The Clifton Bridge Saga: An End to End Look. A Network Rail Success Story! January 2026

Here's my record of the major Railway Infrastructure project - the Clifton Bridge replacement, from its original 1966/7 construction through to the period during its demolition, the week without a bridge and the installation of the new bridge. We finish with trains flowing on the first afternoon. Unusual in that an issue with the Up line wires meant southbound electric trains were coasting across the bridge!
We also see a train of Royal Scotsman stock heading south to Carnforth together with a train of Tesco and Russell containers working south to Daventry.
Overall a success story for Network Rail and Skanska and the Highways Agency in that the M6 was opened 1 hour early (despite a delay in during demolition) on the first weekend and around 12 hours early the 2nd weekend. Further work is still required with the target of the Summer for final project sign-offf.
For several year its been known that Clifton Bridge carrying the West Coast Main Line over the M6 south of Penrith would need replacing - along with many other prestressed concrete bridges along the northern stretch of M6.
There are two more WCML bridge still to do at Penrith and Brisco, south of Carlisle!
A compilation of my own videos with those of Network Rail and their Contractor Skanska (courtesy Network Rail Media Centre) together with photos from the Cumbrian Railways Association.
ou will find the sections of video using Network Rail media centre videos now muted. This is because someone decided these were copyright sounds and have been removed. A sad situation for shared video by a public body.



The times shown on clips are for guidance only and shouldn't be taken as definitive.

Any observations are my own and not intended to show any authority and may show my misunderstanding.

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