£60 Million Investment To Tackle Whitehaven Harbour Water And Reopen Rail Tunnel
A £60 million engineering project has been secured to address discoloured mine water at Whitehaven Harbour and restore the Bransty railway tunnel.
Network Rail is preparing a major programme of work designed to tackle the long running problems affecting the tunnel and surrounding harbour. The project will include a permanent water treatment system capable of filtering the discoloured mine water before it reaches the harbour. Engineers will also work to stabilise old mine workings beneath the railway.
The investment is intended to provide a long term solution to problems that have affected the railway in recent years. Around one kilometre of railway track and ballast will be replaced as part of the project. The work is expected to address repeated flooding issues that have contributed to closures and restrictions along the route.
The Bransty tunnel has also been operating under a severe 5mph speed restriction because of the condition of the infrastructure. The planned engineering works are intended to remove that restriction and allow trains to travel through the tunnel properly once the repairs have been completed. Network Rail expects the improvements to provide a reliable railway route for decades.
Mine water has been entering Whitehaven Harbour through the tunnel for approximately four years. The discoloured water has become a visible issue around the harbour and has been linked to historic mining activity beneath the area. Finding a way to manage the water while also securing the railway infrastructure has therefore been a central part of the proposed solution.
The engineering programme will involve treating the water rather than allowing it to continue entering the harbour untreated. A permanent treatment system will be installed as part of the project, while old workings underneath the railway will be filled to improve the stability of the tunnel environment.
Alternative approaches have also been considered during the process of developing a solution. One proposal involved constructing a new outfall to divert the mine water directly out to sea. That option was examined but was ultimately rejected, with the current plan instead focusing on treatment and engineering works around the existing railway infrastructure.
Network Rail is now working with the Environment Agency as it seeks the necessary permission for the project. Subject to the required approvals and preparations, work is targeted to begin before the end of the year. The programme will require detailed planning because of the complex conditions surrounding the tunnel, railway and historic mine workings.
Once contractors begin work on site, the main repairs are expected to take between nine and 15 months. The length of the programme reflects the scale and complexity of the engineering required. During that period, work will involve both railway infrastructure and measures designed to address the water entering the harbour.
The completed scheme is expected to provide a much longer term solution for the railway. Network Rail estimates that the tunnel could remain operational for around 60 years following the work. This would provide greater certainty for the railway infrastructure and reduce the need for repeated interventions linked to flooding and water problems.
The funding follows two years of work by the Whitehaven Harbour Task Force, which brought together organisations and government representatives to identify a practical solution. Whitehaven and Workington MP Josh MacAlister led the task force and worked with local partners and ministers to secure the funding package.
Mr MacAlister said the funding represented a significant development for Whitehaven and the wider Cumbrian coast. He highlighted the combined benefits of dealing with the harbour's water problem and restoring the railway tunnel so that trains can operate normally along the coastal route.
The Minister of State for Rail, Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill, also welcomed the investment. He said the programme would allow Network Rail to reopen Bransty Tunnel while addressing the water entering Whitehaven Harbour. The project therefore brings together railway infrastructure improvements and an environmental response within one major engineering programme.
The planned works represent a substantial investment in Whitehaven's infrastructure and are intended to resolve problems that have persisted for several years. With regulatory discussions continuing and construction targeted for later this year, the next stage will focus on securing the necessary permissions and preparing for contractors to begin the complex repairs.
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