Lime Street Tunnel & Two Carriage Ramps
Lime Street Tunnel was replaced by a four-track cutting and all that survives of the original twin-track tunnel of 1836 is the portal and a 58-yard long section of the tunnel adjoining Edge Hill Station.
Flanking the portal are two setted carriage ramps each extending for 116 yards from Tunnel Rd to the station buildings.
The northern ramp leads to the station entrance and all platforms from Tunnel Rd while the southern ramp is behind gates.
The portal of the original Lime Street Tunnel and two setted carriage ramps are listed Grade II, List Entry No. 1063310.
The portal of the surviving section of Lime Street Tunnel viewed from Platform 4 of Edge Hill Station. | The northern carriage ramp which provides access to Edge Hill Station. |
Waterloo Tunnel & Byrom Street Cutting
This was constructed for the Liverpool and Manchester Railway and it opened in 1849.
It had an overall length of 2 miles 106 yards and it connected the railway adjacent to Edge Hill Station to Waterloo Goods Station/Waterloo Dock (Trafalgar and Victoria Docks).
It was built in three sections, each with its own name. At the Edge Hill Station end it was called Victoria Tunnel which is 1 mile 945 yards long and this opened into Byrom Street Cutting which was originally 69 yards long.
At the far end of this cutting is Waterloo Tunnel which is 852 yards long.
Initially, trains were locomotive hauled down the gradient from Waterloo Goods Station to the Byrom Street Cutting and from there they were cable hauled up the steeper gradient to Edge Hill.
In 1895 the cable broke and it was decided to abandon the cable hauling system as locomotives were by then powerful enough to be able to traverse the whole tunnel without assistance.
In the same year passenger trains began using the tunnel. Waterloo Tunnel remained open until 1972.
The portal of Waterloo Tunnel at Tunnel Rd, Edge Hill, is listed Grade II, List Entry No. 1292084.
The eastern portal of Waterloo Tunnel (originally Victoria Tunnel) at Edge Hill Station. As viewed, the surviving section of Lime Street Tunnel is off the picture 39 yards to the left. | Byrom Street Cutting viewed looking south east from Fontenoy Street towards Waterloo Goods Station. This cutting is located between Fontenoy Street and Byrom Street but the bridge shown here is the disused Hodson Street Bridge spanning the centre of the cutting. |