Public to be able to access Forth Bridge possibly from 2015

[ainsworth74]

Network Rail have put forward the following proposal:

Plans have been unveiled for a viewing platform at the top of the Forth Bridge to give visitors a "close-up" look at one of Scotland's most famous sights.

Rail chiefs said they hoped the world famous bridge could be open to the public from 2015.

They have released early stage plans for a visitor centre linked by a lift to a viewing platform 330ft (100m) above the sea level on the Fife side.

There could also be guided walks to the top of the tower on the Edinburgh side.

The rail bridge, which runs across the Forth estuary between South Queensferry and North Queensferry, was built between 1883 and 1890 and is 1.5 miles long.


The viewing platform would give visitors a "close-up" look at the Forth Bridge
The track is about 150ft (45m) above the water level and the bridge reaches 330ft (100m) at the top of its three towers.

The North Queensferry proposals would see a visitor centre building created underneath the northern Fife Tower.

Network Rail, who are behind the proposals, said the north of the bridge was the only place the structure could be accessed by land.

They said the "discreet" visitor centre under the north tower would have a "glazed ceiling to allow visitors to experience the cathedral-like scale of this awe-inspiring structure".

It would offer education and exhibition facilities alongside catering and shopping.

The visitor centre would be connected by a step-free ramp to two lifts on the eastern side of the bridge.

The lifts would offer access to a viewing platform at the top of the bridge.

On Edinburgh side, Network Rail wants to offer a "more challenging" visitor experience where pre-booked parties using safety equipment walk along a path under the track and then climb up the south tower.

David Simpson, of Network Rail Scotland, said they had spent 10 years restoring the bridge to its full glory in advance of an application for world heritage site listing.

He said he was "excited" by the plans to offer the public the chance to visit the bridge and see it "close-up" for the first time.

Mr Simpson said: "While these plans are still at development stage, we believe that the options we have revealed today can be delivered without impacting the well-loved view of the bridge.

"Any infrastructure on the bridge will be less visible than the existing scaffold platform and all buildings designs will be of premium quality."

He added: "It's an ambitious target, but we'd love to see these plans at least partially realised by 2015 to coincide with the bridge's 125th anniversary."

Mr Simpson said any profits from the planned facilities would be reinvested into the upkeep of the bridge, which remains a key part of Scotland's railway infrastructure and carries more than 200 trains per day.

Network Rail said it would now begin the process of developing designs in consultation with the relevant authorities and local communities.

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Sounds good to me so I hope they can make this happen as soon as.

 

[Altnabreac]

Seems an excellent plan.

Could be a very popular attraction, especially with foreign visitors.

Some credit should go to Nigel Harris from Rail magazine who suggested it to Network Rail a few years ago after going up the north tower on a site visit.

 

[Class172]

I like the sound of this proposal — I would certainly try to visit it if it was built.

 

[theageofthetra]

As much as I think this is great idea and can't wait to go it must always be remembered that this is the Firth of Forth and not Sydney Harbour. The reason the bridge was so massively over engineered in the first place was due to the very high wind speeds and the then recent Tay Bridge failure. I wonder how many days a year the attraction will be closed due to the weather?

 

[yorksrob]

I'd love to give that a go !

Won't have to do a Richard Hannay now

 

[alexf380]

Well, in my humblest of opinions, I don't think it would be good to build upon the Forth Bridge as I believe it would ruin the aesthetics of the bridge. It wouldn't look the same with a visitors' centre or viewing platform plunked on top of it.
But that's just my view...(no pun intended)

 

[ainsworth74]

Network Rail clearly state in the article above:

While these plans are still at development stage, we believe that the options we have revealed today can be delivered without impacting the well-loved view of the bridge.

So I doubt they're planning on just 'plunking' any old thing on the bridge!

 

[Mainliner]

Brilliant idea. I'll be up there as soon as it opens.

 

[Tiny Tim]

It would certainly be an adventurous journey up to the top, especially in the Scottish weather.

 

[nigpark222]

When can I book my ticket. I do hope h&s do not spoil things.

 

[Smethwickian]

Well, in my humblest of opinions, I don't think it would be good to build upon the Forth Bridge as I believe it would ruin the aesthetics of the bridge. It wouldn't look the same with a visitors' centre or viewing platform plunked on top of it.
But that's just my view...(no pun intended)

From what I saw on the BBC TV news report, the visitor "facilities" will be at ground level while the workers' platform at the top already exists and presumably just needs to be made more public-friendly. Not sure what's planned in the way of lifts but I am sure they needn't be much more obtrusive than the existing ones for staff - I would presume it's only going to cater for a set number of people per escorted trip, on a very controlled, ticketed basis, not a free-for-all.

 

[D365]

Obviously, anything added to the bridge will have to be aesthetically unintrusive, seeing that it is a Grade I listed structure. The plans shown off on the BBC article look good. I'll definitely be travelling back up to Scotland if this all takes shape. An imaginative idea to bring tourists and income to the bridge, increase interest and educate, which might even enhance the local economy.

The fictional Tubeline Bridge of Unova is inspired by the Forth Bridge; a sturdy steel twin-deck design with two rail tracks below a deck for those on foot or two wheels. Lobbies at either end display scale models of the bridge with a few trainspotters hanging about. Maybe the Forth Bridge plans take inspiration from this