Kaunas railway tunnel is one of the two railway tunnels existing in Lithuania and the only railway tunnel operating in the Baltic states.
1.3km (0.8 miles) long Kaunas railway tunnel that was built between 1859 and 1861 near Kaunas railway station is worth attention of tourists. Its operation had begun before operation of London Underground . A restored steam engine stands at the west entrance of Kaunas railway tunnel.
The construction of the tunnel began on 15 May 1859 and was supervised by French engineer G. F. Perrot. French company Ernest Goüin et Cie was hired to perform construction works. The tunnel was dug from both sides in a 30-meter-high hill, under the residential area of Šančiai in Kaunas. Some bricks were manufactured locally, but some bricks were being bought and delivered from the Netherlands and Germany. The exploitation of the railway bridge over the Nemunas River was started on 4 February 1862.
Despite the fact that simple measuring instruments, such as a ruler, ropes, level, had been used during the construction, the tunnel was constructed in a very precise manner. The workers who worked during the construction of the tunnel were dominated by French people and Germans. The height under the tunnel is approx. 30m, the length of the tunnel is 1,285km, the height inside the tunnel is 6,6m.
1.3km (0.8 miles) long Kaunas railway tunnel that was built between 1859 and 1861 near Kaunas railway station is worth attention of tourists. Its operation had begun before operation of London Underground . A restored steam engine stands at the west entrance of Kaunas railway tunnel.
The construction of the tunnel began on 15 May 1859 and was supervised by French engineer G. F. Perrot. French company Ernest Goüin et Cie was hired to perform construction works. The tunnel was dug from both sides in a 30-meter-high hill, under the residential area of Šančiai in Kaunas. Some bricks were manufactured locally, but some bricks were being bought and delivered from the Netherlands and Germany. The exploitation of the railway bridge over the Nemunas River was started on 4 February 1862.
Despite the fact that simple measuring instruments, such as a ruler, ropes, level, had been used during the construction, the tunnel was constructed in a very precise manner. The workers who worked during the construction of the tunnel were dominated by French people and Germans. The height under the tunnel is approx. 30m, the length of the tunnel is 1,285km, the height inside the tunnel is 6,6m.
The tunnel in Kaunas was bombed by the retreating armed forces of Germany on 30 July 1944. It was rebuilt by the Soviet army 1,5 months later in the same year.
Kaunas railway tunnel was entered in the Register of Immovable Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Lithuania.
Photo bellow: View from a pedestrian bridge in Panemune and from the railway station side
Kaunas railway tunnel was entered in the Register of Immovable Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Lithuania.
Photo bellow: View from a pedestrian bridge in Panemune and from the railway station side