Re-use of Welsh railway tunnels for cycling

[whole diary]

[Reginald25]

What the Rhondda Tunnel Society have achieved in the last few years is impressive. This would be the longest tunnel accessible in Wales if it comes to fruition, and their publicity is giving the impression it's when not if.  See http://www.rhonddatunnelsociety.co.uk/. Woth joining to support them.

[Richard Fairhurst]

Very slightly over the border, plans seem to be moving ahead to reuse the Wye Valley trackbed from Tidenham (near Chepstow) to Tintern as a cycle and walking route. This does include a short tunnel, although there's a landslip just north of it which currently blocks access. The track of the old Tidenham branch is apparently to be taken up and some of it will find a new home at the Forest of Dean Railway.

[Bmblbzzz]

Very slightly over the border, plans seem to be moving ahead to reuse the Wye Valley trackbed from Tidenham (near Chepstow) to Tintern as a cycle and walking route. This does include a short tunnel, although there's a landslip just north of it which currently blocks access. The track of the old Tidenham branch is apparently to be taken up and some of it will find a new home at the Forest of Dean Railway.

Still some way to go with that though. They're saying two to three years to remove the old track, then they'll "be able to work up to" a second section which should eventually connect with a bridge over the Wye which hasn't been built yet!

[Red Squirrel]

Very slightly over the border, plans seem to be moving ahead to reuse the Wye Valley trackbed from Tidenham (near Chepstow) to Tintern as a cycle and walking route. This does include a short tunnel, although there's a landslip just north of it which currently blocks access. The track of the old Tidenham branch is apparently to be taken up and some of it will find a new home at the Forest of Dean Railway.

Still some way to go with that though. They're saying two to three years to remove the old track, then they'll "be able to work up to" a second section which should eventually connect with a bridge over the Wye which hasn't been built yet!

Building a new Bridge on the River Wye is trivial, compared with the effort required to deal with the various parish planning authorities along the route... they make North Somerset look dangerously progressive.

[Richard Fairhurst]

Still some way to go with that though. They're saying two to three years to remove the old track, then they'll "be able to work up to" a second section which should eventually connect with a bridge over the Wye which hasn't been built yet!

I found the progress update a bit hard to parse, but on the basis that Dayhouse Quarry, the A48 bridge, and the National Diving & Activity Centre are pretty much the same place, I think they're saying that Sustrans/A-BCC will be removing the track north of the A48 bridge (through the tunnel) imminently. The FoDR will then be taking up the track south of the bridge in their own time - as you say, over the next few years.

[CyclingSid]

Not quite the same progress with some English tunnels. The South Downs National Park wants to re-open the Singleton Tunnel on the old Chichester to Midhurst branch (to extend the Centurion Way). I get the impression that Natural England are digging their heels in because of bats. Not aware that the issue has been raised with the two following tunnels.

[Red Squirrel]

Bats were certainly an issue in the Two Tunnels scheme in Bath, but not one that could not be overcome:

...lights placed every seven metres cast soft pools of illumination on to the smooth road surface and the sooty brick and limestone walls. So as not to disturb the resident bats, the low roof of the tunnel is kept in semi-darkness.

Source: The Independent