Ernest Junction Railway Tunnel, Railway tunnel in Molendinar, Australia.
The Ernest Junction Railway Tunnel is a railway passage in Molendinar that cuts through solid rock over a distance of roughly 114 meters with a curved path and concrete-lined walls shaped in a semi-elliptical arch. The tunnel's interior shows a straightforward, sturdy design typical of rail engineering from that era, built to handle regular train traffic through the passage.
Construction took place between 1885 and 1889 as part of the South Coast railway line that connected Brisbane to Tweed Heads. The line operated for many decades before closure in 1964, after which the tunnel fell out of regular use.
The tunnel marks a junction point where the rail line split to serve different directions along the coast and inland regions. It connected farming areas with the emerging coastal settlements and remains a symbol of how transportation shaped local development.
The tunnel is accessible through designated walking paths where visitors can observe the structure and its surroundings at ground level. The site is open to foot traffic, though the terrain around it can be uneven and sometimes overgrown.
The tunnel was among the first to use concrete lining rather than traditional brick or stone, which allowed the project to be built more cheaply and to employ general laborers instead of highly skilled stonemasons. This approach represented a practical innovation in rail tunnel construction methods of the time.
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