A 161-year-old London railway bridge is to be refurbished from Thursday, Network Rail has said. Hungerford Bridge, the structure that takes the railway over the Thames between the South Bank and London Charing Cross station, will be restored, with work expected to be completed by the end of winter 2028.
A decision to restore the bridge was made after the infrastructure from 1864 started to seem “old”, according to Network Rail, as it expressed concern about the railways being able to run safely in its current condition. The bridge is made up of spans of wrought iron lattice girders from the Victorian era, and has been repaired and refurbished several times throughout its life.
The project comes as Network Rail announces it is investing £213million over the next four years to give route structures used by the railway a revamp - while other structures will simply be replaced. “With such old infrastructure, it’s important that the bridge is maintained so that the railway can be run safely and reliably for passengers,” a statement by the transport body said.
As part of the extensive refurbishment, engineers will paint the bridge and test the truss pins, but all of the original metalwork will be retained. Network Rail’s Kent Route director David Davidson said: “Many of the bridges on Britain’s railway are from the Victorian era and being responsible for this national heritage is both a privilege and a challenge. Some of the structures are very old, so are vulnerable to corrosion and damage from weather.
