Queensbury Tunnel: Future of one of the country’s longest disused railway tunnels remains in doubt

A huge hill separates the two so creating a railway tunnel was a monumental task, and dangerous too. At least 10 men lost their lives during the work.

Some 150 years after work on it began, the future of one of the country’s longest disused railway tunnels remains in doubt despite longstanding plans to repurpose it as part of an ambitious active travel network.

“Navvies” – or navigational engineers – gathered to start sinking the first of Queensbury Tunnel’s seven construction shafts on May 21 1874.

The project was contracted to take two years, but difficulties caused by huge quantities of groundwater pushed the completion date back into the summer of 1878.

A revolutionary rock drilling machine was deployed to help with excavation of the pilot bore, improving efficiency at least three-fold.

The line closed in 1956 and the tunnel’s condition declined, prompting British Railways Board (Residuary) to propose an abandonment scheme in 2009.

Custodianship transferred to what is now National Highways in 2013. Plans to partially infill the 1.4-mile long engineering feat were submitted to Bradford Council six years later.

Graeme Bickerdike, engineering co-ordinator for the Queensbury Tunnel Society, said: “The enterprise, courage and tenacity shown by the Victorians – driving the tunnel through the hill in unimaginable conditions – contrasts starkly with the destructive ambitions of National Highways who only see the structure as a liability.

“Because of the topography, the tunnel offers the only viable means of establishing a user-friendly active travel network connecting Calderdale and Bradford. Whilst it presents many challenges, it also offers compelling social and economic benefits as we transition to more sustainable forms of transport.”

A campaign to secure the tunnel for future use was launched in 2013, with Grant Shapps, former Transport Secretary, intervening to halt National Highways’ abandonment scheme in July 2020.

Work on the feasibility study was completed after more than three years’ development, but the findings have still not been revealed.

Norah McWilliam, leader of the Queensbury Tunnel Society, said: “It’s time to end the uncertainty. We’ve worked hard as advocates for the tunnel’s potential as a strategic connector and it’s clear that many stakeholders see that value.

“What’s needed now is a practical commitment to join together the communities along the three legs of the proposed active travel network to make a positive, long-term difference, helping to tackle the social, economic and health disadvantages experienced by too many to the west of Bradford.”

National Highways was approached for comment.