Extended bridges which have seen very few trains

[ABB125]

One that might count, which I came across yesterday when reading one of the excellent Ringways articles on the roads.org.uk website is where the A12 takes a 90 degree turn and the carriageways split oddly (since a large free-flowing interchange was planned here) to the west of Hackney Wick.
Hopefully this link will take you there.
Dropped pin
Near A12, London

51°32'46.3"N 0°02'00.2"W · 51.546182, -0.033380

maps.app.goo.gl

Where the "northbound" carriageway passes under the GOBLIN it does so almost through a tunnel. The bridge was built like this apparently because there were some sidings/a yard at this location. Long gone of course, and surprise surprise the land has been sold off.

 

[swt_passenger]

The Battersea Curve, which got Eurostars from the Chatham main line into Waterloo for a decade or so, is now unused I believe.
The Fawkham Jn-Gravesend link between the Chatham line and the first phase of HS1 is also unused after a life of less than 4 years until phase 2 opened.
Other Eurostar infrastructure also had a short life, but much of it has been repurposed for the national network after a gap of a decade or so.
The Sheepcote curve (West London Line towards Waterloo) has I think been lifted.
Has the Redhill-Tonbridge line ever been used for electric Channel Tunnel freight (the reason it was electrified)?

Do any of these have anything to do with road widening or building schemes though, as per post #1

 

[6026KingJohn]

Slightly OT, but the M6 toll also has a bridge over it for the Essington and Wyrley Canal, which is notable for a) not having been open for nearly 3/4 of a century, and, b), having no embankments on approach. It is literally a dry aqueduct, and nothing else. Complete waste of money!

Actually the canal is being restored. On the Lichfield side of the aqueduct the old canal bed has been dug out and the towpath reinstated. The aqueduct was built at the same time as the road to save money as it would have been more expensive to construct it later on.

Edit : It appears others beat me to it,sorry

 

[john prytherch]

The bridge over the M50 at Ripple, between Aschurch and Upton on Severn, was obtained by the Bluebell railway when it was removed. I do not know whether it is now carrying a railway, a road over a railway, or in store.

Two other examples about which I remember heated discussions in the family car!

On the Whitchurch (Salop) to Chester (Tattenhall Junction) line, the bridge over the A41 north of Broxton was completely rebuilt when the road was widened. This was very shortly before final closure of the line, although the final use of both lines was for storing condemned wagons. I think it was about that time. I've done a Google maps aerial view search today and see that the (new) bridge has been removed.

In Hereford, the bridge carrying the avoiding line (part of the original Newport Abergavenny and Hereford) over the A465 Abergavenny Road, between Red Hill Junction and Barton, was completely rebuilt (and I think the road widened) very shortly before the avoiding line closed. Most of the old railway route south of Barton, including the very beautiful Wye bridge, is now a footpath, and a Google search today shows that the A465 bridge still exists as part of it.

John Prytherch.

 

[edwin_m]

Do any of these have anything to do with road widening or building schemes though, as per post #1

The M1 was recently widened where it crosses the GNR Nottingham-Derby line and I believe the road over rail bridge was extended.

 

[thenorthern]

When I used to live in Wood End near Tamworth I regularly used to go under this bridge on Trinity Road near Piccadilly. It was back in the 1990s so back then the mines in the area had closed so very few trains used it although it was annoying driving under it in a car as it's narrow and low meaning it's traffic light controlled and often lorries would crash into it closing the road for several hours. Now though Birch Coppice Business Park has been built on the site of the old mine at Dordon so the line sees regular traffic.

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