The Thames Tunnel is a tunnel beneath the River Thames in London, connecting Rotherhithe and Wapping. It measures 35 ft (11 m) wide by 20 ft (6.1 m) high and is 1,300 ft (400 m) long, running at a depth of 75 ft (23 m) below the river surface measured at high tide.
Today, trains continue to go through the railway tunnel several times an hour, making it difficult to see the original tunnel, but the Brunel Museum tells the story of the creation of the Thames Tunnel, on the site of the Engine House and the original tunnel shaft sunk into the ground.
The second oldest tunnel running under the Thames, Tower Subway is an often forgotten legacy of Victorian engineering. The tunnel runs between Tower Hill on the north side of the river, through to Vine Lane on the south side of the river (i.e. just to the west of Tower Bridge).
The Royal Borough has two foot tunnels at Greenwich and Woolwich which are used by 1.5 million people a year to cross underneath the river Thames. The Greenwich Foot Tunnel crosses beneath the River Thames in East London, linking Greenwich on the south bank with Millwall on the north.
The District, Victoria, Northern, Bakerloo, and East London lines all run under the Thames, and the Underground sees approximately 4.8 million passenger journeys a day.
Statistically, there is just one fatal accident for every 300 million journeys. There are several safety warnings given to passengers, such as the traditional 'mind the gap' announcement and the regular announcements for passengers to keep behind the yellow line.
Building underground railways so close to the surface proved to be a very expensive exercise and it was realised that considerable costs would be saved if new tubes could be built at a deeper level, where they would involve much less disruption to existing buildings and services.
As great as it can be for cooling off, it is important to remember that the Thames is a dangerous river - its strong current, houseboats and debris can all cause serious risk to life.
Where Can You Swim? The PLA allows swimming to take place upriver of Putney Bridge through to Teddington. It is permitted in this area only but be reminded that it is still a busy section of the tidal Thames for leisure and recreational activities.
The Thames Tunnel is a tunnel beneath the River Thames in London, connecting Rotherhithe and Wapping. It measures 35 ft (11 m) wide by 20 ft (6.1 m) high and is 1,300 ft (400 m) long, running at a depth of 75 ft (23 m) below the river surface measured at high tide.
The tunnel, the first of its kind, was certainly a marvel of construction. The engineering titans Marc Isambard Brunel (1769-1849) and his son Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806-59) were responsible.
What is the oldest underwater tunnel in the world?
The Thames Tunnel opened in 1843 and is the first underwater tunnel in the world – and the birthplace of the modern metro system. The shaft is approximately 50ft in diameter and 50ft deep – with smoke-blackened brick walls from steam trains, providing a raw but atmospheric backdrop.
Tunneling under rivers was considered impossible until the protective shield was developed in England by Marc Brunel, a French émigré engineer. The first use of the shield, by Brunel and his son Isambard, was in 1825 on the Wapping-Rotherhithe Tunnel through clay under the Thames River.
Not under the entire length of it through central London, but a number of London Underground lines do pass beneath it running from north to south. Of these, the Jubilee Line does so no fewer than four times in the course of its route from Westminster to Stratford!
There are two tunnels, each 38 feet wide by 22 = feet tall, and 1200 feet in length. Located on the banks of the Thames, the shafts on either end of the tunnel are 50 feet in diameter.
The Blackwall Tunnel is actually two separate tunnels that travel beneath the Thames in east London — one tunnel for southbound traffic and the other for northbound traffic.
Every year we carry out more than 500,000 tests. We take samples from our water mains and pipes, as well as from customers' taps. Since 2010, more than 99.95% of tests taken from customers' taps met the standard required by UK and European legislation.
It is not recommended to swim in the tidal section of the Thames (east of Putney Bridge to the North Sea). It is neither safe nor particularly nice. But as you head west the river gets cleaner, safer (less boat traffic) and more beautiful. All these 10 wild swimming locations are west of London and easily accessible.
The River Thames whale, affectionately nicknamed Willy by Londoners, was a juvenile female northern bottlenose whale which was discovered swimming in the River Thames in central London on Friday 20 January 2006.
What would happen if you fell in the River Thames?
To survive if you fell into the River Thames, you'll need to be a strong swimmer, sober and quick-thinking because the River Thames is very cold, even in Summer, moves faster than expected and as a tidal river it acts in unexpected ways with surges and undertow, all of which mean you are fighting against the odds of ...
The Tidal Thames, running from Teddington lock in the west of London, to the North Sea, is home to more than 100 fish species, many of which are commercially and ecologically important. Species calling the Thames home include endangered species such as European eels, seabass, flounder, and smelt.
You will need a rod fishing licence to fish for salmon, trout, freshwater fish, smelt or eel with a rod and line on the River Thames and England in fact.
London Underground is longer at 250 miles long to Paris Métro's titchy 133 miles. But the Métro has more lines (16 versus 11) and more stations (303) than London (270).
The current operator, London Underground Limited (LUL), is a wholly owned subsidiary of Transport for London (TfL), the statutory corporation responsible for the transport network in London.
Seriously, there is rarely a good option to survive a fall onto the rails. Try to lie horizontally and work your self into the suicide pit, touching no more than one rail at once (ideally none) In the suicide pit, stay still and flat. Do not try and climb out.
