FILTON BANK PREPARATIONS

This steel girder rail bridge dating from the 1850s at Stapleton Road, Bristol, was removed over the summer as part of the Filton Bank capacity improvement project. The bridge was taken out of use when the route was reduced to double track in 1984 and has stood idle since; next year it will be replaced by a modern equivalent as part of re-quadrupling works. The four tracks linking Bristol Parkway to Temple Meads are due to be in place for the January 2019 timetable, although electrification of this stretch has been put off indefinitely. Richard Giles