The Mersey Tunnels comprise three tunnels: the Mersey Railway Tunnel and two road tunnels, the Queensway Tunnel and the Kingsway Tunnel. All three tunnels are managed by Merseytravel and connect Liverpool with suburbs on the Wirral peninsula.
The two road tunnels have their own police force, which is one of England’s smallest (although not as small as the Kew Constabulary, which polices Kew Gardens in London or the Liverpool Cathedral Constables, who are responsible for the security of Liverpool Cathedral).
The Queensway Tunnel has been used as a set for several films including Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010) and the Fast & Furious 6 (2013).
What to see on the Mersey Tunnel tour
The Mersey Tunnel tour takes you behind the scenes of the Queensway Tunnel, which first opened in 1934. The tour provides a fascinating insight into how tunnels are constructed and maintained and it takes you to areas that are normally off-limits to the public.
During the tour, you are able to see inside the Grade II-listed George Dock Building including the original tunnel control room. The tour also takes you inside the ventilation chambers where you can see the massive ventilation fans in action and into the access tunnels that take you down to the roadway beneath the Mersey.
Visiting the Mersey Tunnel
The tour departs from the George Dock Building, which is just behind the Port of Liverpool Building on the Pier Head.
The closest station is James Street, which is only a three-minute walk away. The central location means that there are plenty of other things to see and do nearby, including the Cavern Club, the Royal Liver Building, the British Music Experience, the Museum of Liverpool, Tate Liverpool and the Merseyside Maritime Museum, which are all less than a 10-minute walk from here.
Tours run at 5pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and at 10am on Saturday. Tours run for two hours, but allow a little extra time as you’ll need to kit yourself out with a hard hat and high-vis vest.
Because space on these tours is limited, it is best to book your tickets in advance.
Children aged under 10 years old are not able to take the tour and the tour is not suitable for people who have trouble climbing stairs and people with vision impairment or breathing difficulties.
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