It has seen life as a mushroom farm, was used by the military in Word War II and, more recently, has become a canvas for graffiti.
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Now, after sitting somewhat idle for almost a century, the old Otford Railway Tunnel is about to get a new lease of life – as a shared cycleway and walkway.
The historic tunnel, which opened in 1888 and saw its last passenger train in 1920, has been dubbed the missing piece of a coastal track between Cronulla and Lake Illawarra.
Plans for the shared path through the 1.8km tunnel, linking Otford with Stanwell Park, include sensor lights illuminating the thoroughfare as walkers and riders traverse the cool, dark depths.
Work is in its early stages, with $1.5 million set aside in this year’s state budget.
A further $1.5 million will be allocated in 2018-19.
The disused concrete and brick single-track tunnel has a colourful history.
As the longest and steepest (a one-in-40 gradient) built at the time, it was notorious for hot and suffocating conditions as trains climbed from Thirroul.
“Trains used to get here and then not be able to actually get through the tunnel because it’d fill up with smoke,” explained Wollongong City Councillor Leigh Colacino.
“There’d be passengers on the train who would be passing out. It’d have to back out towards Stanwell Park again and have another run up at it.”
Mr Colacino said while the tunnel’s former glory was a rail corridor, its conversion into a cycleway would see it become “a definite part of the Grand Pacific Walk”.
“When you’re going south out of the tunnel ... all of a sudden the whole of the Illawarra opens up in front of you,” he said.
“I think that’s really critical because on the other side you’re still virtually in the Sydney basin.”
Heathcote MP Lee Evans said opening the tunnel would complete the Grand Pacific Walk’s “missing link”.
“Eventually we’ll be able to ride from basically Cronulla all the way through to Lake Illawarra,” Mr Evans said.
Helensburgh Off Road Cycle Club member Christina Robinson, a long-time advocate of the upgrade, said the tunnel would provide a safer, off-road route for cyclists.
ABOUT THE OTFORD TUNNEL
- Built in 1888, closed in October 1920
- It was the longest and steepest single line tunnel to be built at the time (1824m long with a 1 in 40 gradient) as part of a major engineering work built in 1888 to connect the Illawarra line to Sydney.
- It is part of a notoriously steep section of the Illawarra line south of Waterfall used in the late 19th century by steam trains and bypassed by the Helensburgh deviation in 1919.
- The tunnel was notorious for hot and suffocating conditions experienced by the crew of steam trains climbing to Waterfall from Thirroul. There were cases of enginemen burnt by the heat.
- Used during the second world war as part of an explosives program.
- In 1915 the Helensburgh deviation was under construction to create a set of new tunnels deviating around the Stanwell Park amphitheatre: the duplicated line was able to fully bypass the Otford tunnel.
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Andrew Pearson
Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.
Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.
