King Edward VII Bridge

King Edward VII Bridge
King Edward VII Bridge, in 2015
Coordinates54°57′48″N 1°36′58″W / 54.9632°N 1.6162°W / 54.9632; -1.6162
OS grid referenceNZ246632
CarriesEast Coast Main Line
CrossesRiver Tyne
LocaleTyneside
OwnerNetwork Rail
Maintained byNetwork Rail
Heritage statusGrade II listed
Network Rail Bridge IDECM5-259
Preceded byRedheugh Bridge
Followed byQueen Elizabeth II Bridge
Characteristics
DesignTruss bridge
MaterialSteel
Pier construction
Total length350.8 m (1,151 ft)
Width15.3 m (50 ft)
No. of spans4
Rail characteristics
No. of tracks4
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)
Electrified25 kV 50 Hz AC
History
DesignerCharles A. Harrison
Engineering design byCharles A. Harrison
Constructed byCleveland Bridge & Engineering Company
Construction start29 July 1902
Opened1 October 1906 (1906-10-01)
Inaugurated
Location
Map
Railways between Newcastle and Gateshead
Central Station
Tyne Valley Line
to Scotswood
Newcastle Tyne and Wear Metro
Gateshead
Gateshead Interchange
Tyne and Wear Metro
to Gateshead Stadium

The King Edward VII Bridge is a railway bridge spanning the River Tyne between Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead, in North East England. It is a Grade II listed structure.[1] The King Edward VII bridge has been described as “Britain’s last great railway bridge”.[2]

The bridge was designed and engineered by Charles A. Harrison, the Chief Civil Engineer of the North Eastern Railway, and built by the Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company in Darlington. The bridge consists of four lattice steel spans resting on concrete piers. The total length of the bridge is 1,150 ft (350 m) and 112 ft (34 m) above high water mark. The total cost was over £500,000.[3]

The bridge was opened by King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra on 10 July 1906, despite being still unfinished at this time. General traffic began using the bridge on 1 October 1906.[4] Prior to its completion, to reach Newcastle railway station, trains used the older High Level Bridge and had to leave the station in the same direction they entered by reversing. The construction of the King Edward VII Bridge provided four more railway tracks and a direct line through the station, enabling trains to arrive or depart from either side, greatly easing congestion.

  1. ^ "Name: KING EDWARD RAILWAY BRIDGE List entry Number: 1248576". Historic England. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference chron live16 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "King Edward VII Bridge". SINE. Newcastle University. Archived from the original on 19 May 2005. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  4. ^ "King Edward VII Bridge". Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums. Archived from the original on 29 April 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2017.