Railway Tunnel

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This tunnel carries a curved single track line along the foot of the basaltic headland at White Head. It measures circa 4.75m wide (15ft 6in) by 191m (209yds) long. Its arched NE entrance has a parabolic profile and is embellished with rusticated limestone blocks which contrast with its black random rubble spandrel which faces the cliff end. A metal sign just beyond this end reads “Whitehead Tunnel; Distance 191m. Refuges at 20m intervals on both sides”.

At the SW end, the first 20m of the tunnel is a 1920s extension. The original random rubble side walls with their limestone quoins survive but the original arch has been replaced with sloping pre-cast reinforced-concrete roof slabs set on mass concrete extensions to the wall heads. This concrete dates from the 1990s and replaced spalled concrete dating from the later 1920s. The original parabolic tunnel profile is visible beyond, the quoins and arch ring of which are both of brick. A metal sign at this end reads “Whitehead Tunnel”.

The defunct single-track line survives inside and at both ends of the tunnel. A short distance beyond the north end of the tunnel, the track is carried over a re-entrant on a three-arch masonry viaduct (HB22/06/007B).

The operational two-way line lies on the seaward side of the tunnel and runs through a deep rock cutting. It is protected from rock falls at its south end by a gabioned rubble masonry wall.

Historical information

Whitehead tunnel, on the Carrickfergus-Whitehead section of the Belfast-Larne railway, was constructed by the Carrickfergus & Larne Railway Company and opened in October 1862. The single-track line was worked by the Belfast & Northern Counties Railway Co (BNCR). Two halts to the south of the tunnel (opened in 1863 and 1864 respectively) served Whitehead until the opening of the present station at the town in 1877.

In 1903, the BNCR was acquired by the Midland Railway and operated through its Northern Counties Committee. The Midland became part of the London, Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS) in 1923.

Between 1926 and 1929, the line between Carrickfergus and Whitehead was doubled by the LMS. The ‘down’ line (to Whitehead) continued to use the tunnel, and the new ‘up’ line (to Carrickfergus) was directed along a cutting blasted through a rocky headland on the seaward side of the tunnel. A short extension to the SW end of the tunnel was also constructed at the same time to eliminate the risk of rockfalls where the line approached the original tunnel entrance.

In 1994, a rock fall forced the abandonment of this section of the down line at the tunnel and the re-ballasting of the up line around the headland for two-way working. Despite work to stabilise the cliff face above the tunnel, there are no immediate plans to re-open it, although this remains a long-term objective should finances permit.

References – Secondary sources
1. Currie, J.R.L. The Northern Counties Railway, volume 1: 1845-1903 (Newton Abbot: David & Charles, 1973).
2. Johnson, S. Johnson’s Atlas & Gazetteer of the Railways of Ireland, p.108 (Leister: Midland Publishing, 1997).
3. Kennedy, M. The LMS in Ireland, p.30 (Leister: Midland Publishing, 2000).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

The extension of the tunnel in concrete in the 1920s illustrates the evolution in technology from a brick arch to reinforced-concrete beam. Its spectacular setting at the bottom of the cliff at White Head clearly illustrates why it was built. Its juxtaposition to the three-arch viaduct to its north (HB22/06/007B) and 1929 'up' line though the rock cutting to its east both enhance its interest.

Historically, this was one of the most significant engineering works on the Carrickfergus-Larne line. The latter was an important national link for the cross-channel ferry to Scotland and the tunnel is most certainly of regional heritage signficance in this regard. It is also one of only a few tunnels in the Province, the others being at Downhill, Co Londonderry (opened 1853; 307yds long) and Lissummon, Co Armagh (1864; 365yds).

General comments

This record has been renumbered as part of a group - previously HB22/06/007. it is policy not to list tunnels.