New railway footbridge in Scotland set to open

A new footbridge in Glasgow's Southside is to open tomorrow, Friday 18th August, [1] has announced.

The new bridge is part of the Glasgow – [2] Electrification Project – and was needed to provide enough clearance for the new overhead electric wires to be installed.

Connecting Darnley Road and Moray Place, work on the bridge started in 2023, with [3] and contractor [4] Ltd.

The design of the new bridge followed a vote by around 5,000 locals, the majority (85%) of which preferred the curved bridge design.

One of the challenges that Network Rail had was keeping the conservation status for the area whilst meeting the required clearance for the electrified railway.

This limited work to enhance access to the bridge, but Network Rail has delivered a wider bridge for users, as well as new road that was completed in January.

The footbridge features a new steel truss as well as a toughened glass parapet to achieve its look.

The old footbridge has since entered preservation with it moving to the Caledonian Railway in Angus.

Work will now see engineers completed the finishing jobs on the Glasgow to [5] electrification work, which will then be followed by signalling commissioning and test trains before electric train services can start from December.

Michelle McCaig, Network Rail's project manager for the footbridge work, said: “The new footbridge was necessary in allowing us to electrify the line in this location.

“We understood at an early stage the significance the former footbridge held for the community and I want to thank residents and local businesses for their positive engagement in determining its design.

“I'm confident it will enjoy the same legacy at its predecessor and I'm very grateful to the community for the patience shown not just during the delivery of this work but the wider project.

“The footbridge represents the completion of the last piece of structural engineering on the Glasgow – Barrhead project, as we move even closer to introducing greener and cleaner electric trains on to the route.”

References

  1. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  2. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  3. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  4. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  5. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)

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