Burdale Tunnel is a former railway tunnel on the abandoned

Malton and Driffield Junction Railway The Malton and Driffield Junction Railway, later known as the ''Malton and Driffield branch'' was a railway line in Yorkshire that ran between the towns of Malton, North Yorkshire and Driffield in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The line was for ...

(MDR) in

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in Northern England.The Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority areas of City of York, York and North Yorkshire (district), North Yorkshire are in Yorkshire and t ...

, England. Construction of the tunnel began in 1847, but suffered financial difficulties and building was not complete until 1853. The line was closed completely a hundred years later in 1958, but the tunnel was still being used by members of the public, so the portals were bricked up in 1961. During 1970s and 1980s, there were collapses inside the tunnel and in 2009 the restoration of the passenger line could not continue due to the damage.

History and description

Burdale Tunnel lies near the village of

Burdale, North Yorkshire Burdale is a hamlet in North Yorkshire, England, south-east of Malton. It lies in a deep valley (or dale), also known as Burdale, in the Yorkshire Wolds. It is the site of a deserted medieval village. Burdale was mentioned in the Domesday Boo ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, between the former Burdale and

Wharram railway station Wharram railway station was opened by the Malton and Driffield Railway in May 1853, serving the village of Wharram-le-Street in North Yorkshire, England, although the area was in the East Riding of Yorkshire at the time. The station was also n ...

s. It was built to take the railway through the

Yorkshire Wolds The Yorkshire Wolds are hills in the counties of the East Riding of Yorkshire and North Yorkshire in Northern England. They are the northernmost chalk hills in the UK and within lies the northernmost chalk stream in Europe, the Gypsey Race. ...

. Construction began in 1847 with the sinking of seven vertical shafts, but the tunnel, which was in length, was not completed until 1853, work having been interrupted and slowed at times due to lack of funds. The lack of funds led to alternate lengths being proposed, including a route which would have meant a steep incline. During construction illegal drinking houses were built and riots occurred in navvies' temporary accommodation near the tunnel's northern mouth. The line closed to passenger traffic in 1950 and closed completely in 1958, with the tracks being lifted shortly afterwards. However, the closure did not deter visitors and therefore the tunnel portals were bricked up in 1961. In the late 1970s, a collapse occurred just north of the tunnel's second ventilation shaft – around half-a-mile in. During the 1980s the tunnel collapsed further, blocking a middle section completely.

Restoration plans

In 2009, the Yorkshire Wolds Railway Restoration Project proposed that the railway could be reopened though the condition of the Burdale Tunnel collapse was still unknown.

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* * * * Railway tunnels in England Rail transport in North Yorkshire Tunnels in North Yorkshire Tunnels completed in 1853 Malton and Driffield Junction Railway {{NorthYorkshire-struct-stub

History and description

Restoration plans

See also

References

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