The Anonymous Widower

Vital Bridge Replacement Means No Trains On Liverpool Street – Chingford line For 16 Consecutive Days This Summer

The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Network Rail.

These four paragraphs outline the project to replace the bridge.

Trains will not be able to run for 16 straight days while Network Rail delivers a critical stage of a bridge replacement project between Saturday 20 July and Sunday 4 August.

The 150-year-old bridge over the railway is located to the south of Hackney Downs Park and carries the junction of Downs Park Road and Bodney Road. It backs directly onto a tunnel, which emerges further down the line towards Clapton.

The bridge is monitored closely to check it is safe, but its cast iron girders are in poor condition, and they are continuing to deteriorate. A replacement structure is needed to avoid an unplanned closure and keep passengers and road users moving in future.

Over the 16 consecutive days, engineers from Network Rail’s contractor, Murphy, will demolish the old bridge and start building the new one.

This Google Map shows Hackney Downs station and the location of the bridge to be replaced.

Note.

1. Hackney Downs station at the bottom of the map.
2. The tracks to Enfield Town and Cheshunt stations going to the North-West corner of the map.
3. The tracks to Walthamstow and Chingford stations going to the North-East.
4. Mossbourne Academy is between the two tracks.
5. The bridge to be replaced is where the tacks to Chingford disappear into a tunnel.

This 3D Google Map shows the bridge in more detail.

Note.

Downs Park Road running across the top of the map.

Bodney Road running down the side of the railway.

The blue building is Mossbourne Academy.

This Network Rail image shows the current bridge.

It certainly looks like it’s seen better days.

This Network Rail visualisation shows the how the new bridge will probably look from above.

It looks like the landscaping will be fairly simple.

I have some further thoughts.

The Disruption

Sixteen days is a long closure, but rebuilding the bridge before it possibly falls down, is probably prudent.

So make sure you read the full press release from Network Rail.

Hopefully, it will all go well!

Further Works

Hackney Downs and Clapton stations opened in 1872, so the bridge and the tunnel must be at least 150 years old.

So I wouldn’t be surprised, that when Network Rail do a full underground survey, they find other problems.

Rectification could delay the reopening.

Conclusion

It looks to be a well-prepared project.

But I do have my reservations about Network Rail finding something nasty.

Those naughty Victorians would cut corners and bodge things and then not write it down.

 

 

 

April 20, 2024 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Chingford Branch Line, Hackney Downs Station, Network Rail