Editing Summit Tunnel (section)

{{Short description|Railway tunnel near Todmorden, West Yorkshire, England}}
{{about|the Summit Tunnel in England|the Summit Tunnel in California|Tunnel No. 41}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox tunnel
| name          = Summit Tunnel
| image         = Summit Tunnel southern portal DI.jpg
| image_size    = 
| alt           = A train emerging from a tunnel portal 
| caption       = [[Northern Rail]] [[British Rail Class 158|Class 158]] emerges from Summit Tunnel southern portal near Littleborough
| official_name = 
| other_name    = 
| line          = [[Calder Valley line]]
| location      = 
| coordinates   = {{coord|53|41|02|N|2|05|31|W|region:GB-CLD_type:landmark|display=inline, title}}
| os_grid_ref   = SD940208
| status        = Open
| system        = 
| crosses       = 
| start         = 
| end           = 
| stations      = 
| startwork     = 
| opened        = 1 March 1841
| closed        = 20 December 1984
| rebuilt       = 
| reopened      = 19 August 1985
| owner         = 
| operator      = 
| traffic       = 
| character     = 
| engineer      = [[Thomas Longridge Gooch]]
| construction  = 
| length        = {{convert|1|mi|1,125|yd}}
| linelength    = 
| tracklength   = 
| notrack       = 2
| gauge         = 
| el            = 
| speed         = 
| hielevation   = 
| lowelevation  = 
| height        = 
| width         =
| grade         = 1-in-330 (southwards)
| map           = 
| extra         = 
}}
'''Summit Tunnel''' in England is one of the world's oldest railway tunnels. It was constructed between 1838 and 1841 by the [[Manchester and Leeds Railway]] Company to provide a direct line between [[Leeds]] and [[Manchester]]. When built, Summit Tunnel was the longest railway tunnel in the world.

The tunnel, between [[Littleborough, Greater Manchester|Littleborough]] and [[Walsden]] near [[Todmorden]], was bored beneath the [[Pennines]], a natural obstruction to most forms of traffic. The tunnel is just over {{convert|1.6|mi|km}} long and carries two [[Standard gauge|standard-gauge]] tracks in a single horseshoe-shaped tube, approximately {{convert|7.2|m|ft|order=flip}} wide and {{convert|6.6|m|ft|order=flip}} high. Summit Tunnel was designed by [[Thomas Longridge Gooch]], assisted by Barnard Dickinson. Progress on its construction was slower than anticipated, largely because excavation was more difficult than anticipated. On 1 March 1841, Summit Tunnel was opened by Sir John Frederick Sigismund Smith; it had cost of £251,000 and 41 workers had died.

On 20 December 1984, the [[Summit Tunnel fire]] occurred. There were no deaths and five months later, the tunnel reopened after repairs. The tunnel has remained in continuous use with little interruption since it opened.