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Rail passengers across Merseyside are set to face disruption to their commutes, as Network Rail is set to carry out £3.5 million worth of upgrades on the underground tunnels and control systems. will face disruption to their journeys when Network Rail carries out a £3.5 million upgrade of underground tunnels and power control systems.
The improvement works will take place during a 26-day closure from October 11 to November 6, affecting the Wirral line service and other lines.
Network Rail will waterproof and strengthen four underground tunnels to improve reliability by stopping water from entering and damaging the third-rail electricity supply, according to the Wirral Globe.
Passengers across Wirral will face changes to train services on several Sundays, with some services unable to run through to Liverpool.
On Sunday, October 11 and October 18, trains from West Kirby, New Brighton, Chester and Ellesmere Port will run only as far as James Street. Wirral Line services will not stop at Moorfields, Lime Street or Liverpool Central, meaning passengers travelling into Liverpool will need to change their journey.
Further changes will be introduced on Sunday, October 25 and November 1. Services from New Brighton and West Kirby will run to Birkenhead North, while trains from Chester and Ellesmere Port will terminate at Rock Ferry.
Replacement buses will then operate from Birkenhead North and Rock Ferry to Moorfields, providing an alternative route for passengers continuing into Liverpool.
West Kirby passengers will be affected on specific Sundays during the closure period. On October 11 and October 18, amended train services will run from West Kirby to James Street, with Wirral line services not stopping at Moorfields, Lime Street or Liverpool Central.
On October 25 and November 1, amended services will run from West Kirby to Birkenhead North only. Replacement buses will then run from Birkenhead North to Moorfields.
The upgrade follows similar improvements made in 2022 to High Neck Tunnel on the Northern Line's southern approach to Liverpool Central, which is one of the busiest stations in the country with more than 14 million entries and exits during 2024/25.
Paul Owen, Network Rail Liverpool Area Director, said in a statement: "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.
He continued, "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."
Services are expected to go back to normal on November 7. For journey planning information, passengers should visit nationalrail.co.uk or merseyrail.org.
