Monkwearmouth Railway Bridge | |
|---|---|
 Monkwearmouth Bridge (left), Wearmouth Bridge (right), 2006 | |
| Coordinates | 54°54′33″N 1°22′59″W / 54.9093°N 1.3831°W |
| OS grid reference | NZ396573 |
| Carries | |
| Crosses | River Wear |
| Locale | Wearside |
| Official name | Monkwearmouth Bridge |
| Other name(s) |
|
| Owner | Network Rail |
| Maintained by | Network Rail |
| Heritage status | Grade II listed |
| Network Rail Bridge ID | LEN3-260 |
| Preceded by | Queen Alexandra Bridge |
| Followed by | Wearmouth Bridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Vierendeel truss bowstring arch |
| Material | Wrought iron |
| Longest span | 300 ft (91 m) |
| Clearance below | 86 ft (26 m) |
| Rail characteristics | |
| No. of tracks | 2 |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Electrified | 1500V DC |
| History | |
| Designer | Thomas Elliot Harrison |
| Constructed by | Hawks, Crawshay and Sons |
| Fabrication by | John Waddell & Sons |
| Opened | 1879 |
| Location | |
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Monkwearmouth Railway Bridge (officially Monkwearmouth Bridge, also called Wearmouth Railway Bridge or Sunderland Railway Bridge) is a railway bridge built in 1879, crossing the River Wear at Sunderland and Monkwearmouth. The bridge lies adjacent to and upstream of the Wearmouth Road Bridge.
Originally built as part of the Monkwearmouth Junction Line, it provided the first direct railway link between Newcastle and Sunderland. The bridge is now used by Tyne and Wear Metro and Durham Coast Line services.