The tunnel was created with the construction of the Tollwitz - Dürrenberg coal railroad. In 1836, the year it was opened, it caused a sensation among experts, with its impressive length of 177 m in today's terms. At that time it was called an "underground vaulted way", which at its deepest point was up to 5 m below the earth's surface. The structure is also located in a curve with a steady slope towards the former production area of the saltworks. The lining was made of brick and natural stone. The Tollwitz entrance was equipped with lockable gates. The tunnel was the first German 'railroad tunnel'.

Even today, you can see the original cast-iron plaque in the Borlach Museum, which was attached to the wing wall of the tunnel portal for the opening. After the closure of the coal railroad in 1935, the eastern access road was filled in, but the tunnel itself was preserved in almost its entire length. During World War II, local residents used the tunnel as an air-raid shelter. The tunnel portal in the former saline area has been preserved and was renovated some time ago. Guided tours of Germany's oldest railroad tunnel are conducted on special occasions.