Victoria Tunnel (Liverpool)

Victoria Tunnel Entrance at Edge Hill Station

History

The Victoria Tunnel in Liverpool, England is a 2,475 metre long rail tunnel. Opened in 1849, its eastern portal is adjacent to Edge Hill station. The western end opens into a short cutting, between Byrom Street and Fontenoy Street, the short Waterloo Tunnel exits the cutting terminating at Waterloo Dock. The Victoria and Waterloo tunnel are effectively one long tunnel with a ventilation cutting.The whole length is generally known as the Waterloo Tunnel.

The tunnel closed on 19 November 1972. A single set of rails still enters the tunnel for a short distance at Edge Hill, used by freight locomotives during shunting manoeuvres.^{[citation needed]}

Reuse for Merseyrail

The Victoria Tunnel was considered as an addition to Merseyrail in 1975, to link the city centre to the east of Liverpool. However, the tunnel was rejected in favour of the Wapping Tunnel. At Liverpool Central station, spur works were built to enable a tunnelled connection to the Wapping Tunnel creating a route to Edge Hill railway station and the Canada Dock Branch. This plan would have included the reopening of stations such as Breck Road railway station as part of the Merseyrail system. Budget cuts prevented further work.

In May 2007 it was reported that Merseytravel Chief Executive Neil Scales had prepared a report outlining the possibilities for reuse of the Victoria and Wapping tunnels. Merseytravel safeguard the tunnel for future use..

Further reading

• Moore, Jim (1998) Underground Liverpool, Liverpool : Bluecoat Press, ISBN 1-872568-43-2

External links

• London and North Western Railway Society website
• Subterranea Britannica