Closure of the Manchester to Sheffield rail line for seven weeks

Rail passengers are being warned to expect seven weeks of closures on a line where urgent work is carried out to stop the potentially catastrophic fall.

A section of the rail line between Manchester and Sheffield will close from Saturday until August 25.

Replacement buses will run between New Mills Central and Chinley stations.

Network Rail said: “If the work is not carried out there is a risk of 50,000 tonnes of soil falling from the railway into the River Goyt.”

Vitesh Solanki, Network Rail’s system project manager, added: “We are sorry for the disruption the rail closure will cause to passengers.

“The closure is the safest and fastest way to carry out the work so we can fully reopen the line to passengers as soon as possible.”

Engineers have been working around the clock in Hague Bar, New Mills, to stabilize the ground supporting the railway.

Foundations are drilled into the ground and a new wall is built between the river and the railway to stop the movement of the earth.

Northern Rail thanked customers in advance for their “patience while this important safety work takes place”.

The work sees changes to services between Manchester and New Mills Central via Bredbury.

From Monday to Saturday there will be an hourly service between Manchester Piccadilly and Marple, with a replacement bus service between Marple and Chinley.

On Sunday, there will be an hourly bus service between Manchester Piccadilly, Bredbury, Marple and Chinley.

Services between Chinley and Manchester Piccadilly continue to divert via Hazel Grove and Stockport.