Lamington Viaduct works remain on track

Network Rail says it is confident that the West Coast Main Line between Carlisle and Glasgow will re-open as planned in early March, as repair work to Lamington Viaduct proceed to schedule.

Diversionary services have been in place since the bridge was closed on December 31 2015, after it was extensively damaged during Storm Frank ( RAIL 792).

Engineers rescued the bridge from total collapse, after its central pier had been heavily scoured by floodwater in the River Clyde ( RAIL 793). The pier has now been completely stabilised and work is well advanced to encase it in concrete, supported by steel cables drilled into the riverbed.

Repair work now centres on rebuilding the concrete plinth at the very top of the pier, which supports the three steel bearings that hold the bridge deck in place. Two bearings need to be realigned and one replaced after being broken apart by the movement of the pier beneath.

According to NR, since engineers arrived on the scene in early January five days have been lost due to high water levels, which have flooded the work areas making them unsafe.

Weather forecasts indicate more benign weather conditions and less rainfall for the remainder of February.

“The centre pier is still the main core of the work going on, but the focus has changed and we’re no longer rescuing it from the point of collapse,” a Network Rail spokesman told RAIL.

“A small section of overhead wiring will need restringing, as it was cut by engineers to prevent it being damaged if the bridge had collapsed.

“Track will need realigning, but work is on schedule to be finished by the first week in March.”

Girvan: Laggansarroch Viaduct on the Glasgow-Stranraer line has been fully reopened after stabilisation works to repair flood damage to the concrete pier bases incurred at the beginning of January.