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Wednesday 23 May 2018

Network Rail reveals a tiny piece of track history

Region & Route:

| North West & Central

Network Rail lifted the lid on a secret piece of railway history last weekend.

Engineers gave exclusive access to visit a miniature house, located deep in the tunnels of Liverpool Lime Street station, which can only be accessed when trains aren’t running.

The historic hut was built more than 100 years ago by track workers to take their tea breaks. There’s a fireplace and an old kettle, cup and tongs are still in place, preserved in time.

Graeme Whitehead, Network Rail project manager, said: “In years gone by track maintenance gangs would have come here, they’d have had their lunch, a cup of coffee, lit the fire, and waited in between trains.

“We have no plans to do anything with it, it will stay here, it’s protected beneath the tunnels and will remain locked in history forever more.”

The track trip came ahead of the final major phase of the grade II listed station’s transformation this summer.

Between 2 June and 29 July, vital upgrades to platforms and signalling will enable an extra three services per hour in and out of Liverpool Lime Street, including new direct services to Scotland.

Longer platforms will allow longer trains, helping to provide more space and seats for passengers.

Lime Street’s transformation is part of the £340m railway investment in the Liverpool City Region, which sits within the Great North Rail Project.

Find out more about the upgrade and plan journeys at www.networkrail.co.uk/lcr