 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Location | Ledbury, Herefordshire |
| Coordinates | 52°02′42″N 2°25′18″W / 52.044932°N 2.421541°W |
| Status | Operational |
| Start | Ledbury railway station |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1861 |
| Operator | Worcester and Hereford Railway |
| Technical | |
| Length | 1323 yds |
| No. of tracks | Single |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
Ledbury Tunnel is a single-track railway tunnel immediately to the east of Ledbury railway station on the Cotswold Line, in Herefordshire, England.
The original route planned for the Worcester and Hereford Railway did not include the tunnel, but its inclusion became necessary in response to pressure for the line to serve the towns of Malvern and Ledbury. Ledbury Tunnel was one of the railway's greatest engineering challenges, being bored through the limestone of Dog Hill; it was opened to traffic during 1861. Possessing a relatively narrow cross-section, the tunnel suffered from a particularly poor atmosphere during the era of steam. Unlike the Colwall tunnel, which was also constructed for the line, Ledbury Tunnel has not been widened, replaced, or substantially reengineered since its original completion in the 1860s. It remains in use through to the present today.