NETWORK Rail is set to undertake two weekends of ‘around-the-clock’ work as part of a £2.5 million project to renew elements of the Finnieston tunnel in Glasgow.
Over the two weekends in October, engineers will carry out masonry and steelwork repairs to the 137-year-old structure, as well as waterproofing the tunnel and clearing the existing drainage channels.
The work will mean that the rail line between Partick station and Springburn/Garrowhill stations will be closed over both weekends from the end of service on October 7 and then again on October 14.
Improvements to the tunnel, which is over 620 metres in length, are being carried out on Saturday nights between October and January 2024. Network Rail said that, after completion, masonry and steel repairs will not be required on this scale for another 30-years, with the waterproofing having a lifespan of at least 60-years.
Allison Flannigan, project manager at Network Rail, said, “The Finnieston tunnel opened in 1886 and continues to play an important role on the North Clyde Line, as over 133 trains pass through it each day. We have a responsibility to maintain our assets to make sure they are fit for purpose and continue to deliver operational reliability for our customers.
“We appreciate the inconvenience our activity will cause passengers on both weekends and the community living nearby, with the remainder of the work is being done overnight on Saturdays. However, by delivering part of this critical engineering over short but sustained periods of time, it allows us to complete the project overall much more quickly.”
