New plans to re-open the Woodhead Rail Tunnels to re-link Sheffield with Manchester

[skyfitsboy]

THE Woodhead rail tunnel between Sheffield and Manchester could be reopened to passengers and freight under plans submitted to the Department of Transport.

Glossop-based company Translink has launched a £159 million bid to re-open the Woodhead Railway, carrying HGVs on trains across the Pennines.
If successful it would see the grand old tunnel brought back into use "within a decade" for the first time since 1981, with hourly passenger services between Sheffield and Manchester, slashing journey times between the two cities to just 45 minutes.
Source link - The Sheffield Star

Personally I thinks its a great idea, I didn't even know the tunnels was there until I read the article in the Star.

The Woodhead tunnel was opened in 1845 and was one of the world's longest railway tunnels, just over 3 miles long. In its heyday the twin tunnels under the Pennines saw heavy use by steam trains (250 a day each way!)



Express Services between Manchester and Sheffield ran between, Sheffields Victoria Rail Station and Manchester Piccadilly. In 1954 the lines became the first electrified British mainline at 1,500Volts.

I really hope Translink's bid to re-open the tunnel is apporved by the Department of Transport and Network Rail considering it will remove 90% of HGV from the Woodhead and Snake Pass, but I'm not holding my breath.


Entrance to the Woodhead Tunnel, oww spooky!

The restored transport link would also be a big boost to Sheffield's economy, fingers crossed!

[Zim Flyer]

Excellent stuff.

Here is a link to my Sheffield Victoria pics. The line has only been breeched in one place (so the potential to reopen it is there).

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=311671

Another good site for how the line looks today and how it used to look when in use is:

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/ just go to the Sheffield Victoria section and follow the line.

[Andrew]

That's an excellent idea. What are the current journey times between Manchester and Sheffield by train? If this reduces times significantly as well as getting freight off the roads then it'll be a huge asset.
Why was the tunnel closed in the first place, did it have anything to do with a certain Mr Beeching?

[1867]

Originally Posted by Andrew

That's an excellent idea. What are the current journey times between Manchester and Sheffield by train? If this reduces times significantly as well as getting freight off the roads then it'll be a huge asset.
Why was the tunnel closed in the first place, did it have anything to do with a certain Mr Beeching?

Today’s journey times are around 54mins. That’s only been possible since trains were diverted via the new Hazel Grove chord and Stockport.

The Beeching report recommended that the Woodhead route be retained as part of the inter city network.

As there were 2 lines between Sheffield and Manchester. BR decided to close one, to save money. Woodhead fitted the bill, the electrification equipment was non-standard and life expired, coupled with falling freight revenue. BR decided to close the line by stealth. They closed 18 miles of line (between Penistone and Hadfield) that didn’t serve any centres of population. Noboby uses it, who’s going to complain! All existing freight services could be diverted via Barnsley and the Hope valley.

Bloody scandal! A fast, modern, efficient railway that links two industrial cites closed. On top of that, it runs through a national park. Did they want the track bed for the aborted M67?

I like how translink call the woodhead tunnel “the grand old tunnel”. It was opened in 1954.

[Wednesday]

Is it actually within the plan to open Sheffield Victoria or just to link with Midland?

[Zim Flyer]

I've been looking at his website, it's a noble aim but under this present Government I can't see it happening. I do believe it will happen one day but not under the present government.

Alistair Darling is looking at closing lines and not opening them.

The sad thing is if this was in Wales or Scotland it would have a better chance of happening

[jozblade]

Hope this goes through. Seems a good idea

[skyfitsboy]

Originally Posted by 1867

I like how translink call the woodhead tunnel “the grand old tunnel”. It was opened in 1954.

The Woodhead tunnel opened 1845 pretty impressive for the time.

[Vertighost]

Originally Posted by Wednesday

Is it actually within the plan to open Sheffield Victoria or just to link with Midland?

They want to take it through to Tinsley. Saw it was featured on Look Leeds tonight.

[count_domular]

Look Leeds lol. Spot on

[Frog]

Originally Posted by Zim Flyer

I've been looking at his website, it's a noble aim but under this present Government I can't see it happening. I do believe it will happen one day but not under the present government.

Alistair Darling is looking at closing lines and not opening them.

The sad thing is if this was in Wales or Scotland it would have a better chance of happening

It would be fantastic to see the Woodhead line re-opened but im afraid I agree, I cant see it happening under this government

[Pobbie]

Originally Posted by 1867

Did they want the track bed for the aborted M67?

Yes. The current M67 is only a fraction of the original plan. It was meant to run from Manchester city centre to the M1 near Barnsley, running virtually parallel to the Woodhead Pass. Read more about it here, complete with maps:

http://www.pathetic.org.uk/motorways/m67-2.shtml

[jazz-sheff]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/m...er/4831102.stm

brief article on the bbc today about the proposal.

It would be nice indeed and if it worked i'm sure it would be expanded to include passengers. It might even lead to the re-birth of victoria station.

[Vertighost]

Translink will be using diesel locomotives and lowering the trackbed in the tunnels to make room for the lorries. They wont be able to electrify the line. I don't know how much quicker than the hope line it would be.

[muddycoffee]

The old woodhead line has been ripening for reuse for some time. Such an asset like this of railway tunnels already dug under the hills like this when the railways are on a time of improvement it would be silly to not bring them back into use.

My understanding in the last 2 or 3 years is that this is the third scheme or company which I know about which has shown an inteest in the old railway. Although there has always been a hope for it's reuse since not long after it closed. Here is a summary of the other two : -

1) Central Railways This scheme had a sound financial package and was engaged in reopening a route through woodhead which linked Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield on the old central railway line down to London and on to link directly to the high speed channel tunnel rail link. This scheme was designed to transport freight between the liverpool dockyards to to mainland europe via a new european guage railway track with euro rolling stock on a fast line.

2) Don Valley Railway This scheme was to bring back into local passenger use the old stations along the woodhead route between stocksbridge and sheffield town centre. This is a not for profit scheme intended to create a regular passenger service.

[lewisskinner]

Bit of news guys. From The Star's letters

Originally Posted by J Patterson (Ex Darnall Footplateman) Silkstone Road, S1 2

Woodhead route is vital to country's railway network

Things are certainly looking brighter for Woodhead Tunnel, when we have the Conservative Transport spokesman writing to the Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander to re-open the Pennine Route from Manchester to Sheffield via Dunford Bridge and Penistone.

I can imagine Maggie Thatcher scowling at Chris Grayling's attempts to get the route re-opened, after all the work Malcolm Riffkind and herself put in to close it, and finally defeat the miners' union.

She may have defeated the miners, but she has created a monster of a problem regards transport on our roads. Today many cities suffer "gridlock" because the main arteries of our railway system have been erased.

The proposal of building a new Transpennine Road will not stop the "gridlock" as traffic has increased in volume. We need an integrated road-rail policy.

The Woodhead route is vital to the railway network, and the sooner this is rectified the better. Whatever happened to Translink UK's offer to re-open the Manchester to Sheffield Woodhead railway route. Translink UK claimed a specialised service of shuttle trains could take 90 percent of heavy trucks off the A628 road. It wanted to spend £159m relaying 35 miles of track.

The Department of Transport said it had received a formal proposal from "Translink" but like so many of these proposals they never matured any further, nothing was heard on the subject again. We shall never know the outcome regarding the offer. Has this offer been thrown on a shelf along with many other proposals?

When Woodhead Tunnel was finished it was called "The Railway Feat of the Century", by the Sheffield Star newspaper.

This question remains un-answered by our Labour Government who, when they were elected to govern this country, pledged that many of the routes closed down by the Tory Government, would be reinstated again. The Great Central Railway, the last of the big four companies to be built was the first victim of the Tory axe. We are still waiting.

These questions are still un-answered by our Labour Government.
1. Why are vast amounts of money being spent on the East and West coast main lines, whilst the North of England is starved of vital resources. Our roads are congested with traffic and getting worse daily?
2. Why is it taking so many years to give a decision?
3. Finally does this Labour Government ever intend to reinstate the Great Central Railway again, or is Woodhead Tunnel to remain a "White Elephant" for ever.

This twin-lined tunnel cost the tax payers of this country £4½m to build at the cost of six mens lives.

And from today's paper

'Re-open Woodhead tunnel rail route now'

By Mark Hookham

OPENING a new rail freight route between Sheffield and Manchester could ease the misery of packed passenger trains and take trucks off congested roads, the Tories claim.

Conservative Transport spokesman Chris Grayling told The Star that it is vital that trans-Pennine transport links improve.

He has embarked on a two year project which will examine ways of speeding up rail and road links between Sheffield and Manchester.

One option being considered is to re-open the historic Woodhead tunnel and turn it into a dedicated freight rail route.

A new freight rail route would free up the existing line and allow more passenger train services to be run through the day.

A government report released earlier this week warned that demand will exceed capacity on all peak commuter services into Sheffield over the next 20 years unless more train services are provided.

A similar proposal drawn up by Translink UK was submitted to the Department for Transport but never heard of again.

That blueprint predicted that a specialised service of shuttle trains could take 90 per cent of heavy trucks off the A628.

Three months ago Mr Grayling wrote to Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander urging him to save the Woodhead tunnel route.

Now, in an interview with The Star, he has explained why the route could prove crucial to Sheffield’s economic fortunes.

He said: “I see the trans-Pennine link between Manchester and Sheffield as extremely important. I believe doing nothing about trans-Pennine links is not an option.

“I want to protect some options for us and one of those is the Woodhead tunnel.

“The Woodhead tunnel has very frequently been cited as potentially the route that could be used for trans-Pennine freight if we created a better freight network in this country.

“I want it to be there so we have got the option. What we shouldn’t be doing right now, with all our congestion problems, is throwing away bits of transport corridor we might be able to use again.”

[muddycoffee]

For those that are a bit confused by all these descriptions of a twin lined tunnel etc..

Woodhead is actually three tunnels.
There are two old single line tunnels and a newer single dual line tunnel

This picture demonstrates their position.


This is at the other "manchester" end of the tunnels.
The large tunnel opening on the right which is clear is the newer tunnel which was built in 1954 when they electrified the line.

To the left behind the obstructions are the two old smaller tunnels of 1845 which were build for the original steam trains. The leftmost one is the one which is used now by the national grid to house electrical transmission lines and the middle one is out of use and has a stream emerging from it.

In the foreground is the original platforms for the woodhead station on the old lines. The newer platforms on the new lines are rurther back level withthe photographer..

[lewisskinner]

Nice pic. Is that one of yours?

[muddycoffee]

Originally Posted by lewisskinner

Nice pic. Is that one of yours?

No but I do have my own selection of both ends of the tunnel.
That one looks like it was taken some years ago.

[muddycoffee]

Ok chaps,
here is a selection of pictures from the ends of woodhead tunnels I took in June 2006.
Woodhead tunnel had a station at either end, at the sheffield end was dunford bridge station, and at the manchester end was woodhead station.
It is possible to see the evidence of these stations even today.

Firstly at the dunford bridge end, we look, toward manchester along the line of the northern most tunnel which is now used for national grid power lines. At this end you can see the line of pylons stop as the lines divert underground.




Now moving a little farther south, we are stood on the place where the railway lines were about to enter the newer tunnel after electrification. This bridge is the road bridge over the line.


Now under that road bridge I look through a fence to see the newer tunnel mouth at the sheffield end. As you can see it is totally secure and ready for reuse if the opportunity comes along.


about turn and looking back toward sheffield we can see the power lines. The "road" we are on is now a car park but it used to be a rail bed.


The road bridge is continues acrss the line of the old lines with more traditional arched bridges over the old steam lines. Here we see the most northerly line where the Power lines run.
The track you see is for a minature train which is used by the CEGB engineers to do maintainence inspections in the old tunnel. It emerges at both ends of this old tunnel.


Peeping through the fence we can see toward the actual tunnel mouth


And again from the bridge above we get a good view. This cutting used to contain both of the old tracks toward the old twin tunnels, you can just make out the arched tunnel mouths in the distance.


Here again I have marked the old tunnels, and you can just see the power lines going downward toward the north tunnel


Across the top of the roadbridge, which we have been under before, we can see the pylons ending, and two cuttings, the cutting on the right is where the old lines went, and on the left the cutting where the newer lines electrified after 1954 went.



At this point I might like to explain why it was neccesary to cut a new tunnel, the old tunnels were built for steam trains and had enough clearence above to dissipate the steam up through the vents etc.

But when they decided to electrify the line they needed more hight to accommodate the electrical equipment. And it wasn't possible to enlarge the existing tunnels, so they bored another tunnel while the old tunnels continued in operation.