Thames Tunnel Totally Explained

Everything about Thames Foot Tunnel totally explained

The Thames Tunnel is an underwater tunnel, built beneath the River Thames in London. 35 feet wide (11 m), 20 feet (6 m) high and 1,300 feet (396 m) long, it runs between Rotherhithe and Wapping at a depth of 75 feet (23 m) below the river's surface at high tide. It was originally designed for, but never used by, horse-drawn carriages and was most recently used by trains of the London Underground's East London Line, although services have been suspended since 23 December 2007 for conversion of the line to become part of the London Overground network by 2010. It was built by Marc Isambard Brunel and his son Isambard Kingdom Brunel in the 19th century between 1825 and 1843.

History and development

Construction

At the start of the 19th century, there was a pressing need for a new land connection between the north and south banks of the Thames to link the expanding docks on both sides of the river. The engineer Ralph Dodd tried but failed to build a tunnel between Gravesend and Tilbury in 1799.
   In 1805-1809 a group of Cornish miners, including Richard Trevithick, attempted to dig a tunnel further upriver between Rotherhithe and Wapping but failed because of the difficult conditions of the ground. The Cornish miners were used to hard rock and didn't modify their methods for soft clay and quicksand. The "Thames Archway" project was abandoned after it caved in when 1,000 feet (305 m) of a total of 1,200 feet (366 m) had been dug. However, even if it had been completed its usefulness would have been questionable; it only measured 2-3 feet by 5 feet (61-91 cm by 1.5 m), far too small for passenger use.
   The failure of the Thames Archway project led engineers to conclude that "an underground tunnel is impracticable". However, the Anglo-French engineer Marc Brunel refused to accept this conclusion. In 1814 he proposed to Tsar Alexander I of Russia a plan to build a tunnel under the river Neva in St Petersburg. This scheme was turned down (a bridge was built instead) but Brunel continued to develop ideas for new methods of tunnelling.}}
The key innovation of the tunnelling shield was its support for the unlined ground in front and around it to reduce the risk of collapses. However, many workers, including Brunel himself, soon fell ill from the poor conditions caused by filthy sewage laden water seeping through from the river above. This sewage gave off methane gas which was ignited by the miner's oil lamps. When the resident engineer, William Armstrong, fell ill in April 1826 Marc's son Isambard Kingdom Brunel took over at the age of just 20.
   Work was slow, progressing at only 8-12 feet a week (3-4 m). To earn some income from the tunnel the company directors allowed sightseers to view the shield in operation. An estimated 600-800 visitors per day paid 1 shilling for the adventure.
   The excavation was also hazardous. The tunnel flooded suddenly on 18 May 1827 after 549 feet had been dug.}}
The Thames Tunnel was fitted out with lighting, roadways and spiral staircases during 1841-1842. An engine house on the Rotherhithe side, which now houses the Brunel Museum, was also constructed to house machinery for draining the tunnel. The tunnel was finally opened to the public on 25 March 1843. and became the subject of popular songs. The American traveller William Allen Drew commented that "No one goes to London without visiting the Tunnel" and described it as the "eighth wonder of the world". The American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne, writing in 1855, took a much more negative view of the tunnel when he visited it a few years after Drew:
Use as a railway tunnel No doubt to the relief of the tunnel's investors, it was purchased in September 1865 by the East London Railway Company, a consortium of six mainline railways. which sought to use the tunnel to provide a rail link for goods and passengers between Wapping (and later Liverpool Street) and the South London Line. The tunnel's generous headroom, resulting from the architects' original intention of accommodating horse-drawn carriages, provided a sufficient loading gauge for trains as well. The first train ran through the tunnel on 7 December 1869. In 1884, the tunnel's disused entrance shafts in Wapping and Rotherhithe were converted into Wapping and Rotherhithe stations respectively.
   The East London Railway was later absorbed into the London Underground, where it became today's East London Line. It continued to be used for goods services as late as 1962. The Thames Tunnel remains the oldest piece of the Underground's infrastructure.
   In 1995 the tunnel became the focus of considerable controversy when it was closed for long-term maintenance. Its condition had deteriorated so severely that London Underground management publicly declared that if it couldn't be repaired the entire East London Line would have to be permanently closed. However, the proposed repair method was to seal it against leaks by "shotcreting" it with concrete, obliterating its original appearance. This led to a bitter conflict with architectural interests wishing to preserve the tunnel's appearance and disputing the need for the treatment.
   Following an agreement to leave a short section at one end of the tunnel untreated, and more sympathetic treatment of the rest of the tunnel, the work went ahead and the route reopened — much later than originally anticipated — in 1998. The tunnel closed again from 23 December 2007 in order to permit tracklaying and resignalling for the East London Line extension, due to open in 2010. The extension work will result in the tunnel becoming part of the new London Overground and it'll once again be used by mainline trains.

Influence

The construction of the Thames Tunnel showed that it was indeed possible to build underwater tunnels, despite the previous scepticism of many engineers. Several new underwater tunnels were built in the UK in the following decades: the Tower Subway in London, the world's first underground tube railway; the Severn Tunnel under the River Severn; and the Mersey Railway Tunnel under the River Mersey. All were built using refinements of Brunel's tunnelling shield, with James Henry Greathead playing a particularly important role in developing the technology. The historic importance of the tunnel was recognised on 24 March 1995, when the structure was listed Grade II in recognition of its architectural importance. A plaque could be seen above the stairs descending to the Rotherhithe platforms before the temporary closure. The plaque has been removed for safe keeping for the duration of the works.

Visiting

Nearby in Rotherhithe is the Brunel Museum which is open to visitors as a museum. It was originally built to house the draining pumps for the tunnel and has now been restored. As of 2008 the museum isn't running any tours through the Thames Tunnel by train as the East London Line is currently closed for major refurbishment and upgrade.

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