Watford Tunnels

Watford Tunnels
The south portal of the new tunnel
Interactive map of Watford Tunnels
Overview
LineWest Coast Main Line
LocationWatford, England
Coordinates51°40′53″N 0°25′09″W / 51.681507°N 0.419055°W / 51.681507; -0.419055
Operation
Opened1837
OwnerNetwork Rail
Characterrailway tunnel
Technical
Design engineerRobert Stephenson
Length1 mile 55 yards (1.7 km)
No. of tracks4

Watford Tunnels are a pair of railway tunnels on the West Coast Main Line just north-west of Watford in Hertfordshire, Eastern England. The original was built in 1837 for the London and Birmingham Railway to the design of Robert Stephenson and is just over a mile (1.6 kilometres) long. When the line was widened in the 1870s, a second tunnel was built just to the east. Both tunnels had decorative portals and the south portal of the original tunnel is a Grade II listed building.