Oldest railway tunnel

The oldest railway tunnel is at Fritchley near Crich in Derbyshire, UK, and was constructed by Benjamin Outram in 1793. Built to complement the Cromford Canal upon its opening in 1793, the tunnel was constructed to allow the Butterley Gangroad to pass under a road junction at Chapel Street in Frtichley. The structure was originally about 27 m (88 ft 7 in) long, 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) wide and 3 m (9 ft 10 in) high and was built using the "cut and cover" method. Having undergone changes to the track gauge and re-alignment during its life, it survived in use until 1933. Both ends were sealed during the 1960s. In 2013, the Derbyshire Archaeological Society Butterley Gangroad project had the tunnel re-opened and investigated by professional archaeologists. Current ownership of the tunnel is unknown and as a result it was necessary to re-seal the still-intact and undisturbed tunnel after the investigation.