SECTIONS of the controversial HS2 rail line near Warrington will be at “high risk” of collapse because of historic mining activities – including parts at Lymm.
This is claimed in a new report by HS2 Ltd, the company overseeing the project.
It identifies five former salt mining or brine extraction sites near Lymm which is classifies as “red” – the highest risk – and 14 others that are classified as “amber” – the next highest risk.
Lymm experienced a “salt rush” around 1900 after a large area of high quality brine was discovered at Heatley.
Eventually there were salt mines at Lymm, Heatley and Agden – with the last of them closing as recently as 1959.
The new report also reveals that the current suggested line for HS2 would cross Britain’s biggest active salt mine, at Winsford, where there are plans to extend its workings.
Salt mining has gone on in Cheshire for 400 years and the £56 million rail line would cross areas notorious for subsidence.
The report warns of “the potential for the rapid development of significant movement” due to the weight and vibration of trains, “with a consequent risk rating as high”.
Salt mining involves hollowing out vast caves, many not far below the surface.
Many buildings have suffered from subsidence and have had to be underpinned.
The route for the 225mph trains has been changed once to avoid running over underground caverns that could cause a “catastrophic ground loss”, the report says.
The new route will require the closure and rebuilding of the A556, one of Britain’s most congested roads, as well as miles of new embankments and viaducts, adding up to £750million to the cost.
But according to the consultancy TerraConsult, for the campaign group Mid Cheshire Against HS2, suggests the new route carries an increased risk of subsidence because the length of track on “higher risk” surfces has risen by more than 3,000 ft.
TerraConsult says the increased use of embankments is a “particular concern”, adding: “A higher embankment increases the applied loads … if the ground below is not strong enough, there will be a slope failure.”
HS2 Ltd said: “Development of HS2 is a detailed process … We are now consulting on the route through Cheshire.”
HS2 at “high risk” of collapse due to historic mining
77 Comments
7 Comments
You`d have thought that information such as this would have been assessed a lot earlier in the planning process.
When reading reports like this (not doubting the reporter or reported information) as you say Ian, you have to wonder what all the expensive public funded salaried staff have been doing since this vanity project began. The salt mines have been functioning for decades and well before HS2, like PCCs, was thrust upon us without so much as a open and transparent debate.
Gawd are these people stupid or do they just charge a hefty price for producing reports stating the blummin’ obvious? Even I knew there were old salt mines in the area and there has been for centuries. A lot of Chester Archives old material, and Warrington’s too as they hold it all no, for example has been stored deep in the old salt mines for years to protect and preserve it and has to be pre-ordered for viewing so they can get it out. It’s not like it’s secret that the whole area from Lymm and beyond has old salt mines so why only now is it suddenly showing as a possible issue re the building of HS2?
DIZZY asks “why only now is it suddenly showing as a possible issue re the building of HS2?”
Perhaps because the objectors to the HS2 have forced them to go public by revealing the evidence?
Perhaps because if the ‘real’ costs which will include an additional £750 million had been revealed at the outset there would have been even further objections re the viability of the project?
Would suspecting a ‘cover up’ be ‘stating the obvious’?
DIZZY says, “Even I knew there were old salt mines in the area and there has been for centuries”.
Yes, there has been salt mining in the area and for a lot longer than 400 years!
DIZZY, as there are people getting hefty salaries for producing these reports have you ever considered what you could be worth for ‘stating the obvious’? an eye watering figure salary & ‘lottery winner’ type pension package!
But then, it seems it’s who and not what you know that secures this type of dream employment opportunities!
“Who you know and what you know they want to hear”, not to put too fine a distinction on it SHA. There are internationally “reknowned” companies who produce reports advising the government one day on the alleged benefits of say PFI projects, years later the same companies are producing reports advising some NHS trusts how best to exit their PFI contracts arguing they were inappropriate and overly expensive.
Yes, POSITRON, and they’d be able to provide enough detail to ensure it was a seriously damning report! 🙂
Oddly enough some of these companies also audit the accounts of large companies and corporations and would appear to bring their sleight of hand practices into play in this area of “expertise” as well, without suffering for so doing.