Manchester's railway history headed for slick revival

Steam engines could be back on Manchester's disused train lines if a proposed $48 million (£30 million) plan is approved.

Telecoms billionaire Neil McArthur has submitted a plan to transform tracks that stretch between Irlam and Timperley in Greater Manchester and re-open the Cadishead Viaduct. The lines haven't been used since 1964 and the viaduct was closed in 1984, ceasing freight service in the area.

McArthur has already given $11 million (£7 million) to the Irlam and Cadishead community via his community trust. His support for the project has resulted in the renovation of the Irlam Station House, which was boarded up and left empty for 25 years prior to its $3.2 million renovation (£2 million).

The plan proposes that re-opening the lines will not only create a tourist attraction, but also link the communities which are currently badly served by existing transport routes. It also calls for extensions on the bike trails in the area.

McArthur believes the plan will give steam train owners, who currently have nowhere to run their trains, a chance to dust them off and get them in use again. Manchester already has a history of heritage railways: it's home to the East Lancashire Railway which currently runs vintage engines with over 200,000 passengers per year.