Tag: railway

National Trust Secures £2.75m for Castlefield Viaduct Expansion

National Trust Secures £2.75m for Castlefield Viaduct Expansion

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The National Trust has announced major funding to double the length of its Manchester’s Castlefield Viaduct “sky park” from 150m to 350m. The £2.75m needed will come from National Highways (£2.4m), Manchester City Council (£100k), Greater Manchester Combined Authority (£100k), and Railway Heritage Trust (£150k).

Opened in 2022 the extended ‘sky park’ will add improved accessibility via a new western entrance with lift access, making it a through-route for the first time. The expanded park will also feature WaterAid’s gold medal-winning garden from the 2024 RHS Chelsea Flower Show. It s expected to open in summer 2026. The viaduct is open Wednesday – Sunday 10am – 5pm, with no booking needed.

The Castlefield viaduct was built in the late 1870s by the Cheshire Lines Committee railway to service the former Central Station and was opened in 1880. Further details on the project here: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cheshire-greater-manchester/castlefield-viaduct

Designs for the planned extension at the Castlefield viaduct. Image courtesy of National Trust.

Railway 200: Celebrating the Birth of the Modern Railway in 2025

Railway 200: Celebrating the Birth of the Modern Railway in 2025

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2025 marks the bi-centenary of the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway in 1825 connecting places, people, communities, and ideas, and ultimately transforming the world. To celeberate the birth of the modern railway, three councils, Darlington, Durham, Stockton-on-Tees, and Tees Valley Combined Authority, have joined forces with a range of local, national, and international partners, to deliver a nine month festival of internationally significant projects throughout the bicentenary year.

The ‘Railway 200’ events are designed to showcase how the railway shaped and continues to shape national life, as well as inspiring a new generation of young pioneering talent to choose a career in rail. Events across the year will build to the main celebration on the 27th September, the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway.

A Global ‘whistle-up’ on New Year’s Day 2025, with more than 50 hetritage railwys blowign the ihsiltew son their engiens at the same moment, signalled the start of rail’s 200th anniversary. From January to September a wide variety of activities and events are planned to celebrate rail’s remarkable past, its role today, and its importance to a sustainable future.

For more details on these events follow this link: https://railway200.co.uk/ 

London Midland and Scottish Railway Swing Bridge Restored

London Midland and Scottish Railway Swing Bridge Restored

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The London Midland and Scottish Swing Bridge after restoration. Image copyright Historic England DP325398

Amongst the industrial heritage sites successfully removed from this year’s Historic England Heritage at Risk Register is the scheduled London Midland and Scottish Railway Swing Bridge – also known as the Rewley Road swing bridge – crossing the Sheepwash Channel in west Oxford. This structure was suffering from severe decay affecting the plating and paint protecting its moving parts.

Designed by engineer Robert Stephenson the railway bridge was built in 1850-1 for the former Buckinghamshire Railway branch of the London Midland and Scottish Railway. It was reconstructed in 1890 and again in 1906. The bridge closed to passenger traffic in 1951 and to goods in 1984. It is one of only two moving bridges on the River Thames, the other being Tower Bridge, London. It is had been in the care of the Oxford Preservation Trust since 2019 who have overseen the restoration with funding from Historic England, Network Rail, and the Railway Heritage Trust and other sources.

Further information on this years Heritage at Risk Register can be found here – https://historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/news/heritage-at-risk-2022/

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