Woodhead Tunnel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Woodhead Tunnels are three trans-Pennine railway tunnels which formerly carried a major rail link (usually known as the Woodhead Route) from Manchester to Sheffield in northern England. The western portals are at Woodhead in Derbyshire and the eastern portals are at Dunford Bridge, near Penistone, South Yorkshire.
The earlier twin tunnels (Woodhead 1 & 2) were completed by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway in the mid-19th century, with significant loss of life. At the time of its completion in 1845, Woodhead 1 was one of the world's longest railway tunnels at a length of 3 miles 13 yards (4,840 m); it was the first of several trans-Pennine tunnels (Standedge, Totley), which are only slightly longer.
The twin tunnels saw heavy use by steam trains (250 trains a day each way) and had a reputation for having a poor working environment with high maintenance needs. They were replaced by Woodhead 3, a new double-track tunnel designed by Sir William Halcrow & Partners, in 1954. This was electrified at 1.5 kV DC in a project known as the Manchester-Sheffield-Wath electrification.
In the 1960s one of the earlier tunnels had a new lease of life, having been acquired and renovated by the CEGB to carry the trans-Pennine 400 kV electricity link below ground, rather than over the moors of the Peak District National Park.
Alternative uses for the tunnel route have been suggested from time to time — see M67 motorway.
[edit] External links
- The woodheadsite - has good history section
- The Don Valley Railway Line
- Another recent (2006) reopening proposal, this time as a 'Rolling Highway' for HGV traffic
- Woodhead Station on Subterranea Britannica
[edit] Further reading
- Bain, Simon (1986) Railroaded! (Battle for Woodhead Pass), London, Faber and Faber. ISBN 0-571-13909-4
