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Thursday 1 Sep 2016

Breich bridge back after build

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

The bridge over the railway at Station Road, Breich re-opened overnight (Wed 31^st August) following Network Rail works to upgrade the structure in preparation for the future electrification of the railway.

The bridge over the railway at Station Road, Breich re-opened overnight (Wed 31^st August) following Network Rail works to upgrade the structure in preparation for the future electrification of the railway.

The £1.8 million investment in the Breich bridge has been delivered over a period of seven months and is the twelfth completed structure out of the 19 that will be reconstructed ahead of the electrification of the line in 2019.

The project required the diversion of a range of utilities which used the 14m span bridge to connect over the railway before the structure was demolished and rebuilt higher above the rails to ensure the safe clearance of the overhead electrification cables.

The reconstruction involved lifting 30 pre-cast concrete units into place using a 500 tonne crane. This included the bridge deck beams and parapets as well as positioning of the temporary structure which carried the diverted utilities over the railway during the work.  The new design for the bridge also incorporated ducting for Scottish Power to facilitate future connections to local wind farms in the area.

A shallower but stronger bridge deck has been put in place to avoid impacting on the height of the carriageway with higher parapets (side walls) being installed to comply with safety legislation on structures over an electrified railway.

The bridge has been reconstructed as part of the Shotts Line electrification. The project forms part of Network Rail’s nationwide Railway Upgrade Plan and helps deliver the Scottish Government’s rolling programme to electrify central Scotland’s rail network.

Michelle McCaig, Network Rail project manager, said:

“This was a challenging and complex piece of work being delivered over a busy working line, so credit is due to the Network Rail team and contractors, BAM Nuttall, who have delivered this work.

“Although there are few properties nearby that would have been disturbed by noise from the work, we are aware of the impact this kind of project in a rural location has on the road network and we thank the local community for their patience while we delivered this important railway investment.

“We would also like to thank West Lothian Council, the road’s authority in the area, for their support and cooperation as we deliver the electrification project. Their local knowledge and professional approach has been invaluable in minimising the disruption for local communities during this project.”

The electrification of the Shotts Line is part of a rolling programme of electrification across the central belt – reducing journey times and boosting capacity on routes including the Edinburgh-Glasgow Queen Street (via Falkirk High) line and previously the completion of the link and electrification of the line between Airdrie and Bathgate.

For further information on the electrification of the Shotts Line follow us on twitter @ShottsLineElec