Rhondda Tunnel to possibly re-open as cycleway

[j***@pyromancer.net]

Wales' longest disused tunnel could become the world's second
longest cycle tunnel, if Tunnel Society project gets go-ahead.

<http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/rhondda-tunnel-could-set-new-8989690>

"It may currently be Wales' longest disused tunnel but if the
project to reopen the Rhondda Tunnel as a cycle path and walkway
is successful it would become the world's second-longest cycle
tunnel."

"The Rhondda Tunnel Society - the group behind the ambitious plans
to reopen the tunnel which connects Blaencwm in the Rhondda Valley
to Blaengwynfi in the Afan Valley - unveiled the information as
leading figures from Plaid Cymru visited Blaengwynfi at the weekend."

"If successful the 3,443-yard (3,148m) tunnel would rank second in
the world behind the 4,000m Snoqualmie Tunnel, near Seattle in the
US."

[Basil Jet]

Post by j***@pyromancer.net
Wales' longest disused tunnel could become the world's second
longest cycle tunnel, if Tunnel Society project gets go-ahead.
<http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/rhondda-tunnel-could-set-new-8989690>
"It may currently be Wales' longest disused tunnel but if the
project to reopen the Rhondda Tunnel as a cycle path and walkway
is successful it would become the world's second-longest cycle
tunnel."
"The Rhondda Tunnel Society - the group behind the ambitious plans
to reopen the tunnel which connects Blaencwm in the Rhondda Valley
to Blaengwynfi in the Afan Valley - unveiled the information as
leading figures from Plaid Cymru visited Blaengwynfi at the weekend."
"If successful the 3,443-yard (3,148m) tunnel would rank second in
the world behind the 4,000m Snoqualmie Tunnel, near Seattle in the
US."

Apparently the Snoqualmie Tunnel is usually closed from November 1st to
early May due to ice formations inside the tunnel, so the Rhondda will
be the longest cycle tunnel in the world every winter.

[BevanPrice]

Post by j***@pyromancer.net
Wales' longest disused tunnel could become the world's second
longest cycle tunnel, if Tunnel Society project gets go-ahead.
<http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/rhondda-tunnel-could-set-new-8989690>
"It may currently be Wales' longest disused tunnel but if the
project to reopen the Rhondda Tunnel as a cycle path and walkway
is successful it would become the world's second-longest cycle
tunnel."
"The Rhondda Tunnel Society - the group behind the ambitious plans
to reopen the tunnel which connects Blaencwm in the Rhondda Valley
to Blaengwynfi in the Afan Valley - unveiled the information as
leading figures from Plaid Cymru visited Blaengwynfi at the weekend."
"If successful the 3,443-yard (3,148m) tunnel would rank second in
the world behind the 4,000m Snoqualmie Tunnel, near Seattle in the
US."

The line through Rhondda tunnel closed because of subsidence. Is the
tunnel now safe, or is there still a danger of possible collapse ?

Bevan

[Mark A]

Post by BevanPrice
The line through Rhondda tunnel closed because of subsidence. Is the
tunnel now safe, or is there still a danger of possible collapse ?
Bevan

I think BR used the "Ribblehead" strategy on the route.
'Major structure failing, repair unaffordable' etc etc. Hopefully the
current structural survey will be disinterested rather than being
written to a presumed outcome.

[Basil Jet]

Post by Mark A

Post by BevanPrice
The line through Rhondda tunnel closed because of subsidence. Is the
tunnel now safe, or is there still a danger of possible collapse ?
Bevan

I think BR used the "Ribblehead" strategy on the route.
'Major structure failing, repair unaffordable' etc etc. Hopefully the
current structural survey will be disinterested rather than being
written to a presumed outcome.

Or maybe trains are heavier than bicycles.

[bob]

Post by Basil Jet

Post by Mark A

Post by BevanPrice
The line through Rhondda tunnel closed because of subsidence. Is the
tunnel now safe, or is there still a danger of possible collapse ?
Bevan

I think BR used the "Ribblehead" strategy on the route.
'Major structure failing, repair unaffordable' etc etc. Hopefully the
current structural survey will be disinterested rather than being
written to a presumed outcome.

Or maybe trains are heavier than bicycles.

Or, potentially, it's possible to make the tunnel safe much more
cheaply if a railway loading gauge need not be maintained, with some
sort of internal support structure at the critical location.

Robin

[BevanPrice]

Post by Basil Jet

Post by Mark A

Post by BevanPrice
The line through Rhondda tunnel closed because of subsidence. Is the
tunnel now safe, or is there still a danger of possible collapse ?
Bevan

I think BR used the "Ribblehead" strategy on the route.
'Major structure failing, repair unaffordable' etc etc. Hopefully the
current structural survey will be disinterested rather than being
written to a presumed outcome.

Or maybe trains are heavier than bicycles.

Maybe it could be used to house a "strategic reserve" of the "menace
category" of cyclists, those who ride on pavements, without lights (at
night), and who ignore traffic signs / lights.......... Just leave
enough space at the tunnel mouths to allow them to be provided with
water & food.

Bevan

[Mark A]

Post by BevanPrice
Maybe it could be used to house a "strategic reserve" of the "menace
category" of cyclists, those who ride on pavements, without lights (at
night), and who ignore traffic signs / lights.......... Just leave
enough space at the tunnel mouths to allow them to be provided with
water & food.

Yeah, round here, the pavements are all cracked and trip hazardy from
where the cyclists have ridden on them, they often leave their bikes
blocking the pavement completely, and you know, 3 in 10 injury accidents
between people on foot and wheeled traffic happen on the pavement too.
i.e. in 2013, over 130 people. Bloody cyclists, eh?

But this is uk.railway, so lets celebrate the relative absence of
passenger casualties from railway accidents these last years.

[tim.....]

Post by Mark A

Post by BevanPrice
The line through Rhondda tunnel closed because of subsidence. Is the
tunnel now safe, or is there still a danger of possible collapse ?
Bevan

I think BR used the "Ribblehead" strategy on the route.
'Major structure failing, repair unaffordable' etc etc.

though it doesn't look like a very likely reopening candidate, does it?

Post by Mark A
Hopefully the current structural survey will be disinterested rather than
being written to a presumed outcome.

[G***@live.co.uk]

Post by tim.....

Post by Mark A

Post by BevanPrice
The line through Rhondda tunnel closed because of subsidence. Is the
tunnel now safe, or is there still a danger of possible collapse ?
Bevan

I think BR used the "Ribblehead" strategy on the route.
'Major structure failing, repair unaffordable' etc etc.

though it doesn't look like a very likely reopening candidate, does it?

Post by Mark A
Hopefully the current structural survey will be disinterested rather than
being written to a presumed outcome.

In fairness, they seem to have factored that in when the high quoted cost and lengthy timescales are considered. It is a shame the line originally closed as it was a useful means by which one could travel between valleys but the condition of the tunnel, the decrease in coal traffic (I believe coal traffic on that section had ceased in the mid 60s) and the low population sealed the line's fate. Part of the line from Bridgend to Maesteg reopened in 1992, of course, but there have never been any serious plans to go further north owing to the lower population levels.

[Paul Harley]

Post by BevanPrice
The line through Rhondda tunnel closed because of subsidence. Is the
tunnel now safe, or is there still a danger of possible collapse ?

There's a stack of (decayed) sleepers in the centre of the tunnel, so
the roof appears to be "suspect" at this point.

<Loading Image...>

Paul Harley

[Andrew Clarke]

Post by Paul Harley
There's a stack of (decayed) sleepers in the centre of the tunnel, so
the roof appears to be "suspect" at this point.
<http://www.tunnelsuk.com/site_visits/2010/june/06_s_wales_01/images/rhondda_e_45.jpg>
Paul Harley

A procedure known as "pigstying" on Australian railways, often used in the past for temporary repair of flood damage:

http://www.builderbill-diy-help.com/low-tech.html#mozTocId120529

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

[Charles Ellson]

On Sat, 11 Apr 2015 02:16:39 -0700 (PDT), Andrew Clarke

Post by Andrew Clarke

Post by Paul Harley
There's a stack of (decayed) sleepers in the centre of the tunnel, so
the roof appears to be "suspect" at this point.
<http://www.tunnelsuk.com/site_visits/2010/june/06_s_wales_01/images/rhondda_e_45.jpg>
Paul Harley

http://www.builderbill-diy-help.com/low-tech.html#mozTocId120529

Similar repairs to bomb-damaged viaducts were used during WW2,
featuring in photographs in a book about SR operations during the war.
ISTR the same method was also used to enable LT trams to keep
operating over larger excavations by utility providers.