 The southern entrance to Queensbury Tunnel during its construction in the 1870s. | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Line | Queensbury Lines |
| Location | West Yorkshire, England |
| Coordinates |
|
| Status | Disused |
| Operation | |
| Work begun | 21 May 1874 |
| Constructed | 1874–1878 |
| Opened | 14 October 1878 |
| Closed | 28 May 1956 |
| Owner | Department for Transport |
| Technical | |
| Design engineer | John Fraser |
| Length | 2,287 m (7,503 ft) |
| Tunnel clearance | 6.4 metres |
| Width | 7.9 metres |
| Grade | 1% (1:100) |
Queensbury Tunnel is a disused railway tunnel that connects Holmfield and Queensbury in West Yorkshire, England. It was built by the Great Northern Railway (GNR) and, at 2,287 m (7,503 ft) in length, was the longest on the company's network at the time of its opening in 1878.[1] The line through the tunnel closed in 1956.
The tunnel is owned by the Department for Transport and maintained on its behalf by National Highways's Historical Railways Estate (HRE) team.
Controversy has surrounded the future of the tunnel for several years. The Queensbury Tunnel Society (QTS), supported by cycling groups, environmental campaigners and two local councils, is seeking to reopen it as part of a greenway linking Bradford and Halifax. However Highways England is progressing plans to abandon the structure due to concerns over its condition; this would result in some sections being infilled.
In September 2019, Queensbury Tunnel was named on The Victorian Society's list of the Top 10 Most Endangered Buildings in England and Wales for 2019.[2]
- ^ Blower, Alan (1964). British Railway Tunnels. Shepperton: Ian Allan Publishing. p. 46. OCLC 930427607.
- ^ "Colliery and tunnel on Victorian Society 'at risk' list". BBC News. BBC. 13 September 2019. Retrieved 13 September 2019.