The Blue Ghost Tunnel or Grand Trunk Railway Tunnel is an old railway tunnel used to travel under the Welland Canal during the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Built in 1876, the tunnel is located between locks 18 and 19 of the former third Welland Canal. It is 713 feet long, about 16 feet wide, and 18 feet high.

Violent Past

The tunnel has made our list of haunted locations in Niagara for good reason. It was the site of a handful of fatalities during construction, most notably, a fourteen-year-old Irish boy was killed when he was crushed under a large rock. It was also the site of a large train wreck just before the entrance of the tunnel.

Operational History

The tunnel was used sparingly during it’s just over 60 year operation. This was a result of poor circumstances whereby the Grand Trunk Railway company took ownership of the tunnel from the Great Western Railway Company and immediately disliked the single track design. Grand Trunk Railway closed the tunnel in the 1930s. The track was removed and a double-track swing bridge was installed.

Name Origin

The “Blue Ghost” name is taken from the experience of a paranormal investigator named Russ, who managed to capture the image of blue mist that eerily resembled a floating apparition. The image earned the name Blue Ghost and it has stuck ever since.

Blue Ghost Tunnel Location:

The Blue Ghost Tunnel location is behind the GM engine plant in Thorold (map below). To access it, you have to travel down a service road that is labelled off limits to pedestrian traffic, so enter at your own risk.