There are actually two tunnels of this name. The first (Chinese: 煙墩山隧道) opened in 1910 and operated until its replacement (Chinese: 筆架山隧道) came into operation following its 1981 completion.
History
Old Beacon Hill Tunnel
Old Beacon Hill Tunnel in 1910, south portal
Overview
Status
Disused for train, now occupied by town gas pipeline
Although option two was less of an engineering challenge, the overall route was longer, and passed through less economically active areas; therefore option one was selected. Works on the 35.4 kilometres (22.0 mi) railway to the border started early 1906. Construction of the tunnel, referred to as Tunnel No.2 in the plan (since it was the second tunnel out from the Kowloon terminus), was the greatest engineering project in Asia of its time.[1]
Construction of the tunnel presented great engineering challenges during construction of the line, and local workers were very reluctant to work underground due to feng shui-related objections.[1] In the end, Italian workers were employed.[2] The tunnel cost £298,500 to build and opened with the rest of the line on 1 October 1910, together with four smaller tunnels along the line.[3] It accommodated a single standard track with a standard gauge of 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in). Throughout its operating life, the tunnel was noted for its fume problems, due to its relatively steep gradient of 1%.
The tunnel was closed upon completion of the new one, and is now partially occupied by several town gas pipelines, operated by The Hong Kong and China Gas Company.[4] The potential for damage to the pipes was a factor in determining the intensity of blasting during construction of the Sha Tin to Central Link, thereby protecting the old tunnel as a whole.[5]
Second tunnel
As part of the modernisation of the KCR, under reformist Governor Murray MacLehose, a double-tracked, electrified tunnel was built 30 to 40 metres (98 ft 5 in to 131 ft 3 in) west of the original one.[6] Work started in 1978. The main contractor was Aoki Corporation and the tunnel was built at a cost of about HK$78 million. It was broken through on 23 April 1980.[7] The tunnel was completed by 1981, enabling the KCRC to introduce a metro-standard service to serve the rapidly growing new towns north of the mountain range.
^Lim, Patricia (January 2011). Forgotten Souls - A Social History of the Hong Kong Cemetery. HKU Press (Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Studies Series). p. 481. ISBN978-9622099906. "On a doctor's advice, all the Italians working on the Beacon Hill tunnel were housed high up on the hillsides and a ropeway was built to slide them gently down to work each day."
^"KCR an important link between HK and China". South China Morning Post. Hong Kong. 10 September 1975. p. 38.
