The forgotten dream of Manchester’s underground network

Manchester's public transport could have looked very different if the Picc-Vic Tunnel was approved in the 1970s

Written by Thom Bamford
Last updated 4 months ago
Cornerstone, Featured, Greater Manchester, History

Beneath the bustling streets of Manchester lies a forgotten dream – the Picc-Vic Tunnel, an audacious project conceived in the early 1970s to seamlessly link the city’s heartbeat, Piccadilly and Victoria stations.

Picture a web of underground tracks weaving through Manchester’s urban core, promising a transit revolution that never saw the light of day.

Back in the day, Manchester found itself at a crossroads.

Unlike London, where the Underground united stations seamlessly, Manchester’s central business district lacked the rail accessibility it deserved.

How Manchester’s rail network in 1910 looked

Enter the South-East Lancashire and North-East Cheshire Passenger Transport Executive (SELNEC PTE), later rebranded as the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE), armed with a vision: the Picc-Vic proposal.

Imagine new tunnels snaking beneath the city, connecting Piccadilly and Victoria with a rapid transit system tailored for Manchester.

The grand plan included five stations, two low-level platforms, and an underground network accommodating up to eight-car trains.

But this visionary venture met an untimely demise in 1977, succumbing to financial hurdles and the challenge of maintaining two colossal terminal stations.

So would it have been a game changer or a dud? Here are the facts about what could have been..

What was the Picc-Vic Tunnel?

Picc-Vic, an ambitious underground railway project conceived in the early 1970s, aimed to seamlessly connect Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria

The vision behind Picc-Vic involved the creation of an underground rail tunnel spanning across Manchester’s urban core.

The Proposal

A prototype SELNEC interactive display board, now on display at the Museum of Transport, Greater Manchester

The railway infrastructure established during the 19th and 20th centuries by multiple railway entities led to the development of disparate railway termini on the outskirts of Manchester’s city centre.

In contrast to the centralised approach adopted by London, where the London Underground connected its stations, Manchester faced a situation where a considerable portion of its central business district lacked accessibility through rail transport.

In 1971, the local transport authority, known as the South-East Lancashire and North-East Cheshire Passenger Transport Executive (SELNEC PTE) and later renamed the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) in 1974 (now known as Transport for Greater Manchester – TfGM), put forth a proposal called Picc-Vic.

This initiative aimed to connect the disjointed railways that traversed Manchester city centre.

The Picc-Vic Scheme

Under the Picc-Vic scheme, the plan involved constructing new tunnels beneath the city centre to link Manchester’s primary railway stations, Piccadilly and Victoria.

The proposed underground railway would feature three new stations, creating a comprehensive network that seamlessly connected regional, national, and local rail systems through an underground rapid transit system tailored for Manchester.

The Picc-Vic tunnel had three main goals:

Enhance the distribution system from existing peripheral railway stations to the central core.
Unify the disconnected northern and southern railway systems.
Improve the movement of passengers within the central area.

This proposal was a crucial element of GMPTE’s comprehensive 25-year strategy, consisting of four phases.

The strategy encompassed initiatives such as prioritising buses, establishing an east-west railway network, and implementing a light rapid transport system, all aimed at enhancing transportation in Greater Manchester over the long term.

The Planned Route of the Picc-Vic Tunnel

The proposed Picc-Vic tunnel, spanning a length of 2¾ miles (4.4 km), was designed to connect Ardwick Junction, situated a mile south of Piccadilly Station, to Queens Road Junction on the Bury line, located about three-quarters of a mile north of Victoria.

Of the total length, just over 2 miles (3 km) would have been situated underground, with the majority of the tunnel reaching depths of 60–70 feet (18–21 m) beneath Manchester’s city centre.

The southern approach ramp was planned to be constructed at surface level and within a shallow tunnel.

This ambitious project would have featured two separate electrified tracks.

In the deep tunnel sections, distinct bores were intended for each track, comprising continuous welded rails on concrete foundations, known as ‘slab track.’

The implementation of the underground line would have facilitated seamless through-running for trains across the city region, integrating various existing railway lines such as the Bury Line, Crewe–Manchester Line, Hope Valley Line, Stafford–Manchester Line, and Styal Line.

Contrary to a direct route through the city centre, the planned course of the Picc-Vic tunnel would have skirted around the south of the city centre before curving northward towards Victoria.

An impediment to the tunnel’s construction was the subterranean Guardian telephone exchange, extending beneath the city centre south of Piccadilly Gardens.

Designated as a nuclear bunker, the existence of this structure was known to SELNEC planners, who were, however, unable to disclose it publicly due to signing the Official Secrets Act in 1971.

The planned stations for the Picc-Vic Tunnel

The proposed Picc-Vic line envisioned the establishment of five new central area stations, featuring two low-level platforms at both Piccadilly and Victoria stations.

Each station would have been positioned on a tangent track, accommodating trains with a capacity of up to eight cars.

The design included escalators for easy access to the surface level, as well as lifts for disabled individuals.

To enhance passenger experience, a comprehensive customer information system, PA systems, and CCTV installations were planned, minimising the need for extensive staffing.

Victoria Low Level was intended to have a concourse below Long Millgate, catering to the Co-Operative Headquarters and the Corn Exchange.

The development of the Picc-Vic line would have facilitated the rationalisation and redevelopment of the main line station, coupled with the creation of a proposed new bus station.

Market Street, also known as Royal Exchange, would have been situated beneath the junction of Corporation Street, Cross Street, and Market Street.

This station would provide a direct link to the Royal Exchange, Marks & Spencer, and the Arndale Centre.

Albert Square/St. Peter’s Square, alternatively known as Central, would serve the administrative and entertainment areas of the city.

This station would feature six entrances in St. Peter’s Square, a bus lay-by, and would be part of a redesigned square.

The redesign would extend to Albert Square, incorporating a concourse beneath the square and establishing a direct link to the Heron House development.

Additionally, a travelator link to Oxford Road railway station was in the plans.

Princess Street, or Whitworth, would be constructed on the site of the present Whitworth House.

The station would have a direct link to the proposed major development north and east of the station, serving the Manchester College site (formerly City College Manchester), UMIST, and other developments.

Piccadilly Low Level, a side-platform station, would be built in a ‘cut-and-cover’ section with a mezzanine level concourse.

Passengers would access the Picc-Vic and East-West platforms via escalators, and a subway-escalator link would connect to the mainline station concourse.

Why did the Picc-Vic Tunnel Fail?

This innovative proposal, however, met its demise in 1977 during the early stages of development, primarily due to soaring costs.

The persistent presence of two large and economically burdensome terminal stations in Manchester further fueled the decision to abandon the scheme.

Interestingly, similar-sized cities had opted for a single terminal, making the Picc-Vic project appear financially untenable.

SELNEC sought financial support from the central government to fund the construction of the Picc-Vic line.

This initiative occurred during the early 1970s when the United Kingdom faced economic challenges.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Anthony Barber, in response to economic difficulties, announced a substantial £500 million reduction in public expenditure.

In August 1973, the Minister for Transport Industries, John Peyton, rejected SELNEC’s grant application, citing the prevailing economic constraints.

Peyton stated that “there is no room for a project as costly as Picc-Vic before 1975 at the earliest.”

The nature of an underground excavation and construction project demanded a significant upfront investment from public funds.

When the Greater Manchester County Council took charge of the project, it encountered difficulty in securing the necessary financial support from the central government.

As a result, the Picc-Vic scheme faced abandonment in 1977 due to the overwhelming cost associated with its implementation.

The Death of the Picc-Vicc Underground Tunnel

Fast forward to 1992, and the unveiling of the Metrolink system transformed the transportation landscape in Manchester.

The tram system intelligently connected both Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria, alleviating the need for a direct rail connection to some extent.

This development marked a practical alternative to the grand underground scheme envisioned in the Picc-Vic proposal.

The Ordsall Cord

The year 2017 witnessed the operational debut of the Ordsall Chord, a significant overground railway initiative.

It was this, or the Picc-Vic concept, according to reports, with the Ordsall Chord winning in the end.

This scheme, akin to the initial Picc-Vic concept, established a direct link between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria.

The Ordsall Chord’s implementation offered a contemporary solution to the connectivity challenge, bringing to fruition a vision that had eluded realisation decades earlier.

The Legacy of the Vicc-Picc Tunnel

In 2008, a resurgence of interest in an underground rail link beneath Manchester emerged, more than 30 years after the original project was abandoned.

Ruth Kelly, the Transport Secretary and MP for Bolton West, announced a Department for Transport study to reassess rail provision in the area.

However, by the 2011 United Kingdom budget, a new plan took shape under the guise of the Ordsall Chord.

In 2012, researchers from the Manchester School of Architecture at the University of Manchester conducted an investigation beneath the Arndale Centre in the city centre.

Their discovery unveiled a long-forgotten subterranean void approximately 30 feet (9.1 m) below the surface.

Sounds spooky.

This void had seemingly been incorporated into the shopping centre’s construction in the 1970s, to facilitate a link to a new Royal Exchange underground railway station when the originally planned Picc-Vic tunnel was set to become operational.

So what do you think? Would this have been good? Or a huge waste of money. Fancy Manchester with an underground…

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