15 February 2023 , 09:45
542
0
A massive sinkhole that suddenly opened up in the middle of a busy road is believed to have uncovered a long-lost railway line.
The large hole appeared in Dublin Street, Edinburgh, last week, sparking council workers to rush to the scene.
An investigation has been launched to discover the cause of the sink hole’s appearance.
However, as work began to fix it on Tuesday, some people were excited to find it may have revealed what remains of the historic railway line beneath the New Town road before it was covered up, Edinburgh Live reported.
One said of the sinkhole: “Been avoiding this dip for ages, mind you, I have to do that on most streets.”
Giant sinkhole swallows truck as drivers keep ignoring road closed warnings
The large hole in the ground revealed a former train line (Edinburgh Live)Another added: “Years of neglect.
“Look at the state of that road. Been dug up so many times it’s obvious it was going to happen with a known tunnel underneath it.
“Council at fault for not spending a thing for years on the maintenance of roads.”
Another person said: “Look at the state of that road.
“I am surprised anyone could spot a sinkhole between all these potholes.”
Residents slammed the state of the roads (Edinburgh Live)Beneath the road lies the former Scotland Street Railway Line.
Work began on it in the early 1840s to forge a link between Canal Street Station, now known as Waverley, with the north of Edinburgh.
This project involved driving a substantial tunnel from Canonmills, which ran underneath Scotland Street, Dublin Street, and St Andrew Square.
A plaque present on one of the tunnel entrances within George V Park reveals the track officially opened on May 17, 1847.
The tunnel was abandoned after just 21 years of service after the North British Railway Company opened a more efficient route.
Huge sinkhole swallowing two cars in ferocious storms leads to major repair plan
Although officially shut down as a railway tunnel, the site did find itself several other uses, including operating as a hub for the Scottish Mushroom Company, producing 500lbs in a single day via 800 mushroom beds.
The tunnel also became an air raid shelter during the Second World War and was capable of housing up to 3,000 people.
In 1983, the southern entrance to the underpass was demolished to make way for the construction of the Waverley Market - crushing any hopes of a new life for the Scotland Street Tunnel.
A spokesman for Edinburgh Council confirmed contractors carried out investigations and found some minor subsidence.
Workers also excavated a bit of ground to check for any damaged utilities and could not find any.
The hole has now been backfilled and is due to be tarred on Thursday.