Campaigners are looking for a judicial assessment to save tunnel

Campaigners hope to convert a non -used railway tunnel into a cycle path, raise money for a judicial assessment after the government ruled that the scheme was too expensive.

Members of the Queensbury Tunnel Society met Minister of Transport Lilian Greenwood in a final attempt to reverse the decision, but it was told that the tunnel would be effectively closed.

Queensbury Tunnel closed in 1956 and was part of a line that connected Bradford and Halifax with a branch on Keighley.

The Department for Transport (DFT) said: “This has been a difficult decision, but in the end we have the responsibility for safety and the delivery of value for the taxpayer.”

A judicial evaluation would investigate judges the legality of the decision.

Norah McWilliam, leader of society, said: “We are talking about seven and a half million pounds to permanently destroy the tunnel.

“Her reason (the minister) is that there is a safety problem that we do not accept.

“The only way to do it is to close the tunnel that we do not accept.

“She said there is no money to restore the tunnel. We accept that, but there could be at a certain point in the future.

“The tunnel can simply be left as it is, there is no urgency.”

She said that society initially had to pick up £ 6,500 to enable lawyers to draw up an entry to start the case for a judicial assessment.

She said: “If we continue to a judicial assessment, it would cost a lot of money, around £ 60,000.”

The DFT said that the continuous deterioration of the Queensbury tunnel meant that national motorways had been instructed to carry out works to maintain public safety.

The absence of local financing to develop it as a transport connection was also a factor in the decision -making process, a spokesperson said.

Reuse of the tunnel as a Greenway was first presented as a Tour de France legacy schedule in 2014 after the Grand Départ of the world-famous bicycle race was held in Yorkshire.

National motorways inherited the tunnel after the privatization of British Rail and it would reduce its obligations.

Between 2018 and 2021, the £ 7.2 million spent strengthening the tunnel, and said that the work “would prevent further uncontrolled collapses, so that all future plans for the reuse of the structure can be realized”.

But it started to fill the 1.4-mile (2.25 km) tunnel with gravel in 2021 to prevent collapse.