Victoria railway station officially reopened after £44m upgrade

Manchester Victoria station new concourse

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Victoria railway station has officially reopened following a £44m upgrade.

The modernisation project included a new £20m roof and restoration of the station's period features.

Run by Network Rail, the project included a tram stop with four new platforms and three new tracks that reopened in February.

It comes after Victoria was labelled Britain's "worst station" in a 2009 Department for Transport report.

Unveiling a plaque, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the redevelopment was a "remarkable project".

The roof had leaked since 1996 after it sustained damaged when a bomb, believed to have been planted by the IRA, exploded in the city centre.

Mr McLoughlin said: "It's fantastic to see Manchester Victoria once again a station fit for the city. It's now a symbol of opportunity, not neglect."

Victoria station first opened in January 1844. Some six million passengers use the station each year.

Network Rail chief executive Mark Carne said: "For far too long people travelling in and out of Manchester Victoria had to make do with a tired and dark station."