Scotland’s Railway is preparing for an intense ten-day programme to install a 5,000-tonne bridge on the West Coast Main Line (WCML) at Ravenscraig in North Lanarkshire.

The £16.9 million project is being delivered through an agreement between North Lanarkshire Council and Network Rail, and will involve constructing a new road under the railway line as part of the ongoing regeneration of the former steelworks site.

For the last ten months, Network Rail and STORY Contracting engineers have been casting the bridge at Network Rail’s compound next to the WCML and are now preparing to move it into position. This will take place between April 1 and April 10, with the team working around the clock. This phase will begin with engineers excavating approximately 36,000 tonnes of material from the railway embankment and removing the track and overhead line equipment. Remote-controlled vehicles called self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs) will then drive the bridge and support structure, totalling around 6,000 tonnes, into position. Network Rail believes that this is the biggest move of its kind in Europe.

The track and overhead line equipment will be reinstated before a series of signalling work takes place and the line is reopened. Once the new bridge is in place, the council will progress with constructing a new dual carriageway with pedestrian and cycle paths from Airbles Road / Windmillhill Street to Robberhall Road, as part of a wider investment to open the area for future development.

The work is being carried out at the same time as the £160m investment at Carstairs on the West Coast Mail Line to reduce disruption for customers. During this project, ScotRail services between Glasgow Central and Lanark will be affected, and passengers should check their journey in advance.

• Updates on the bridge work are available on Network Rail’s project page.
• If you are planning to travel on the West Coast Mainline during this time, please check how your journey may be affected by visiting the National Rail website or by checking individual train operators’ websites.
• Further information on the project is available on North Lanarkshire Council’s project page. www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/ravenscraig-south-citydeal

Programme facts and figues:

• Volume of concrete poured into the bridge and tonnage of the steel reinforcement (rebar) Concrete 2500m3 and rebar 620 tonnes
• Total abutment / wingall units: 18 units (10 Southside, 8 Northside)
• Total tonnage of the 18 wingwall units:1097 tonnes
• Total excavation volume: approximately 36,000 tonnes
• Tonnage of new ballast going in: 2555 tonnes of ballast

The bridge and the new road, to be built by North Lanarkshire Council, are the first parts of the £127.2m Ravenscraig Access Infrastructure (RAI) project, supported by £61.9m of funding from Glasgow City Region City Deal. The RAI project will improve connections north to the M8 and south to Motherwell and the M74.
Construction is supporting local jobs and apprenticeships and will minimise the impact of the line on the local area.

Councillor Paul Kelly, Depute Leader of North Lanarkshire Council, said: “Completion of the bridge is a vital step in constructing the new road and opening up Ravenscraig for investment and regeneration for many years to come,

“With investment from Glasgow City Region City Deal and the council, the overall £127.2 million Ravenscraig Access Infrastructure project will improve local access to Ravenscraig for housing, leisure and business as well as creating improved connections north to the M8 and south through Motherwell and to the M74.”

Jeremy Spence, Senior Programme Manager, Network Rail said: “This project represents more than £16 million worth of investment in the local area from North Lanarkshire Council and Glasgow City Region City Deal.
“Given the sheer size and scale of the bridge, it also represents a significant piece of engineering work, made possible by successes in innovation and collaboration with our major contracting partner, STORY.

“The upcoming intense period of activity marks a major milestone in this huge construction project, with Network Rail, Story and North Lanarkshire Council working closely over the last year to get it to this point.

“Once our work is complete, it will allow the council to continue the regeneration of the area that will bring vacant and derelict land back into use while helping to create jobs and connecting people and businesses across the whole region.

“We would like to thank passengers and our lineside neighbours for their patience and understanding while we carry out this vital work.”

John MacArthur, Managing Director, Story Contracting (Scotland), said: “As our teams gear up to safely deliver this major milestone of moving a 5,000-tonne structure during an intense 10-day blockade, it’s great to reflect on all the hard work and commitment that has gone into the project so far.

“Working with our key supply chain partners, we’ve poured 2500m3 of concrete to form the structure, and put in 51,300 hours on site, whilst also being able to invest in the community by providing over 400 hours of work experience for local young people.

“We are therefore very proud to be supporting Network Rail and North Lanarkshire Council on this fundamental piece of civil engineering infrastructure.”