The Rhondda Tunnel Society has submitted plans to re-open the Rhondda Tunnel and transform it into Europe’s longest walking and cycling tunnel.
An application to the Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) Council requests excavation to expose the buried tunnel entrance at Blaencwm at the head of the Rhondda Fawr Valley. This marks the first phase of the project.
The tunnel is currently owned by the Department for Transport and managed by Highways England. Ownership rules prevent the tunnel from being re-opened until it is transferred to a suitable body.
The Rhondda Tunnel, nearly two miles long, was opened in 1890 to transport coal from the Rhondda Valley to Swansea Bay for export. In 1968, the tunnel was closed due to internal distortion, pending repairs.
However, with the Beeching cuts, the entire line was shut down, and by 1980, both tunnel entrances were filled in, leaving little evidence of its existence. Access remains difficult, limited to vertical air shafts at either end.
Rhondda Tunnel Society said the tunnel is in good condition despite nearly 60 years of neglect. The society is also conducting regular visits to monitor its air quality.
The planning application aims to expose the Blaencwm entrance of the Rhondda Tunnel by partially re-excavating the railway cutting. Access to the tunnel will remain restricted until repairs are completed.
The approach cutting will also be extended to reduce the cycle path gradient. Excavated material will be relocated to the former Glenrhondda Colliery site, now owned by the charitable society.
This will be landscaped as the first step in creating a future country park, featuring a visitors’ centre and other attractions.
Part of the funding to expose the Rhondda Tunnel has already been pledged, but the Rhondda Tunnel Society will need to raise the remaining amount through various fundraising initiatives.
Once work at Blaencwm begins, the next goal will be to expose the other entrance at Blaengwynfi in the Afan Valley.
This phase is more costly due to the tunnel’s greater depth at that location. With access at both ends, vehicles and machinery will be able to reach the tunnel easily for repairs and renovations.
Rhondda Tunnel Society chair Stephen Mackey said: “This is a hugely exciting step in the process of completely reopening the Rhondda tunnel. “As Europe’s longest walking and cycling tunnel, it will undoubtedly bring economic, tourism and cultural benefits to the immediate area and region as a whole.”
