£7.5 million investment in iconic freight viaduct announced

Network Rail is investing £7.5m this summer to renew one of Chapel Milton’s twin viaducts – an historic 160-year-old structure – and secure its future as a freight route.

Around 25,000 tonnes of stone, cement and limestone travel across the 230-metre-long viaduct every day, supporting the construction industry, helping build homes, roads and even parts of the UK rail network railway.

The viaduct is the only route out of for these four quarries, and several construction sites and building projects would be cut from their source of stone without it.

About 110 freight trains cross the viaduct each week, replacing up to 14,190 lorry journeys – easing congestion on the roads and helping provide cleaner air.

David Hunter, a senior freight manager at Network Rail, said: “The importance of this route cannot be under-estimated. It is a Grade II listed Victorian structure and requires a modern touch to make sure freight trains can pass over it safely and efficiently for generations to come.”

Engineers will repair brickwork carefully, making sure that any new bricks added are the same material and colour as the original. Work is also being undertaken to strengthen the parapets – or protective walls – that run along the edge of the viaduct. A new waterproofing and drainage systems will also help keep the line running during increasingly rainy and stormy weather.

The railway track itself is also being replaced in order to keep freight journeys riding smoothly on the track, while new safety features such as handrails and guardrails for maintenance crews are being implemented.