Various tunnels in the Wakefield area, 2011

[Wakey Lad]

Crigglestone Tunnel
Crigglestone tunnel was built by the Midland railway company in 1906, and closed to traffic in 1950. The line ran from Hunslet Lane, Leeds to Dewsbury Savile Town goods via Crigglestone (goods) & Middletown (goods). It also had a connection with the Calder Valley line at Thornhill. Access to the tunnel is now limited to the West portal, due to the opposite end being filled so housing could be built on the surface above. It is a relatively short tunnel at only 250 yds long.















Batley Carr Tunnel
The Great Northern's route between Dewsbury Junction and Batley included a 161-yard tunnel at Crackenedge, allowing it to pass beneath the LNWR's line which ran on a parallel course up the valley. Opened on 12th April 1880, the two-track tunnel curves to the east and includes a single ventilation shaft. The route closed to passengers in 1964, with all traffic ceasing on 15th February 1965. Since then, the southern portal has been buried and the section up to the shaft backfilled.












Earlsheaton Tunnel
This short tunnel formed part of the Great Northern's loop line from Batley to Wakefield via Dewsbury, which was used by some King's Cross expresses to reach Bradford. A more direct route - which had opened ten years earlier, bypassing Dewsbury - thereafter saw only limited passenger traffic.

Just 179 yards long, the tunnel has characteristic GN portals - mostly in brick but with masonry embellishments - and a deep eastern approach cutting. The bore itself has a tight curve to the north, with a lining that comprises masonry side walls and a brick arch. There no refuges or ventilation shafts.

Opened in 1874, the tunnel saw its last traffic in 1965.









Horbury Subway
This was the railway station subway for the now closed Horbury and Osset station. The station closed in 1970 leaving Ossett the largest town in Yorkshire without a railway station.














Thanks for looking

[simonix]

Great stuff, love the last underpass.

[wakefieldarms]

Great shots, I love the abandoned railways around here. That subway in Horbury looks like a good place to go to too.

[MJS]

Spot on mate, love the underground shizzle

[Canonite]

Sweet, you know you can now access the viaduct that goes over Durkar which was part of the same line.

[KingElvis]

An excellent thread there mate, spot on.

[coops]

Excellant mate love a good railway tunnel and that disused subway is sweet as too ....does anyone know if the subway at the front of the merrian centre in leeds is blocked off still ?

[-Walsh-]

Very nice!

[Rustynail]

Nice pics there. I've done Earlsheaton and Crig tunnels many years ago. Just one thing though...

Crigglestone tunnel was built by the Midland railway company in 1906, and closed to traffic in 1950. The line ran from Hunslet Lane, Leeds to Dewsbury Savile Town goods via Crigglestone (goods) & Middletown (goods). It also had a connection with the Calder Valley line at Thornhill.

The line that Crig tunnel was on didn't run from Leeds at all. It started at a junction at Royston, off what was then the Midland Railway's main line from Sheffield to Leeds.

[myke]

nice love the subway thanks