Bridge repair covered in rail documentary
HISTORIC STRUCTURE FEATURES IN TELLY SHOW
Reporter MAJOR restoration work on one of Tyneside’s famous railway bridges is at the centre of a new documentary.
Inside King’s Cross: The Railway aired last night and follows railway workers on the East Coast Main Line as they run the railway, carry out major engineering work, and help passengers at various stations.
Ben Cockburn, a construction manager for Network Rail, from Durham, appears in the show, which goes behind the scenes of the railway industry.
He is seen carrying our repairs on the King Edward Bridge.
The Grade II-listed structure was opened in 1906 and was in need of essential repair.
In last night’s episode of the Channel 5 series, Ben, who has worked for Network Rail for 14 years, is seen working on a major improvement project to install new beams on the King Edward VII Bridge between Newcastle and Gateshead.
Ben is filmed as he and his team are carrying out vital upgrades to the structure, which took place over Christmas – a time when Network Rail carries out a number of major improvement projects.
He said: “The great thing about my job is that I get to be involved in lots of different projects. I’m proud of the work that my team and I carry out – it’s really rewarding when you have finished a job and you know that it has made the railway more reliable for passengers.
“The work which is shown in Monday’s episode took place over Christmas – a time when most people are at home with their families but it is one of the busiest times for engineering work on the railway.
“It’s fantastic that the documentary gives viewers a look at all the work which we do behind the scenes to keep the railway running.”