Tunnels underneath the River Thames - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The table below lists many of the tunnels under the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...

in and near London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, which, thanks largely to its underlying bed of clay, is one of the most tunnelled cities in the world. The tunnels are used for road vehicles, pedestrians, Tube

London Underground

The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...

and railway lines and utilities. Several tunnels are over a century old: the original Thames Tunnel

Thames Tunnel

The Thames Tunnel is an underwater tunnel, built beneath the River Thames in London, United Kingdom, connecting Rotherhithe and Wapping. It measures 35 feet wide by 20 feet high and is 1,300 feet long, running at a depth of 75 feet below the river's surface...

was the world's first underwater tunnel.

East (Downstream) to West (Upstream)	Name	Type	Between...	Construction Year	Comments
1	High Speed 1	Twin Rail Tunnels	Swanscombe Swanscombe Swanscombe is a small town, part of the Borough of Dartford on the north Kent coast in England. It is part of the civil parish of Swanscombe and Greenhithe.-Prehistory:... , Kent Kent Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of... —West Thurrock, Essex Essex Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...	2007
2	Dartford Tunnel Dartford Crossing The Dartford - Thurrock River Crossing, Dartford River Crossing is a major road crossing of the River Thames in England, connecting Dartford in the south to Thurrock in the north, via two road tunnels and the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge. It opened in stages, the west tunnel in 1963, the east tunnel...	Twin Road Tunnels		1963	West Tunnel - 1963, East Tunnel - 1980
3	Dartford Cable Tunnel Dartford Cable Tunnel The Dartford Cable Tunnel is a £11,000,000 tunnel upstream of the Dartford Crossing built in 2003-4. Its diameter is ~3m. It is designed to carry and allow for maintenance of 380kV National Grid electrical cable beneath the Thames; it is accessible by foot as a crossing of the Thames, but by...	Utilities		2004
4	Docklands Light Railway Docklands Light Railway The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London... Tunnels	Rail	Woolwich Arsenal—King George V King George V DLR station King George V DLR station is a station on the Docklands Light Railway which opened on 2 December 2005 and named after King George V Dock, nearby. The station is in the London Borough of Newham and is located in Travelcard Zone 3. Station and on-train announcements refer to the station as 'King...	2009
5	Woolwich foot tunnel Woolwich foot tunnel The Woolwich foot tunnel is a tunnel crossing under the River Thames in East London from Woolwich in the London Borough of Greenwich to North Woolwich in the London Borough of Newham. The tunnel offers pedestrians an alternative way to cross the river when the Woolwich Ferry service is not operating...	Foot	Woolwich Woolwich Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created... —North Woolwich	1912
6	Jubilee Line Jubilee Line The Jubilee line is a line on the London Underground , in the United Kingdom. It was built in two major sections—initially to Charing Cross, in central London, and later extended, in 1999, to Stratford, in east London. The later stations are larger and have special safety features, both aspects... Tunnels	Rail	North Greenwich North Greenwich tube station North Greenwich is a station on London Underground's Jubilee Line, opened on 14 May 1999.Despite its name, North Greenwich is not in the area historically known as North Greenwich, on the Isle of Dogs, north of the river; an entirely different station used to be there, between 1872 and 1926... —Canning Town Canning Town station Canning Town station is an inter-modal transport interchange in Canning Town, northeast London, England. It is served by the London Underground Jubilee line, the Docklands Light Railway and local buses operated for London Buses. It is in Travelcard Zone 3...	1999
7	Blackwall Tunnels Blackwall Tunnel The Blackwall Tunnel is a pair of road tunnels underneath the River Thames in east London, linking the London Borough of Tower Hamlets with the London Borough of Greenwich, and part of the A102 road. The northern portal lies just south of the East India Dock Road in Blackwall; the southern...	Road	North Greenwich—Poplar Poplar, London Poplar is a historic, mainly residential area of the East End of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is about east of Charing Cross. Historically a hamlet in the parish of Stepney, Middlesex, in 1817 Poplar became a civil parish. In 1855 the Poplar District of the Metropolis was...	1897	Second bore in 1967. Alexander Binnie Alexander Binnie Sir Alexander Richardson Binnie was a civil engineer responsible for several major engineering projects, including several associated with crossings of the River Thames in London....
8	Jubilee Line Jubilee Line The Jubilee line is a line on the London Underground , in the United Kingdom. It was built in two major sections—initially to Charing Cross, in central London, and later extended, in 1999, to Stratford, in east London. The later stations are larger and have special safety features, both aspects... Tunnels	Rail	Canary Wharf Canary Wharf tube station Canary Wharf tube station is a London Underground station on the Jubilee Line, between and . It is in Travelcard Zone 2 and was opened by Ken Livingstone setting an escalator in motion on 17 September 1999 as part of the Jubilee Line Extension. It is maintained by Tube Lines... —North Greenwich North Greenwich tube station North Greenwich is a station on London Underground's Jubilee Line, opened on 14 May 1999.Despite its name, North Greenwich is not in the area historically known as North Greenwich, on the Isle of Dogs, north of the river; an entirely different station used to be there, between 1872 and 1926...	1999
9	Docklands Light Railway Docklands Light Railway The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London... Tunnels	Rail	Island Gardens Island Gardens DLR station Island Gardens DLR station is a Docklands Light Railway station on the Isle of Dogs, just north of the River Thames. It is in Travelcard Zone 2.The station is close to the southern tip of the Isle of Dogs and the River Thames... —Cutty Sark Cutty Sark DLR station Cutty Sark is a light metro station on the Docklands Light Railway system in central Greenwich, London. One of three DLR stations in the London Borough of Greenwich, it is also known as Cutty Sark for Maritime Greenwich for its location within the aforementioned district.-Location:The northernmost...	1999
10	Greenwich Foot Tunnel Greenwich foot tunnel The Greenwich foot tunnel is a pedestrian tunnel crossing beneath the River Thames in East London, linking Greenwich in the south with the Isle of Dogs to the north...	Foot	Millwall Millwall Millwall is an area in London, on the western side of the Isle of Dogs, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the south of the developments at West India Docks, including Canary Wharf.-History:... —Greenwich Greenwich Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...	1902	Alexander Binnie Alexander Binnie Sir Alexander Richardson Binnie was a civil engineer responsible for several major engineering projects, including several associated with crossings of the River Thames in London....
11	Jubilee Line Jubilee Line The Jubilee line is a line on the London Underground , in the United Kingdom. It was built in two major sections—initially to Charing Cross, in central London, and later extended, in 1999, to Stratford, in east London. The later stations are larger and have special safety features, both aspects... Tunnels	Rail	Canada Water—Canary Wharf Canary Wharf tube station Canary Wharf tube station is a London Underground station on the Jubilee Line, between and . It is in Travelcard Zone 2 and was opened by Ken Livingstone setting an escalator in motion on 17 September 1999 as part of the Jubilee Line Extension. It is maintained by Tube Lines...	1999
12	Rotherhithe Tunnel Rotherhithe Tunnel The Rotherhithe Tunnel is a road tunnel crossing beneath the River Thames in East London. It connects the Ratcliff district of Limehouse in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets north of the river to Rotherhithe in the London Borough of Southwark south of the river. It is designated as the A101...	Road	Rotherhithe Rotherhithe Rotherhithe is a residential district in inner southeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is located on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping and the Isle of Dogs on the north bank, and is a part of the Docklands area... —Limehouse Limehouse Limehouse is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is on the northern bank of the River Thames opposite Rotherhithe and between Ratcliff to the west and Millwall to the east....	1908	Maurice Fitzmaurice Maurice Fitzmaurice Sir Maurice Fitzmaurice CMG was an Irish civil engineer. He was apprenticed to Benjamin Baker and worked with him on the Forth Railway Bridge before going to Egypt to build the Aswan Dam for which he was appointed both a member of the Ottoman Order of the Mejidiye and a companion of the British...
13	Thames Tunnel Thames Tunnel The Thames Tunnel is an underwater tunnel, built beneath the River Thames in London, United Kingdom, connecting Rotherhithe and Wapping. It measures 35 feet wide by 20 feet high and is 1,300 feet long, running at a depth of 75 feet below the river's surface...	Rail	Wapping Wapping tube station Wapping railway station is on the northern bank of the river Thames in Wapping, East London, England. It is in Zone 2, and on the East London Line of London Overground between and .... —Rotherhithe Rotherhithe tube station Rotherhithe railway station is a railway station on the southern bank of the river Thames at Rotherhithe, London, England. It is on London Overground's East London Line, between and , and is in Zone 2...	1843	Marc Brunel Marc Isambard Brunel Sir Marc Isambard Brunel, FRS FRSE was a French-born engineer who settled in England. He preferred the name Isambard, but is generally known to history as Marc to avoid confusion with his more famous son Isambard Kingdom Brunel... . The world's first underwater tunnel, now part of the East London Line East London Line The East London Line is a London Overground line which runs north to south through the East End, Docklands and South areas of London.Built in 1869 by the East London Railway Company, which reused the Thames Tunnel, originally intended for horse-drawn carriages, the line became part of the London... . Originally a foot tunnel.
14	Tower Subway Tower Subway The Tower Subway is a tunnel, dug in 1869, beneath the River Thames in central London, close to the Tower of London. Its alignment runs between Tower Hill on the north side of the river and Vine Lane to the south...	Utilities		1870	Peter W. Barlow Peter W. Barlow Peter William Barlow was an English civil engineer.He was born at Woolwich, the son of an engineer and mathematician, professor Peter Barlow of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich... and James Henry Greathead James Henry Greathead James Henry Greathead was an engineer renowned for his work on the London Underground railway.-Early life:Greathead was born in Grahamstown, South Africa; of English descent, Greathead's grandfather had emigrated to South Africa in 1820. He was educated at St Andrew's College, Grahamstown, and the... . The world's first underground tube railway. Initially a rail tunnel, then a foot tunnel. Currently carries pipes and fibre-optic lines.
15	Northern Line Northern Line The Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in... Tunnels (City Branch)	Disused	Borough tube station Borough tube station Borough tube station is a London Underground station in The Borough area of the London Borough of Southwark. It is on the Bank branch of the Northern Line between Elephant & Castle and London Bridge stations. It is in Travelcard Zone 1.... —King William Street King William Street tube station King William Street was the original but short-lived northern terminus of the City & South London Railway , the first deep tube underground railway in London and one of the component parts of the London Underground's Northern Line. It was in the City of London, on King William Street, just south...	1890	City & South London Railway tunnels. Originally rail tunnels, now disused. The world's first electric tube railway, with tunnels only 10 in 2 in (3.1 m) in diameter, became disused in 1900 when new 11 in 6 in (3.51 m) tunnels to the east replaced them
16	Waterloo & City Line Waterloo & City Line The Waterloo & City line is a short underground railway line in London, which was formally opened on 11 July 1898. It has only two stations, Waterloo and Bank... Tunnels	Rail		1898
17	Northern Line Northern Line The Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in... Tunnels (Charing Cross Branch)	Rail		1926
18	Bakerloo Line Bakerloo Line The Bakerloo line is a line of the London Underground, coloured brown on the Tube map. It runs partly on the surface and partly at deep level, from Elephant and Castle in the south-east to Harrow & Wealdstone in the north-west of London. The line serves 25 stations, of which 15 are underground... Tunnels	Rail		1906
19	Jubilee Line Jubilee Line The Jubilee line is a line on the London Underground , in the United Kingdom. It was built in two major sections—initially to Charing Cross, in central London, and later extended, in 1999, to Stratford, in east London. The later stations are larger and have special safety features, both aspects... Tunnels	Rail	Westminster Westminster tube station Westminster is a London Underground station in the City of Westminster. It is served by the Circle, District and Jubilee lines. On the Circle and District lines, the station is between St. James's Park and Embankment and, on the Jubilee line it is between Green Park and Waterloo. It is in... —Waterloo	1999
20	Victoria Line Victoria Line The Victoria line is a deep-level London Underground line running from the south to the north-east of London. It is coloured light blue on the Tube map... Tunnels	Rail		1971

Other tunnels

The Crossrail

Crossrail

Crossrail is a project to build a major new railway link under central London. The name refers to the first of two routes which are the responsibility of Crossrail Ltd. It is based on an entirely new east-west tunnel with a central section from to Liverpool Street station...

project, authorised in 2008, will see a further pair of rail tunnels constructed between North Woolwich and Woolwich. The first Crossrail trains are due to run in 2017.

The figure and list above leave out at least three tunnels: under the Thames Barrier

Thames Barrier

The Thames Barrier is the world's second-largest movable flood barrier and is located downstream of central London. Its purpose is to prevent London from being flooded by exceptionally high tides and storm surges moving up from the sea...

; the 2.8m diameter tunnel carrying electricity cables from West Ham to the Greenwich Peninsula

Greenwich Peninsula

Greenwich Peninsula is an area of South London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.The peninsula is bounded on three sides by a loop of the Thames, between the Isle of Dogs and Silvertown. To the south is the rest of Greenwich, to the south-east is Charlton.The peninsula lies...

constructed up to 1999 for the Millennium Dome; and a tunnel to the site of the old Ferranti power station on the east side of the mouth of Deptford Creek.

There is also a tunnel between Cottons centre and the old Billingsgate fish market near to London Bridge. Citibank used it for cabling at one point - it was large enough for a man to walk through.

Background

London's abundance of river tunnels has resulted from a number of factors. For historical reasons, the city centre has relatively few railway bridges (or for that matter main-line railway stations). Only three railway bridges exist in central London, only one of which provides through services across the capital. Consequently, railway builders have had to tunnel under the river in the city centre rather than bridge it. By contrast, railway bridges are relatively common to the west of the inner city.

Another historical factor has been the presence of the Port of London

Port of London

The Port of London lies along the banks of the River Thames from London, England to the North Sea. Once the largest port in the world, it is currently the United Kingdom's second largest port, after Grimsby & Immingham...

, which until the 1980s required large ships to be able to access the river as far upstream as the City of London

City of London

The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...

. Until the construction of the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge

Queen Elizabeth II Bridge

The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge is a high and long cable-stayed road bridge across the River Thames in south east England. It was opened in 1991 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II....

in 1991, the easternmost bridge on the Thames was Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, England, over the River Thames. It is close to the Tower of London, from which it takes its name...

in central London. Even now, the Dartford Crossing

Dartford Crossing

The Dartford - Thurrock River Crossing, Dartford River Crossing is a major road crossing of the River Thames in England, connecting Dartford in the south to Thurrock in the north, via two road tunnels and the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge. It opened in stages, the west tunnel in 1963, the east tunnel...

provides the only way to cross the Thames by road between London and the sea (with predictable results for traffic congestion). The width of the river downstream meant that tunnels were the only options for crossings before improvements in technology allowed the construction of high bridges such as the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at Dartford.

Other tunnels

Background

See also