Media centre

Tuesday 28 Jan 2014

New images released as Forth Bridge Experience takes shape

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

The public are being invited to give their views on new artist’s impressions of The Forth Bridge Experience, released today by Network Rail.

The Forth Bridge Experience is a proposed multi-million pound development which will enable the Forth Bridge to become one of Scotland's major landmark tourist attractions and encourage visits to a short-listed World Heritage site. To help develop the business plan further, Network Rail is seeking the opinions of the public and visitors to Scotland via the project website (www.forthbridgeexperience.com)

The Forth Bridge Experience envisages visitors being able to access the Bridge via:

• A bridge walk and climb to the top of the southern Queensferry tower accessed from a visitor reception centre at South Queensferry
• A panoramic lift and viewing platform located at the North Queensferry side and accessed via a visitor centre situated directly beneath the northern Fife Cantilever.

David Dickson, Network Rail acting route managing director for Scotland, said: "We’re currently assessing the early feasibility study and developing a detailed business plan for delivery of these proposals. The market research study, launched today, will give us more detailed understanding of the potential market for these visitor plans and we’re keen to hear from as many people as possible, whether you’re excited about visiting the bridge or completely petrified by the prospect.

“The images we’ve released provide a bit more of an insight into how we’d like to package visits to the bridge. They will be used over the coming weeks to help facilitate discussions with local communities and relevant organisations and interest groups.

“We look forward to developing these plans further in the coming months at which point we’ll have a better idea of the delivery timescales."

The new images, which show how the visitor reception centre at South Queensferry and the North Queensferry Visitor Centre could look, have been released to support the launch of detailed market research into the plans.

The images reveal more detailed concepts of Network Rail’s vision for the Forth Bridge. The North Queensferry proposals would see visitors arriving via a landscaped shore side walk at a unique visitor centre building created under the northern Fife Tower. The visitor centre would also offer education and exhibition facilities alongside catering, Forth Bridge themed retail and a special function venue. The centre would be connected by a step-free ramp to two panoramic elevators on the eastern side of the bridge. The elevators would provide access to a viewing platform located dramatically at the top of the bridge, 110m above sea level.

The South Queensferry proposals envisage a visitor reception centre from which guided bridge walks for groups of up to 15 people begin. The walk would route would pass along the south approach viaduct on a pre-existing walkway underneath the track, followed by a climb to the top of the southern Queensferry Tower using a walkway within the top cantilever.

The reception centre would be developed on Network Rail owned land underneath the southern approach span, just a short walk from Dalmeny Station.

To find out more information about the proposals and to complete the market research survey, please visit www.forthbridgeexperience.com.