Tunnels
As British participation in railway construction in China expanded, a number of railway tunnels were built through hilly and mountainous terrain. In addition to their basic engineering function, the portals of these early tunnels were often given carefully considered architectural treatment.
The Baogaishan Tunnel on the Shanghai–Nanking Railway and the Beacon Hill Tunnel on the Kowloon–Canton Railway both featured substantial brick-and-stone portals centred on semicircular arches and embellished with pilasters, coping, and dated stones. These elements display characteristic features of British railway engineering architecture. Similar arched and masonry portal forms can also be seen on later tunnels of the Jinzhou–Chaoyang Railway, which formed part of the wider Peking–Mukden Railway system.
As railway alignments were altered, lines double-tracked, and new tunnels constructed, some of these early tunnels gradually fell out of use. Many of their masonry portals, however, survive today and provide important physical evidence for the study of early railway engineering and architectural design in China.
The Baogaishan Tunnel at Zhenjiang on the Shanghai–Nanking Railway was built between 1905 and 1908. It was the third double-track railway tunnel built in China, with a total length of 406 m. A vertical construction shaft was used during excavation. From the Shanghai–Nanking and Shanghai–Hangchow–Ningpo Railway Travel Guide, October 1921.
The Beacon Hill Tunnel on the Kowloon–Canton Railway was approximately 2.4 km long and constructed between 1906 and 1908. At the time, it was one of the largest tunnel engineering projects in Asia.
The portals of the Wapping Tunnel and Crown Street Tunnel at Edge Hill, Liverpool. The Wapping Tunnel was excavated in the 1820s and opened in 1830 with the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. Approximately 2 km long, it was one of the world’s earliest railway tunnels to pass beneath a major urban area. The larger portal in the photograph leads toward Wapping, while the smaller adjacent portal led toward the early Crown Street terminus.
In 1981, a new double-track Beacon Hill Tunnel opened, and the original single-track tunnel dating from 1910 was taken out of railway use and converted to carry a gas pipeline. Shown here is the southern portal. Photographed in December 2018.
Tracing the Origins
The western portal of St Anne’s Tunnel, Bristol, built around 1836–1840. The tunnel was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel for the Great Western Railway and constructed in Pennant stone. Its portal combines a large arch with battlement-like detailing and a row of smaller decorative arches, making it a representative example of early railway architecture on the Bristol–Bath section of the Great Western Railway.
In 1931, part of the eastern section of the Baogaishan Tunnel collapsed and the affected section was converted into an open cutting, reducing the tunnel’s length to 345 m. The original eastern portal survives, with the dated stones inscribed “1905” and “1908” still intact. Photographed in January 2022.
The Baogaishan Tunnel remained in use until 2004, when it was closed. Shown here is the western portal. Photographed in January 2022.
The Chaoyangsi (Shangyuan) Tunnel was built in 1923 and is 105 m long. It was the first tunnel constructed on the Jinzhou–Chaoyang Railway. Blast holes were drilled by hand and the tunnel excavated using explosives. Because the surrounding rock was sufficiently hard, no internal lining was required. Shown here is the western portal. Photographed in November 2019.
From the early nineteenth century onward, British railway engineers gradually developed increasingly mature tunnel-building techniques based on earlier experience from canals, mining, and wagonways. Early trunk railways constructed in the 1820s and 1830s, including the Liverpool and Manchester Railway and the Great Western Railway, made extensive use of tunnels to pass through cities, uplands, and hilly terrain. Tunnel interiors were commonly lined in brick or masonry, while the portals varied according to topography, available materials, and the architectural preferences of individual railway companies.
As with bridges and stations, there was no single standardized form for early British railway tunnel portals. In addition to simple masonry arches, the 1830s and 1840s saw the appearance of portals incorporating battlements, towers, Romanesque details, and Gothic Revival ornament. On some major routes, the tunnel entrance was treated as part of the railway’s broader architectural identity. As traffic increased, existing single-track tunnels were also frequently supplemented by parallel bores or enlarged portals to increase capacity.
From the late nineteenth century onward, this mature experience in route selection, excavation, masonry lining, and portal design was introduced into China together with British railway engineering. Early Chinese railway tunnels built with British engineering participation display many similarities in basic structure and construction methods to contemporary British practice, while also being adapted to local geology, materials, and operating conditions.
The Conwy Railway Tunnel, built in 1845, lies within the town of Conwy in Wales and formed part of the Chester & Holyhead Railway, whose chief engineer was Robert Stephenson. The portal is constructed in rough-faced masonry, with a round arch, pronounced voussoirs, and a projecting cornice above. The railway passes through the area of Conwy’s medieval town walls, making the tunnel an important example of railway engineering adapted to a historic urban landscape. It remains in use today as part of the North Wales Coast Line.
The Grosmont Railway Tunnel, built in 1845, was constructed when the York and North Midland Railway converted the former Whitby–Pickering Railway for steam operation. Approximately 130 m long, it has a horseshoe-shaped portal constructed in sandstone masonry. The tunnel remains in use today by the North York Moors Railway, with steam trains continuing to pass through it.