Media centre

Friday 30 Jul 2021

Viaduct protection work begins at Orbiston

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Work is now underway on a £1.1m project to protect Orbiston Viaduct in North Lanarkshire.

Specialist engineers are removing material from the bed and banks of the river and around the viaduct’s foundations, as well as carrying out masonry repairs and ballast installation.

It’s all designed to extend the lifespan of the structure while protecting it against weather damage as part of a wider programme of maintenance to keep the rail network safe and reliable.

Rod Hendry, Construction Manager at Network Rail, said: “Safety is at the heart of everything we do at Network Rail and the £1.1m investment we’re making in Orbiston Viaduct will protect it for years to come.

“While scour remains the leading cause of bridge failures in the last 100 years in the UK, the work we’re doing is vital to keeping passengers moving safely and reliably over the South Calder Water.

“We are very grateful to all rail users and the wider community for their patience while we carry out this vital work.”

The ‘scour protection’ scheme on the stone structure, between Uddingston and Motherwell stations, is due to be completed later this year.

Scour damage occurs when floodwaters undermine the foundations of bridges. Scour protection works help protect these shallow foundations by diverting water away from the base of the bridge.

Network Rail invests around £20m each year on scour protection projects across Scotland’s Railway.

If you have any questions about this work, you can contact Network Rail’s 24-hour national helpline on 03457 11 41 41.  For the latest information and progress updates follow on Twitter @NetworkRailScot.