McLoughlin thanks staff at Victoria

A railway station once labelled Britain’s worst is back in business following a £44 million facelift.

Manchester Victoria now has a vast new roof made from the same material used at the Eden Project whilst the station itself retains most of it historic heritage.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin praised railway staff and engineers responsible for delivering the project.

McLoughlin unveiled a plaque at a special ceremony beside the Soldiers Gate where military personnel marched off to fight in World War One, some never to return.

‘I want to congratulate everyone involved in this remarkable project. It’s fantastic to see Manchester Victoria once again a station fit for the city,’ said McLoughlin. ‘It’s now a symbol of opportunity, not neglect, and proof that this one nation government is building the Northern Powerhouse.

‘The North is receiving a wave of investment in its transport infrastructure on a scale not seen for generations, with £4.5 billion in the North West alone. The benefits are already being delivered, with 71,000 more businesses in the North West than in 2010 – a clear sign our long-term plan to secure a stronger, healthier economy is working.’

At the ceremony, Martin Frobisher, route managing director for Network Rail, formally handed the station back to Alex Hynes, managing director of Northern Rail, which manages its day-to-day running.

‘Victoria feels like a brand new station to us, and it’s a fantastic testament to a successful working partnership between ourselves, Network Rail and the City of Manchester,’ says Alex Hynes.

‘It’s a light, bright and contemporary station for our modern-day customer, and we’re delighted with the results of the redevelopment. Manchester is an increasingly important city in the North and now it has the station it so rightly deserves.’