HS2 is donating thousands of pieces of ballast to the Bluebell Railway in West Sussex as the rail industry unites to mark 200 years of rail travel. Some 4,000 tonnes of ballast – enough to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool – was used by HS2 in specially constructed sidings while tunnelling work was carried out […]
Category: heritage
Work commences on world’s oldest in-situ cast-iron railway bridge
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 […]
Severn Valley Railway makes steady progress towards landslip repairs
Although a firm start date for repairs to the landslip at the Severn Valley Railway’s (SVR) Mor Brook bridge remains unknown, huge progress has been made in recent weeks. The railway has also shared details of how the work will be undertaken. Last week (1 May), the SVR signed a contract with civil engineering contractor […]
Essential work to repair Victorian-era Bee Network tunnel to start this weekend
Essential engineering work to ensure a Victorian-era tunnel remains safe will result in a reduced tram service on the Bury line this weekend. Work to replace beams supporting the roof at Whitefield Tunnel means that no trams will run between Crumpsall and Bury on Saturday (May 10) or between Whitefield and Bury on Sunday (May […]
Volunteers celebrate Bentham station’s 175th anniversary
Volunteers working to make improvements for Northern customers at a station in Yorkshire came together to celebrate the 175th anniversary of its opening. Passengers have been travelling to and from Bentham station since it opened in May 1850 and it remains a popular stop on the scenic Bentham Line, which runs between Leeds and Morecambe. […]
Final steam train signalled by Farncombe, Petersfield, and Haslemere signal boxes
Saturday 26 April marked a moment of railway history as the final steam train was signalled through the railway by three signal boxes between Farncombe and Petersfield. The final steam train sent through by the retiring signal boxes was the Merchant Navy Class Clan Line No. 35028, hauling the first leg of the Great Britain […]
140-year-old rail bridges revived in Glasgow city centre
Historic rail bridges near Glasgow Central Station are standing the test of time with a £1.5 million makeover. The Eglinton Street and Salkeld Street structures, both 140 years-old, have gone from deteriorating to dependable after the completion of a six-month refurbishment project by Network Rail. The work included ‘rivet busting’ to remove and replace rivets […]
Reading station turns 185-years-old
Reading station turned 185-years-old on Friday 29 March, having opened its doors in 1840 as a temporary terminus for Brunel’s Great Western Railway while engineers continued building the line to Bristol, the eventual final stop on the line. In marking its 185th year, Reading station has much to celebrate. Since the launch of Network Rail’s […]