Royal Border Bridge

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Royal Border Bridge
Northumberland
Royal Border Bridge, Berwick on Tweed.jpg
Royal Border Bridge
Location
Carrying: Railway
Crossing: River Tweed
Location
Location: 55°46’19"N, 2°-0’50"W
Structure
Length: 2,160 feet
No. of spans: 28
Material: brick, faced with stone
History
Built 1847-50
Architect: Robert Stephenson
Information

The Royal Border Bridge spans the River Tweed between Berwick-upon-Tweed and Tweedmouth in Northumberland (North Durham). It is a Grade I listed railway viaduct built between 1847 and 1850, when it was opened by Queen Victoria. The engineer who designed it was Robert Stephenson (son of George Stephenson). It was built for the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway and is still in regular use today, as part of the East Coast Main Line.

The bridge is 2,160 feet long and constructed in stone except for brick soffits to the arches. It has 28 arches, each spanning 60 feet. The railway is carried 120 feet above the river level[1]

Repairs and modifications

It was electrified in 1989,[2] and between 1993 and 1996 it underwent significant repair work for the first time in a Railtrack project with some funding from English Heritage. In 2010, the bridge was fitted with colour-changing lights for its 160th anniversary.

A wide view image from up-river, showing all 28 arches of the Royal Border Bridge over the River Tweed

Outside links

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References

  1. Bruce, George Barclay (1851). "Description of the Royal Border Bridge over the River Tweed, on the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway". Minutes of Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers 10: 219–44. 
  2. "Royal Border Bridge". Network Rail Virtual Archive. http://www.networkrail.co.uk/VirtualArchive/royal-border-bridge/. Retrieved 14 April 2013. 


Bridges and crossings on the River Tweed
Ladykirk and Norham Bridge Union Bridge Berwick Bypass Bridge Royal Border Bridge Royal Tweed Bridge Berwick Bridge mouth