The massive steel structure of a new £60m railway bridge set to take passengers over one of Britain's busiest railways over the M6 has now been completed.
Passengers travelling on the West Coast Main Line through Penrith are set to benefit from a brand-new bridge, ensuring trains can safely and reliably travel along the route.
Today (Wednesday 22 October), Network Rail has revealed time-lapse footage of the impressive new structure – which measures 130m in length and weighs in at around 4,200 tonnes – during its assembly by contractor partner Skanska in a specially built compound beside the busy motorway.
Now that the steel structure is complete, works to finalise the bridge deck are set to be completed in November.
The previous Clifton bridge is nearly 60-years-old and weight restrictions mean it can only carry one train at a time, causing delays to services.
It's all in advance of the main phase of the project when the old structure will be removed and new one installed during a dual railway and motorway closures in the first two weeks of 2026.
No trains will run on the West Coast Main Line from Oxenholme to Carlisle between 31 December and 15 January 2026.
To make the most of the same closure, more than 80 kilometres of overhead cables which power trains will also be replaced, as well as an ongoing £61m digital upgrade to signalling systems north of Carlisle.
Passengers are advised to plan their journeys in advance by visiting www.nationalrail.co.uk.
William Brandon, Network Rail's project manager, said: "It's brilliant to see the new Clifton bridge structure now taking shape beside the M6 ready for its ambitious installation in the New Year as part of our major upgrades to keep passengers and freight moving on the West Coast Main Line for decades to come.
"In January we will not only start the main phase to replace the bridge, but elsewhere in Cumbria we'll also renew over 80 kilometres of overhead lines which power trains and continue with our major modernisation of West Coast Main Line signalling systems. These essential upgrades will involve some closures of the road and the railway, so we're advising people to plan journeys well in advance while we work with National Highways and our train operators to make people aware of the scale, impacts and future benefits of our multi-million-pound investment."
Rosario Barcena, Skanska's rail programme director, said: "We have made fantastic progress, with the new 4,200-tonne structure nearing completion. Demolition of the existing bridge and installation of the new one are both complex and time critical operations, to which we are bringing our expertise from previous similar projects for Network Rail and the latest digital technologies.
"It has been a super collaborative project, where we have worked with Network Rail, National Highways, local authority and supply chain partners to ensure that we are fully prepared."
The M6 will also be shut on two consecutive weekends for the old bridge to be removed and new one moved into position, between:
evening of Friday 2 January to morning of Monday 5 January 2026
evening of Friday 9 January to morning of Monday 12 January 2026
During these periods, the motorway will close in both directions between junction 39 at Shap and junction 40 near Penrith.
Motorists are strongly advised to plan their journeys. Diversionary route information is available on the National Highways webpage.
Network Rail has been working closely with National Highways to ensure the local community is informed of how they will be affected by this closure.
Steve Mason, National Highways' programme delivery manager, said: "This an essential, once-in-a-lifetime Network Rail project to future-proof one of the most important railway routes in the country and we are pleased to hear of the great progress so far with the new bridge.
"We are continuing to work with Network Rail, key stakeholders and local communities to ensure the two weekend closures of the motorway in the new year go smoothly as possible."
Chris Liptrot, operations director at Avanti West Coast, said: "While Network Rail carry out this major work we'll be operating an amended timetable with some journeys between the North West and Carlisle, and Scotland involving changes onto a shuttle service as well as rail replacement buses. We strongly advise customers plan ahead and check before they travel."
The replacement comes against the backdrop of a major programme of works to improve the West Coast Main Line this Christmas.
This includes a £26m upgrade to a vital railway junction at Hanslope in Northamptonshire, a £16m investment into Preston station's signalling system and a rolling £61m programme of signalling works at Kingmoor, North of Carlisle.
These are all part of an ongoing investment of £196m by Network Rail into both the northern and southern sections of one of Britain's busiest rail routes.
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