Thursday 8 May 2025
Work commences on world’s oldest in-situ cast-iron railway bridge
- Region & Route:
- Eastern
Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) engineers have this week begun initial preparation work for the raising and renovation of Crawshaw Woods Bridge, the earliest cast-iron railway bridge to still be in place over an operational railway anywhere in the world.
Constructed between 1830 and 1834, the Grade II listed bridge has spanned the reign of eight monarchs and is recognised by Historic England as one of the most significant structures on the Transpennine route. It has overlooked trains steaming into Leeds during the city’s textile production boom during the Industrial Revolution, and served as a main access bridge to the nearby Barnbow Munitions Factory during the First World War.
Now, after two previous renovations in 1943 and 1999, the cast-iron girders, bridge deck, parapets and original iron railings will be carefully removed for off-site repair and renovation. When reinstated, the historic bridge will be raised by approximately 1.5m to create enough room for the installation of overhead line equipment (OLE), which will power electric trains through the area and beyond as part of the multi-billion-pound Transpennine Route Upgrade.
Adam Sellers, Senior Sponsor for TRU, said:
“Crawshaw Woods Bridge’s Grade II listed status, and status as the world’s oldest cast-iron bridge over a live railway, means great care has gone into its renovation, with its removal planned for October this year.
“Following our public consultation in 2022, where we took on feedback from the community, we’re excited that preparation work has now started on what will ultimately improve journeys through West Yorkshire and across the Pennines on cleaner, greener services.
“The reinstatement of the bridge is expected in spring next year, when a structure that has seen such history will stand firm for the next generation of rail travel.”
The work now underway at Crawshaw Woods Bridge is part of a Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO) approved last year, which also includes a number of other major TRU works between Leeds and Micklefield.
Notes to Editors
TRU Quick Facts:
- Electrifying the whole route between Manchester and York via Huddersfield and
Leeds - Installing a new digital signalling system along the Transpennine route
- Doubling the number of tracks from two to four between Huddersfield and
Westtown in Dewsbury. - Station improvements along the route to enhance customer experience, comfort
and accessibility - Improving the railway on diversionary routes to allow more trains to run, helping
passengers and freight on the move while the core Transpennine route is closed to
deliver essential upgrades. This will provide capacity and reliability improvements
for the future too.
- Our workforce is local, with 80% employment from within a 40-mile radius of the route, and 60% employed from within a 25-mile radius.
- With a current workforce of around 5000 people, we expect to employ 8000 people over the length of the programme.
- The halfway mark of employing 590 apprentices has already been achieved, with 358 now working on TRU
- Improved natural environments near the railway through 10% biodiversity net gain across the route. This will create or enhance habitats for wildlife.
- The multi-billion-pound Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) will bring this line into the 21st century with 70-miles of fully electric, digital railway.
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Journalists
Ewan Bayliss
Communications Executive
Network Rail
ewan.bayliss@networkrail.co.uk
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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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