Construction In 1830, proposals for a railway between
Leeds and
Bradford appeared before Parliament; according to author Graeme Bickerdike, they were stimulated by the burgeoning wool trade in Bradford. The direct route posed difficulties particularly with steep gradients; one towards the western section of the line where a stationary
steam engine could have had to have been used to assist trains in the ascent of a 1:30 incline. As a result of rising cost estimates, backers withdrew, leading to the failure of the Bill. On 27 January 1901, the second tunnel bore was officially opened to traffic and the line increased to four tracks, two in the second tunnel. In 1968, as a result of the
Beeching cuts, the original tunnel was closed and traffic rerouted through the second tunnel. The first tunnel is still maintained by
Network Rail's asset management regime. In April 1985, a bulge was detected at the haunch closest to the live tunnel; steps to address it included installing
steel ribs to brace the area and additional monitoring. During the 1980s, the closed tunnel was backfilled with spoil to prevent further distortion of the tunnel's lining. In 1992, a pair of block walls were built in the first tunnel, an section of tunnel between them was
grouted, as was with No. 3 shaft, to prevent further deterioration. The work has precluded further use of the first tunnel as there is no provision for through-access. In 2013, more distortions were detected in the roof of the first bore generating concerns that consequential defects may emerge in the operational bore which would be difficult to remediate because of
overhead line equipment. More infilling using lightweight
foam concrete took place over in mid-2016 to prevent the tunnel lining failing. == References ==