Merseyrail Northern line closed for 26 days
Four tunnels will be waterproofed and strengthened in a £3.5m upgrade
Merseyrail's Northern line will close between Hunts Cross and Liverpool Central for 26 days from Sunday 11th October 2026 while £3.5m of tunnel upgrades take place.
Network Rail will waterproof and strengthen four underground tunnels that bring Northern line services into Liverpool from the south.
The work is designed to prevent water entering the tunnels and affecting the 750V electrified third rail.
It is intended to reduce the risk of power failures, emergency speed restrictions and unplanned closures across the network.
Power control systems on the Northern and Wirral lines will also be modernised.
The new systems will make it easier to turn off the electrified rail for scheduled maintenance and emergency repairs.
New track feeder switches will also be installed.
These will allow engineers to remotely isolate smaller sections of the railway, enabling faster repairs and reducing disruption for passengers.
When is the closure?
The Northern line will be closed between Hunts Cross and Liverpool Central from Sunday 11th October to Friday 6th November.
On Sundays during this time, the closure will extend to Sandhills station on the Northern line and to parts of the Wirral line.
Trains will run again from the morning of Saturday 7th November.
What the bosses have said
Paul Owen, Network Rail Liverpool area director, said: "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.
"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 and are asking passengers to plan their journeys using the National Rail or Merseyrail websites."
Stephen Dodd, Merseyrail chief operating officer, said: "We'd like to thank our passengers for their patience while this important work is carried out. These upgrades will help improve the long-term reliability of the Northern Line and reduce the risk of future disruption. We encourage customers to plan ahead and check before they travel during the closure."
How services will be affected
Network Rail and Merseyrail have worked together to keep passengers moving during the upgrades.
From Monday to Saturday, replacement buses will run from Hunts Cross to Moorfields.
Amended train services will run from Southport, Ormskirk and Headbolt Lane to Liverpool Central.
On Sundays, replacement buses will run from Hunts Cross to Sandhills.
Amended train services will run from Southport, Ormskirk and Headbolt Lane to Sandhills.
On Sunday 11th October and Sunday 18th October, amended train services will run from West Kirby, New Brighton, Chester and Ellesmere Port to James Street.
Wirral line services will not stop at Moorfields, Lime Street and Liverpool Central on those days.
On Sunday 25th October and Sunday 1st November, amended train services will run from New Brighton and West Kirby to Birkenhead North.
Amended services will also run from Chester and Ellesmere Port to Rock Ferry.
Replacement buses will run from Birkenhead North and Rock Ferry to Moorfields on those days.
Liverpool Central recorded more than 14 million entries and exits during 2024/25.
Using Tap & Go on rail replacement buses
Valid Merseyrail tickets will be accepted on all rail replacement bus services.
Customers using Tap & Go should tap in and tap out at a station validator.
Anyone who forgets to tap out can register on the MetroSmart website to add their missing tap and avoid an incomplete journey charge.
Rail replacement bus drivers have been advised that customers may be travelling using Tap & Go.
Additional staff will be available across the network to help customers during the work.
Merseyrail staff carrying out ticket inspections will undertake regular checks of tickets, passes and Tap & Go journeys.
Plan ahead
Passengers are encouraged to plan their journeys in advance using the National Rail website at nationalrail.co.uk, or the Merseyrail website and Journey Planner.