A future era when trains will once again be able to run all the way from Ruddington to Leicester has got another step nearer this month – with the removal of an unsafe railway bridge over the A60.
The old bridge near the Brush factory, on the outskirts of Loughborough, has been a landmark for road users visiting the town during the last 125 years. Originally it was not anticipated having to replace this historic structure as part of Great Central Railway’s ‘Reunification’ plans – an ambitious railway reconnection project to create an 18-mile heritage line between Ruddington and Birstall, just to the north of Leicester. However, an inspection in September 2020 found the old bridge was in such a poor state that the line over it needed to be closed on safety grounds. This setback has been one of the reasons why ‘big’ trains have still not restarted from Ruddington’s Heritage Centre since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tom Ingall of the Friends of the Great Central Main Line (FoGCML) explains: “The bridge over the A60 is key to Reunification. One day it will carry two lines – the first to connect to Network Rail, the second with the through line between the Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire sections of the GCR. However it was beyond economic repair so the difficult decision was made to remove it and replace it.”
It’s hoped the new concrete/metal structure should be in place by the end of this month or early November. Whilst engineers say the gradient on the railway won’t be altered, the distance between the surface of the road and the bottom of the bridge will be slightly greater which it’s hoped should reduce the risk of bridge strikes.
Mr Ingall continues: “The new structure will also benefit from crash protection – something the Victorian builders of the GCR didn’t have to contend with. ‘VolkerLaser’ are the lead contractor on this one million pound phase of Reunification. As always, we’re grateful to Friends for championing the project and fundraising and David Clarke Railway Trust for diligently managing the money, claiming gift aid and thanking our donors. These are difficult times economically but we are at a phase of the A60 work where every pound will really help us. It’s a team effort and the response to work getting underway again shows how much national interest there is in the project.”
Andy Fillingham, Chairman of the FoGCML, adds: “Friends has driven forward the fundraising for the Reunification project. As a thank you to everyone who has donated money for the work to replace the A60 bridge, we’re delighted to have images produced {one below}. They show the brand new bridge, which is sure to become a local landmark.”
The Great Central Railway managed to save some money by placing the order for its new bridge back in April, to beat rapidly rising costs. However, donations continue to be welcomed via www.gcrailway.co.uk/unify where there’s also more information about the ‘Reunification’ project and all the work being carried out.
{Images courtesy of The Great Central Railway and FoGCML}
