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Underground railway and subterranean walkways will link Dudley Canal Tunnel to limestone caves under £27 million plan - here are the details

Visitors to Dudley Canal Trust could soon take an underground train through the world-famous Seven Sisters limestone caverns under ambitious new plans put forward by tourism bosses.

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By Mark Andrews
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Dudley Canal & Caverns Trust has drawn up a £27 million plan to reopen a third tunnel at its site next to the Black Country Living Museum, which would link up with the Seven Sisters at Wren's Nest.

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A subterranean funicular railway would then take visitors to surface level, where they would be able to go on walking tours around the internationally significant geological site.

It would be the first time since 1962 since the Wren's Nest Tunnel had been navigable to the visitors, and the first time since 1967 that the Seven Sisters had been open to the public.

A map of the proposed new attraction
A map of the proposed new attraction
An underground railway would take visitors from the Seven Sisters caverns to the surface level at Wren's Nest
An underground railway would take visitors from the Seven Sisters caverns to the surface level at Wren's Nest
A walkway though the Step Shaft is proposed
A walkway though the Step Shaft is proposed
The plans include a walkway through the Seven Sisters caverns
The plans include a walkway through the Seven Sisters caverns
The stunning Cathedral Cavern would be open to the public once more
The stunning Cathedral Cavern would be open to the public once more
The stunning Cathedral Cavern would once more be open to the public
The stunning Cathedral Cavern would once more be open to the public
Supporting image.

Paul Crofts, chief executive of Dudley Canal & Cavens Trust, said work could begin as early as 2027, and given a good wind the scheme could be completed within five years.