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additional info and history
The first plans drawn up for the Severn Valley Railway and authorised in the [[The Severn Valley Railway under GWR/BR ownership#Before construction: 1845-1858 | 1853 Act of Parliament]] showed the course of the line deviating to the right shortly after [[Sterns]] to cross the River Severn near Danesford, with the station being situated in Low Town east of the river. Beyond Bridgnorth a second bridge would have returned the line across the Severn to re-join its eventual route. However the potential cost of the bridges, allied to difficulties in raising funds for construction of the line, resulted in the line remaining west of the Severn, requiring a tunnel under Bridgnorth High Town immediately north of [[Bridgnorth | Bridgnorth Station]].
The tunnel was 550 yards long (in comparison, [[Bewdley Tunnel]] is 480 yards), with a double curve right and left. The original bore varied between 19ft width at the north end and 16ft 8in width at the south end, substantially less than the 24ft width which Chief Engineer [[John Fowler]] specified as necessary for [[Double track|double track working]]. The tunnel was re-lined in 1911, further reducing the width to 15ft.<ref>The Severn Valley Railway, John [[Bibliography#Books|Marshall(1989)]] pp. 40/107.</ref>.
Following closure of the line north of Bridgnorth in 1963, ballast from the tunnel was recovered by SVR volunteers in July 1965, with the permission of BR.<ref>BBC article</ref>.
In [[Severn Valley Railway Timeline 2000-2009#2003 | summer 2003]], SVR News noted that BRB (Residuary) Ltd (BRBR) had put Bridgnorth tunnel up for sale. The SVR having been offered first refusal, the structure was unsold and later transferred to Highways England Historical Railways Estate when BRBR was abolished from 30 September 2013.<ref>[http://www.forgottenrelics.co.uk/tunnels/gallery/bridgnorth.html David Rostance, 'Bridgnorth Tunnel', Forgotten Relics website, September 2016] (Retrieved 20 April 2017)</ref><ref>[https://www.gov.uk/government/news/brb-residuary-ltd-has-been-abolished 'BRB (Residuary) Ltd has been abolished', Gov.uk, 30 September 2013] (Retrieved 20 April 2017)</ref>
== See also ==
*[[Maps#Schematic maps of the pre-closure SVR | Pre-1963 map]]
== References ==
==Links==
