Upgrade is back on track after bridge decision

Adam Hewitt • Published 12 Aug 2010 13:30 3 Comments

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A CONTROVERSIAL listing of a railway bridge that threatened to derail a multi-million pound freight upgrade has been overturned by the Government.

Heritage minister John Penrose this week removed the listed status of Westbury Lane railway bridge in Purley, saying it “lacks sufficient architectural or historical interest” to keep its status, granted in July last year on the recommendation of English Heritage.

Network Rail is jumping for joy at the news, which it calls a “victory for common sense”, because it means it can go ahead with its original plan to demolish and rebuild the bridge to allow larger trains to pass underneath, as part of a freight upgrade from Southampton to the West Midlands aimed at getting 50,000 lorries off the roads. It never wanted to have to go ahead with its ‘plan B’ to lower the track under the bridge instead.

Spokesman Russell Spink said: “This decision is excellent news for our plans to get freight off the roads and onto the rails.

“The temporary solution we had developed for Westbury Lane would have been more expensive, more disruptive to passengers and more expensive in terms of ongoing maintenance costs. It would also have jeopardised future electrification of the Great Western mainline. Reconstruction is the best solution for local residents, rail users and the wider economy and we will work with the local planning authority to ensure that can be implemented as efficiently and with as little disruption as possible.”

English Heritage said it was “naturally disappointed” at the decision and a spokeswoman said: “English Heritage concluded that the bridge is historically important as an early 19th century bridge, with later 19th century widening, for which Brunel was responsible. It also has special design interest in the surviving early Victorian brickwork and the elliptical arch as a technical expression of Brunel’s broad gauge concept.”

Purley Parish Council has always opposed Network Rail’s project and backed the listing.

Historian John Chapman, of Cecil Aldin Drive in Purley, said: “It’s a very poor decision, they obviously have absolutely no idea how unique this bridge is.”

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Andy Elms
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Aug 14, 22:40
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Last time I looked there were 4 identical bridges at Purley. Which one is this one? So much for being unique.

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Howard Thomas
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Aug 22, 01:07
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Its a bridge and its too small for the proposed modern freight trains..............get over it!

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Howard Thomas
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Aug 22, 01:08
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Or possibly under it as the case may be !

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