The Manchester – Sheffield rail line will close for seven weeks

Part of the rail line between Sheffield and Manchester will be closed for seven weeks.

A section of the railway will be closed from Saturday 6 July to Saturday 25 July so that work can be carried out to stop the ground giving way at Hague Bar in New Mills.

Trains on the Hope Valley line from Sheffield to Manchester Piccadilly will run as normal to Chinley before diverting via Hazel Grove and Stockport to Manchester Piccadilly.

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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 quickest way for us to carry out the work so that 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.

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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”.

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.