Thursday 13 Jul 2017
Network Rail breathes new life into West Yorkshire viaduct
- Region & Route:
- | North West & Central
Work has started to repair and strengthen the Grade II listed Lydgate viaduct in Calderdale so trains can continue to run safely between Todmorden and Burnley.
George Stephenson’s 13 arch viaduct, built around 1908, carries trains between Todmorden and Burnley via Cornholme.
One arch of the structure, also known as Knott Wood viaduct, is being strengthened as part of the Great North Rail Project which is seeing more than £1bn invested in the railway in the north of England.
Marc Vipham, Network Rail’s senior asset engineer, said: “Impressive Victorian structures such as the Lydgate viaduct are not only part of Britain’s landscape but also play a key part in keeping trains moving and villages, towns and cities connected.
“As part of our Railway Upgrade Plan we inspect and maintain all our bridges and viaducts so they are safe and carry out repairs sympathetically so these iconic structures stand tall for decades to come.”
Network Rail started work on the £750k project in May 2017 to strengthen one arch at the Burnley end of the viaduct. Engineers have planned the work so it can be completed without impacting on passengers and train services. Brickwork along the whole of the viaduct is being repaired while the strengthening work is taking place.
All work is planned to be completed in September 2017.
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We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.
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