Robert Havercroft

Said the following about Northern Hub Alliance:

“The Northern Hub Alliance deserves recognition for bringing into being the hugely ambitious plan to link Manchester’s three principal mainline railway stations for the first time in history – a plan which has been put forward in various forms over the last 40 years but, until now, hadn’t the necessary vision, strategy, planning, innovation and teamwork to secure success.

The Ordsall Chord is a new 380-metre railway viaduct joining Manchester and Salford across the river Irwell. This new infrastructure will eliminate conflicts in the congested throat of Piccadilly station – by allowing services to cross the city without reversing at this point – thus facilitating far more frequent and efficient services across Manchester. It will also It will improve connectivity across towns and cities in the north and create new direct links to Manchester Airport, creating a step change in the level of train services operating on the network, and corresponding increase in capacity for passengers.

It is the teamwork or ‘alliancing’ that is responsible for the high quality of work all the way through the project, without which success wouldn’t have been possible. Specific examples of this are given in the supporting statement section, with statistics, illustrations and photos. The Northern Hub Alliance is: Network Rail (client), Amey Sersa (track), Siemens (signalling, power and telecoms) and Skanska BAM (civils).

Supporting Statements

Advance planning

Long before work on the construction of the Ordsall Chord began, the Alliance participants formed strong relationships with the train and freight operating companies, enabling them to work out and put into place revised timetables for all services which would eventually be affected.

The early development stages of the project were crucial because a TWA (Transport for Work Act) order was needed before construction could go ahead. The consents team at the Alliance started the process of stakeholder engagement some two-three years before work began on site, with the complex process of gaining permission to undertake all work involving heritage assets. The Ordsall Chord passes through the site of the first passenger railway station in the world, coming into contact with the Grade I-listed Stephenson’s Bridge and the former Liverpool Road Goods Warehouse (now part of the Museum of Science and Industry), as well as numerous other buildings of historical value.

Early contractor involvement allowed the Alliance’s leadership team to build a single target cost and allocate a budget for the scheme to which all participants agreed. This was supported by an integrated delivery programme, with a single ‘shared risk pot’ – ensuring every individual had the same goal of delivering best value for money for all.

Inevitably, as the Ordsall Chord spans such a complex urban landscape, risks and serious challenges did occur from time to time. As with every other aspect of the project, the team came together to reach a resolution as one collective unit. To reach this advantageous position, involving a large group of industry practitioners working together in one single-minded way, took a considerable commitment of time and effort from everyone involved. It was made even more significant as the main steelwork sub-contractor, Severfield, was also fully integrated into the Alliance way of working.

Building Information Modelling (BIM)

Embedding Severfield’s technicians within the engineering design team, with the design model and other deliverables prepared collaboratively – the reverse of the usual process – ensured that buildability considerations were included from the outset, that technological interoperability issues were tackled early, and that the best people for the job were used to prepare the BIM deliverables. The outcome was a great success, allowing steel plate to be procured in advance of full design completion, saving months on the construction programme. Time taken to prepare the normal fabrication models was also slashed.

On one structure, the River Irwell Footbridge, the BIM model was seen to contain all the detail necessary for construction, and the decision was taken simply to eliminate the conventional designer’s drawings entirely, handing over only the BIM model. We believe this is a first for the UK bridge engineering industry.

Regeneration of Grade I heritage assets

The Ordsall Chord passes through the site of the first passenger railway station in the world. George Stephenson built the Liverpool to Manchester railway, which opened in 1830, with the Grade I Stephenson’s Bridge carrying the line across the River Irwell, into Liverpool Road Station. The Alliance team demonstrated to a whole host of stakeholders, including Manchester City Council, Salford Council, Heritage England and the Victorian Society, that measures could be taken not only to minimise change to heritage buildings, but that they could actually be revitalised as part of the project. As a result, Stephenson’s Bridge is visible for the first time in 150 years and has been painstakingly restored by stonemasons.

Further to this, the Alliance has also created green spaces and paved areas, or piazzas, either side of the River Irwell for future generations to enjoy.

Leaving a legacy

In terms of rail systems, the Northern Hub Alliance is supporting the much-needed area investment, through efficiencies such as LED signals, lightweight structures, plug-and-play equipment and axle counter detection plus the introduction of Siemens’ control technology. This supports the national Rail Operating Centre (ROC) strategy, replacement of life-expired technology, reduced maintenance and improved service.

For the North West, this has been one of the most complicated resignalling schemes of the last 40 years. The project will change the landscape of Manchester forever for the better, in terms of transportation of passengers and goods, improved urban landscaping for the public to enjoy, and crucially from a socio-economic point of view. The Ordsall Chord project created 2,000 local jobs and involved over 200 local suppliers. It has supported 15 apprentices and 20 graduates through Network Rail and its suppliers, investing in the careers of local people across the region. Long-term, the Northern Programme will boost the local economy.“