Major Travel Disruptions Hit North-West England as M62 Closes for Bridge Work

North-west England is bracing for substantial travel disruptions as a major infrastructure project coincides with rail service issues. The M62 motorway, a crucial 107-mile (172 km) link between Liverpool and Hull, will undergo a partial closure for a key rail bridge replacement.

The closure is scheduled from 2024-09-06 at 21:00 until 2024-09-09 at 06:00. This timing overlaps with the Great North Run on 2024-09-08, the world's largest half marathon, potentially affecting nearly 60,000 participants and numerous spectators traveling to Newcastle.

Tony Rich, an AA spokesperson, advised: "Runners heading from the North West to the Great North Run should familiarize themselves with the diversion route, in addition to their running route, to avoid heavy traffic impacting their performance."

The M62, which traverses the Pennines and reaches a peak elevation of 1,221 feet (372 m), typically carries about 120,000 passengers daily. The closure marks the first in recent memory for this stretch of motorway.

The bridge being replaced, nearing 60 years old, is vital for trains running between Manchester and Rochdale, including freight services to Drax power station, the UK's largest. Network Rail, responsible for over 20,000 miles of track, emphasizes the bridge's importance to 6% of the UK's energy supply.

Concurrent with the motorway closure, the railway between Manchester Victoria, opened in 1844, and Rochdale, known as the birthplace of the co-operative movement, will be closed from 2024-09-06 to 2024-09-25. A second M62 closure is planned from 2024-09-20 to 2024-09-23 for the new bridge installation.

Adding to the travel challenges, Northern, the UK's second-largest train operator, warns of potential short-notice cancellations due to staff shortages. This affects services between major stations in Manchester, Liverpool (home to Lime Street, the oldest grand terminus mainline station still in use globally), and Blackpool, famous for its annual Illuminations festival.

The Department for Transport, established in 1919, has issued a breach notice to Northern, requiring an improvement plan. A Northern spokesperson acknowledged recent service issues, attributing them to train crew availability and contractual limitations on Sunday work.

These disruptions highlight the complexities of maintaining and upgrading the UK's transport infrastructure, which annually carries over 1.7 billion rail passengers. As travelers navigate these challenges, they're reminded of the rich industrial and cultural heritage of the affected areas, from the ceramic history of Stoke-on-Trent to the well-preserved Roman walls of Chester.

"Our customers have experienced higher levels of cancellations in recent weeks and for that we are sorry. The underlying reason for services being cancelled remains traincrew availability and Sundays being contractually outside of the working week. The breach notice issued by the Department for Transport is being taken incredibly seriously and improving the reliability of our timetable remains our top priority."

As the region adapts to these temporary changes, the long-term benefits of improved infrastructure are expected to outweigh the short-term inconveniences, ultimately enhancing the reliability and efficiency of both road and rail networks in north-west England.