Linslade Tunnel

Linslade Tunnel is a railway tunnel in Bedfordshire, England, on the West Coast Main Line about 0.54 miles north of Leighton Buzzard railway station and built under Linslade Woods. Consisting of three individual bores, the tunnel is somewhat unusual as there is a slight bend in its alignment.

The first bore was constructed during the 1830s, the engineering of which having been performed by the pioneering railway builder George Stephenson. The only of the three bores to accommodate double track, it was first opened to traffic during 1837. During 1857, the eastern bore was opened to serve a branch line from Leighton Buzzard to Dunstable; this has since been closed. In 1876, the western bore was completed, being noticeably narrower than its predecessors. During the 1960s, Linslade Tunnel was outfitted with overhead electrification as part of a wider scheme to introduce electric traction on the West Coast Main Line. In the 1970s, the tunnel portals on either side of the tunnel were recognised as grade II listed buildings due to their connection to early railway engineering history. During the 2010s, remedial engineering works were performed in the tunnel.

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