Standedge Tunnel Rail Route Set to Reopen After Fire-Damaged Brickwork Repaired

A key rail route through the Pennines is expected to reopen on Thursday morning following a fire involving maintenance equipment inside one of the country’s longest tunnels.

The incident happened in the early hours of Sunday inside the three-and-a-half-mile Standedge Tunnel, which runs between Marsden in West Yorkshire and Diggle in Saddleworth. A road to rail vehicle being used for routine engineering work caught fire in the centre of the tunnel after what is believed to have been a mechanical fault.

Although no one was injured, the intense heat from the blaze caused damage to sections of the tunnel’s brick lining. Given the tunnel’s age and historic construction, Network Rail said detailed inspections were required before repair work could begin to ensure the structure could be made safe.

Engineers initially warned that repairs could take up to three days, meaning rail services across the route were likely to remain disrupted until Thursday. However, Network Rail confirmed this afternoon that work remains on track and the line is still expected to reopen tomorrow morning.

Recent images from inside the tunnel show that a protective steel mesh has been installed over the affected area of the tunnel arch as part of the repair process, helping to secure the damaged brickwork.

In its latest update, Network Rail set out the circumstances surrounding the fire and the challenges faced by engineers working underground.

In its most recent statement issued about the fire, Jason Hamilton, Network Rail route director, North & East, explained what happened. He said:

“In the early hours of Sunday morning, a road to rail vehicle (RRV) was involved in routine maintenance work in the Standedge tunnel between Marsden and Stalybridge when it caught fire. The tunnel is a three-and-a-half-mile long structure built in the 1800s, and the RRV was in the middle, making removing the vehicle extremely challenging. We are in the process of carrying out some repairs to the brickwork within the structure and making this safe to re-open, addressing damage caused by the heat. We’ve got teams on site working round the clock to make these repairs and re-open the tunnel but anticipate it could take up to three days to repair. We appreciate this is an inconvenience to passengers, but safety has to be our priority. Diversionary routes are in place through the Calder Valley so you can still make your journey, with three trains per hour in each direction between Leeds and Manchester. There will also be some alterations as well as rail replacement services between Marsden and Stalybridge. There may be some impact on other local services as we manage services over the Pennines, so please check before you travel. We’re working closely with our colleagues at TransPennine Express and Northern to ensure passengers can get to where they need to be and will keep passengers updated as work progresses.”

Passengers have been advised to continue checking before travelling, with diversionary routes and replacement buses remaining in place until services fully resume.

Image: West Yorkshire Fire Rescue Service