NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Tunnels underneath the River Thames

There are many tunnels under the River Thames in and near London, which, thanks largely to its underlying bed of clay, is one of the most tunnelled cities in the world. The tunnels are used for road vehicles, pedestrians, Tube and railway lines and utilities. Several are over a century old; the first, the Thames Tunnel, was the world's first underwater tunnel. Thames tunnels Image created by ChrisO - Feb 24, 2004 File links The following pages link to this file: Tunnels underneath the River Thames Categories: GFDL images ... The Thames (pronounced /temz/) is a river flowing through southern England and connecting London with the sea. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... Slight modifications to the famous London Underground roundel indicate the name of each station on platform and some outdoor signs. ... Interior of the Thames Tunnel, mid-19th century The Thames Tunnel is a tunnel, 35 feet wide and 1,300 feet long, beneath the River Thames in London, between Rotherhithe and Wapping. ...

These tunnels are, from east (downstream) to west (upstream):

Dartford Tunnel (twin tunnels constructed in 1963 and 1980). Also the Dartford Cable Tunnel, a circa 3-m diameter tunnel built upstream of the Dartford Tunnels in 2003-4 and designed to carry and allow for maintenance of 400 kV national electric grid cable beneath the Thames.
Woolwich foot tunnel (between Woolwich and North Woolwich - 1912)
Jubilee Line tunnels (between North Greenwich and Canning Town - 1999)
Blackwall Tunnels (between North Greenwich and Poplar - Alexander Binnie, 1897; second bore 1967)
Jubilee Line tunnels (between Canary Wharf and North Greenwich - 1999)
Docklands Light Railway tunnels (between Island Gardens and Cutty Sark - 1999)
Greenwich foot tunnel (between Millwall and Greenwich - Alexander Binnie, 1902)
Jubilee Line tunnels (between Canada Water and Canary Wharf - 1999)
Rotherhithe Tunnel (between Rotherhithe and Limehouse - Maurice Fitzmaurice, 1908)
Thames Tunnel (between Wapping and Rotherhithe) (Marc Brunel, 1843; the world's first underwater tunnel, now part of the East London Line)
Tower Subway (Peter W. Barlow and James Henry Greathead, 1870; originally the world's first underground tube railway, then a foot tunnel, it now carries pipes and fibre-optic cables)
Northern Line (City branch) tunnels (1900). Also 12a. City & South London Railway tunnels (between Borough tube station and King William Street tube station, 1890; the world's first electric tube railway, with tunnels only 10 ft 2 in in diameter, became disused in 1900 when new 11 ft 6 in tunnels to the east replaced them)
Waterloo & City Line tunnels (1898)
Northern Line (Charing Cross branch) tunnels (1926)
Bakerloo Line tunnels (1906)
Jubilee Line tunnels (between Westminster and Waterloo; 1999)
Victoria Line tunnels (1971)

Twin tunnels for high-speed trains have been constructed between Ebbsfleet in Kent and Purfleet in Essex as part of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link. Boring of the tunnels was completed in 2003 and they are now being fitted out. The railway is due to open in 2007 and its crossing will be downstream of all the other river crossings. The Dartford Crossing joins Dartford and Thurrock across the River Thames. ... The Woolwich foot tunnel is a tunnel crossing under the River Thames in east London from Woolwich in the London Borough of Greenwich to North Woolwich in the London Borough of Newham. ... Woolwich (pronounced Woolitch) is a town in south-east London, England in the London Borough of Greenwich, on the south side of the River Thames, though the tiny exclave of North Woolwich (which is now part of the London Borough of Newham) is on the north side of the river. ... North Woolwich consists of two tracts of land, totalling 412 acres (1. ... 1912 was a leap year starting on Monday. ... The Jubilee Line is a line on the London Underground, coloured grey on the Tube map. ... North Greenwich tube station on the Jubilee Line opened in time for the Millennium celebrations at the end of 1999 - it is adjacent to the Millennium Dome at the northern end of an area sometimes referred to as the Greenwich peninsula. ... Canning Town station is a major intermodal transport interchange situated at Canning Town in East London. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) is a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... The Blackwall Tunnel is the name given to a pair of road tunnels underneath the River Thames in east London, linking the London Borough of Greenwich with the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. ... North Greenwich is an old name for the southern tip of the Isle of Dogs in London, facing Greenwich over the River Thames. ... Poplar is an area of the East End of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. ... Sir Alexander Binnie was a civil engineer responsible for several major engineering projects, including several associated with crossings of the River Thames in London. ... 1897 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Jubilee Line is a line on the London Underground, coloured grey on the Tube map. ... Exterior of Canary Wharf tube station Interior view under station canopy Concourse of Canary Wharf station Concourse and concourse roof of Canary Wharf station A Jubilee Line train stopped at Canary Wharf underground station Canary Wharf tube station is a London Underground station on the Jubilee Line, between Canada Water... North Greenwich tube station on the Jubilee Line opened in time for the Millennium celebrations at the end of 1999 - it is adjacent to the Millennium Dome at the northern end of an area sometimes referred to as the Greenwich peninsula. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) is a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is a light rail public transport metro for the redeveloped Docklands area of eastern London, England. ... Categories: Docklands Light Railway stations | London Underground stubs ... The Cutty Sark in its dry dock at Greenwich The Cutty Sark (Scots for short shirt) was, in 1869, one of the last sailing clippers to be built, and she is the only classic clipper still surviving. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) is a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Greenwich side entrance, with a similar Tower Hamlets side entrance visible in the distance to the right The Greenwich foot tunnel is a pedestrian tunnel crossing beneath the River Thames in east London, linking the London Borough of Greenwich to the south with the London Borough of Tower Hamlets to... Millwall Docks Millwall is an area in London, on the Isle of Dogs, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. ... Greenwich (pronounced gren-itch , or by the locals) is a town, now part of the south eastern urban sprawl of London, on the south bank of the river Thames in the London Borough of Greenwich. ... Sir Alexander Binnie was a civil engineer responsible for several major engineering projects, including several associated with crossings of the River Thames in London. ... 1902 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Jubilee Line is a line on the London Underground, coloured grey on the Tube map. ... Canada Water station on the Tube Map Canada Water tube station Below-ground view of the drum at Canada Water Canada Water tube station is a London Underground station at Canada Water in Rotherhithe. ... Exterior of Canary Wharf tube station Interior view under station canopy Concourse of Canary Wharf station Concourse and concourse roof of Canary Wharf station A Jubilee Line train stopped at Canary Wharf underground station Canary Wharf tube station is a London Underground station on the Jubilee Line, between Canada Water... 1999 (MCMXCIX) is a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... The Rotherhithe tunnel is a road tunnel crossing beneath the River Thames in east London. ... Historic Mayflower Pub Albion Canal Riverside Developments View from Stave Hill over Canary Wharf Stave Hill woodland Rotherhithe is a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames in east London in the London Borough of Southwark, facing Wapping and the Isle of Dogs on the north bank. ... Limehouse Town Hall in 2004 Limehouse is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. ... 1908 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Interior of the Thames Tunnel, mid-19th century The Thames Tunnel is a tunnel, 35 feet wide and 1,300 feet long, beneath the River Thames in London, between Rotherhithe and Wapping. ... Wapping is a London Underground station near Wapping in east London, England. ... Rotherhithe is a London Underground station in Rotherhithe. ... Marc Isambard Brunel, engraving by G. Metzeroth, circa 1880 Sir Marc Isambard Brunel (April 25, 1769 – December 12, 1849) was a French-born engineer who eventually settled in the United Kingdom. ... 1843 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The East London Line is a line of the London Underground, coloured orange on the Tube map. ... The Tower Subway is a tunnel beneath the River Thames in central London, close â€” as the name suggests â€” to the Tower of London. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... James Henry Greathead (6 August 1844 - 21 October 1896) was an engineer renowned for his work on the underground railway networks of London. ... 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Northern Line is a deep-level tube line of the London Underground, coloured black on the Tube map. ... 1900 is a common year starting on Monday. ... The City & South London Railway (C&SLR), originally known as City of London & Southwark Subway, is considered to be the first real deep-level tube railway in the world. ... Borough tube station Borough tube station is a London Underground station in The Borough, London Borough of Southwark. ... King William Street was a short-lived northern terminus on the City & South London Railway (CSLR), a predecessor to the Northern Line on the London Underground. ... 1890 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Waterloo & City Line is a short underground metro line in London, formally opened on 11 July 1898. ... 1898 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Northern Line is a deep-level tube line of the London Underground, coloured black on the Tube map. ... 1926 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Bakerloo Line is a line of the London Underground and coloured brown on the Tube map. ... 1906 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Jubilee Line is a line on the London Underground, coloured grey on the Tube map. ... Categories: Circle Line stations | District Line stations | Jubilee Line stations | London Underground stubs ... The main entrance of Waterloo Station. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) is a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... The Victoria Line is a line of the London Underground, coloured light blue on the Tube map. ... 1971 is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ... Ebbsfleet is a location in Kent where a Channel Tunnel Rail Link station is due to open in 2007. ... Kent is a county in England, south-east of London. ... Purfleet is a place in Thurrock in England. ... Essex is a county in the East of England. ... A Eurostar train on the CTRL, near Ashford Model showing the current redevelopment of the Kings Cross area with the Channel Tunnel Rail Link terminal behind the barrel-vaulted St Pancras Station on the left. ... 2007 (MMVII) is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

A further twin tunnel is due to be built for the Docklands Light Railway extension to Woolwich Arsenal: construction of the extension began in June 2005, with an anticipated completion date in early 2009. If the Crossrail project goes ahead, yet another twin tunnel will be built around 2010 between North Woolwich and Woolwich, to carry trains from north Kent to the Isle of Dogs and central London. Transport for London has also proposed building a crossing between Silvertown and North Greenwich, preferably a tunnel, but if this is constructed it is unlikely to open before 2015. The Woolwich Arsenal was an armaments manufacturing facility on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London. ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2009 by topic 2009 (MMIX) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Crossrail is a project to build a new east-west railway connection under central London, with one connection to the west and two to the east. ... 2010 (MMX) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kent is a county in England, south-east of London. ... Isle of Dogs is also a play by Thomas Nashe and Ben Jonson. ... Transport for London (TfL) is a government body responsible for the transport system in the City of London, the capital city of the United Kingdom. ... 2015 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

London's abundance of river tunnels has resulted from a number of factors. For historical reasons, the city centre has relatively few railway bridges (or for that matter mainline railway stations). Only three railway bridges exist in central London, only one of which provides through services across the capital. Consequently, railway builders have had to tunnel under the river in the city centre rather than bridge it. By contrast, railway bridges are relatively common to the west of the inner city.

Another historical factor has been the presence of the Port of London, which until the 1980s required large ships to be able to access the river as far upstream as the City of London. Until 1991 the easternmost bridge on the Thames was Tower Bridge in central London. Even now, the Dartford Crossing provides the only way to cross the Thames by road between London and the sea (with predictable results for traffic congestion). The width of the river downstream meant that tunnels were the only options for crossings before improvements in technology allowed the construction of high bridges such as the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at Dartford. The decline of the Port of London as a trading port has significantly opened up the possibilities for further bridges to be built east of Tower Bridge, as very high clearances (i.e. over about 150 ft) are no longer required for vessels upstream of Dartford. The Port of London lies along the banks of the River Thames in London, England. ... // Events and trends The 1980s marked an abrupt shift towards more conservative lifestyles after the momentous cultural revolutions which took place in the 1960s and 1970s and the definition of the AIDS virus in 1981. ... The eastern side of the City of London viewed from St. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Tower Bridge Sequence showing the bridge opening Tower Bridge in its river setting, looking east from the viewing platform of The Monument. ... The Dartford Crossing joins Dartford and Thurrock across the River Thames. ...

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