Greenside Tunnel - 618 Yards
— G.N.R PUDSEY & LOW MOOR BRANCH —
In 1882 the Great Northern Railway & Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway entered into an agreement to build a series of short connections to existing railways with a view of improving existing services through mutual running of the infrastructure, One such venture was the Pudsey Loop running between Tyersall and Bramley, West Yorkshire. The route required the construction of the 618 yard Greenside Tunnel sometimes referred to as Pudsey Tunnel situated approximately 150yds east of the former station at Greenside. The first sod was cut on the 15th January 1890 with the tunnel being completed by the 16th January 1892! Greenside Tunnel is curved at both ends to follow an ‘S’ shape formation and has a falling gradient to the westernmost end, The sole remaining ventilation shaft (two sunk originally only one retained after construction) is 235 yards from the west entrance. Plenty of cable hangers and a few signal pulleys still remain in situ on the walls throughout, the eastern portal partially hidden from sight due to spoil / debris being tipped on the former trackbed from adjacent developments, the west portal remains clear albeit hidden partially by trees / bushes although it can be seen from a former over bridge about 200yds from the portal. Both portals and the lower walls are of stone masonry construction with the roof and upper walled section of brick construction, both portals are typical GNR styles. The tunnel closed in 1964 during the Beeching cuts and over the years several applications have been put forward to infill the tunnel however to date all have been rejected and petitions have been circulating with a view to a greenway / bridle way through the tunnel linking up with a network of footpaths at the tunnel’s western side. Both portals are now heavily fortified with the palisade gates / fencing now replaced with a near full height set of steel gates. A remarkably clean tunnel inside despite the amounts of past foot traffic. Hopefully the idea of a greenway through Greenside Tunnel will become a reality..
An extremely easy explore this one, parking on Smalewell Road, Pudsey opposite the Fox & Grape pub there’s a public footpath which leads down to the original trackbed doubling back along the trackbed under the occupation bridge the western portal of Greenside Tunnel comes into view during 2020/2021 the tunnel was fitted with some substantial steel gates replacing the former frequently damaged ones. An easy climb for the able and willing, same set up at the eastern end, plenty of foot traffic around the western end but no dramas during my visit during 2022.
A quick side note I decided to loose the Doug Judy title in favor of Tunnel Gricer something I felt more appropriate to my going’s on, Same Person, Same Content, Different Name.
Visited 2022.
Thanks for looking.
