Queensbury Tunnel’s 150th anniversary prompts calls for reopening

Campaigners calling for a disused rail tunnel to be brought back into service say reopening it would be a way to honor those who built it 150 years ago.

Construction work on the Queensbury Tunnel, linking Bradford and Halifax in West Yorkshire, began on 21 May 1874.

Norah McWilliam, from the Queensbury Tunnel Society, said now was “the time to end the uncertainty” over its future.

The society wants the 1.4-mile (2.25 km) trail to become a traffic-free “greenway” for pedestrians and cyclists.

The railway line closed in 1956, with the tunnel being owned by the Department for Transport.

It is maintained on his behalf by the National Highways’ Historical Railways Estate, which has been contacted for comment.

Ms McWilliam said engineer John Fraser and the workers who built the tunnel had left an “extraordinary legacy”.

“We have worked hard as advocates for the tunnel’s potential as a strategic connector, and it is clear that many stakeholders see that value,” she said.

“What is needed now is a practical commitment to bring communities together across the three stages of the proposed active travel network to make a positive, long-term difference.”

A campaign to secure the tunnel for future use was launched in 2013, with former Transport Minister Grant Shapps committing £1 million to the tunnel in 2020 to help develop a business case for the route.

A feasibility study has been conducted on the costs and technical challenges of reusing the structure, but the results have not yet been released.

Bradford Council said the report would be published in due course.

At least 10 men lost their lives in the four years it took to complete the tunnel, activists said.

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 – stands in stark contrast to the destructive ambitions of National Highways, who see the structure only as a liability.

“While it presents many challenges, it also offers compelling social and economic benefits as we move to more sustainable forms of transport.”