Buchanan Tunnel
Interior of tunnel and air shaft, taken by Jonathan McGurk Photography, supplied by Sweco
As part of the regeneration of the Sighthill area of Glasgow, in is proposed the Buchanan Tunnel, which was completed in 1849 for the Caledonian Railway, will be partially infilled. Prior to this, a laser scan of the structure was completed by L & M Survey Services. Although it is not possible to reproduce this scan on this website, a number of photographs were taken by Jonathan McGurk Photography, and these are repoduced here
The tunnel was constructed for the rail lines to and from the former Buchanan Street railway station, Glasgow's 4th major rail terminal, from which the Caledonian Railway operated services to the north of Scotland. The 390m long tunnel and the cuttings at either end were constructed for the opening of Buchanan Street station in November 1849 to bring the railway from what had formerly been the Glasgow Garnkirk & Coatbridge Railway's route to the early Townhead Station under Sighthill and the Glasgow Branch of the Forth & Clyde Canal to a more convenient terminus closer to the modern city centre. The tunnel runs under the M8 and Sighthill Park.
Detail of air shaft, taken by Jonathan McGurk Photography, supplied by Sweco
The tunnel's single ventilation shaft is shown on Ordnance Survey maps of the area form the 1st Edition onwards . The ventilation shaft and the north-east tunnel opening are no longer visible, having been landscaped during work on Sighthill Park in the 1970s, and the modern Sighthill Stone Circle was constructed during this period near to the site of the ventilator shaft. In 1966 the Buchanan Street station was identified for closure as part of the UK scheme of railway rationalisation carried out following the Beeching Report, and the tunnel became disused thereafter.
Exterior of tunnel, taken by Jonathan McGurk Photography, supplied by Sweco