Abseiling engineers restore iconic Stockport Viaduct

In the early hours of Sunday 23rd February seven railway workers abseiled down the side of the Grade II listed Stockport Viaduct as part of a £1.1m revamp.

Built in 1840, the viaduct carries almost 400** trains every day between the West Coast Main Line and Manchester Piccadilly.  

Last year, Network Rail started the project to remove overgrowing vegetation, clean away graffiti and carry out extensive repairs to the viaduct’s 11 million bricks. Now, all of the viaduct’s 26 spans have received the VIP treatment. 

Overnight, the team has used rope access equipment to go over the top of the viaduct’s piers and carry out important work to restore the viaduct.  

Drone footage and body-worn cameras show the viaduct landmark from a whole new perspective.   

Michael Lally, Network Rail Works Delivery manager, said: 

“The team have done a fantastic job this week carrying out important repairs to the viaduct arches that cross the M60 in Stockport.  

“This is the final stage of the project, which started last year. The recent work means the overall appearance of the viaduct is much improved, but it also reduces the risk of damage caused by overgrown vegetation and graffiti. 

“Managing plant growth on viaducts such as this is important in maintaining train performance as trees and shrubs can obscure signals and interfere with the overhead lines that power trains.” 

To carry out this work safely, from Monday 17th February – Sunday 2nd March 2025, the M60 is closed between J27 and J1 in both directions. For 13 nights, the road under the viaduct will close at 10pm and open at 6am.  

The work to restore this railway piece of heritage, comes as 2025’s Railway 200 celebrations are underway, a year-long programme of activities and events to celebrate 200 years of the modern railway.

Network Rail is also informing the people of Stockport about work to replace the Greek Street bridge which takes cars over the West Coast Main Line between Edgeley and Stockport town centre. 

Residents and passengers are advised to visit: 

www.networkrail.co.uk/greekstreet 

...to stay informed of the project. 

Pictured - Rope access engineers on the Stockport viaduct.