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Falling Sands Viaduct (Bridge 3) was completed in 1877 as part of the [[Kidderminster Loop Line]]. It carries the railway across the [[Staffordshire & Shropshire Worcestershire Canal ]] Conservation Area and 64 feet above the River Stour , about a mile from [[Kidderminster]]. It is built of red brick and is 132 yards in length, with seven arches of 46ft span.<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Marshall (1989)]] p. 92.</ref>The Viaduct was also numbered as Bridge 3 during the BR era; the BR-era numbering plate, which may still be seen on the northern parapet, gives its location as [[Gradient profile and mileages#Mileages|135 miles 78 chains]].

After crossing ==Closure=====Passenger services===The last scheduled passenger service over the Viaduct was the viaduct when travelling toward 19:20 DMU from Bewdleyto Kidderminster on Saturday 3 January 1970, with passenger services between being formally withdrawn from 5 January 1970.<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Marshall (1989)]] p. 164.</ref> When the area of land on SVR acquired the left southern section of the line was between [[Alveley Sidings]] and [[Foley Park]], the Viaduct remained in the site section of the former British Sugar Corporationline still owned by BR. Following the SVR's Foley Park Factoryreopening of Bewdley in 1974, BR ran a number of summer weekend DMU specials between their Kidderminster station and Bewdley. One of these was photographed on the Viaduct on 11 September 1982 during that year’s Enthusiasts Weekend. <ref>SVR News 66,67</ref> The last visible structures passengers to cross the Viaduct under BR ownership were on the site, two large silos, were demolished in 2012 “Severn Valley Enterprise” rail tour from Bewdley to Paddington and the area is now being developed for housingback on 8 October 1983.

This ===Freight services===After crossing the viaduct when travelling toward Bewdley, the area of land on the left of the line was also the site of the former [[British Sugar Corporation's Foley Park Halt]Factory. Freight services between the factory and Kidderminster continued after 1970, finally ending with the factory’s closure in late 1982.<ref>[http://www.miac.org.uk/sugar.html Railways in Worcestershire](retrieved 23 April 2018)</ref> The last visible structures on the site, two large silos, were demolished in 2012 and the area is now being developed for housing.

==Preservation==The line between Foley Park and Kidderminster, including the Viaduct, was acquired from BR in 1984, with passenger services commencing on 30 July 1984. ==Prospective repairs==Extensive repairs are needed to secure the Viaduct. Water has seeped into the structure causing cracks and erosion, and there is a speed restriction in place. ===2016 HLF bid rejected===On 6 September 2016 the HLF rejected a bid from the [[Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust Ltd]] for £902,200 but "agreed the project as a medium priority for support" and "noted that a strengthened resubmission that addressed [its] concerns would be welcomed." The concerns were "that community engagement and interpretation plans were not sufficiently strong."<ref>Minutes - Heritage Lottery Fund: Committee for West Midlands Meeting on 6 September 2016</ref>  ===2017-19 National Lottery Heritage Fund bid===In June 2017 the Trust secured £71,800 of HLF financial backing to develop a bid seeking £927,000 from the HLF for a large part of the quoted £1.324 million total project cost. The SVR met the challenge of raising matched funding of £397,000 (originally £275,000) for which the Trust co-ordinated efforts through a campaign entitled "'''Helping hands for Falling Sands'''". Preliminary structural investigations in Summer 2018 had revealed two gas mains, one live, which increased the cost and SVR's contribution.  The Trust submitted its bid on 26 October 2018 and on 25 March 2019 announced the award of a further £853,800 grant from The [[:Category:Lottery funding#National_Lottery_Heritage_Fund|National Lottery Heritage Fund]] which together with the earlier grant took the total amount of its funding to £925,600. The grant, along with other funds raised, will be used to restore Falling Sands Viaduct and to launch an exciting programme of community engagement and exhibitions that will explore the Railway’s early history. In August 2019 the Trust unveiled a large donation wall at [[The Engine House]] acknowledging the individuals, organisations and businesses who had donated to the "Helping Hands for Falling Sands" appeal. Repair work commenced in January 2020, to be fully completed by the autumn in two phases.<ref>[https://www.svr.co.uk/NewsItem.aspx?a=875 SVR website]</ref>. The first stage necessitated closure of the railway between Bewdley and Kidderminster from the end of [[Christmas services]]: works were essentially complete at the interruption of works in March by [[2020 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic|coronavirus disease (COVID-19)]], although track was not joined and signalling not yet in place. While the railway remained closed Phase 2 from May 2020 involved replacing damaged brickwork and corbelling, and repointing throughout.<ref>[http://svrtrust.org.uk/our-projects/falling-sands-viaduct.html 'Falling Sands Viaduct', Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust website] (Retrieved 20 November 2018)</ref><ref>Shareholders' Newsletter, undated</ref><ref>SVR News 203, 204</ref><ref>[https://www.svrlive.com/epnovember18 Express Points November 2018]</ref> <gallery>File:Falling Sands 2020 repairs 1.jpg | View of the viaduct in January 2020 with the infill removed.</gallery> == See Also also ==

[[Underbridge off Lisle Avenue | Towards Bridgnorth]]<br>[[Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust Ltd]]  ==References==<references /> ==Links==[http://svrtrust.org.uk/ Charitable Trust website]<br>[https://www.svrlive.com/charitable-trust SVRLive page]<br>[https://www.fallingsandsviaduct.org.uk/ Falling Sands Viaduct website]   [[Category:Lottery funding]][[Category:Featured articles]]