Bowling bridge rolls into position during railway line closure

A new £5.9m railway bridge has been rolled into position in West Dunbartonshire while the line is closed until the new year.

Network Rail said teams faced an “intense nine-day engineering sprint” to complete the work near Bowling harbour after trains stopped on Christmas Eve.

The 1,860 tonne concrete structure was moved into position on Boxing Day.

Replacement buses are running from Dalmuir and Balloch/Helensburgh Central and between Glasgow and Crianlarich until trains resume on 2 January.

The new bridge will open up additional direct road access in the area – a former Exxon industrial site on the banks of the Clyde.

It is hoped the project will aid development of the Bowling Strategic Development Site, led by West Dunbartonshire Council.

Laura Craig, scheme project manager at Network Rail Scotland, said: “Building such a huge bridge on site and then moving it into position is an incredible task, and it’s been amazing to see the planning and teamwork come together so successfully.

The £5.9m project is being funded as part of the Glasgow City Region Deal, a package agreed between the UK and Scottish governments with local authorities in a bid to improve infrastructure and economic growth.

Councillor David McBride, West Dunbartonshire Council’s infrastructure convener, said: “This is a landmark moment in this major project and I am delighted to see such significant progress on the site.

“While there has been some disruption on the trains, this has been minimised by the work being carried out over the festive period.”