Thursday 15 Feb 2024
Network Rail investigating historic mine found beneath Walkden station during accessibility upgrade
- Region & Route:
- North West & Central: North West
Surveys are due to take place at Walkden station in Greater Manchester after the discovery of historic mine shafts delayed work to improve accessibility for passengers.
Engineers discovered the shafts when designing the multi-million-pound ‘Access for All' upgrade of the station.
Work on the new lift cannot start until the mining issues are fully understood.
When complete, the work will make 136-year-old station accessible for all passengers for the first time.
Passengers are advised to check before they travel on Sunday 3 and 10 March, where the station will be closed, and rail replacement buses will be in operation.
To carry out the surveys, engineers will drill beneath the surface of the station to understand the ground conditions.
Tommy Fleming, sponsor at Network Rail, said: “I’m sorry for the delay of these much-needed improvements at Walkden station. We are working hard to deliver this project, and these specialist surveys are the next step of that process.
“I advise passengers to check before they travel at nationalrail.co.uk or with their train operator on Sunday 3 and 10 March. Thank you for your patience.”
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