Huge boring machine set to arrive at Farnworth tunnels site as work gathers pace

The major engineering project is progressing well and an access road linking the site to the A666 has been completed.

This means that motorists will start to see large trucks carrying tonnes of rubble from the site on the key A666 route — with a large section of the road leading out of Bolton towards the M61 now an official 40 mile per hour zone.

The project, which started in May and has led to a major reduction of train services between Bolton and Manchester, has so far been working to prepare the site for the arrival of the boring machine.

This has included the larger Farnworth tunnel being filled with concrete.

From next week, the machine will arrive from manufacturers in Oldham and will be put together on site before it begins work to bore out the 300 metre tunnel to make it big enough to house two tracks and the new overhead electrified cables.

The project has also seen Network Rail demolish the old platforms at Farnworth Train Station so that new platforms can be built to fit the new alignment of the tracks.

The northbound tunnel, which will no longer be in use, has had to be reinforced so it does not collapse when the boring work begins.

The Farnworth tunnels forms a major part of Network Rail’s £1 billion electrification plan for the rail network in the north of England.

Network Rail said that work is on track and engineers are confident of completing the project by the original estimated date of October 4.

Bolton Council’s cabinet member for transport, Cllr David Chadwick said: “Having been down to the site you can see that the engineers have done a fantastic amount of work already.

“This is one of the biggest engineering projects I have seen during my time as member for transport and involves many different elements, such as rebuilding the platforms at Farnworth.”

A spokesman for Network Rail confirmed that the Farnworth tunnel is due to fully reopen on Monday October 5.