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Bridgnorth Tunnel

1,252 bytes added, 20:44, 16 May 2019
current ownership of Bridgnorth Tunnel not with Highways England as thought?
''''Bridgnorth Tunnel''' allowed the Severn Valley Railway to pass under Bridgnorth High Town north of Bridgnorth Station.
 
==Construction==
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>[[Bibliography#Books|Marshall (1989)]] pp. 40/107.</ref>
==History since closure of the line==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 the same month, BR announced that Hollybush Road railway bridge was to be demolished, severing the connection between Bridgnorth station and the tunnel.<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Magner (1997)]] p. 44.</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 was believed to have been 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> However in December 2017 a Freedom of Information request was submitted to Highways England asking for details of all former railway tunnels that are inspected and maintained by Highways England.<ref>[https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/the_location_of_disused_railway FOI request to Highways England, 19 December 2017] (Retrieved 16 May 2019)</ref> The list produced in response did not include Bridgnorth Tunnel.<ref>[https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/453299/response/1090756/attach/html/2/FoI%20Response%20to%20Letter%20to%20Michael%20Bradley%20Freedom%20of%20Information%20request%20Location%20of%20Disused%20Railway%20Tunnels%20under%20the%20authority%20of%20Highways%20England.docx.html FOI response from Highways England, 3 January 2018] (Retrieved 16 May 2019)</ref> The current ownership of the tunnel is therefore uncertain.
== See also ==
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