Queensbury G.N.R. Railway Tunnel

Queensbury Tunnel was built by the Great Northern Railway between the years 1874-1878. At two thousand and one yards long, it is one of the longest and deepest railway tunnels in England. During its working life it serviced the Northern industrial towns of Bradford, Halifax, and Keighley.  The passenger train service however ceased nearly sixty years ago in 1955.   By all accounts one of the biggest problems in the tunnels history was the forming of giant icicles on winter nights. In order to combat the problem, a steam engine would be parked there overnight in later years. The line was known as the “Alpine Route” due to its hilly nature.  Derelict for decades, the tunnel is in desperate need of repairs of which the Highways Agency is ultimately responsible. It was reported by the BBC in February 2014, that the tunnel could be converted into Europe’s longest cycle path if campaigners get their way.   The fear is that the owners may just fill it in with concrete to save money on the expensive repairs required.  By utilising the tunnel for cycles, it would enable cyclists to avoid steep, traffic-clogged roads and provide a direct link between Bradford and Halifax.