Work to install the superstructure of a new footbridge and lifts at Dumfries station in southern Scotland was completed yesterday, Sunday, 14 April.

Network Rail engineers worked overnight from Saturday, 13 April using 500-tonne and 110-tonne cranes to lift the steel superstructure into place.

The new footbridge and lifts will provide step-free access between platforms 1 and 2 and are part of the government’s £3.6m Access for All scheme to make it easier for people with impaired mobility, or travelling with luggage, children, or bicycles to travel by train.

A trial build and inspection of the footbridge took place last month at the premises of the bridge fabricator M&S Engineering Ltd at Annan in Dumfries and Galloway, 16 miles from Dumfries.

In total the new footbridge weighs 51 tonnes and is constructed from 2,389 individual parts, connected with 973 bolts. A saltire design on the parapet of the original bridge and curved detail on the bridge deck have been included in the new footbridge.

Other features in the design to complement the station’s heritage features include open railings on the staircase and sandstone cladding on the lift towers.

Work will now continue to complete fitting out the bridge and lifts to make it fit for public use. Completion and opening for passenger use is expected to be this summer.

The original footbridge was removed in an overnight operation last December. Engineers had previously closed it to public use in readiness for its removal and used a three-hundred-tonne crane to remove the middle part of the bridge (the deck) and place it on a trailer.

The original bridge deck went into storage until a suitable permanent home could be found.

The successful installation of the new steel structure by crane marks a key milestone in our project to improve accessibility at Dumfries station.

We’ve worked collaboratively with our principal contractor STORY and train operator ScotRail to make sure this key activity was completed safely and on time without any impact on rail services.

We would like to thank members of the public for their cooperation and understanding while our work is ongoing.

There is still a lot to do before passengers will be able to use the footbridge and the lifts, but we hope everyone living nearby and using the station is pleased with the progress so far and is looking forward to the benefits that this new accessible footbridge will bring.

Amanda Naughton, Scheme Project Manager for Network Rail