Manchester Victoria and Manchester Oxford Road stations, with the inaugural service running from Victoria to Oxford Road and onward to . It facilitates new routes such as to via and services, as well as to Scarborough through Victoria, bypassing reversals at . Additional links include direct access to from northern regions like Newcastle and improved connectivity from the to Oxford Road. Initial operations supported 6 trains per day in each direction, increasing to 3 trains per hour each way by May 2018, linking and Victoria more efficiently. As part of Network Rail's enhancements, the chord contributes to an overall capacity expansion allowing up to 700 additional trains daily across the network by enabling through-running and reducing conflicting movements. It alleviates congestion at by approximately 25%, achieved through rerouting services via Victoria and eliminating two train path conflicts per hour on Piccadilly's through platforms. The project supports hundreds more daily trains city-wide and, within the broader Rail Project, targets over 2,000 extra services weekly by through optimized use of existing infrastructure. However, realization of full capacity has been constrained by limited expansions at Victoria, , and stations, resulting in subdued utilization of the chord's potential for higher-frequency through services. The corridor, now handling around 15 train paths per hour, remains a bottleneck for further growth without additional platform and signaling upgrades.

Impacts and Evaluations

Economic and Connectivity Benefits

The Ordsall Chord improves rail connectivity across by establishing a direct 300-metre link between the lines serving , Oxford Road, and Victoria stations, enabling through-running services that eliminate the need for train reversals at terminal platforms. This configuration supports new direct passenger routes, including from to destinations such as , Newcastle, and Central, while increasing operational frequency to three trains per hour in each direction along the chord. Capacity enhancements include a rise from 12 to 15 trains per hour on the Castlefield corridor and an overall reduction in congestion at Manchester Piccadilly by 25%, accommodating hundreds of additional daily services. These changes transform the previous terminus-dominated operation, limited to 17 trains per hour, into a through-network handling up to 42 trains per hour across connected corridors. As a core element of the £1 billion Great North Rail Project, the Ordsall Chord contributes to projected regional economic benefits exceeding £4 billion over its lifecycle, driven by expanded passenger and freight capacity that fosters job creation estimated at 20,000 to 30,000 positions. The associated enhancements, including the chord, yield a benefit-cost of approximately 4:1, reflecting gains from shorter journey times, reduced road congestion, and improved links between employment centres, residential areas, and new business developments. Freight path improvements further support logistics efficiency, amplifying economic multipliers across .

Criticisms and Shortfalls in Delivery

The Ordsall Chord, completed in December 2017 at an estimated cost of £85 million, has faced criticism for underdelivering on its projected capacity enhancements within Manchester's rail network. Despite enabling a direct link between Manchester Piccadilly, Oxford Road, and Victoria stations, the infrastructure operates at only one train per hour in each direction as of 2021, significantly below initial forecasts of up to four trains per hour. This shortfall stems primarily from the absence of complementary upgrades, notably additional platforms at , which were envisaged to unlock the chord's full potential but remain unbuilt as of 2023. Network Rail's planning assumed these platforms would support increased throughput, yet their omission has confined usage to limited services, such as those between Victoria and Oxford Road, preventing the anticipated addition of 700 daily trains across the . Pre-construction analyses had already highlighted risks that the chord alone would fail to alleviate congestion without parallel capacity expansions at key bottlenecks like , rendering it a suboptimal in isolation. Further critiques point to persistent operational inefficiencies, including induced delays in the corridor despite the chord's intent to bypass throat junctions. While legal challenges delayed approval until 2015, the core delivery occurred on schedule post-Transport and Works Act order, avoiding major overruns but underscoring dependency on broader, unrealized network investments for value realization.

Adjacent Developments like Footbridge

A pedestrian and cycle , constructed concurrently with the Ordsall Chord but delayed in opening, spans the River Irwell beneath the railway viaduct to replace the structurally deficient Prince's Bridge, enhancing connectivity between and . Costing £12 million, the 50-metre spine-beam structure was designed for durability in a flood-prone area and opened to the public on 29 June 2023, following completion of the chord's rail operations in December 2018. The footbridge integrates with broader riverside improvements, including enhanced paths linking to the New Bailey residential development and a proposed , promoting active travel and urban regeneration in Ordsall. One approach connects directly to Aviva Studios (formerly ), a major cultural venue, while the opposite bank accesses Manchester's area, supporting pedestrian flows amid ongoing commercial and residential growth. Adjacent to the chord's alignment, residential schemes such as Middlewood Locks have advanced, with planning approvals for over 1,000 apartments in towers up to 17 storeys, leveraging improved rail access for viability, though these are positioned slightly north of the core zone. The chord's elevated infrastructure, built within 4 metres of existing homes, necessitated careful during to minimize disruption to nearby properties.

References

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  45. https://constructingexcellence.org.uk/northern-hub-alliance/
  46. https://confidentials.com/manchester/approved-ordsall-chord-on-track-despite-heritage-damage
  47. https://blogs.city.ac.uk/railwaysandlaw/2017/01/12/ordsall-chord-litigation/
  48. https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/ordsall-chord-judgment-good-news-for-rail-customers
  49. https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/ordsall-chord-legal-challenge-dismissed
  50. https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/ordsall-chord-gets-go-ahead-after-appeal-dismissed
  51. https://www.skanska.co.uk/about-skanska/news-and-events/press-releases/212667/Ordsall-Chord-successfully-transforming-rail-transport-in-the-north
  52. https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/52233/pdf/
  53. https://democracy.manchester.gov.uk/Data/Executive/20130626/Agenda/Ordsall_Chord.pdf
  54. https://premierconstructionnews.com/2016/07/19/ordsall-chord/
  55. https://www.modernrailways.com/article/first-services-over-ordsall-chord-december
  56. https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/manchester-central-vs-ordsall-chord.240088/
  57. https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/rail-timetable-december-2022-cuts-22485182
  58. https://uktransport.fandom.com/wiki/Ordsall_Chord
  59. https://www.railengineer.co.uk/200-issues-and-2900-articles-later/
  60. https://www.railtechnologymagazine.com/Rail-News/behind-the-curve-the-ordsall-chord-is-a-poor-choice
  61. https://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/12m-ordsall-chord-footbridge-finally-opens/
  62. https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/12m-footbridge-connecting-salford-and-manchester-opens-under-iconic-railway-bridge-03-07-2023/
  63. https://beeactive.tfgm.com/schemes/salford/ordsall-chord-riverside-connection/
  64. https://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/green-light-for-1000-salford-apartments/
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