Miniature railway installed in historic tunnel

The miniature railway takes visitors through the Glenfield Railway Tunnel

A miniature railway has been installed in a historic tunnel in Leicester, opening it up to passengers for the first time in almost 100 years.

Glenfield Railway Tunnel was one mile (1.6km) long when it opened in 1832 and was the longest in the world.

It was used to transport coal into the city, and, according to the Leicestershire Industrial History Society, passengers last rode through it in 1928.

The new experience offering a trip on the miniature railway will take place at weekends in July and September.

When the railway closed in the 1960s, the tunnel was bought by Leicester City Council for £5.

The Leicestershire Industrial History Society now offers guided tours at certain times of the year.

Treasurer Roger Caunt came up with the idea of installing a miniature railway there.

He said: "We've already got a miniature railway at the Abbey Pumping Station, and the owner of the track there agreed that we could take track to the tunnel at Glenfield, install it, and leave it there for operation."

The Leicestershire Industrial History Society hopes to extend the track, currently just shy of 165ft (50m), to about 250ft (76m).

Mr Caunt said: "We want to give the passengers a proper experience of rattling along at a slow speed, which would have been the speed in the early days of the tunnel.

"Those trains were not very fast at all, and going through the tunnel would have been a bit arduous for the driver.

"We understand that they had to, in some cases, have wet rags over their faces, because a mile long of smoke and steam is a lot to inhale."

Tickets for the miniature railway experience are free, but visitors are asked to make a donation.