High Street Railway Bridge

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The first railway bridge, 1862:

When the railway was opened to Hungerford in 1847, the line ended with a terminus station, close to the site of the present-day station.

The line was extended west through the town in 1862.

Building work started in early 1861. The engineers were Messrs Smith & Knight, supervised by GWR Chief Engineer, Michael Lane.

The new line, along with the new re-aligned station, was formally opened on 4th November 1862, with public traffic starting a week later on 11th November 1862. A new station had been built including two new passenger platforms, slightly west of the old station building. The 35ft turntable remained on the north side of the site.

For the first time the broad High Street was spanned by a single track railway bridge.

A high embankment was built through the very heart of the town, and three more bridges were built, in Croft Lane, Parsonage Lane, and Marsh Lane (all later enlarged to carry the double track).

The railway bridge carrying the track across Hungerford High Street was considerable engineering feat.

The second railway bridge, 1898:

In November 1882 the community became aware that the doubling of the track to Devizes would necessitate the rebuilding of the High Street "Railway Bridge which at present disfigures the High Street; and it is to be hoped that timely steps will be taken to induce the Railway Company to erect a structure more worthy of its position in the principle Street in the Town of Hungerford".

Application was made by the GWR in December 1882 to make a railway from Woodborough to Westbury, and from Castle Cary to Langport, "so as to render the line through Hungerford the most direct route to the West of England."

The GWR (Additional Powers) Act of 1897 authorised the purchase of lands at Hungerford to further improve the line.

Bridges carrying the track across roads in Hungerford were widened to take the second line, two new spans were provided across the High Street, and the bridge crossing the canal to the west of the town was rebuilt. These works were carried out by Pauling & Co Ltd of 26 Victoria Street, Westminster.

The High Street railway bridge (and the Croft Road, Parsonage Lane and Smitham Brridge Road bridges) were upgraded to double width in 1896,

The track was upgraded to double track between Hungerford and Bedwyn in 1898. 

The third railway bridge, 1963:

In 1966 the railway bridge across the High Street was replaced.

It was a prototype welded construction without rivets or bolts. It was 81ft long, weighing 136 tons, and was built in Wellington, Shropshire at a cost of approx £150,000. It was installed over the weekend of 29th-30th May 1966 and the following weekend.

It is said to have the longest span on the GWR. See "Preparing to replace the bridge", NWN, 5th May 1966.

In October 1992 it was repainted in brown and cream.

In 2013 it was repainted in dark green with black, red and gold markings in recognition of the 150th anniversary of the original Berks & Hants Extension Railway being built through the town in 1862.

Photo Gallery:

19660529 Replacing the High Street railway bridge-01

19900629 Railway Bridge (John Allen)

19921000 Repainting the railway bridge-01 [Ivor Speed]

19921000 Repainting the railway bridge-02 [Ivor Speed]

gwr bridge_1963a

img_3608

town hall 20 1865

HSL-59

- Replacing the railway bridge, 29 May 1966.

- Railway Bridge, June 1990 (John Allen).

- Repainting the railway bridge, October 1992 [Ivor Speed].

- Replacing the railway bridge, May 1966.

- The High Street railway bridge in its new livery, June 2013.

- The High Street showing the 1786 Town Hall, from a Carte de Visite by E T Brooks of Newbury, dated in pencil on the back "1865". The first 1862 railway bridge can be seen in the background.

- Crowd in lower High Street ? reason (Moya Dixon collection)

See also:

- Railway (the main large article on the railway)

- Railway Bridge repainted, 2013 (for many further photos by Tony Bartlett)