Ravenscraig WCML 5,000T structure move

Work to install a new railway bridge at Ravenscraig, on the West Coast Mainline (WCML), has been completed on-time over the Easter weekend.

Engineers worked around-the-clock for nine days, from April 1 to the early hours of April 10, to successfully move the new 5,000-tonne bridge into position as part of a £16.9 million investment from North Lanarkshire Council and Glasgow City Region City Deal.

Network Rail and Story Contracting have been working since May 2022 to construct the enormous concrete structure at a compound next to the West Coast Main Line and had a tight window of opportunity to move it into position over Easter.

The new bridge deck was installed on April 4 after engineers had excavated over 36,000 tonnes of material from the railway embankment to create space for the new structure.

Once in position, the structure was built into the embankment and over the Easter weekend the overhead line equipment and track were reinstated before tamping compacted the new ballast under the railway track.