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Written question asked by Richard Holden (Conservative) on Tuesday, 14 April 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 16 April 2026. It was answered by Simon Lightwood (Labour) on Friday, 24 April 2026 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Cumbrian Coast Line: Tunnels

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the delay to repairs at Bransty Tunnel on the Cumbrian Coast Line, including (a) the reasons why no works have commenced eight months after closure, (b) the status of environmental permitting with the Environment Agency, and (c) the expected timetable for the start of works and full reopening of the line.

Answer

Network Rail is responsible for the delivery of works at Bransty Tunnel, and my officials are supporting Network Rail on this matter.

The issue at Bransty Tunnel was identified when Network Rail, as part of routine planned maintenance and renewals, undertook ground investigations that revealed unstable conditions within the tunnel resulting from historic mining activity in the area. This is linked to the ochreous water discharge at Whitehaven harbour.

Given the remnants of the mining activity, and large amounts of flowing water, a much larger, more complex package of work than was originally anticipated is needed to rectify these poor conditions, leading to the extended closure of the tunnel.

A dedicated Network Rail Whitehaven Recovery Taskforce is now in place to address the flooding and structural issues at Bransty Tunnel linked to the historic mining activity. Detailed inspections are complete, and a permanent £49 million repair solution has been independently verified and is ready to be delivered. This includes water management, tunnel stabilisation, and subsequent track and drainage renewal.

Although Network Rail has agreed to progress, agreement is needed with the Environment Agency and the Mining Remediation Authority before on-site work can commence due to environmental and regulatory requirements. DfT Operator’s rail environment team is supporting this.

Network Rail is working closely with the Mining Remediation Authority and the Environment Agency to align the necessary environmental consents so that water contamination issues can be addressed alongside the repairs.

Network Rail will provide a further public update once work can begin. Delivery is expected to take six to nine months.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
127250
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Environment Agency Repairs and maintenance Tunnels Cumbrian Coast line
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk