Plan B on Westbury bridge demolition

Adam Hewitt • Published 20 May 2010 16:00 1 Comment

NETWORK Rail has abandoned plans to demolish and rebuild a historic rail bridge standing in the way of its £70m track upgrade.

It hoped the Government would overturn the last-minute listing of the Westbury Lane bridge in Purley imposed by West Berkshire Council last year, but says it cannot wait any longer for a decision.

It will go ahead with its "Plan B" of lowering the track to allow freight trains underneath, which engineers say will be expensive and only temporary.

Spokesman Russell Spink said: "Replacing the bridge would have provided the height clearance not only for larger freight containers but for the overhead power lines needed for electrification of the Great Western mainline too. The temporary solution we have developed will be more expensive, more disruptive to passengers and will cost more in ongoing maintenance. Further disruptive work will be needed in future to provide the extra clearance needed for electrification."

He said Network Rail took railway heritage seriously but added: "The listing of this bridge may have stopped it being replaced, but only at the cost of projects which seek to ensure the viability of the railway for generations to come."

Purley historian John Chapman, who opposed the demolition, said: "This is what they should have done in the first place. But surely they could excavate properly under the track so they don't have to come back for the electrification?"

Network Rail wanted to heighten and widen the bridge to allow bigger trains to use it, as part of its freight upgrade between Southampton and the Midlands aimed at taking 50,000 lorries off the road.

The Brunel-style bridge, based on sketches by the engineer, was built around 1840, widened in 1891 and listed last year because it shows "the pioneering earliest phase of railway development nationally".

Purley Parish Council and many villagers opposed the work on heritage grounds and because of disruption fears, but the Thames Valley Campaign for Better Transport said Brunel would have backed it because it gets freight onto the railway.

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• 

  cupcake10
  Unregistered User
  Aug 9, 17:10
  Report comment

  I believe that the bridge's listed status has been revoked, now, does this mean they can demolish it?
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

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