Crawshaw Woods Bridge close to Leeds is the oldest solid iron railway bridge on this planet to nonetheless be in use over a are living railway.
Final weekend (11-12 October), Community Rail contractors moved it away as a part of the £10.7bn Transpennine Direction Improve (TRU).
A bespoke arched framework was once built to toughen the 191-year-old Grade II indexed construction sooner than it was once slowly manoeuvred in a single piece the use of a 128-wheel self-propelled modular transporter (SPMT).
After the bridge was once got rid of, the railway line was once restored and re-opened to trains on agenda at the Monday morning.
The forged iron arched girders, bridge deck, parapets and unique iron railings will now be repaired and renovated off-site whilst further layers of stone are added to the bridge’s abutments to boost its peak by means of 1.5 metres.
This may increasingly create room for the electrification of the Transpennine major line between York, Leeds and Manchester, permitting sooner electrical trains to run, sooner than the restored construction is reinstated in spring 2026.
Lucy Grogan, sponsor for TRU, mentioned: “Nice care has long past into the improve of Crawshaw Woods Bridge. It is Grade II indexed standing and identify as the sector’s oldest solid iron bridge over a railway intended that, like different constructions of ancient significance around the direction, additional components are regarded as when wearing out important upgrades.
“It’s becoming that this paintings has began all over Railway200, which is celebrating rail’s exceptional previous, its function nowadays, and its significance to a sustainable long run. We’re taking nice care to maintain the bridge’s persona whilst making house for a contemporary, electrified railway.”
Opened in 1834, Crawshaw Woods Bridge has spanned the reign of 8 monarchs and is recognised by means of Historical England as probably the most important constructions at the Transpennine direction. It has lost sight of trains steaming into Leeds all over the town’s textile manufacturing increase all over the Commercial Revolution, and served as a primary get right of entry to bridge to the close by Barnbow Munitions Manufacturing facility all over the First Global Conflict.
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