Hidden in the mountains of South Africa, this 149-year-old tunnel is a historic relic of the past waiting to be rediscovered.
Built in 1876, the Hex River Tunnel is believed to be South Africa’s oldest railway tunnel ever built.
Accessible only by 4×4 vehicles, the journey involves navigating scraggly dirt roads, narrow paths, and defunct railway tracks.
It was built to connect South Africa’s capital city, Cape Town, and Kimerbley following the discovery of diamonds in the Northern part of the country.
Located 35 kilometers between De Doorns and the Tunnel Station, the tunnel was constructed by Brounger and Pauling.
It was a remarkable engineering achievement of its time, designed to navigate the challenging terrain of the Hex River Mountains.
The tunnel was built by hand using shovels and pickaxes to navigate a buttress that was too narrow and steep for the railway line to bypass.
After tackling various obstacles such as rocky paths and muddy sections, the tunnel comes into view, framed by its stone masonry portals.
The portals of the tunnel are made of dressed stone masonry, while the interior remains unlined.
In 1929, the track was briefly diverted, and a second concrete-lined tunnel was constructed to accommodate larger locomotives.
This newer tunnel served the railway line until its closure in 1989.
The tunnel is a relic from a bygone era, standing silently amidst the rugged landscape.