Merseyrail Northern Line fully reopens after £3.5m tunnel work
Merseyrail’s Northern Line has fully reopened after major engineering work to strengthen and waterproof four underground tunnels in Liverpool.
Network Rail has invested £3.5m into the structures so they can continue to safely take passengers under the city centre between Brunswick and Liverpool Central stations.
Specialist teams have used 21st-century techniques* to prevent water from entering the Victorian-built tunnels and stop moisture interfering with the ‘third rail’ system which powers trains.
Since Sunday 11 October, more than 50 workers have:
Removed 92m² of old concrete ahead of new concrete being applied
Drilled 6,500 holes in the tunnel walls for waterproofing injections
Drilled 115 holes in the tunnel walls to direct water into drainage [weep holes]
Waterproofed 1,688m² of tunnel wall
Today (Saturday 7 November), Network Rail fully reopened the railway, with trains running between Hunts Cross and Liverpool city centre for the first time in 27 days.
Alongside the strengthening and waterproofing work, power control systems were modernised across the Northern and Wirral lines during four extended Sunday closures.
That is part of an ongoing investment to make it easier to isolate and switch off sections of electrified rail to allow engineers to quickly and safely maintain and fix unexpected faults in future.**
Paul Owen, Network Rail Liverpool area director, said:"I’d like to thank passengers for bearing with us while we completed this major multi-million-pound investment into the Merseyrail network."
"Waterproofing and strengthening the tunnels means we can keep passengers moving smoothly by protecting the third-rail system which powers Merseyrail’s electric trains. It’s all part of our ongoing investment plan and commitment to run a reliable railway for the future and keep the city region moving.”
Stephen Dodd, Merseyrail chief operating officer, said:“We’d like to thank our passengers for their patience while these essential improvements were completed.
“The upgrades will strengthen the long-term reliability of the Northern Line and help reduce the risk of future disruption.”
Cllr Steve Foulkes, chair of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Transport Committee, said:“A reliable rail network is vital to keeping our city region connected, getting people to work, education and leisure opportunities and supporting economic growth.
“This investment will help ensure the Northern Line continues to provide the dependable service that passengers expect, and I’d like to thank everyone who has been affected by the disruption while these important improvements were completed.”
The major investment means more reliable journeys for the millions of passengers who use the Merseyrail network each year.***
Meanwhile, passengers are reminded of separate work to upgrade track at Mossley Hill which will impact main line train journeys in and out of Liverpool Lime Street station tomorrow (Sunday 8 November).
To plan journeys in advance, please usenationalrail.co.uk for the latest travel information.
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 directing it down through weepholes and into the drainage on the track bed.
**This work is part of an ongoing project to upgrade ‘track feeder switches’ and their control rooms which provide power to the third rail. Further upgrades will continue throughout 2027 on parts of the Merseyrail network to modernise the systems. Most of this work will take place when trains aren’t running to minimise disruption to passengers. If disruptive closures are needed, rail passengers will be informed well in advance of the upgrades taking place.
***Liverpool Central is one of the busiest stations in the country, recording more than 14 million entries and exits during 2024/25.
