Network Rail kicked off works to refurbish the 161-year-old Hungerford railway bridge on Saturday (18 January).
The structure takes trains over the River Thames between the South Bank, near Waterloo, and London Charing Cross station.
The project, which will be carried out in two phases, involves engineers preparing and painting the bridge, testing the truss pins – which join the supports together – and replacing the pin end caps on the girders.
The bridge includes spans made from wrought iron lattice girders dating from 1864. Network Rail said all of the original metalwork will be retained and refurbished.
The bridge still uses the original supports (which were later extended by the railway) of the original Hungerford suspension footbridge designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and in use from 1845 to 1860.
David Davidson, Network Rail’s Kent Route director, said: “Many of the bridges on Britain’s railway are from the Victorian era and being responsible for this national heritage is both a privilege and a challenge.
“Refurbishment of Hungerford Bridge will take three years, and we won’t need to close the bridge to trains during this first phase as we’ll be working at times that cause the least disruption to train services. This means we are carrying out some of our work during the night.
“To avoid further disruption, we will also use barges to deliver and remove waste materials to Surrey Pier for the period of the works to avoid creating extra traffic and the resulting pollution. This will avoid the equivalent of six truck freight deliveries through central London a week.”
Work is expected to be completed by the end of winter 2028.
