The football club’s plans for the £2bn project have been thrown in doubt due to a £350m difference in the valuation of 250 acres of railyard owned by Freightliner.
According to reporting by The Guardian, Freightliner, under its parent, Brookfield, values the land its rail terminal sits on at around £400m, while Manchester United consider it to be worth no more than £50m.
The disparity between the two will add further friction to the project, which aims to deliver a 100,000-capacity stadium on the railyard and a more than 20,000-home mixed-use neighbourhood to the venue’s east.
Manchester United had hoped to begin work at the site by the end of 2025, but the difference in valuation is another roadblock.
However, for this to happen, the Red Devils need to acquire the remaining 250 acres to the west of the current Old Trafford stadium.
In September last year, Place North West reported that metro mayors Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram had been working on a deal which would see Freightliner move its operation to St Helens.
Tritax’s Intermodal Logistics hub at Park North was the expected destination for Freightliner.
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The 250-acre rail freight terminal is considered a key area for the mixed-use redevelopment of Old Trafford. Credit: Google Earth
In addition to providing more space to the Old Trafford Regeneration Partnership, Freightliner’s departure would free up more rail lines for passenger services on the Liverpool-Manchester line.
When asked by Place North West at the stadium’s unveiling at MIPIM 2025, Manchester United’s chief executive, Collette Roche, said that despite land assembly not being finalised, she did not consider the announcement of plans a risk.
The Old Trafford Regeneration Partnership is jointly led by Trafford Council, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and the football club, and will spearhead the scheme’s delivery.
Foster + Partners has designed the £2bn Old Trafford stadium regeneration, which was announced to the world at MIPIM 2025.
A case study by Oxford Economics has predicted that the regeneration plan could create more than 90,000 permanent jobs and add £7.3bn per year to the UK economy – and has been hailed as “The Wembley of the North”.
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Lord Sebastian Coe is chair of the Old Trafford Regeneration Taskforce, and he believes the scheme could have a bigger impact than Stratford’s regeneration for the London 2012 Olympics. Credit: Foster + Partners