 A diesel unit heads towards Stoke-on-Trent through the new tunnel on the diversionary route c1965. The old line from the 3 original tunnels can be clearly seen on the right | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Location | Kidsgrove, Staffordshire, England |
| Operation | |
| Constructed | 1848 |
| Rebuilt | 1965 |
| Technical | |
| Length | Three old tunnels totalled over 1+1⁄4 mi (2.0 km) 1965 tunnel 220 yd (200 m)[1] |
The Harecastle railway tunnels are three consecutive tunnels on the North Staffordshire Railway at Kidsgrove, Staffordshire, England.
Opened to traffic in 1848, two years after being authorised, the tunnels carried the North Staffordshire Railway line between Kidsgrove and Tunstall. The older Harecastle Canal Tunnels ran so close that vibrations from the trains allegedly affected their integrity. The Middle and South tunnels have been disused since the realignment of the railway in 1965 as their limited size made them unsuitable to install overhead electrification apparatus. In 2013 it was announced that the disused tunnels, which have continued to be maintained, would be sold to a public body.
- ^ Railway Magazine, July 1964. p. 602.