Deep in the bowels of Liverpool Central station is a mystery door thousands of people pass by every day.
It may look pretty unassuming; a narrow silver hatch sandwiched in the middle of a corrugated metal backdrop. But considering Central is the busiest underground station outside London, serving 40,000 people daily, it's safe to assume that plenty of people will have spotted the door, and likely questioned exactly why it's there.
It was a tweet that first sparked debate amongst ECHO journalists about all of the door's potential uses. One Twitter user shared a photo of the perplexing gateway, writing: "I'm still unsure of the point of this door in Liverpool Central station".
READ MORE: Tiny Liverpool pub Duck & Swagger you might not know exists
Many in the comments section were in agreement. "Always thought that", one replied while another suggested it "could be a door to Narnia....at least after 15 pints."
In our office too, it seemed, plenty of people had previously queried the purpose of the door. Could it be the key to an underground spy network perhaps?
Or maybe a resting place for Merseyrail trains once their services are no longer required? I was tasked with the gravely important investigative mission of finding out what exactly is behind it.
My first port of call was to head to the scene. First of all, I had to ascertain exactly which platform the offending entryway was on; that could provide a crucial clue.
It turned out it was on platform two - home of the Northern Line which services stations like Waterloo, Formby, and Southport. On closer inspection, the door is pretty odd.
It has the appearance of being strangely half-suspended in the air and is fitted with an actual handle, putting paid to my initial theory it was just a stray sheet of metal patching over a gap in the platform wall. I also noticed there was plenty of hollowed-out space behind the door, confirming that there had to be something behind it.
I did ask a few passers-by if they had any ideas. Unsurprisingly, that wasn't a fruitful tactic, many of them far too busy to give thought to a seemingly mundane hatch in the wall.
Dejected, I tried my luck with Merseyrail, and I'm pretty sure it was likely one of the strangest media requests they had received. I attached a photo and told them about my mission, and then the anxious wait began.
It turns out I didn't have to wait that long before a very kind communications manager put me out of my misery. "Nothing exciting, I’m afraid!", he told me in response to my query.
He then went on to explain the door allows access to cabling equipment required to service the network. I'm not going to lie, it was a bit of an anti-climax.
But after the initial disappointment wore off, I realised that this little door is actually pretty important. While it may look unassuming, it holds the key to ensuring the smooth running of Merseyrail services, allowing more than 5m passengers to pass through Liverpool Central every year.
Maybe its not so mundane after all.
READ NEXT:
Asda staff step in after boy, 9, makes unique birthday request
First picture of dog that viciously attacked boy, 4, at friend's house
Pregnant mum left 'fighting for life' after 'horrendous' pain in groin
DVLA warns drivers could face £1,000 fine for not declaring common medical conditions
Gang swipe 9,000 litres of petrol after cleaner stole fuel car
