Thank you to everyone who attended the recent Greenside Tunnel opening,
To say that the event was popular is an understatement.
It was a great getting messages of support both via Facebook and e-mail (greensidegreenway@gmail.com) – keep them coming!.
A few days after the event we received some post, real post on paper, in the form of a card and a letter.
The Card was from local MP Rachel Reeves and the letter from Councillors Seary and Seary,.
It is fantastic that they found time in their busy schedules to get in touch with Greenside Greenway.
In case you missed it …
On Saturday 12th September 2026 just over 500 people went into Greenside Tunnel from the western end for a walk to the other end and back. A walk through a tunnel does not sound very exciting but it was a great success and attendance figures exceeded all estimates. We were expecting to run a few trips through the tunnel, but not more than twenty in a day. However come Sunday and with 60 people already in the tunnel before the official opening time of 14:00 it was shaping up to be another busy day. The head count said 800+ by the time the gates were locked at 17:20 – yes we did check first that no one was inside!
The final tally across the two days was 1,333 people plus a couple of dozen dogs so that’s a lot of interest in a tunnel which has been closed nearly as long as it has been open. The lasting impression we have is that Pudsey loves Greenside Tunnel and we should continue in our efforts to preserve it for future generations to enjoy.
Would we do it again? Yes of course we would like to, but it is not as simple as just opening the gates. Events like this take some planning and do need permission from the land owners so keep in touch with us and be the first to hear about any events connected to Greenside Tunnel.
The event was organised by Greenside Greenway as part of the Heritage Open Days programme of events and was made possible by the kind permission of the tunnel owners Historical Railways Estate..