The original route planned for the Worcester and Hereford Railway did not include the tunnel, but its inclusion became necessary in response to pressure for the line to serve the towns of Malvern and Ledbury.

Ledbury Tunnel was one of the railway's greatest engineering challenges, being bored through the limestone of Dog Hill; it was opened to traffic during 1861.

[1] The excavation of the tunnel provided a valuable opportunity to study the geology, dating to the Devonian age; findings included significant numbers of fossilised fish, acanthodians and ostracoderms, some complete with the body and tail.

[1] During the period in which the route was being served by steam locomotives, Ledbury Tunnel became notorious among crews for possessing a poor atmosphere, which was attributed to its unusually narrow bore combined with a steep gradient (1:80) and a bend close to its northern portal.

[1] However, there have been petitions and studies for the whole line, including the tunnel, to be double-tracked throughout; it has been observed that any reengineering or replacement programme would incur considerable expense.