Overbridges and structures should all be built to W10 loading gauge or better

[richard_S]

Any over bridge or other structure crossing any line should be built to accommodate W10 clearance (W12 would be better) with clearance to include OHLE. This would make installation of future OHLE easier and cheaper.

 

[themiller]

Should but not necessarily is! For example, the replacement bridge over the railway at Workington docks was intended to be suitable for electric wires but, in the end, was built to a lower height to ease the rise on the dock access road.

 

[AndrewE]

Should but not necessarily is! For example, the replacement bridge over the railway at Workington docks was intended to be suitable for electric wires but, in the end, was built to a lower height to ease the rise on the dock access road.

to be fair, that must be one of the last places you would expect the wires to reach - if ever... Pragmatism rules - I don't think that really counts as surrender!

(Wasn't that the area where BR's last steam engines were expected to be concentrated to work out their declining years?)

 

[The Planner]

Any over bridge or other structure crossing any line should be built to accommodate W10 clearance (W12 would be better) with clearance to include OHLE. This would make installation of future OHLE easier and cheaper.

That normally is the case if its new.

 

[mr_moo]

I work in projects. It's completely standard, and has been for some time, that anything new is required to be designed to provide full clearances to W12 etc, unless there is a good reason not to.
That reason could be that it will cost a LOT more, it could be that you're working on a tunnel and the only way to provide that is to re-bore the whole thing which clearly wont happen etc.

It's always considered, but not always provided, as sometimes the cost or timescales or complexity simply don't warrent it.

 

[plugwash]

Any over bridge or other structure crossing any line should be built to accommodate W10 clearance (W12 would be better) with clearance to include OHLE. This would make installation of future OHLE easier and cheaper.

The problem is that for road over rail bridges, raising the road means rebuilding a lot of road, and dropping the track means rebuilding a lot of railway. Rail over rail is potentially even worse. So even if you are rebuilidng the bridge, it can be difficult to get additional clearance. Sometimes you can buy a bit of clearance by using a different type of bridge with a thinner deck, but that isn't always practical either.

 

[norbitonflyer]

It was noted, when electrification of the Lincoln to Newark line was mooted (before bimodes were a thing) that none of the overbridges would need modifying as the oldest was built in 1960 (A1 Newark bypass)

(there are four road bridges, one being a private access road, and I think six footbridges including the one at Lincoln station)

 

[ThirteenArches]

that must be one of the last places you would expect the wires to reach - if ever...

That's what's called a "self fulfilling prophecy". What happened at Greek St in Stockport?

 

[The Planner]

That's what's called a "self fulfilling prophecy". What happened at Greek St in Stockport?

Its wired anyway?

 

[plugwash]

Network rails freight map shows the route through stockport as cleared for W10.

 

[AndrewE]

That's what's called a "self fulfilling prophecy". What happened at Greek St in Stockport?

Wasn't that bit of railway in a tunnel before electrification? I thought it was opened out and the now-removed concrete girder bridge put across instead.
In those circumstances I would be very surprised if the then-new concrete bridge didn't have massively more clearance than the previous tunnel (which is why it happened anyway) and maybe even enough for more recent inflations of the loading gauge...