CAMPAIGNERS fighting to safeguard the future of a disused railway tunnel say they are still waiting to see a report from a feasibility study announced three years ago.

The Queensbury Tunnel Society has fought a 10-year battle to save the Victorian feat of engineering, with the aim of it being revived as the centrepiece of a foot and cycle path connecting Halifax with Bradford and Keighley.

In July 2020, the Department for Transport (DfT) committed £1m to fund two studies looking at repair options for the tunnel and the feasibility of incorporating it into a cycle network to the west of Bradford.

Grant Shapps, who was Transport Secretary at the time, said: "What a shame it would be to see [the tunnel] consigned to history when it could be reborn as part of a green transport route linking Bradford with Halifax, helping to improve connectivity in an environmentally friendly way while being a source of pleasure for generations of cyclists and walkers to come.”

But campaigners say they are still waiting for the report and have accused decision-makers of “inertia” over the issue.

QTS leader Norah McWilliam said: “It’s hugely disappointing. Because of the difficult local topography, the tunnel presents the only realistic opportunity to link Bradford district and Calderdale for active travel purposes.

“As we transition to greener forms of transport, legacy structures are becoming ever-more valuable, particularly as new infrastructure is becoming less and less affordable as a result of the inflation crisis.

“Through their inertia, decision-makers are allowing the opportunities presented by Queensbury Tunnel to slip through their fingers.”

She added: “The situation is unsustainable in the long-term, but nobody is taking control of it.

“We need to start moving forward positively and that means understanding the findings of the study. We’re not clear why the assurances we’ve been given about access to the report have still not been met three years after the work was commissioned.”

A DfT spokesperson said: "The Department has funded two studies to help inform a decision on the future of the tunnel, and will provide an update in due course.”

Bradford Council was also contacted for comment.