COMMUTERS could face years of disruption on Glasgow's Subway network as major repairs to the 118-year-old underground's tunnel system get underway in the new year.

 

Members of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) will tomorrow (fri) be asked to award a £17 million contract to upgrade the network's tunnel lining to a Shropshire firm.

The contract is the largest single award to date as part of the £300 million Subway modernisation project.

SPT's Operations Committee will be advised to grant the contract to Telford-based engineering firm, Freyssinet Ltd, to carry out "a programme of targeted and prioritised tunnel lining works including water sealing, void filling, lining repairs and track bed repair".

The work will commence in the new year, pending contractual approval, and is expected to last two to three years.

The bulk of repairs will be undertaken in tunnels running from Hillhead station in the west end to Buchanan Street station in the city centre, a stretch which also incorporates Kelvinbridge, St George's Cross and Cowcaddens stations.

The section of tunnels between Shields Road and Kinning Park in the southside of Glasgow have also been earmarked as high priority.

A spokeswoman for SPT, who own and manage the Subway, said they would "aim to keep disruption to a minimum" as with other stages of the modernisation programme, but could not rule some impact on passenger services. The majority of repairs are expected to be carried out during hours when the Subway is not running.

It comes months after commuters faced major disruption in June when engineers detected a fault in the tunnel lining between Cowcaddens and Buchanan Street stations which resulted in days of unscheduled repairs and misery for rush-hour travellers.

The inner circle was shut down for three days and Cowcaddens station closed for almost a full week, with replacement bus services laid on for some routes.

The tunnel lining improvements are being undertaken to ensure that the Subway, one of the oldest in the world, remains fit for purpose.

However, the tendering report stresses that the operator had chosen to avoid a full-scale shutdown.

It stated: "Whilst it is expected that the remedial works will provide improved integrity and risk reduction, the works do not represent a full watersealing and re-lining of the entire tunnel. Such works would require significant reconstruction of the entire lining with major closures of the system and was not considered a viable option."

The report goes on to state that the preferred contractor, Freyssinet Ltd, "was able to demonstrate that they have considerable experience of undertaking works of this nature" and that their £16.8m bid was the "most economically advantageous" ahead of costlier submissions by Balfour Beatty and BAM Ritchies.

SPT members will also be advised to award a £1.1m contract for the manufacture and supply of rail to Austrian-based Voestalpine Schienen GmBH, and a £458,000 to replace track chainage to Malcolm Hughes Land Surveyors Ltd.

The Subway modernisation programme began in July 2011 with a complete overhaul of Hillhead station. To date refurbishments have been completed at Partick, Kelvinhall, and Ibrox, with work underway at St Enoch station.

Work will begin to modernise Govan and Buchanan Street stations in the first half of 2015.

SPT Chief Executive Gordon Maclennan said: "This is a significant investment to ensure the Subway tunnels remain robust for the future. The spend reflects the huge logistics involved in this intricate work within the unique size, shape and composition of the Victorian tunnels themselves.

"There will be challenges for SPT delivering the work within the limited time available when trains are not running at night but the improvements are an essential part of our preparations for new modern trains and new signalling.

"The work will strengthen further the existing tunnel lining, reduce water ingress and importantly, cut down on long term maintenance costs."