Kier, a leading UK infrastructure services, construction and property group, has been awarded a contract to deliver major accessibility improvements at six railway stations in Greater Manchester.
Passengers using Flowery Field, Newton-for-Hyde, Levenshulme, Davenport, Woodsmoor and Bredbury stations will benefit from the investment, with Kier appointed by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) to deliver the design and build works.*
Funded by the Department for Transport’s Access for All Programme and locally devolved City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), the upgrades will provide step-free access and improve the experience for all that use the railway.
Kier will:
Evaluate options and progress outline and detailed designs before work starts
Work with partners to find smarter, better-value ways to deliver the upgrades
Complete the improvement works at each station ready to open and hand over
Mandy Duncan, managing director for rail and aviation at Kier Infrastructure, said:
We are delighted to have been selected to deliver these important improvements for communities across Greater Manchester. These works will make a real difference to passengers, making the stations more inclusive for all that use them, particularly people with reduced mobility and those travelling with luggage, bicycles or prams. We look forward to working closely in collaboration with TfGM and partners Network Rail, Vextrix, Tony Gee and Partners and Northern, to deliver these valuable enhancements.
Simon Elliott, network director rail at TfGM, said:
Delivering accessibility improvements at these six stations is absolutely key to our ambitions as we continue to build a public transport network that works for everyone in Greater Manchester. We’ll be working closely with Kier and our partners in the rail industry to help ensure that these upgrades remove barriers to travel and create a welcoming, attractive and customer-friendly experience at all these stations.
Last year, 472,012 passengers used Levenshulme station, 183,740 used Flowery Field, and 139,956 travelled through Newton-for-Hyde, while Davenport saw around 291,000 passengers, Woodsmoor approximately 247,000 and Bredbury just over 172,000 in the most recent reporting year. **
Elsewhere in the rail sector, Kier delivered new stations at Willenhall and Darlaston in the West Midlands earlier this year, providing modern, accessible facilities for local communities.
*Kier has been appointed by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) to deliver the design and build works at the six stations subject to full business case and railway approvals.
**Passenger usage data for Levenshulme, Flowery Field, Newton-for-Hyde, Davenport, Woodsmoor and Bredbury is sourced from the Office of Rail and Road’s (ORR) Estimates of Station Usage dataset for the 2024/25 reporting year.