From May to October, we are licensed to take the public 400 yards (380 metres) into the Hanoverian Glenfield tunnel, once part of the Leicester & Swannington Railway. The rest of the railway still runs today through Coalville and is part of the Campaign to Re-open the Ivanhoe Line (CRIL). We’ve been active at the tunnel for ten years and the total in and out so far is 8,890. Will you be visitor 10,000 in 2024?

For the public, tickets are free, but we request a donation to the society who provide everything that you see on the tunnel tour. Please watch here for ticket information on the run up to Easter, or join our mailing list to be notified as soon as we agree the dates and rotas for all our volunteers who give up their valuable time to make your day an amazing experience. Much of your donation goes toward safety equipment and training, but we also give away educational material to schools and youth groups on specially arranged visits.

Should you wish to attend as a corporate entity or a private group, such arrangements can be made but are dependent upon volunteer availability in order to make up our minimum numbers. Again, we will ask for a significant donation reflecting the hours our volunteers put in.

We can also arrange visits for the neurodiverse and other disabled communities.

To access the tunnel we ask that you can walk unaided for 800 metres (half a mile) in 30 minutes. Should you have any accessibility issues, we will make every allowance for you, but at the moment we cannot allow anything with wheels into the tunnel. We are working with the All In disability group and directly with the Mayor’s office in finding a solution to make the tunnel accessible to all, but currently it has an eighteen metre section which is entirely gravel. Please see the Accessibility page for more information.

Currently we do not give tours of the whole length of the tunnel, but we are working with Leicester City Council to make this a reality, with Sir Peter Soulsby a staunch supporter. There is a waiting list for you to join but it is only accessed at the tunnel, following your tour. Please ask to join it.

Please note that there are no toilet facilities at the tunnel or at our agreed meeting point, but the Forge Inn is at the start, and the Railway Inn is at the end – you will need to walk past these venues on the tour. Both pubs offer food and arranging a meal in conjunction with your visit may be a consideration.