World’s ‘oldest railway station’ threatened by construction

MANCHESTER, England — The Liverpool Road rail station, located in Manchester, the oldest surviving mainline station in the world, may be under threat from Network Rail’s construction plans, The Independent reported.

Network Rail is planning to build a 3,600-foot viaduct called the Ordsall Chord just above the station, which dates from 1830. The construction may cause what the rail company referred to as “substantial harm” to parts of this historic setting — the terminus of the acclaimed Liverpool and Manchester Railway.

The viaduct is the pivot-point in a wider rail modernization plan called the Northern Hub, according to the newspaper. The hub is designed to provide a straight-through service between Manchester’s Victoria, Oxford Road and Piccadilly stations, and substantially improve services across the north of England. For the full story, click here.