 A winter view of the western portal | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Line | Great Western Main Line |
| Location | Box Hill, Wiltshire, England |
| Coordinates | 51°25′17″N 2°13′34″W / 51.42128°N 2.22617°W |
| Status | Open, operational |
| Operation | |
| Work begun | December 1838 |
| Opened | 30 June 1841 |
| Owner | Network Rail |
| Operator | Network Rail |
| Technical | |
| Length | 1.83 miles (2.95 km) |
| Operating speed | 125 miles per hour (201 km/h) |
| Grade | 1:100 |
Box Tunnel passes through Box Hill on the Great Western Main Line (GWML) between Bath and Chippenham. The 1.83-mile (2.95 km) tunnel was the world's longest railway tunnel when it was completed in 1841.
Built between December 1838 and June 1841 for the Great Western Railway (GWR) under the direction of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the straight tunnel descends on a 1 in 100 gradient from its eastern end. At the time the tunnel's construction was considered dangerous due to its length and the composition of the underlying strata. The west portal is Grade II* listed[1] and the east portal is Grade II listed.[2]
Ammunition was stored near the tunnel during World War II, reusing mine workings. During the 2010s, the tunnel was modified and the track lowered to prepare it for electrification, although in 2016, this plan has been suspended for the time being.[3][4]
- ^ Historic England, "West Portal of Box Tunnel (1271441)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 11 April 2017
- ^ Historic England, "Box Tunnel East Portal (MLN19912) (1271441)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 11 April 2017
- ^ Department for Transport (2009). Britain's transport infrastructure: Rail electrification (PDF). London: DfT Publications. p. 30. ISBN 978-1-84864-018-4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 January 2017.
- ^ "Box tunnel reopens after Network Rail electrification work". BBC News. Retrieved 1 September 2015.