Train Tunnel for Filming

[Nina2000]

I’m looking for a tube tunnel, or any dark tunnel with train tracks to do some filming in. I have looked into filming with TFL but are there any more affordable options?

 

[ThameslinkUser]

A few heritage railways such as the Bluebell Railway but you'll struggle to find anything 'affordable' given the costs involved.

 

[Nottingham59]

I’m looking for a tube tunnel, or any dark tunnel with train tracks to do some filming in. I have looked into filming with TFL but are there any more affordable options?

There are lots of heritage railways about. Most avoided taking over tunnel sections, because of the potential costs, but some of them will have tunnels that would/could be available: e.g Severn Valley Railway (Bewdley Tunnel); Great Central Railway (Rempstone Rd Tunnel. @Flying Phil might know more); Bluebell railway, as above. etc etc.

[EDIT: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_heritage_and_private_railways is a list of heritage railways in the UK. Look on https://www.openrailwaymap.org/ to see if they have tunnels]

If you specifically want the look of a London Underground tube tunnel, then the railway on the Isle of Wight has a tunnel and uses ex-Underground stock with the four rail electrification.

If you only have a small budget, then there are many ex-railway tunnels that have been converted into public footpaths. Like the Monsal Trail in Derbyshire, but they won't have rails still in place. (The Monsal Line continues into a private tunnel that runs under the Haddon Hall estate. I don't know if they still have the rails there)

Other tunnels still with rails include the Croydon Tram network (Sandilands Tunnel); Manchester Metrolink at Heaton Park; and the Old Dalby Test track here in Nottingham.

Hope this helps.

 

[Dstock7080]

If you specifically want the look of a London Underground tube tunnel, then the railway on the Isle of Wight has a tunnel and uses ex-Underground stock with the four rail electrification.

Isle of Wight uses surface Stock on a 3-rail electrification

 

[The exile]

Isle of Wight uses surface Stock on a 3-rail electrification

Quite a lot of the District line (where the current IoW stock originated) was in tunnel - though admittedly mostly cut-and-cover rather than bored.

 

[paul1609]

You dont really say what you want to film but Id suggest contacting the East Kent Railway near Dover. They have the 433 meter long Golgorth Tunnel plus quite a lot of relatively recent stock. They are a relatively small organisation so the line is used a lot less intensively than some of the other heritage railways and would welcome a modest fee I guess. Their contact email is [email protected]. They are adjacent to Sheperds well staion on the London to Dover Line if access is important. I have no personal connection with them.

 

[Halifaxlad]

The KWVR has a 2 tunnels with one right next to Ingrow station.

TV & Film - Keighley & Worth Valley Railway

The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway as a location for film & TV productions The KWVR is ideal for filmmakers. The compact 5-mile line offers productions a range of authentic and unusual features and can be used as a location for any period between 1860 and 1960. The KWVR works closely with...

kwvr.co.uk

 

[Somewhere]

Quite a lot of the District line (where the current IoW stock originated) was in tunnel - though admittedly mostly cut-and-cover rather than bored.

Which is why it uses surface stock. The cut and cover tunnels are larger than tube tunnels

 

[Flying Phil]

There are lots of heritage railways about. Most avoided taking over tunnel sections, because of the potential costs, but some of them will have tunnels that would/could be available: e.g Severn Valley Railway (Bewdley Tunnel); Great Central Railway (Rempstone Rd Tunnel. @Flying Phil might know more); Bluebell railway, as above. etc etc.

Yes there is a tunnel,(Barnstone/East Leake Tunnel) with track, on the GCR(N) just to the North of Loughborough. It is currently un-used as trains are not yet returned to running on that section so the costs may well be very low?

 

[Basil Jet]

I think TfL have a fake tunnel at their training centre at West Kensington - that might be cheaper than the actual tunnels. There's also the Glasgow Subway, the Liverpool loop and the central part of the Tyne & Wear Metro.

 

[Daniel]

I think TfL have a fake tunnel at their training centre at West Kensington - that might be cheaper than the actual tunnels. There's also the Glasgow Subway, the Liverpool loop and the central part of the Tyne & Wear Metro.

West Ashfield wouldn’t be suitable - this is platform grounds only beyond part of a train carriage, is littered with equipment and is obviously not genuine (therefore unlikely suitable for film).

 

[DanNCL]

I think TfL have a fake tunnel at their training centre at West Kensington - that might be cheaper than the actual tunnels. There's also the Glasgow Subway, the Liverpool loop and the central part of the Tyne & Wear Metro.

The Tyne & Wear Metro is as strict on filming as networks in cities like Moscow, not even exaggerating. Unless the Tyne & Wear Metro is the specific focus of the intended project, which in this case it doesn’t seem to be, it’s not worth even trying to film there as it’s much more hassle than it’s worth.

 

[Roger1973]

Apologies if this has already been considered, but would the Kingsway tram subway in central London work? (more about it here) It's not an operational railway so may be less hoops to jump through than using somewhere that's on the 'real' railway.

It has been used to portray an underground station in a film - I've not seen the film so don't know how realistic it was, but might work for you (I'm not at all expert in these things, but presume you can play tricks with camera angles that might make it more convincing.) I know the London Transport Museum arrange guided tours down there, but don't know if the bit of TFL you have contacted would have thought of that.

I presume you're probably after the bit with tracks in, rather than the station building, but just another possible tangent - there's pedestrian tunnels under the thames at Woolwich and Greenwich which have entrance buildings with a lift (which sometimes works) and a spiral staircase, so again with the right camera angles and a bit of fudging, what's inside these might serve the purpose as part of an Underground station if you end up filming the railway bit outside London. There's some pictures of the Woolwich one here ('murky depths' local news blog / site) - the ownership of them's a bit complicated, as the south end of each is in Greenwich borough, the north ends of the two are in Newham and Tower Hamlets respectively, but Greenwich may be the best first contact.

 

[Supercoss]

Good site to make enquiries

CommercialFilming

Welcome to Commercial Filming Here you can view our most popular locations, see our fees and apply to film with us. You'll also find information and guidance to help you film safely on or near the railway. As one of the largest landowners in Great Britain, we’ve lots of different locations to...

filming.networkrail.co.uk

is it video or stills. Photography you are hoping to do. ?

 

[AzureOtsu]

I don't know the genuine accessibility of this, but harpur hill laboratory has some seemingly abandoned mockup tube tunnels complete with old 1983 stock