Steventon listed railway bridge saved from demolition

Steventon Bridge is thought to have been built in 1839 by Isambard Kingdom Brunel

A Grade ll listed railway bridge has been saved from demolition after a campaign by villagers.

The span, at Steventon, Oxfordshire, was due to be replaced by a higher bridge as part of the electrification of the Great Western Mainline.

Network Rail said tests had confirmed the bridge could remain so long as trains ran at lower speeds.

Steventon Parish Council, which first objected to the demolition in 2016, said it was "pleased and relieved".

The bridge is thought to have been built in 1839 by Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, according to its Historic England listing.

'Countryside decimated'

Network Rail had wanted to replace it to allow overhead wires to pass underneath safely.

It said tests had established the wires could be used in the existing bridge if the line speed was reduced from 125mph to 110mph (201km/h to 177km/h).

Western route director Mike Gallop said: "We are really pleased to have found a solution which means we can continue to safely run trains in electric whilst minimising impact on the community."

He said keeping the bridge, carrying the B4107 over the railway, would increase the amount of maintenance required.

In a statement, Steventon Parish Council said: "The electrification project that led to decimation of our countryside and national heritage was started by Network Rail with no detailed design and rigorous technical evaluation.

"It is our hope that going forward, much more of our national Railway Heritage can be retained as Network Rail progress electrification throughout the UK."