Huge fire near Manchester Oxford Road station blocks railway line

Firefighters are tackling a major blaze at a derelict building in Manchester city centre.

The fire, at the old Hotspur Press printing works on Cambridge Road, is close to Manchester Oxford Road railway station.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said an evacuation of the neighbouring apartment buildings is taking place.

It added: “The public are advised to stay away from the area while crews continue to tackle the fire.”

National Rail said all lines were blocked and warned that services running through the station may be cancelled or delayed until 20:00 BST.

TransPennine Express said rail replacement buses had been requested for the following routes:

• Manchester Piccadilly to Liverpool Lime Street in both directions
• Manchester Piccadilly to Preston in both directions

It said that once the lines reopened, people could use their tickets, at no extra cost, on the following services:

• East Midlands Railway between Sheffield and Liverpool Lime Street in both directions

The building, also known as Medlock Mill, has been derelict since shutting down as a printing press in 1996.

Developer Manner’s plan to regenerate the historic building into a 36-storey student tower was given planning permission in May 2024.

However, it recently redesigned its proposals and they will now be submitted to Manchester City Council, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said earlier this month.