Niddry Castle is bridge to Edinburgh Glasgow electrification: Niddry bridge

Monday 6 Feb 2017

Niddry Castle is bridge to Edinburgh Glasgow electrification

Region & Route:
Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Network Rail has started work to install a footbridge over the railway near Niddry Castle in Winchburgh – the final structure to be replaced ahead of the electrification of the railway line between Edinburgh and Glasgow.  

The footbridge at this location was demolished in late 2015 while the new bridge being installed represents the 60th and final structure to be renewed  as part of the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement programme.

The bridges have been replaced to create the extra height required over the railway to safely run the cables needed for overhead line electrification.

The bridge in Winchburgh is scheduled to be installed over the weekend of  February 25 / 26. On completion of the works, it will once again link Niddry Castle Golf Club with the field opposite to reconnect a popular walking spot for the local community.

Iain McFarlane, head of electrification project management at Network Rail, said: “Niddry Castle footbridge marks a significant milestone in EGIP as we move towards the final phase of delivering the electrification of the line between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

“By the middle of March, Niddry Castle footbridge will once again become a well-worn pathway enjoyed by the local community.

“It is the culmination of a four year programme of route clearance works which has seen 60 structures height cleared and numerous other bridges where the parapet (side wall) heights were raised.

“This has been a significant undertaking which has been delivered across seven council areas and necessitated some disruption to both the road and rail network and for lineside communities as work is largely delivered at night to maintain train services during the day.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank residents across the route for their patience while we delivered this massive investment in our infrastructure. We are grateful for their patience and we are confident that the benefits delivered will make it worthwhile as the electrification of the line is a genuinely transformational investment.”

The EGIP is  a Scottish Government funded investment to deliver a rolling programme of electrification across the central belt – reducing journey times and increasing capacity on routes by improving the infrastructure to enable faster, greener and more energy efficient trains.

In addition to the 60 structures replaced, the parapet heights at more than 100 bridges have also been raised route-wide.

To date, EGIP has successfully completed the £80m electrification of the Cumbernauld line, the £25m redevelopment of Edinburgh’s Haymarket station and the completion of the new, £41m Edinburgh Gateway train-tram interchange.

Preparatory works on the footbridge commenced on February 5 and works are scheduled to complete by March 10.

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