Thursday 31 Aug 2006
PHOTOCALL: TAY BRIDGE GETS NEW LEASE OF LIFE
- Region & Route:
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Scotland’s Railway: Scotland
Date: Thursday 31 August 2006
Time: 4pm
Location: Tay Bridge, Network Rail compound, off Riverside Drive, Dundee
Event: Dundee politicians view Tay Bridge refurbishment plans
Contact: Lachlan McGoldrick, 0141 555 4108
People in Dundee and north Fife will soon see abseilers on the Tay Bridge as Network Rail begins a three-year refurbishment project.
The £12 million investment to strengthen and refurbish the bridge means no major maintenance work will be required on the structure for the next 25 years, and that passengers will continue to have good rail connections on the east coast of Scotland.
Scotland's Maintenance Director, Richard Lungmuss, said: “This £12 million project demonstrates Network Rail’s commitment to investing in the railway in Scotland. During the next three years we will be working hard to strengthen the bridge, prevent rust and improve its appearance. This will keep journeys running smoothly for passengers – and allow them to continue enjoying the spectacular views of the River Tay while crossing the bridge.
“We are pleased to be the custodians of this great Scottish landmark, to be securing its future and keeping up its appearance for the people of Dundee and north Fife who look out on it.”
The challenging work will involve more than 50 experts – including abseilers to reach the less accessible areas. Each rivet will be painted by hand.
Dundee politicians Stewart Hosie MP (Dundee East), Jim McGovern MP (Dundee West) and Councillor Fraser MacPherson will meet with Network Rail’s Territory Maintenance Director, Richard Lungmuss, and Route Director, David Simpson, on Thursday. They will tour the bridge to see the planned works before they start.
The current project follows £25 million invested in refurbishing and strengthening the bridge from 2000 to 2005, making a total of almost £38 million spent by Network Rail since 2000 to ensure the smooth running of train services over the Tay.
The Tay Bridge is a class A listed structure and it has spanned the river from Dundee to north Fife since 1887. It is the UK’s longest rail bridge at 2 miles long, and it carries almost 70 trains every day.
Notes to editors
Train services will not be disrupted by the works on the Tay Bridge.
About Network Rail
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.
Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.
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