Wapping Tunnel
Wapping Tunnel
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Wapping has a brick roof and many ample alcoves.
(Photos 1-6 © Keffa, photo 7 © Dave Root, photos 8-9 © Waterways)
Built on a severe 1 in 48 gradient, the line through Wapping tunnel from Liverpool docks was originally rope-worked, with wagons hauled up to Edge Hill by a stationary steam engine. Opened in 1830, it was one of the earliest railway tunnels and, at 2,111 yards, one of the longest. At the docks end, it splits into three.
Above ground, Wapping boasts three imposing ventilation towers. Closed in 1972, Merseyrail is reportedly considering reopening the tunnel, allowing its services to reach Huyton and St Helens.
Click here for more of Keffa’s Wapping shots (28 Days Later).
June 2009