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Inside the Victorian tunnels behind Merseyrail closures

Andy Gill,Merseysideand
Haider Saleem,North West
BBC A group of railway workers in orange high-visibility protective clothing and hard hats work inside a large Victorian brick railway tunnel. Two engineers stand on separate scaffold platforms high above the tracks, close to the curved brick ceiling. At ground level, several other workers stand among white containers.BBC
The engineering works aim to reduce the risk of power failures and unplanned closures

Beneath the streets of Liverpool, engineers are drilling into Victorian railway tunnels in a £3.5m effort to stop water disrupting Merseyrail services.

The work, which has closed part of the Northern Line for almost four weeks, is designed to prevent water damaging the network's electrified rail and causing future faults.

Inside St James Tunnel, south of Liverpool Central, engineers are drilling into the curved brick roof before injecting resin into the structure to create a waterproof barrier.

The aim is to stop water seeping through the Victorian brickwork and dripping on to the railway below.

Helen Little from Network Rail stands beside railway tracks inside a dark, brick-lined tunnel. She is wearing a bright orange high-visibility Network Rail jacket with reflective grey stripes, safety glasses and a white hard hat fitted with a head torch. The curved brick roof extends above her.
Network Rail's Helen Little says waterproofing the tunnels will help prevent electrical faults

Helen Little, from Network Rail, said: "These tunnels are over 100 years old, so over time they will naturally deteriorate."

She said there were numerous wet patches inside the tunnel and the waterproofing would divert water down the side walls, rather than allowing it to fall on to the tracks.

Merseyrail trains are powered by an electrified third rail running alongside the tracks, and Network Rail said water reaching it could trigger faults and power failures.

"Keeping the water from the rail stops the deterioration of the third rail and also stops faults," Little said.

She said losing power through the rail could prevent trains from running.

The waterproofing work forms part of wider improvements to four Victorian-built tunnels serving the Northern Line.

A railway engineer wearing orange high-visibility overalls, yellow gloves, a white helmet and a clear face shield stands on a metal scaffold platform, while holding equipment connected to blue hoses. Small pink markings are scattered across the dark and reddish tunnel brickwork.
Engineers are injecting resin into the tunnel roof to create a waterproof seal

The tunnel waterproofing is only part of the project.

Engineers are also installing new electrical equipment that will allow smaller sections of the railway to be shut down when faults occur, rather than larger parts of the network.

Merseyrail said that should make repairs quicker and help reduce disruption for passengers in the future.

The electrical work is also affecting parts of the Wirral Line on Sundays.

The work began on 11 October and is scheduled to finish on 6 November, with normal services expected to resume on Saturday 7 November.

Passengers are being advised to check their journeys before travelling.

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