Campaigners have welcomed a Government commitment to hand the custodianship of 3,100 legacy bridges, tunnels and viaducts to Great British Railways, the body expected to take over the operation of most of Britain\u2019s rail infrastructure and passenger services next year.<\/p>\n
Collectively known as the Historical Railways Estate, the structures were transferred to the Department for Transport in 2013 after British Railways Board (Residuary) was abolished as part of a quango cull. Day-to-day management responsibilities were passed to the Highways Agency, now called National Highways, which looks after the UK\u2019s strategic road network.<\/p>\n
In 2021, the state-owned company was embroiled in controversy after plans were revealed that would have resulted in 134 historic bridges and tunnels being infilled or demolished without any consideration of their social value or repurposing potential. The longer-term programme could have seen as many as 480 structures being lost.<\/p>\n
Accusations of \u201ccultural vandalism\u201d were levelled against National Highways after it unlawfully infilled a masonry arch at Great Musgrave in Cumbria under misapplied permitted development rights, ignoring a request from the local planning authority not to start the work.<\/p>\n
The Government intervened to pause NH\u2019s infilling and demolition programme pending the establishment of a formal decision-making and stakeholder consultation process. But a number of schemes continue to be pursued, including one due to start next month which will bury a bridge, located within a nature reserve, in around 2,000 tonnes of stone and concrete.<\/p>\n
Lord Young, who served as Transport Secretary under John Major, recently tabled an amendment to the Railways Bill – currently going through its committee stage in the House of Lords – seeking transfer of the Historical Railways Estate to Great British Railways.<\/p>\n
Speaking during a debate on Monday (26th October), he suggested that engineers who manage assets for Network Rail – and hence GBR – have \u201cdeep knowledge and experience of railway structures – as opposed to highways structures – and that has accrued over many decades, allowing pragmatic and proportionate decisions to be made with confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n