Manchester: Infrastructure, Developments and Construction

[Dobbo]

The surface acess schemes are in my view vital to the development.

Major ones like HS2 and HS3 will bring Leeds and Liverpool to the doorstep and eventually make access to/from places like Sheffield, Newcastle, Glasgow, Edinburgh far easier, as well as Birmingham and London which have their own ambitions.

Also, the smaller road schemes like the Mere bypass and SEMMS will help keep traffic flowing at peak times.

If something as major as the Pennine tunnel was to be built then that would open up vast swathes of the East Midlands as well as South Yorkshire.

Exciting times, but a long period of time for this to take shape.

 

[User001]

 

[Aceshigh]

Is US preclearance actually going ahead?

I thought confirmation was still very much up in the air?

 

[User001]

No it's going ahead. 2 airlines have stumped up the cash needed for it to be allowed to go to congress and get approved. Should be opening 2018 when the first new finger pier gets built.

Manchester will be the only UK point with USPBC until at least 2025 according to the congress/FAA dockets. Heathrow too complex to implement before then.

 

[Dobbo]

Do we know how the finger piers are going to be allocated? And in general where the airlines are going to relocate (if at all).

The picture I hope is attached to this message indicates the larger aircraft are on the first pier with smaller ones at the back (approximately where the car park is now). I assume the locos will predominately be around the current T3/1 area but I can't see there would be room?

 

[juliet-fox-9]

Do we know how the finger piers are going to be allocated? And in general where the airlines are going to relocate (if at all).

I know Emirates are going to relocate to T2, but I'm not familiar with the redevelopment. Will T1 be completely demolished and all the airlines be divided between T2 and T3?

#MANredevelopment

 

[Dobbo]

I think the plan is for T1 to go, but one of the piers (pier B?) will remain. I don't know whether it will be serviced by the expanded T2 building or T3 (which I think would be on the small side) but you can go all the way airside.

The picture indicates Emirates and Etihad will move to T1 (branded A380s) but that aside I have no idea!

 

[User001]

Terminal 1 is being demolished from its current format, however, the 'B' pier (with the current A380 gate) will be remodelled to be an extended finger pier.

As for the piers, I understand 1 will be the mixed mode pier that has USPBC from 0600-1600' then revert to regular ops when no US flights operate.

1 will be the main long haul/A380 pier, then 2 for standard charter/loco/Euro ops.

I don't know the exact order as its subject to change, but, on dobbos picture working left to right, B pier will be Euro/etc, the. The long haul, then another Euro and then the USPBC.

I'm lead to believe T3 will be home to Ryanair and 2 other low costs, and the 'T3 side' of pier B will be the domestic gates. These gates will be accessed normally through security outbound, but have a separate exit near to the current T1 complex for quick non-passport controlled segregation.

 

[juliet-fox-9]

Thanks for the information. 👍

 

[Dobbo]

So, from South East to North west:

1 - long haul, A380 gates (I hypothesise the likes of Emirates, Etihad, Singapore, Cathay)
2 - European pier (BA, KLM, Air France, Lufthansa etc.)
3 - USPC (Virgin, Delta, United, American, Thomas Cook).

Owzat?!

 

[User001]

Pretty much.

It's nice to get this discussion going, as I feel it hasn't been talked about much and I don't think people realise just how monumental this construction project will be, and I think there needs to be more excitement.

When BHX remodelled it's pier, built the control tower and extended the runway, there were regular almost daily updates, the excitement, so, I'm hoping the same can happen here once the main bit kicks off.

I'm certainly going to endeavour to take regular pictures if the wife allows the trips up to Manchester. Have a child in tow now so more of an excuse.

 

[Dobbo]

If I can digress for a moment, the TFL intervention in the LHR debate may be of indirect interest. There are wider issues in play, but if the fundamental issue that Heathrow needs £16 bn in taxpayer support to make the 3rd runway infrastructure work, and TFLand Heathrow don't want to pay for it, it seems expansion elsewhere in the UK (including outside of the South East) may be on the cards.

 

[Dobbo]

BTW - the area earmarked for the fourth finger pier, what is that planned to be used for?

 

[Aceshigh]

I cannot see the Government being warm to shelling out £17,000,000,000m. You could build a dozen mega hospitals for that money and right across the country rather than just invest in London.

Heathrow is important but not at any cost.....

There is talk they want Heathrow to pay, it will be interesting to see if they think they can get their money back, personally, I cannot see it...

Investment in Manchester appears to represents a much better and low cost option ?

I thought HS2 was eyewatering, this is equivalent to over 50 % of that cost.
AMAZING!

 

[Aceshigh]

Thank you for clarification re Pre clearance AND in 2018

Hopefully we will see the fruits of that by this time next year as plans are laid for the next 12 months. It mitigates need for going to Dublin !

Just need APD sorting out now!

 

[Carl W]

Are there ,or will there be any graphics of the remodelled T3, and the realignment of pier B ?

P.s. How about a webcam overlooking the new build !
Iirc, there was a cam when the new atc tower was built.

 

[User001]

There's nothing yet.

Pier B will be wider, and T3 extended in some way, but that's all we know at the moment.

T3 extension is needed quickly due to Ryanair wanting to expand based aircraft but any extension needs removal of yet more car parking, and I think MAN are running out of other pockets of land to put these car parks.

 

[Dobbo]

My understanding is that T3 expansion does not form part of the TP per se, but is likely to form part of a future programme.

The only aspect that I have seen touching the T3 site is the demolition of pier A to give a full length dual taxiway for runway 1.

I have seen pictures indicating an expansion of T3 parallel to the runway over the car park, but that was an "old" plan.

With the T1 site being clear, and the current station being some distance apart from T3 and T2, I wonder whether plans might now be more ambitious and in line with the general style of the new T2. For example, if it were pushed back from the runway a similar finger pier system could be introduced as part of a loco terminal. That would give a significant jump in capacity from now.

 

[Dobbo]

As user says, car park space is becoming an increasing problem.

 

[Carl W]

Dobbo, you mentioned the parallel taxiway to the hold of R1, but will there be one to the end of 05R and any new crossing points to facilitate a two way flow of traffic whatever runway/s are in use?