Editing Wapping Tunnel (section)

== Plans for partial reinstatement of tunnel ==

In the 1970s, during planning work for the [[Merseyrail]] underground in Liverpool city centre, there were two proposals to use parts of the Wapping Tunnel or [[Waterloo Tunnel]] (Victoria Tunnel) to connect [[Liverpool Central railway station|Liverpool Central underground station]] and Edge Hill junction. During the construction of the Merseyrail network in the 1970s a part of the new tunnel south out of Central Station passed over the Wapping Tunnel at right angles. The new tunnel dropped into the upper part of the Wapping tunnel reducing its height.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/sites/w/wapping_tunnel/index5.shtml |title=Subterranea Britannica: Sites: Wapping Tunnel |publisher=Subbrit.org.uk |date= |accessdate=2015-09-03}}</ref> This would require lowering the floor of the tunnel at this point to allow trains to pass. When the junction on the Northern Line tunnel south of Central station was built in the late 1970s, two header tunnels were constructed to cater for branching into the Wapping Tunnel.<ref>Maund, T.B. (2001). Merseyrail electrics: the inside story. Sheffield: NBC Books.</ref>  

In May 2007 it was reported that [[chief executive]] of [[Merseytravel]], Neil Scales, had prepared a report outlining the possibilities for reuse of the tunnel.<ref name=ic1>{{cite web | title = The trams are dead, long live the train | url = http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/tm_objectid=17397925%26method=full%26siteid=50061%26page=1%26headline=the%2dtrams%2dare%2ddead%2d%2dlong%2dlive%2dthe%2dtrain-name_page.html| publisher = icLiverpool | first = Nick | last = Coligan | date = 2006-07-17 | accessdate = 2008-09-10 }}</ref><ref name=ic2>{{cite web | url = http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/tm_method=full%26objectid=19218055%26siteid=50061-name_page.html | title = Plan to reopen railway tunnels | publisher = icLiverpool | first =  Larry | last = Nield | date = 2007-05-30 | accessdate = 2008-09-10 }}</ref> The November 2016 refresh of Mersytravel's Long Term Strategy references a "Wapping Tunnel Scheme" in Network Rail's [[Network Rail Control Periods#Control_Period_7_.28CP7.29:_2024-2029|CP7]] period.<ref>{{cite web|title=Merseytravel Committee Rail Development and Delivery|url=http://moderngov.merseytravel.uk.net/documents/s18865/Presentation.pdf|website=Merseytravel|publisher=Merseytravel|accessdate=7 December 2016}}</ref> Merseytravel hope to re-use the tunnel to create new underground connections into burrowing junctions south of Liverpool Central station on the Northern Line to allow trains to run between Central station and Edge Hill station and beyond.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Liverpool City Region Combined Authority|title=Long Term Rail Strategy|url=http://moderngov.merseytravel.uk.net/documents/s21686/Enc.%201%20for%20Updated%20Long%20term%20Rail%20Strategy.pdf|accessdate=4 November 2017}}</ref>

Merseytravel commissioned a feasibility study into the re-opening of the tunnel which was completed in May 2016. The study was focused on using the Wapping Tunnel to connect the Northern and City Lines together and the possible creation of a new station along the route to serve the city's [[Knowledge Quarter, Liverpool|Knowledge Quarter]]. The report found that the Wapping Tunnel was in good condition though suffered from flooding in places and would require some remedial work, however the concept of re-opening the tunnel was viable.<ref name="Wapping Tunnel Feasibility Study" />