Cambridge Sidings – Mill Road bridge
Spencer Rail Engineering are working with GTR to transform services for passengers on one of the busiest stations on the rail network. The works will facilitate faster and more frequent trains from the town through London and onto the south coast. They form part of the £7bn Thameslink Programme which is delivering substantial benefits for hundreds of thousands of commuters and other travellers on the Thameslink network.
Spencer Rail Engineering are upgrading the Cambridge Station Sidings, to significantly increase stabling for GTR, from 64 to 96 coaches as part of the Cambridge Railway Sidings Capacity Upgrade Project. The scope of work includes the removal and remodelling of existing and new P-Way sidings to 6no Roads complete with OHLE diversions and installations to support faster Class 700 rolling stock.
As part of this works Mill Road Bridge gauge needed increasing as well as strengthening to allow trains to pass under the bridge to access a carriage wash the other side. This bridge however was part of a main artery in and out of Cambridge and therefore required careful design to minimise disruption to the road.
After multiple consultations with local communities Spencer Rail Engineering came up with a design to dismantle and rebuild the bridge in two halves ensuring one lane of the road always remained open. Strengthening works as part of the temporary works solution was essential to ensure that the bridge didn’t collapse after removing the section being re-built.
These works were completed on time and on budget with minimum disruption to the local community and only 5 public footpath closures across the bridge.
