389:
26:
450:. Water has been measured entering the tunnel at rates of up to 2.5 cubic metres per second. These floods have been a common cause of closures of the tunnel, which has resulted in frequent cancellations and the diversion of passenger and freight services. Accordingly, the tunnel has been a long-standing high-priority asset for attention amongst railway maintenance staff, despite the installation of pumps and other measures to remove the water.
453:
During the 2010s, various plans were produced to improve the flooding situation, including the installation of 6.5 kilometres (4.0 mi) of pipes for a new gravity dranage system. This pipe, which has an external diameter of 1.2 metres and a length of 22 meters, has a capacity of 866 litres per
384:
bricks used in the tunnel were fired at a nearby brickworks; this works used material which had been excavated as spoil from the boring process. Around 150 navvies and almost 100 railway personnel lived in the village of
Sodbury during the construction effort. During 1902, the completed tunnel was
329:
Numerous remedial works and improvements have been made to the tunnel throughout its service life. Such works have largely been centred around improving its drainage and other measures to reduce the occurrence of flood-related closures. A new high-capacity drainage system was installed during the
408:. The western portal lies in the village of Old Sodbury. Above the tunnel are a series of six ventilation shafts, which were used during construction to remove soil. The places where they reach the surface are circular brick vents between 4 metres (13 ft) and 8 metres (26 ft) high with
442:
Up to the 1970s, as an additional safety measure to supplement the track circuits a single wire ran through the tunnel fixed at head height, the purpose being that if a train brokedown in the tunnel the driver or guard would cut the wire and so put the signals to red behind the stricken train.
454:
second, and discharges into a newly enlarged lagoon, which can to hold up to 11,000,000 litres (2,400,000 imp gal; 2,900,000 US gal). Its installation necessitated the partial removal of an older brick culvert which carries water from the tunnel to the nearby
917:
Swindon to
Bristol Parkway - Piling will take place to install overhead line equipment (OLE) for electrification, alongside OLE installation through Chipping Sodbury and Alderton tunnels. This August there will also be flood resilience upgrades at Chipping
366:. The tunnel enabled the line to pass through the Cotswold Edge escarpment, which was perhaps the most challenging topological features along the new line's route. A further major factor in the tunnel's design was the nearby
465:, the route through the tunnel was temporarily closed to traffic between 8 May 2017 and 19 July 2017, and again between 19 August and 15 September 2017. During these closures, the tunnel was retrofitted to fit
314:
are present. The tunnel was built with a mess room at the mid point so that maintenance crews could remain in the tunnel for the whole working day/ night. Due the tunnel passing through an underground
523:
481:
462:
331:
82:
380:, it was one of the last major railway tunnels to be constructed in Britain. The tunnel is constructed with an arch brick lining and measures some 27'6" across and 20'9" high. The
966:
896:
603:
469:, which was installed along its roof via nearly 7,000 holes driven into the ceiling. This package of works also involved measures to reduce the occurrence of flooding.
692:
303:
The tunnel was built between 1897 and 1902; it was amongst the last of the major railway tunnels to be constructed in
Britain. Built to hide the line from the nearby
951:
388:
446:
The tunnel passes through multiple underground water conduits and springs, which has been attributed for the tunnel's tendency towards frequent
347:
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and Wales by ten miles over the previous route, as well as speeding up rail traffic by enabling trains to avoid congestion around
253:
956:
936:
904:
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841:
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76:
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401:
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opened to traffic for the first time, although the full line would not be opened in full until the following year.
65:
25:
293:
172:
248:
373:, from which it was considered important for the new railway to minimise its visual impact on its estate.
207:
318:, it has been particularly prone to flooding and associated closures. It was also a secondary target for
416:
during the late 20th century. The brick-built east and west portals of the tunnel are similarly listed.
271:
167:
51:
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34:
432:
420:
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323:
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69:
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was installed throughout its length, enabling electric traction to traverse the tunnel.
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275:
267:
61:
350:. It was one of the major civil engineering features of a direct 30 mile link between
930:
466:
393:
370:
335:
107:
900:
428:
409:
308:
154:
31:
217:
866:
539:
525:
497:
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424:
330:
2010s. In the same decade, the tunnel was temporarily closed as part of the
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412:
around the top. All six are protected structures, having received Grade II
346:
The construction of
Chipping Sodbury Tunnel commenced during 1897 for the
447:
355:
436:
363:
315:
792:"Polypipe Provides the Solution for Chipping Sodbury Tunnel Flooding"
359:
387:
381:
897:"August work set to bring new trains to Wales and the West"
660:"Six Vent Shafts above Chipping Sodbury Tunnel (SWB10264)"
867:"Great Western Rail upgrades affecting south Wales begin"
396:
express train emerging from
Chipping Sodbury Tunnel, 2012
600:"Chipping Sodbury Tunnel – A saturated environment"
247:
216:
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160:
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89:
75:
57:
47:
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744:"Chipping Sodbury Tunnel East Portal (SWB10106)"
718:"Chipping Sodbury Tunnel West Portal (SWB10348)"
817:"Upgrading the railway through Bristol Parkway"
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376:According to the railway industry periodical
8:
967:Grade II listed buildings in Gloucestershire
463:modernisation of the Great Western main line
423:, the tunnel was a secondary target for the
332:modernisation of the Great Western main line
18:
686:"VCH Gloucestershire 14, Old Sodbury Draft"
623:
621:
24:
17:
404:falling in a westerly direction towards
569:
551:Western end of Chipping Sodbury Tunnel
509:Western end of Chipping Sodbury Tunnel
348:South Wales and Bristol Direct Railway
877:from the original on 11 November 2017
7:
691:. Institute of Historical Research.
400:It slopes at a 1:300 gradient from
748:National Heritage List for England
722:National Heritage List for England
698:from the original on 8 August 2019
664:National Heritage List for England
606:from the original on 31 March 2019
467:overhead electrification equipment
336:overhead electrification equipment
255:25 kV 50 Hz AC
14:
952:Rail transport in Gloucestershire
427:bombers that regularly conducted
358:, which reduced distance between
278:for 4444 yards, approximately
274:in England. It runs under the
203:
135:
1:
772:. British Tunnelling Society
292:miles (4.0 km) west of
983:
962:Tunnels in Gloucestershire
942:Railway tunnels in England
947:Tunnels completed in 1900
842:"Chipping Sodbury Tunnel"
294:Badminton railway station
198:2.5 mi (4.0 km)
23:
270:that is situated on the
173:Transport for Wales Rail
770:"Evening Meetings 2004"
264:Chipping Sodbury Tunnel
19:Chipping Sodbury Tunnel
397:
957:Great Western Railway
937:South Wales Main Line
391:
272:South Wales Main Line
168:Great Western Railway
52:South Wales Main Line
540:51.52972°N 2.30000°W
498:51.53167°N 2.35833°W
535: /
493: /
322:bombing during the
20:
873:. 19 August 2017.
750:. Historic England
724:. Historic England
666:. Historic England
635:. Historic England
545:51.52972; -2.30000
503:51.53167; -2.35833
398:
312:ventilation shafts
907:on 19 August 2017
602:. Rail Engineer.
307:, a total of six
261:
260:
77:OS grid reference
35:ventilation shaft
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903:. Archived from
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629:"Sodbury Tunnel"
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435:at neighbouring
433:Filton Aerodrome
421:Second World War
406:Chipping Sodbury
324:Second World War
298:Chipping Sodbury
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871:BBC News Online
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461:As part of the
368:Badminton House
352:Wootton Bassett
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305:Badminton House
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227:4 ft
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70:Gloucestershire
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847:. Network Rail
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822:. Network Rail
808:
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520:Eastern end -
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478:Western end -
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456:Kingrove river
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276:Cotswold Hills
268:railway tunnel
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83:TQ 30404 84602
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62:Cotswold Hills
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598:Milne, Andy.
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429:bombing raids
426:
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417:
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414:listed status
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410:crenellations
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394:Intercity 125
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378:Rail Engineer
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371:country house
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223:1,435 mm
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108:National Rail
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53:
50:
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41:
37:of the tunnel
36:
33:
27:
22:
16:
916:
909:. Retrieved
905:the original
901:Network Rail
891:
879:. Retrieved
861:
849:. Retrieved
836:
824:. Retrieved
811:
799:. Retrieved
786:
774:. Retrieved
764:
752:. Retrieved
747:
738:
726:. Retrieved
721:
712:
700:. Retrieved
680:
668:. Retrieved
663:
637:. Retrieved
632:
608:. Retrieved
460:
452:
445:
441:
418:
399:
377:
375:
345:
334:, for which
328:
302:
263:
262:
155:Network Rail
15:
543: /
501: /
473:Coordinates
419:During the
309:crenellated
249:Electrified
218:Track gauge
138:of stations
96:operational
32:crenellated
931:Categories
797:. Polypipe
564:References
549: (
527:51°31′47″N
507: (
485:51°31′54″N
64:, outside
911:19 August
881:19 August
633:Pastscape
530:2°18′00″W
488:2°21′30″W
425:Luftwaffe
402:Badminton
320:Luftwaffe
190:Technical
146:Operation
66:Badminton
875:Archived
851:28 March
826:28 March
801:28 March
776:28 March
754:28 March
728:28 March
702:28 March
693:Archived
670:28 March
639:28 March
610:28 March
604:Archived
448:flooding
431:against
356:Patchway
241: in
161:Operator
58:Location
43:Overview
918:Sodbury
437:Bristol
364:Bristol
342:History
316:aquifer
287:⁄
236:⁄
182:Traffic
122: (
360:London
300:Yard.
208:tracks
195:Length
104:System
90:Status
845:(PDF)
820:(PDF)
795:(PDF)
696:(PDF)
689:(PDF)
266:is a
185:Mixed
151:Owner
114:Start
913:2017
883:2017
853:2020
828:2020
803:2020
778:2020
756:2020
730:2020
704:2020
672:2020
641:2020
612:2020
382:clay
354:and
296:and
141:None
124:1902
120:1902
48:Line
392:An
206:of
204:No.
136:No.
933::
915:.
899:.
869:.
746:.
720:.
662:.
649:^
631:.
620:^
572:^
458:.
439:.
326:.
68:,
30:A
885:.
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614:.
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511:)
289:2
285:1
282:+
280:2
243:)
238:2
234:1
231:+
229:8
225:(
212:2
126:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
