Knollys Tunnel

Knollys Tunnel was cut through a hill near Tabaquite in 1898 for the Trinidad Government Railway line into the central district, and it is the only railway tunnel ever built on the island, about two hundred metres long and lined in brick. The line through it closed in 1965 and the tunnel was left, then cleared and reopened as a heritage and picnic site in 1991 with the approach cutting landscaped and lit. The line it carried ran from Port of Spain into the cocoa districts of central Trinidad, and the tunnel was the single most expensive piece of engineering on it.

What to look for

• The brick lining - the Victorian brickwork through the length of the tunnel.
• The 1898 date - the only railway tunnel ever built in Trinidad.
• The cutting - the landscaped approach through the hillside.
• The picnic grounds - the site laid out around the tunnel mouth.

When to go

January to May is driest. Weekends bring picnic groups. The tunnel is cool inside in any weather.

What to expect

It is a single tunnel and the visit is short. The lighting inside is unreliable. Facilities are limited to picnic tables and the site is quiet on weekdays.

Nearby

Tabaquite is nearby, and San Fernando is west.