SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

I thought i'd post a feature on Pudsey Greenside tunnel as the east portal & deep cutting at the Leeds end are due to be landfilled & levelled leaving no trace that the railway ever existed.

The Pudsey loop was completed by the G.N.R in 1893 where it diverged from the main Leeds-Bradford line. This outlines the importance of Pudsey's manufacturing & woolen industry- so much so that the G.N.R took a staggering 14yrs to move heaven & earth to reach the town. Huge cuttings & the 616yd long tunnel at Greenside where constructed along the steeply graded climb to the town... along with the largest man made embankment in europe, Smalewell embankement still offers a fantastic view across the Leeds-Bradford border 80-100' high in places. There were 2 stations at Pudsey... Lowtown & Greenside. Today there is only a short section of track still visible. The one great feature that still remains is the deep cutting & retaining wall alongside Station street/Carlisle rd-This soon to be filled in.

Footbridge just before Smalewell embankment. This end of the cutting will NOT be getting filled in

As it was before closure

Close up detail of the West portal... The trackbed was a lot drier than my last visit in January...SQUELCH!!!!

Looking towards the doomed Leeds end. The tunnel is difficuilt to photograph as both ends can be seen at all times. Better quality pics are achieved in total darkness believe it or not... You can see they've used stone for the walls & brick for the tighter roof arch. It's quite sobering to think there are only 4 course's of brick above you holding up huge amounts of earth & the world above.

There is only one smoke ventilation shaft in the tunnel. capturing these is not an easy task... There's usually a torrent of water pouring down them and actually seeing where your pointing the camera is not easy. The shaft has been capped off so nobody can fall down from the world above.

Despite the tunnel been abandoned since 1964 it's in remakably good condition, extremely dry & solid throughout. There are only a few small leaks. Testament to the G.N.R railway builders. You can see the track refuge's or bolt holes in the tunnel walls for any track gangs working in the tunnel to escape oncoming trains.

The other end. A view looking along the cutting towards the Carlisle road overbridge. A partial landslip obscures the view. A sign of things to come when the whole cutting will be infilled

Detailed close up of the doomed east portal.