Tunnel and railway linked to earlier canal use

During routine tree management work near the M25 CRT workers have uncovered remains of a railway track and tunnel.

Tunnel blocked

The tunnel extends a short distance into the embankment which now has a service road above. How far the original tunnel went into the hillside is an interesting question as currently the ground is solid for many tens of metres beyond the road.

On my visit the base of the tunnel was full of water so it wasn't convenient to examine the inner end closely. It is not clear if the tunnel comes to an end, or has been blocked off. The walls and roof appear to be in good condition, with a relatively new wooden beam across the top.

Rail probably part of a private local facility

I'm speculating now, but as no one has yet told of a public railway line in this area it seems likely that this railway line was a local build installed to move something to or from the canal. We've since heard that there were a couple of brick manufacturering facilities nearby.

The CRT have taken a rubbing of the rail profile which may reveal something of its origin. On our visit we didn't locate a second rail to estimate the truck size, although the tunnel dimensions must have set some kind of limit on the size of the rolling stock.