Images chart restoration of Victorian viaduct

5 September 2024

Image source, Network Rail
Image caption,
Work continues on the first eight arches at Ouse Valley Viaduct
Image source, Network Rail
Image caption,
The viaduct stands at 29m tall and stretches 450m
Image source, Network Rail
Image caption,
Roughly 17 million passengers cross the viaduct each year
Image source, Network Rail
Image caption,
The repairs will ensure the safety of the viaduct and reliability of trains, Network Rail says
Image source, Network Rail
Image caption,
The repairs are part of a long-term programme of future works at the viaduct
Image source, Network Rail
Image caption,
Every hour, 20 passengers trains cross the viaduct along with a number of freight services

Network Rail has released a series of stunning images showing the restoration of a 183-year-old Grade II-listed viaduct in West Sussex.

The Ouse Valley Viaduct, near Haywards Heath, sits on the railway line between Brighton and London, with an average of 52,000 people crossing it each day.

National Rail engineers have been working for 18 months on replacing 2,600 bricks and 40 tonnes of stone in the eight most northerly arches.

Lucy McAuliffe, Network Rail's Sussex route director, said: “It’s really pleasing to see the ongoing progress by our teams to enhance the overall life of this structure."

Work on the first eight of the viaduct's 37 arches is set to finish in November.

All arches require restoration work, but Network Rail said it could not provide a timeframe for the project to be complete.

The viaduct has a span of 450m (1,476ft) and a height of 30m (98ft).

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Images chart restoration of Victorian viaduct

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