Parnell Tunnel
The Parnell Tunnel is a railway tunnel under Parnell, Auckland, New Zealand. It is 344.5 metres (1,130 ft) long, and is on the Newmarket Line.
The southern portals of the newer double-track tunnel, and of the closed older single-track tunnel in 2023 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Line | Newmarket Line |
| Location | Parnell, Auckland, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 36.862°S 174.7815°E |
| Status | in use |
| Operation | |
| Work begun | 1864 (original tunnel) 1914 (second tunnel) |
| Opened | February 1873 (original tunnel) 1915 (second tunnel) |
| Closed | after 1930 (original tunnel) |
| Technical | |
| Length | 344.5 m (1,130 ft) |
| No. of tracks | 2 |
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
The tunnel allows the Western, Southern and Onehunga lines coming from the Newmarket Train Station to Britomart Transport Centre to pass under the Parnell Ridge before dropping to harbour level.
There are two Parnell Tunnels, an older now unused single-track tunnel and a newer double-track tunnel which superseded it. The older tunnel was closed off and has not been in use for most of the last century.
The older tunnel, originally intended in part to provide a connection to Drury for the New Zealand Wars, has been lauded as having enabled the first public railway line in Auckland, and opening the city up to the wider New Zealand.