THE railway between Stonehaven and Montrose is to reopen following Network Rail’s successful completion of repair works on a damaged bridge.
The rail bridge – which dates from the 1840s – has been closed since January 15 after masonry fell from the sidewall on the southbound side of the structure.
Specialist contractors worked alongside Network Rail engineers to carry out a full structural assessment of the bridge, complete parapet repairs and strengthen the structure.
Works included the installation of additional concrete supports on the bridge deck to help retain and support the track; the strengthening of the overall structure via new ties being installed through the bridge; and the relaying of new track and supporting ballast.
Kris Kinnear, Network Rail’s capital delivery director for Scotland’s railway, said, “Our engineers have been working hard to complete these repairs and reopen the railway as quickly as possible for our customers.
“The rural location and height of the structure – coupled with the extreme weather conditions we have seen in recent weeks – made this a very challenging project for our team.
“We invest millions of pounds each year on our bridges and have also carried out extensive additional checks on the line between Stonehaven and Montrose ahead of reopening the line on Monday.”
