Towards the end of next month, three swing bridges on the Norfolk Broads will be closed for nine consecutive days whilst their electrical and mechanical systems are upgraded.

Reedham, Somerleyton, and Oulton Broad bridges are over 100 years old and their internal parts have become unreliable.

Network Rail engineers will replace those parts to make them more reliable, less likely to develop faults, and reduce the need for costly maintenance. Further work on the swing bridges will take next year, and the dates of closures will be advised in due course.

This year the Lowestoft to Norwich Wherry line is celebrating its 175th anniversary, having opened to goods on 3rd May 1847 and to passengers on 1st July 1847.

During the work, parts of the Wherry and East Suffolk Lines will be closed with rail-replacement buses running instead. Full details will be available at www.greateranglia.co.uk and www.nationalrailenquiries.co.uk

Between Norwich and Lowestoft:

Buses will replace trains between Norwich and Lowestoft on the following dates;

• Saturday, 24th and Sunday, 25th September;
• Saturday, 8th and Sunday, 9th October;
• Saturday, 22nd October to Sunday, 30th October (this was originally planned to be for 16 sixteen consecutive days).

Between Halesworth and Lowestoft :

• Buses will replace trains between Halesworth and Lowestoft on Saturday, 22nd, and Sunday, 23rd October.

Between Norwich – Great Yarmouth / Sheringham;

• On Saturday, 8th, Sunday, 9th, Saturday, 29th, and Sunday, 30th October buses will replace trains between Norwich – Great Yarmouth / Sheringham due to other engineering work.

Progress on the upgrades can be found on Twitter for the Anglia region @NetworkRailAng using the hashtag #AngliaSwingBridges

While the work is being carried out there will be limited access for boat users, although there will be short periods during the closures when the bridges will be open. These are being communicated by the Broads Authority directly to boat users.

Ellie Burrows, Network Rail’s route director for Anglia, said: These bridges are an important part of our railway heritage and also critical pieces of infrastructure that keep both rail and boat traffic moving. Renewing the components will reduce the risk of mechanical problems and help keep services running safely, smoothly, and reliably for our passengers, as well as maintaining access to the ports and marinas.”

Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director, said: “This work will make our Norwich and Ipswich to Lowestoft lines even more reliable, which I know our customers will welcome. While the work is going on we will make sure customers can still complete their journeys with a rail replacement bus service.”

Rob Rogers, Broads Authority Director of Operations, said: “This much-needed investment by Network Rail into the Broads’ swing bridges is very much welcomed by the Broads Authority and our boating communities.

“It has been a challenging few years for our river users regarding the bridges and we are delighted to hear that work is progressing to allow them to reliably open for river traffic.

“We urge the boating community to note the periods of closure above and to check our website as the works progress for any navigation updates.”