Outside firm to oversee redundant bridge and tunnels porfolio
HIGHWAYS England has appointed outside contractor NPX to manage the Department for Transport’s Historical Railways Estate (HRE) collection of around 3800 bridges, tunnels and viaducts that are no longer part of the operational network.
As reported last issue, a new campaign group, the HRE Group, has been formed to oppose plans by Highways England to demolish or infill structures which are either of historic value or could be given a second use in the future.
Plans
The HRE Group wrote to transport minister Chris Heaton-Harris last month to object to Highway England’s plans for structures in the HRE.
Following the abolition of BRB (Residuary) Ltd in 2013, the Highways Agency was handed responsibility for managing the HRE, but six years ago announced that it wished to reduce its liability by infilling or demolishing structures.
NPX, a joint venture between Network Plus and Xeiad, has been successfully awarded a 10-year framework with Highways England for the Historical Railways Estate Examination contract. Starting in April, NPX will begin looking at sites in Durham and Yorkshire and down to the East and West Midlands. NPX will deliver asset examination services on a cyclical basis to hundreds of disused railway bridges and tunnels.
The contract will see NPX deliver nearly 600 visual and detailed structure examinations annually, providing asset monitoring services for at-risk structures and a 24/7 response for bridge strikes and emergency incidents.
NPX will also focus on environmental aspects such as ecology studies to safeguard bats and other protected species while maintaining gates, fences and access points; and clearing vegetation and debris to facilitate examinations.
Xeiad was founded in 2003 as Bridgezone, a firm specialising in inspecting British Rail bridges. Paul Capener of NPX said: “We’ll utilise our decades of asset management experience on historical structures. The integration of a smart, digitallyfocused service will enhance safety, quality and efficiency of delivery.”
Threat
Meanwhile, groups have expressed further concerns at the threat to historic bridges which are part of HRE, concern that their loss could scupper rail revival and reinstatement scheme or cyclepath and walking trails projects.
The Norfolk Orbital Railway, which has long-term aspirations to link the North Norfolk Railway at Holt via Melton Constable to the Mid-Norfolk Railway at Fakenham, said that if Bridge 1711 near Great Ryburgh on the Dereham to Fakenham section is deemed unfit for purpose because of its current 7.5-ton weight limit, a replacement bridge which meets the requirements for road and rail should be provided.
The Friends of Windsor Hill Tunnels group is planning to submit a public right of way claim for the tunnels near Shepton Mallet which once formed part of the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway and are owned by Highways England. After closure in 1966, a 239-yard tunnel was sealed off and used by RollsRoyce to test engines for Concorde. The Department for Transport also closed the tunnels because of bat populations, but since then families and dog walkers have used them, the group claims.
The Friends aims to work with Mendip District Council and other local campaign groups including the Strawberry Line and Rail to Trail to help develop a network of shared use paths along disused railway lines.