A STUNNING time-lapse video shows the dramatic transformation that has taken place at the Farnworth Tunnel.

The project to reconstruct the 270 metre tunnel — which was officially completed last month — has now been nominated for a prestigious industry award and the new film shows why.

It has been created by Network Rail and uploaded to YouTube to show the timeline of the major scheme which took place over eight months.

The £20.8 million project has involved one of the two tunnels at Farnworth being expanded to more than 50 per cent of its capacity so that it will be able to house overhead electric lines when the network is electrified at the end of this year.

This involved the tunnel being filled with material before it was bored out using the largest machine of its kind in the country.

The 293 tonne machine, which was renamed ‘Fillie’, simultaneously rebuilt the larger tunnel at the same time — putting two tonne blocks of concrete in place as it moved through.

The engineering work — which involved 580,000 man hours in total — also caused plenty of disruption for commuters in Bolton.

Services were vastly reduced and trains regularly delayed or redirected. In August, the team carrying out the work came across ‘large swathes of sand’ in the ground, which were difficult to bore through — a setback which pushed the completion date back from October to December.

Despite the difficulties and disruption, the Farnworth Tunnels job has now been completed and a full timetable of trains is now running through the site.

Network Rail will now be able to erect the new overhead lines ahead of the planned switch-on of the lines in December.

Assessing the complexity of the task that has taken place, Nick Spall, Network Rail’s route-delivery director said: “It is just massive — in terms of railway civil engineering jobs it is certainly the most impressive and challenging to have taken place in the North West in decades — for some people this really is a once in a lifetime job.

“For many engineers this job could represent the pinnacle of a career — it just so happens that we are in an unprecedented time for rail investment in this part of the country and this is just one piece of the jigsaw.”

Bolton Council’s lead member for transport, Cllr David Chadwick has been involved with the project from the start and said he continues to be ‘gobsmacked’ by what has been achieved.

He said: “Everyone involved, Network Rail, Murphy the contractor and local firm Armstrongs who shifted all the spoil from the site, have done a remarkable job.

“The sequence of events was difficult and when they hit the setback in August I know everyone involved was gutted that it wouldn’t be finished on time, but with huge engineering jobs like this there are bound to be things that go wrong.

“But people have worked so hard to get it done as soon as was physically possible and, while I know people have been inconvenienced, I am just so pleased that it has now been completed.”

He added: “I do get frustrated sometimes with the level of criticism that gets aimed at Network Rail, I don’t think they get the recognition they deserve for carrying out remarkable projects like this.”

That recognition may well now arrive in the shape of an industry award, with news that the Farnworth Tunnel has been shortlisted for the Project of the Year award at the 2016 Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors North West Awards.

The annual awards are referred to as the region’s property ‘Oscars’ and celebrate the most innovative, inspiring and community beneficial projects that have taken place.

The winners will be announced on April 22 at The Titanic in Liverpool.