Tickhole Tunnel

{{Short description|Heritage listed railway tunnel in New South Wales, Australia}}

{{Use Australian English|date=September 2017}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}

{{Infobox tunnel

| name = Tickhole Tunnel

| image =

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| official_name =

| other_name = Kotara (Tickhole) Railway Tunnel

| line = Main Northern railway

| location = Hunter Region, New South Wales, Australia

| coordinates = {{coord|-32.9440|151.6865|type:landmark_region:AU-NSW|display=inline,title|format=dms}}

| os_grid_ref =

| status =

| system = NSW Trains

| crosses = {{ubl|Tickhole Creek|{{nowrap|Newcastle Inner City Bypass (A37)}}}}

| start = {{NSWcity|Kotara}}

| end = {{NSWcity|Cardiff}}

| stations =

| startwork =

| opened = {{start date|1887|08|15|df=y}}

| closed =

| rebuilt =

| reopened =

| owner = RailCorp

| operator =

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| length = {{ubl|{{convert|180|yards|m|order=flip|0}} (northbound)|{{convert|205|m|yards|0}} (southbound)}}

| linelength =

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| notrack = 2

| gauge = {{Railgauge|impsg|allk=on}}

| el = 1984

| speed =

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{{Designation list

| embed = yes

| designation1 = NSW HD

| designation1_offname = Kotara (Tickhole) Railway Tunnel

| designation1_date = 28 May 2009

| designation1_number = s.170

}}

}}

The Tickhole Tunnel, also called the Kotara (Tickhole) Railway Tunnel, is a heritage-listed double track railway tunnel

that carries the Main Northern railway line beneath the Newcastle Inner City Bypass (A37) and is a diversion over the Tickhole Creek. The tunnel is located between Cardiff and Kotara stations in the City of Newcastle local government area of New South Wales, Australia.{{cite NSW HD|4800231|Kotara (Tickhole) Railway Tunnel|accessdate=11 September 2017}}{{cite web |editor=Bozier, Rolfe |url=http://www.nswrail.net/locations/show.php?name=NSW:Tickhole+Tunnel&line=NSW:main_north:0 |title=Tickhole Tunnel |work=NSWrail.net |publisher=Rolfe Bozier |date=n.d. |access-date= }}

The original {{convert|176|yd|m|adj=on|order=flip}} tunnel opened on 15 August 1887. It initially only had one track, but provision was made for the line to be duplicated which duly occurred in 1891.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article137286306 |title=The Sydney Connecting Railway |newspaper=Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate |volume=XI |issue=8425 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=2 April 1884 |accessdate=11 June 2016 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28350536 |title=NEWS OF THE DAY. |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |issue=15,410 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=16 August 1887 |accessdate=11 June 2016 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13646987 |title=THE GOSFORD-NEWCASTLE RAILWAY. |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |issue=15,408 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=13 August 1887 |accessdate=11 June 2016 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13653594 |title=NEWS OF THE DAY. |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |issue=15,400 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=4 August 1887 |accessdate=11 June 2016 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}} As part of the electrification of the line, in 1983 tenders were called for a second tunnel, of {{convert|205|m}}, completed in 1984.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/123932444/ |title=no title |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=23 March 1983 |accessdate=11 June 2016 |page=51 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=limited }} This second tunnel is used by southbound services, while the original tunnel once again became single track for northbound services.