TV channel Yesterday has awarded the Forth Bridge the accolade of ‘Railway Bridge of the Year’. The channel is home to the programme, ‘The Architecture the Railways Built’, and has inaugurated this new award aiming to draw attention to what it calls “some of the incredible structures that are, or have been, such a vital part of Britain’s railways”. A panel picked the Forth Bridge from a shortlist of five bridges drawn up after a survey of public opinion.

The Forth Bridge spans the Firth of Forth nine miles west of central Edinburgh. Its construction began in 1882 and it was opened in 1890 by the future King Edward VII. It carries the Edinburgh-Aberdeen line between the villages of South and North Queensferry. Last year, refurbishment of the North Queensferry approach was completed, having started the previous year.

It was the world’s first great multi-span cantilever bridge, and at 2,467 metres remains one of the longest. When it opened, it had the longest single cantilever bridge span in the work, and in still the second longest, with a span of 521 metres. It is painted in a distinctive red colour, and at its highest point is 110 metres above the water. The bridge is made from 53,000 tonnes of steel, held together by 6.5 million rivets.

The four other shortlisted bridges were: Blackfriars Bridge in London, which was redeveloped in 2012; Glenfinnan Viaduct in Inverness-shire, which featured in the Harry Potter films; the Royal Albert Bridge in Cornwall, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel; and the Grade II listed Victoria Bridge which spans the River Severn in Worcestershire.

Alan Ross, Director of Engineering and Asset Management at Network Rail, which owns the Forth Bridge, said, “The iconic Forth Bridge is an outstanding example of innovative engineering that has lasted the test of time. The UNESCO World Heritage site is one of the industrial wonders of the world and it’s very fitting that it would receive the first ever Yesterday Railway Bridge of the Year award.”

Lead panellist, railway historian and presenter of the TV programme, The Architecture The Railways Built, Tim Dunn said: “I would never turn down the chance to talk about some of the most iconic railway structures ever built! I love all the bridges on the shortlist for different reasons, but there’s something about the Forth Bridge that just stands out. It’s a beacon of engineering excellence and having been to the top of the structure and on the bridge as trains rush past at track level, I can honestly say it’s something I will never forget. I hope the award also makes a nice birthday present for the bridge – it turns a remarkable 133-years-old on Saturday!”