Light at the end of the tunnel for reopening plan

SUCH is the enthusiasm for a project to boost tourism and the local economy across two South Wales valleys that people travelled for miles and turned up in driving rain to gather in a tent in a field to find out the next step to make the dream become a reality.

- JOANNE RIDOUT Property editor [e-mail]

After spending so much time filming for BBC's Homes Under The Hammer in the valleys, as well as buying and restoring an old farmhouse in the Rhondda Fawr, Martin Roberts has become a familiar face in the area, so it was not a surprise that the Rhondda Tunnel Society invited him to explore the now blocked-up former railway tunnel.

It was the start of a fascination and deep connection with this industrial structure that has since seen Roberts accept an invitation from Rhondda Tunnel Society to become the charity's patron.

Together, the group has been working tirelessly to progress the reopening of the tunnel - and now that possibility is only a step away from happening.

The tunnel was constructed by the Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway, with work starting in 1885 from both ends, at Blaencwm in the Rhondda and Blaengwynfi in the Afan Valley, and opened in 1890.

It was used to carry coal trains to Swansea Bay until its closure in 1969, with entrances to the tunnel at both ends then buried and the ground above landscaped.

For many years, the volunteer charity Rhondda Tunnel Society (RTS) has been raising awareness and fundraising for the tunnel to be reopened to link the two valleys as a cycling and walking tunnel.

It would be the longest in Europe and second in the world to the Snoqualmie Tunnel near Seattle in the USA, but this tunnel is not continually open throughout the year.

The prospect of the tunnel being used again is one step closer with the announcement of a partnership between RTS and Railway Paths Ld, an experienced charity that owns and maintains former railway infrastructure and architecture across Great Britain.

Roberts explained at the event held at the Blaengwynfi end of the tunnel: “Everyone here is singing one song, which is that this tunnel must open and everybody is in support of it.