Bewdley Bypass Bridge

Bewdley Bypass Bridge from the south west
Bewdley Bypass Bridge from below. The bridge was built and jacked into place from near the photographer's location

[Bewdley Bypass Bridge (Bridge 8) is located between Bewdley and Kidderminster, around ⅓ mile south east of Bewdley Station. The bridge was built in 1986, allowing the new A456 Bewdley southern bypass to go through the embankment adjacent to Sandbourne Viaduct.

The SVR already owned and used this section of the line[note 1] and so, unlike the Bridgnorth Bypass Bridge, the construction was at no cost to the Railway.

Contents

Construction

The SVR line would have to be severed while the bridge was installed. By May 1986 the SVR had agreed that in order not to jeopardise the Railway's Christmas services, this would be scheduled for late October and November of that year.[1] Services would terminate at Bewdley for the last weekend in October to allow the contractors an extra week, to help ensure that the railway would reopen for the operation of Santa Steam Specials from Kidderminster to Arley, commencing on Saturday 29 November.[2]

To minimise disruption to the SVR, the contractors A. Monk & Co Ltd. built the bridge between May and October 1986 on a concrete track south of the embankment, approximately 150ft from its final position. Preparatory work carried out by the SVR while services were still running included "cutting away the ivy from Bewdley South Viaduct in order to make quite sure that the structure is returned to us in the condition in which it was last seen" and shortening the Stourport line siding.[3]

Immediately after the last train on Sunday 19 October, SVR staff and volunteers working under floodlights lifted the track and disconnected the signal wires on the embankment. By 1.00am in the morning of Monday 20 October the contractors' excavators had begun removing the embankment, which was completed the following day. Construction of the foundations and north wing walls took place over the next two weeks.[4]

On 6 November, large hydraulic rams were used to slew all 2,500 tons of the new bridge into place; a process which began at 7.30am and was completed without incident by 10.40am.[4]

By 26 November the south wing wall was complete and the remaining embankment had been reinstated. A final effort by the SVR PW and S&T staff saw the bridge re-ballasted, the track laid and signalling equipment re-connected in time for the first Santa Special services on Saturday 29 November.[4]

The bypass itself was opened on 21 May 1987.[4]

Both Sandbourne Viaduct and the Bypass Bridge are crossed by the 'Stourport siding' on the Stourport Branch (the route of the original Severn Valley Railway) as well as the present day railway which runs to Kidderminster via the Kidderminster Loop Line. The siding is regularly used to store P-Way and other rolling stock.

See also

Notes

  1. The section of the line in which the bridge is located was purchased by the SVR in 1973 as part of the 'southern section' between Alveley Sidings and Foley Park. The line to Kidderminster was fully re-opened for passenger services in 1984.

References

  1. SVR News 80, Boardroom Notes
  2. SVR News 81, General Manager's Notes
  3. SVR News 81
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Marshall (1989) p. 100.
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Welcome to the Severn Valley Railway Wiki

From this week's featured article
Trimpley Reservoir can be seen to the west of the line between Bewdley and Arley. The reservoir, which is managed by Severn Trent Water, was opened in 1968 and covers 29 acres. It is open to the public and is used by the Trimpley Sailing Club, while other activities include angling, wildlife watching and walking. (Full article...)
Schematic Map of the SVRSevern Valley Railway
BridgnorthEardingtonHampton LoadeCountry Park HaltHighleyThe Engine HouseArleyVictoria BridgeNorthwood HaltWyre Forest LineBewdleyStourport BranchBewdley TunnelConnection to Network RailKidderminsterMaps#Schematic maps of the pre-closure SVRMapandlinks.png
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larger interactive version

For 101 years between 1862 and 1963, the Severn Valley Railway formed part of the national railway network, running for 40 miles between Hartlebury and Shrewsbury. Established as a separate company, it was mainly operated by the Great Western Railway (GWRGreat Western Railway) and later by British Railways (BRBritish Rail or British Railways).

The present day Severn Valley Railway (SVRSevern Valley Railway) was established in 1965 to preserve part of the line as a heritage railway. Today it has six stations and two halts and runs for 16 miles along the Severn Valley between Bridgnorth in Shropshire and Kidderminster in Worcestershire, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route. Operations involve a mixture of steam and heritage diesel-hauled services.

This unofficial website is a project aimed to collect information and record events relating to the SVRSevern Valley Railway, both past and present.

For timetables, fare information, and news about special events, please visit the SVR Official Website. Other news and information of interest to members, shareholders and enthusiasts can be found on SVRLive.

In April 2023 the SVRSevern Valley Railway announced the launch of a Survival Fund to enable it to overcome the current financial crisis and implement longer-term plans for its future. Information and details of how to donate may be found on the SVRSevern Valley Railway's Survival Fund page.

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History of the Severn Valley Railway

Current events on the SVRSevern Valley Railway

Information about the SVRSevern Valley Railway

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Unsurprisingly, there are a large number of questions about the SVRSevern Valley Railway, both in pre-preservation days and for a number of historical items since then. Take a visit down to Query Corner to see if you have a recollection relating to some long forgotten event, or know of a reliable source (maybe an early edition of the SVR News?) that might have the information we need!

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