Passengers on one of the busiest rail routes in the north west of England are a step closer to a faster, more reliable electrified railway after the new tunnel at Farnworth opened to passenger train services this morning
As part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan, Farnworth Tunnel, near Bolton, has been enlarged to accommodate two electrified lines which will mean greener, faster and more reliable services for passengers when electrification of the line from Manchester to Preston is complete.
Over the weekend engineers worked to connect the new tracks through the tunnel to restore a full timetable for passengers traveling on one of the busiest routes in the north west.
Upgrading the railway through Farnworth posed a particular engineering challenge, as the twin tunnels which carry the railway under the main A666 Manchester to Bolton road weren’t big enough to accommodate the overhead lines which will power electric trains.
The solution was to keep one of the 270m-long tunnels open to trains, while the other – just 1.5m away – was completely rebuilt using the UKs biggest tunnel boring machine , making it big enough for two tracks and their overhead power lines.
Nick Spall, route delivery director at Network Rail, said: “The work we have done at Farnworth is part of a major upgrade to electrify one of the region’s busiest commuter routes. It will mean faster trains with more seats, giving passengers better journeys and boosting the economy.
“Over the weekend our engineers worked round the clock to connect the new tracks through the tunnel, and I’m delighted that we have been able to restore the full timetable for passengers on this key route.
“I would like to thank passengers and the local community for their patience whilst we have carried out this work, which will bring real benefits in the future.”
A spokesperson for First TransPennine Express said: “The opening of the new Farnworth Tunnel is fantastic news for our customers and staff. We understand how difficult it has been for everyone involved during these works and we’re very grateful for our customers’ patience during service alterations. These works have been essential and it’s great to see the tunnel open once again.
Alex Hynes, Managing Director for Northern Rail, said: ”With services now returning through the newly developed Farnworth Tunnel, we have the opportunity to not only provide extra seats to our customers travelling through Bolton but to also start planning for an exciting new phase of electrification in the North West. Our customers have been amazingly patient throughout this complex and challenging project. What better way to reward them than with bigger and better electric trains. We’re really looking forward to being able to share the benefits of electrification in the North West with our customers.”
