Adding a footway to a railway bridge

[ess]

How difficult would this be to achieve. For example on the bridge over the Thames between Twyford and Henley on Thames?

 

[Chris999999]

How difficult would this be to achieve. For example on the bridge over the Thames between Twyford and Henley on Thames?

The Golden Jubilee Bridges each side of the Hungerford Railway Bridge were extremely complex. I doubt that adding footbridges to most other railway bridges across the Thames would be as difficult as that project was. There is plenty written about them and the difficulties caused by tube lines, unexploded bombs, etc

 

[S&CLER]

I seem to recall reading of a proposal for a footway alongside the Kent viaduct from Arnside. Was it realistic?

 

[adamedwards]

A good reason for looking at this is to make it easier to access a station encouraging more business, so long as the bridge has ramps for pushchairs, etc. I'm sure there are locations we can list where this would be a good idea, assuming money is no object.

The other good reason for doing so is if it opens up tourism, for example the planned cyclepath alongside the Arnside viaduct which would create a superb walking and cycling route from Arnside to Grange over Sands and back by train.

I'd love a Digswell highwalk at Welwyn North, but I suspect local residents would not be too keen.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Jan 2022 ==

Re- Arnside, it's being studied:
https://cumbriacrack.com/2018/11/28...t-arnside-viaduct-walkway-and-cycle-crossing/

 

[jonesy3001]

Carlisle Bridge in Lancaster has a walkway next to the railway bridge going over the river lune, been over it a few times and was refurbished a few years ago, meaning a long walk round if you lived near St George's Quay.

 

[Basher]

A good reason for looking at this is to make it easier to access a station encouraging more business, so long as the bridge has ramps for pushchairs, etc. I'm sure there are locations we can list where this would be a good idea, assuming money is no object.

The other good reason for doing so is if it opens up tourism, for example the planned cyclepath alongside the Arnside viaduct which would create a superb walking and cycling route from Arnside to Grange over Sands and back by train.

I'd love a Digswell highwalk at Welwyn North, but I suspect local residents would not be too keen.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Jan 2022 ==

Re- Arnside, it's being studied:
https://cumbriacrack.com/2018/11/28...t-arnside-viaduct-walkway-and-cycle-crossing/

Wish the Arnside footway/cycleway was built I love cycling around that area. A footway/cycle lane would certainly be a good idea as far as I am concerned

 

[Bletchleyite]

How difficult would this be to achieve. For example on the bridge over the Thames between Twyford and Henley on Thames?

I'd have thought cantilevering a simple footway or cycle path a couple of metres wide off a railway bridge would be fairly easy, though obviously more costly than not doing it.

I would agree that putting one alongside Arnside viaduct would be of very considerable benefit, particularly given that the proposals for Option B+ in Manchester result in the last train on the route being quite substantially earlier, and this is the only viable way at present for a pedestrian or cyclist to cross - the route round is 10+ miles.

 

[John Luxton]

AS a slightly historical aside a food bridge was added to the Penallt Viaduct across the River Wye at Redbrook before the Wye Valley line closed to passengers this was to enable visitors to the Boat Inn on the Wales side of the river.

Previously passengers wanting to go to the pub had boarded a train to travel from Redbrook Station crossed the bridge and alighted at Penallt Halt. Whilst the railway has long gone the viaduct remains with its path which passes under the first span before rising to the main deck level.

I have walked across a few times. The photographs on my web site clearly show how it is arranged. https://www.jhluxton.com/Railways-a...elics/Wye-Valley-Railway-GWR/Penallt-Viaduct/

 

[swt_passenger]

In the OP’s example, (is it at Wargrave?), isn't it now a single track bridge with a spare pier in the river from when it was double track? Shouldn’t be too difficult an engineering problem to add a footbridge span, but I think the larger problem would be gaining step free access to it from either bank…

 

[Kite159]

According to a Wikipedia article, there were plans to create a footbridge alongside the Shiplake river bridge but got axed on cost grounds after a lengthy planning battle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiplake_Railway_Bridge

Although planning permission for the 'Millennium Bridge' was ultimately granted after several re-submissions, the delays created by those campaigning against it resulted in the project being abandoned on cost grounds: it had been costed in the mid-90s when the building industry was in recession, but by the time the go-ahead was given the economy was booming again and the projected costs had doubled.

But it would make sense, I dread to think how many people simply use the train between those two stations without paying (DOO and from memory neither have TVMs)

The railway bridge at Bourne End had a footbridge added alongside it in the early nineties

 

[Mikey C]

According to a Wikipedia article, there were plans to create a footbridge alongside the Shiplake river bridge but got axed on cost grounds after a lengthy planning battle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiplake_Railway_Bridge

But it would make sense, I dread to think how many people simply use the train between those two stations without paying (DOO and from memory neither have TVMs)

The railway bridge at Bourne End had a footbridge added alongside it in the early nineties

The Bourne End bridge became part of the Thames Path National Trail, which probably helped its case!

That Shiplake crossing would have been really useful, as there's a sizeable gap along the Thames with no crossings.

 

[jopsuk]

Once of the concepts for the recently opened Abbey-Chesterton walking & cycling bridge in Cambridge was to have it attached to the existing railway bridge over the Cam. One of the reasons it was built as a standalone bridge a few metres away is that Network Rail were very much opposed on the grounds that fixing anything to existing structures complicates maintenance .

If you look at the Golden Jubilee bridges carefully, you'll see that structurally the only contact they have with the Hungerford Bridge is a concreate foundation reinforcement built around the pillars. Not one part of the Golden Jubilee bridges' metalwork is attached to the steel of the railway bridge.

Even a lightweight bridge is still a significant mass. If a bridge hasn't been carefully designed to have additions cantilevered off the side then the engineering to do so is far from simple.

 

[Mikey C]

Once of the concepts for the recently opened Abbey-Chesterton walking & cycling bridge in Cambridge was to have it attached to the existing railway bridge over the Cam. One of the reasons it was built as a standalone bridge a few metres away is that Network Rail were very much opposed on the grounds that fixing anything to existing structures complicates maintenance .

If you look at the Golden Jubilee bridges carefully, you'll see that structurally the only contact they have with the Hungerford Bridge is a concreate foundation reinforcement built around the pillars. Not one part of the Golden Jubilee bridges' metalwork is attached to the steel of the railway bridge.

Even a lightweight bridge is still a significant mass. If a bridge hasn't been carefully designed to have additions cantilevered off the side then the engineering to do so is far from simple.

The unpleasant old Hungerford Bridge footpath was attached to the railway bridge, quite a different experience though interesting when trains went past!

 

[mmh]

The Golden Jubilee Bridges each side of the Hungerford Railway Bridge were extremely complex. I doubt that adding footbridges to most other railway bridges across the Thames would be as difficult as that project was. There is plenty written about them and the difficulties caused by tube lines, unexploded bombs, etc

However the previous footway attached to the Eastern side of the Hungerford Bridge was very simple!

 

[davews]

I was trying to work out how it worked while walking over the Golden Jubilee this afternoon. The metal bit from the bridge stays go round each of the pillars but don't actually make contact with it, presumably fixed somewhere below. That bridge didn't come cheap, it is all very clever.

 

[greyman42]

The new Scarborough railway bridge, just North of York station crossing the River Ouse, has a pedestrian/cycle path but this came as part of the bridge.
The old bridge had a footpath beside it but i don't know if it was part of the original structure? I am sure someone will know.

 

[Nottingham59]

Lady Bay bridge in Nottingham has a pedestrian walkway cantilevered out from the side. It was a Midland Railway mainline bridge, but got converted to a roadway, which probably made getting permission easier.

 

[Meole]

Invershin rail bridge built 1868, footbridge added 2000, now taken over from peds for national cycle route.

 

[SouthernR]

I seem to recall reading of a proposal for a footway alongside the Kent viaduct from Arnside. Was it realistic?

Yes - an online survey has just been opened to gauge the interest in the project - https://forms.office.com/Pages/Resp...ntMWoVdIwDKyXzjVu0yLpVrebQIdQag6nY0irjuln-QAA

I understand that the provision of a cantilevered walkway was discussed before the viaduct was refurbished in 2011. Network Rail were not prepared to pay for it (understandably). However, it was said to be a straightforward job to fit later. I don't know what the effect on rail services would be.

 

[S&CLER]

Yes - an online survey has just been opened to gauge the interest in the project - https://forms.office.com/Pages/Resp...ntMWoVdIwDKyXzjVu0yLpVrebQIdQag6nY0irjuln-QAA

I understand that the provision of a cantilevered walkway was discussed before the viaduct was refurbished in 2011. Network Rail were not prepared to pay for it (understandably). However, it was said to be a straightforward job to fit later. I don't know what the effect on rail services would be.

I doubt if it would have much impact on rail use; the walk from Arnside to Grange would still be more than 5 km, enough to deter casual users. The benefit would be in opening up a shorter alternative to the present Cumbrian Coastal Way, which would avoid some road walking through Meathop. At present you have to walk all the way from Arnside to Levens Bridge before following the other bank of the Kent on lanes and a dyke through Foulshaw, a pleasant level walk with good views across the estuary.

If a walkway were provided, it would be better on the landward side, as this would allow, indeed require, two new paths to be established from the western end of the viaduct. One would be a permissive path north along the dyke to Crag Wood, where the present Coastal Way right of way turns inland through an easily missed gate (I've missed it twice!); and the other would have to be a new path going west, north of and parallel to the line, through an area of marsh to the mouth of the river Winster, where you would pick up the existing route, the flat but dull road alongside Grange golf course. The new path would take you south of Limegarth Wood in Meathop Fell, where I am told there are breeding ospreys, not so well known as the ospreys that breed in Foulshaw Moss reserve, so it would attract bird watchers at least.