nlogax
Established Member
Damn it.. should have done this last night while walking the dogs and while the weather was nice! I've found the best vantage points for taking decent photos of this so will try once the sun re-emerges later this week.
-
Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Long or high railway bridges you can walk over
- Thread starter aavm
- Start date
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
Zamracene749
Member
Balderstone viaduct, now part of the Tees railway path near Cotherstone.
In Prague, you can walk over the impressive modern 42 m high Nusle bridge that carries metro lineC beneath it connecting Vyšehrad and I.P Pavlova. (pleasant views of the frequent mainline trains and trams in the valley far below). Nearby, but a long way down, if you want to get closer to said trains the 200 metre long Železniční most carries trains and a footway across the Vltava to and from Smichov.
In Prague, you can walk over the impressive modern 42 m high Nusle bridge that carries metro lineC beneath it connecting Vyšehrad and I.P Pavlova. (pleasant views of the frequent mainline trains and trams in the valley far below). Nearby, but a long way down, if you want to get closer to said trains the 200 metre long Železniční most carries trains and a footway across the Vltava to and from Smichov.
@snowball Thanks!
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
Have updated the list at the top.
Last edited:
3 more disused viaducts (*) to walk over.
Firth Viaduct in Midlothian
Grace Dieu Viaduct in Leicestershire near Coalville
Midland Counties Railway Viaduct near Rugby
(*) some used bridges have footpaths
(an addendum to) https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/long-or-high-railway-bridges-you-can-walk-over.244328/
Firth Viaduct in Midlothian
Grace Dieu Viaduct in Leicestershire near Coalville
Midland Counties Railway Viaduct near Rugby
(*) some used bridges have footpaths
(an addendum to) https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/long-or-high-railway-bridges-you-can-walk-over.244328/
Belperpete
Established Member
- Joined
- 17 Aug 2018
- Messages
- 3,584
There is now single-track working over that bridge, due to the state of it, which is impressively rusty. There are controversial proposals to rebuild it.
They have just this week opened a new tram bridge across the Vltava, that you can also walk across.
And on the other side of Prague there is the high line walkway, along the abandoned rail route from Hlavni Nadrazi, that goes over an impressively high viaduct over Zizkov and through the Starý Vítkovský tunnel.
telstarbox
Established Member
Tonbridge West Yard has a long footbridge over about 20 tracks.
Millisle
Member
The Carlisle Waverley Viaduct Trust has been promoting the opening of the Waverley viaduct over the Eden for several years, although I am not aware of much practical progress.
Before it was palisaded I was able to walk the Leaderfoot/Drygrange viaduct many years ago. Rather amusingly a photograph of it was used in some ScotRail publicity before the opening of the Borders Railway. It would be a long wait for the first train.
Before it was palisaded I was able to walk the Leaderfoot/Drygrange viaduct many years ago. Rather amusingly a photograph of it was used in some ScotRail publicity before the opening of the Borders Railway. It would be a long wait for the first train.
norbitonflyer
Established Member
Sadly no more, as it collapsed in December
Former Spey Viaduct (ex-Great North of Scotland) collapse
Report that Scottish Government have put up some money "for the bridge". https://www.forres-gazette.co.uk/news/collapsed-bridge-to-receive-113k-from-scottish-government-a-425251/ I suspect the amount involved (£113,000) will only cover an initial assessment of which options (if there are any)...
www.railforums.co.uk
At Rochester the "new" road bridge, built in 1970, which carries the eastbound carriageway of the A2, uses the foundations of the original 1858 East Kent Railway (later LCDR) bridge over the Medway.
The current railway bridge, immediately downstream, was originally built in 1891 to carry the Chatham branch of the South Eastern Railway, which closed in 1911, but the bridge was repurposed in 1927 to carry the Chatham Main Line when the older EKR/LCDR bridge became life-expired.
Ooooh! I should dearly love to do that. Very envious.
flixtonman
Member
- Joined
- 18 Oct 2013
- Messages
- 52
The Detroit Bridge, which was a swing bridge carrying a rail line across the Manchester Ship Canal on the Salford/Manchester border but was moved into Salford Quays when the line closed. It now straddles what was once dock no. 9 at the former Salford Docks.
norbitonflyer
Established Member
Officially only since 2016, but it was certainly possible unofficially much earlier.
The line closed in 1959, requiring trains from Sheffield to Lincoln to divert via Gainsborough, but most of it, except the viaduct itself, re-opened in 1968 to serve Cottam Power Station on the Nottinghamshire side of the Trent, and Torksey oil terminal on the Lincolnshire side. (The oil terminal closed in 1988 and the power station in 2019).
When Lincoln power station closed in the 1970s my late father was seconded to Cottam, which meant a 20 mile journey each way via the A57 toll bridge at Dunham. On several occasions the Trent flooded the approach roads to the bridge, requiring a detour via Gainsborough (27 miles each way) or the Newark bypass (36 miles each way, but on faster roads and avoiding Gainsborough's town centre). What he and his colleagues actually did when the A57 was impassable was to drive the 13 miles to Torksey and walk across the old viaduct.
As a secondee he was allowed to claim travelling expenses. But the expenses people insisted that they had to pay him for the official route via Gainsborough if the A57 was closed, as they couldn't condone him and his colleagues trespassing on the viaduct.
Kruunuvuori Bridge, a newly opened very long walk/tram cable stayed bridge in Helsinki, Finland, to an island. And in the same vein, Southend on sea pier (long enough for a tourist train)
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
That one looks closed now
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
@Gathursty Do you mean Douglas Valley Rail Viaduct?
That one looks closed now
Last edited:
bramling
Veteran Member
Think the official name was Whelley Viaduct. Was fenced off and fairly secure when I visited this time last year at the Wigan end, didn’t visit the Standish end.
lyndhurst25
Established Member
- Joined
- 26 Nov 2010
- Messages
- 1,589
Not high, and not sure if it counts as long, but Ravenglass Viaduct over the estuary just north of the station has a pedestrian walkway attached to the side of it. The footpath is well below the level of the tracks, so be grateful that modern train toilets now flush into tanks rather than out the bottom like they used to.
You can walk over a footway attached to the Bietschtal arched girder bridge on the BLS south ramp in Switzerland. Noticeable movement when a heavy train goes over, which is (or at least was before the base tunnel opened) of frequent occurrence.
I just walked over it today. Lovely old bridge and always fun to go over on a train.
ZL exile
Member
Has the viaduct reopened now. Last year it had been closed when I had planned to cycle over that way.
Yes. Many of us locals hope that the recent upgrading of the Whelley Loop trail North of Whelley through Haigh Hall will continue to and cross the viaduct into Standish allowing a spectacular pedestrian route between Standish and Wigan and alternative to walking along the A49.
Ferris boy
Member
I'm amazed Wetheral Viaduct over the River Eden isn't included
Western Sunset
Established Member
Has anyone mentioned the long footbridge across TfLs Morden depot of the Northern Line?
izvor
Member
I have walked across the Topolog Viaduct in Romania. At nearly a mile long, it was one of Ceaucescu's (many) follies, intended for a new main line that never opened, despite being around 80% complete, as it was so shoddily built. Quite an experience, as is the 3km tunnel that leads onto it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topolog_Viaduct
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topolog_Viaduct
D6130
Established Member
Has the Tay viaduct between Perth and Barnhill been mentioned?
bramling
Veteran Member
Was all fairly secure when I visited last year.
That is a lovely walk. I have used it a couple of times to visit Branklyn Garden.
What about Creagan on the Ballachulish branch? I am sure somewhere on the W coast of Scotland I have driven on a bridge over the mouth of an inlet like that which was/is a combined road/rail bridge.
From the map is is clear the current road follows the original rail alignment but is it the same bridge?
It may or may not be the same place in Scotland where I remember the road signs said "Xxxxferry (no ferry)"!
From the map is is clear the current road follows the original rail alignment but is it the same bridge?
It may or may not be the same place in Scotland where I remember the road signs said "Xxxxferry (no ferry)"!