Network Rail has advised Merseyrail passengers to check their journeys on both the Northern and Wirral lines as work to implement 3.5 million GBP worth of investments is set to begin this autumn.
Works will involve the waterproofing and strengthening of four underground tunnels during a 26-day railway closure, which will begin on Sunday 11 October and end on Friday 6 November.
These upgrades are expected to improve general journey reliability by preventing water from entering the tunnels, which can cause issues with the third-rail electricity supply.
In order to accommodate the works, the Northern line between Hunts Cross and Liverpool Central will be closed for just under four weeks, with passengers advised to plan ahead by visiting National Rail Enquiries or the Merseyrail websites.
Rail replacement buses will be used to keep people on the moving during the upgrades, with Sundays also set to see the closure extend to Sandhills station on the Northern line and parts of the Wirral line.
Paul Owen, Network Rail Liverpool Area Director, said:This is a significant 3.5 million GBP investment into the underground section of the Merseyrail network to maintain four Victorian-built tunnels for 21st century passengers.
We understand that this work will be disruptive, so we’re working with Merseyrail to minimise the impact of the upgrades as much as possible. We’re also giving people advance notice so they can forward plan their journeys by visiting National Rail Enquiries or Merseyrail’s websites during our work.
In order to make the most of the closure, power control systems will also be modernised across both the Northern and Wirral lines, allowing quicker transitions when switching the electrified rail on and off in the event of necessary engineer intervention.
Once work is complete, trains will start running on the morning of Saturday 7 November.
