New footage reveals progress on Merseyrail’s Victorian tunnel upgrades
New footage has been released showing £3.5m upgrades to Victorian-era tunnels on Liverpool’s Merseyrail network.
Today (Tuesday 27 October), Network Rail is 17 days into a near four-week closure of the Northern Line which began on Sunday 11 October.
At just over halfway through the project, the team of more than 50 workers have:
Removed 92m² of old concrete ahead of new concrete being applied
Drilled 6,400 holes in the tunnel walls for waterproofing injections
Drilled 197 holes in the tunnel walls to direct water into drainage [weep holes]
Waterproofed 1,672m² of tunnel wall*
While work continues, passengers are being urged to plan their journeys by visitingnationalrail.co.uk.
The Northern Line is closed between Hunts Cross and Liverpool Central during the work.
Alongside tunnel strengthening and waterproofing, power control systems are being modernised across both Merseyrail lines during extended Sunday rail closures.
Rail replacement buses are running to help passengers travel across the city region.**
Normal train services will return on the morning of Saturday 7 November, once all the work has been completed.
Paul Owen, Liverpool area director for Network Rail, said: "This is a significant £3.5m investment into the underground section of the Merseyrail network to maintain four Victorian-built tunnels for 21st-century passengers.
“We understand that this work is disruptive, so we’ve been working with Merseyrail to minimise the impact of the upgrades as much as possible and are asking passengers to plan their journeys using the National Rail or Merseyrail websites.”
Stephen Dodd, Merseyrail chief operating officer, said: “We'd like to thank our passengers for their patience while this important work is carried out. These upgrades will help improve the long-term reliability of the Northern Line and reduce the risk of future disruption. We encourage customers to plan ahead and check before they travel during the closure."
The major investment will mean more reliable journeys for the millions of passengers who use the Merseyrail network each year.***
Passengers are encouraged to plan their journeys by visitingnationalrail.co.uk.
Notes to Editors
*Waterproofing is applied by drilling holes and injecting a liquid resin into the tunnel walls, which when set creates a waterproof barrier to stop water coming through the brickwork and instead direct it through weep holes and down into drainage on the track bed.
**Alternative travel plans in detail
Network Rail and Merseyrail have worked together to minimise disruption and keep passengers moving during the upgrades:
From Monday to Saturday, replacement buses will run from Hunts Cross to Moorfields, and amended train services will run from Southport, Ormskirk, and Headbolt Lane to Liverpool Central.
On Sundays, replacement buses will run from Hunts Cross to Sandhills. Amended train services will run from Southport, Ormskirk, and Headbolt Lane to Sandhills.
On Sunday 1 November, amended train services will run from New Brighton and West Kirby to Birkenhead North, and from Chester and Ellesmere Port to Rock Ferry. Replacement buses will run from Birkenhead North and Rock Ferry to Moorfields.
***Liverpool Central is one of the busiest stations in the country, recording more than 14 million entries and exits during 2024/25.
Information about this autumn's tunnel upgrades is available at networkrail.co.uk/liverpool-tunnels and merseyrail.org/journey-planning/plan-your-journey/tunnel-upgrade-works-service-information.
For journey planning information, passengers should visit National Rail Enquiries at nationalrail.co.uk or the train operator’s website, merseyrail.org.
On Sunday 8 November, track upgrades in Mossley Hill will affect rail services in and out of Liverpool Lime Street. You can find out which rail services are affected by the work on 8 November at nationalrail.co.uk.
