The old railway tunnel in Redditch (access, inspections, and maintenance)

The request was successful.

Dear Sir,

[This is NOT about the ‘re-branding’ of Highway England to be now known as National Highways].

ATTENTION: Highways England HISTORICAL RAILWAYS ESTATE
The old railway tunnel in Redditch, Worcestershire.
QUESTIONS ABOUT ACCESS
(i) Is it correct there is an agreement between the land owner, Redditch Borough Council, (who owns the railway cutting at the northern end of the road known as Tunnel Drive), which permits engineers to go to the southern portal?

(ii) Is there an agreement with the bus company (Diamond) which would allow engineers access via their land to get to the tunnel’s northern portal?

(iii) Do engineers usually go via the southern portal?

QUESTIONS ABOUT INSPECTIONS AND MAINTENANCE
(iv) In each of the following years 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020, how many inspections have been carried out ?
(v) What are the dates of the inspection(s) done in 2021?

(vi) What maintenance has been done inside the tunnel since the last train went through it MANY years ago?
Kindly provide dates – if any work has been done since 2017.

THANK YOU

Yours faithfully,

P. Bladon
(plus colleagues, and some residents who live in this area of Redditch).

foi@highwaysengland.co.uk,

 

Dear P. Bladon

Thank you for your request relating to The old railway tunnel in Redditch
(access, inspections, and maintenance) dated 14/09/2021. 

The due date for issuing a response is 12/10/2021.

Please feel free to contact our team if you have any queries quoting
FOI/2425 in any future communications

Kind regards

 

FOI Advice

foi@highwaysengland.co.uk,

 

Dear P. Bladon

 

Freedom of Information Request – The old railway tunnel in Redditch
(access, inspections, and maintenance)

I am writing to confirm that we have now completed our search for the
information, which you requested on 14^th September 2021.

QUESTIONS ABOUT ACCESS

(i) Is it correct there is an agreement between the land owner, Redditch
Borough Council,  (who owns the railway cutting at the northern end of the
road known as Tunnel Drive),  which permits engineers to go to the
southern portal?

A right of access was reserved over former railway cutting in the sale of
the land. There is no separate agreement.

(ii) Is there an agreement with the bus company (Diamond) which would
allow engineers access via their land to get to the tunnel’s northern
portal?

A right of access was reserved over former railway cutting in the sale of
the land. There is no separate agreement.

(iii) Do engineers usually go via the southern portal?

Yes

QUESTIONS ABOUT INSPECTIONS AND MAINTENANCE

(iv) In each of the following years 2017,  2018, 2019, and 2020, how many
inspections have been carried out  ?

1 inspection was carried out in each of the years 2017, 2018, 2019 and
2020.

(v) What are the dates of the inspection(s) done in 2021?

There have been no inspections in 2021, the next inspection is due this
month

(vi) What maintenance has been done inside the tunnel since the last train
went through it MANY years ago?

Our maintenance records only go back as far as 1999, and the only
maintenance work since that date was the replacement of missing catch pit
covers.

 Kindly provide dates – if any work has been done since 2017.

No works have been undertaken in the tunnel since 2017.

If you are not satisfied with your response you may ask for an internal
review within 40 working days of receiving the response, by replying to
this email. Our internal review process is available at:

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If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
[2][email address]

            Information Commissioner’s Office

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            Cheshire

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Please remember to quote reference number FOI/2425 in any future
communications about this response.

Kind regards

 

Fiona Smith

 

References

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