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A 拢133m rail project in Manchester, to be built by Skanska, Bam Nuttall and Balfour Beatty, will cause 鈥渟ubstantial harm鈥� to 鈥渙ne of the most significant railway sites in the world鈥�, English Heritage has warned.

The Orsdall Chord scheme is part of Network Rail鈥檚 拢677m investment programme in the region and is aimed at improving connections between Manchester and Salford and freeing up rail capacity.

A team comprising Skanska, Bam Nuttall, Balfour Beatty and Siemens was appointed to build the 拢133m scheme last year.

But the project has proved controversial because it will affect around 30 heritage sites including three grade I-listed structures, such as the George Stephenson鈥檚 bridge.

Network Rail submitted an application to the Department for Transport for a Transport and Works Act Order 鈥� a form of planning permission for such schemes 鈥� last September and a public inquiry started last week.

At the inquiry, English Heritage said the scheme would be a 鈥渂rutal insertion of modern engineering which cuts into the fabric and across the grain of highly sensitive historic railway assets鈥�.

Andrew Davidson, principal inspector of ancient monuments in English Heritage鈥檚 North West office, said that in his 27 years at English Heritage he had 鈥渘ever come across a proposal so exceptionally damaging to the historic environment as the Orsdall Chord鈥�.

English Heritage also argued that Network Rail had not properly considered an alternative routing for the line, known as Option 15, which all parties accept would cause less harm to historic structures.

It said heritage concerns had 鈥渘ot been an integral feature of an iterative route selection process鈥�.

But Network Rail said the scheme was merely 鈥渢he next stage in the history of rail investment and development in Manchester鈥� and consideration of the impact on old structures had been 鈥渃entral to the design development process鈥�.

It also said that the Option 15 scheme would 鈥渄estroy the regeneration potential鈥� of the nearby Middlewood Lock site, 鈥減roduce sub-optimal rail operation鈥�; and would be 55% 鈥渕ore expensive to construct鈥�.

The findings of the public inquiry will be reported to the transport secretary who will rule on whether to give the scheme permission in the autumn.