Following removal of an existing Victorian masonry structure, a 78 hour possession saw a self propelled modular transporter used to carry a new 660t concrete box structure into position before two cranes then lifted seven concrete wing walls into place.

The new bridge leaves space for potential future double tracking of the line while the operation also involved supporting work necessary in advance of the £115M project to dual a 10km section of the A9 between Tomatin and Moy, for which three contractors have now been shortlisted.

A precast box culvert and a twin wall plastic culvert were installed under the track at two locations to accommodate the A9 works, which could get under way next year. Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering, John Graham Construction and Wills Bros Civil Engineering have been shortlisted to deliver the dualling scheme.

Scotland’s Minister for Transport Graeme Dey said: “The success of the Lynebeg rail bridge installation marks a significant milestone for the A9 Tomatin to Moy project, as the first tangible improvement to the transport infrastructure as part of the project’s advance works.”

Network Rail’s programme manager Billy McKay said: “The installation was complex due to a requirement to remove the existing railway infrastructure including cabling, track and the embankment, before the concrete bridge could be pushed into its final position. This was all done against the clock due to the need to reinstate and reopen the line to traffic at the end of the possession.”

Works will continue on the new bridge for several weeks, including cladding the wing walls with recovered stone from the original stone arch bridge which was constructed as part of the Highland Mainline in 1884.

Elsewhere on Scotland’s railway network, preparatory work has begun ahead of the construction of a new station at East Linton – to the east of Edinburgh – which will see trains call at the village for the first time in more than 50 years.

In other Scotland related news, CIHT has today presented Michael Matheson MSP (Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport, Scottish Government) with Honorary Fellowship of CIHT in recognition of his work on Scotland's National Transport Strategy. More information is available here
(Photograph: Network Rail)