Echonomia Post
Inside the Victorian tunnels behind Merseyrail closures 17 minutes ago Andy Gill, Merseyside and Haider Saleem, North West 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. 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.
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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Source: BBC
