Media centre

Tuesday 4 Jun 2013

Hungerford High Street railway bridge repainting is on track for completion

Region & Route:

| Wales & Western: Western

| Wales & Western

Work on the repainting of Hungerford High Street railway bridge is expected to be completed this month.

The £275,000 project is being delivered by Network Rail which will dismantle the scaffolding between 4 and 6 June when the finished bridge will be fully revealed.

Network Rail Western route managing director Patrick Hallgate said: “We’re sure that people will welcome this much-needed facelift for such a well-known local landmark.

“The bridge has been repainted as part of a programme of work designed to promote local economic growth.

“We have brought forward work planned for the next five years to improve safety and the condition of structures on the Western route. The stimulus is being delivered by a broad local supply base, ensuring that investment will reach the wider economy before the end of March 2014.”

Following co-ordination with Hungerford Town Council, the bridge is being painted in a style in line with the old steam engines. It will incorporate the logos of Hungerford Town Council and the Great Western Railway, as well as the date 1862 in celebration of when the railway came to Hungerford.

The current bridge is much younger, having been built in the 1960s, and the underside will be being painted 'Hungerford Blue' as requested by the town council.

Work on repainting the bridge began on 22 April and has taken seven weeks to complete.