Celebrating 175th anniversary of one of the oldest railway tunnels in the world

Richard Greenwood of STORM; Mayor of Rochdale, Surinder Biant; Mayoress Cecile Biant and Simon Brooks, Station Manager at Littleborough

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The 175th anniversary of the Summit Railway Tunnel, one of the oldest railway tunnels in the world, was marked by a celebration by local community groups, along with Northern Rail.

The tunnel between Littleborough and Todmorden played a vital role in connecting communities, enabling trains to cross the Pennines from Manchester to Leeds for the first time.

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/101405/175th-anniversary-of-the-opening-of-summit-tunnel

At just over 1.6 miles (2.6 km) long and approximately 7.2m (23.6 feet) wide and 6.6m (21.6 feet) high, it made it into the record books at the time as the longest railway tunnel in the world when it was completed on 1 March 1841.

The tunnel was mined by hand through shale, coal and sandstone, then lined with six courses of bricks (using over 23 million bricks in all).

The significant anniversary was marked by STORM (‘Support The Rochdale Oldham Manchester Rail Lines’), Friends of Littleborough Station, Littleborough Historical and Archaeological Society, East Lancashire Railway, and Northern Rail in a series of events.

Complimentary train rides, with specially produced commemorative tickets, were provided by Northern throughout the day on services between Manchester and Leeds, giving people the opportunity to travel through the historic tunnel.

The official anniversary was marked with a ceremony at Littleborough station which was attended by the Mayor of Rochdale, Surinder Biant, and included music from Littleborough Holy Trinity C of E primary school band.

The event was held in Littleborough Historical and Archaeological Society (LHAS) rooms. The main room on the station included an exhibition of photographs as well as the showing of DVDs and recordings of the TV News programmes broadcast at the time of the fire. The event was facilitated by the LHAS with the Friends of Littleborough Station assisting with the catering.

Talks were also given by local historians alongside exhibitions at Sowerby Bridge and Littleborough stations and Bury’s Museum of Transport.

Educational trips will also take place for schools in the region, enabling pupils to take a train trip through the tunnel and learn more about this significant engineering feat.

Richard Greenwood, Chairman of 'Support the Oldham Rochdale Manchester Rail Lines' group said: "Littleborough was the town which was the centre of activity in building Summit Tunnel. Overnight it was transformed for three years into a Boom Town and temporary home to hundreds of Navvies. What a transformation for a small Pennine township."

Matthew Worman, Client and Stakeholder Manager for Northern Rail, said: “It’s been great to work alongside the local communities to celebrate such a significant period in rail history.

"It’s important to recognise the role that the railway plays in connecting communities.”