RAILSCOT | Holytown Tunnel

Holytown Tunnel

Location type

Tunnel

Name and dates

Holytown Tunnel (1834-1855)

Opened on the Wishaw and Coltness Railway.
Opened on the Mossend Marshalling Yard (Caledonian Railway).

Description

This tunnel was in the Carnbroe Estate and was opened out in 1855. It was on the Wishaw and Coltness Railway between, using modern references, the M8 (to the north) and Mossend Marshalling Yard (to the south). The tunnel may have been twin bore. Known as either Holytown or Carnbroe Tunnel.

The opening out of the tunnel was included in the act for the Caledonian Railway. The tunnel was opened out by contractor Alexander Wilson who later took the Caledonian Railway to court as the excavated ground turned out not to be earth but rock.

The Ordnance Survey Name Book refers to it thus

The Tunnel near this, of the Wishaw & Coltness Section of the Caledonian Railway, is being cut through for the purpose of doing away with it. It has been worked for that purpose for 2 years & it is probable that the same will be taken before it is completed. The Tunnel was condemmed as dangerous.

The Caledonian Railway, having taken over the Wishaw and Coltness Railway in 1948, embarked on a series of improvements on what was now a main line rather than a largely mineral line. From 1849 trains from London and the south used this route to approach the new Buchanan Street terminus in Glasgow. To the south, the Motherwell Deviation (Caledonian Railway) opened in 1857 replacing the deteriorating Jerviston Viaduct as well as improving the layout in Motherwell.

Aliases

Carnbroe Tunnel

External links

NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
NLS Map

Nearby stations Carnbroe Mossend Cairnhill Bridge Calder Iron Works [Station] Holytown [1st] Whifflet [CR] Whifflet Calder Whifflet [NB] Whifflet Lower Bellshill [NB] Whifflet Upper Bellshill Calderbank Coatdyke	Burnhouse Weighs Rise Pit (Coal) Carnbroe Slag Crushing Works Former Bing Thankerton No 1 Colliery Engine Pit (Coal) New Pit (Coal) Coal Pit Rosehall Colliery Glen Pit North Rosehall Junction Mossend Marshalling Yard Carnbroe Yard Tourist/other Carnbroe Signal Box [CR] Carnbroe Iron Works Signal Box Carnbroe North Signal Box
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line.

Chronology Dates

25/01/1834	Wishaw and Coltness Railway First portion of line opened from Whifflet to Holytown [1st] for minerals. (This portion included the Holytown Tunnel south of Carnbroe.)
/ /1854	Wishaw and Coltness Railway Authorisation to open out the Holytown Tunnel. (Associated with other improvements such as the Motherwell Deviation (Caledonian Railway) authorised in the same year.)
/ /1855	Wishaw and Coltness Railway Holytown Tunnel opened out.