Richmond Railway Bridge
Encyclopedia
Richmond Railway Bridge in Richmond, south-west London crosses the River Thames
immediately upstream of Twickenham Bridge
. It carries National Rail
services operated by South West Trains
from London Waterloo
to Reading
, and lies between Richmond
and St. Margarets stations.
After the railway came to Richmond
station in 1846, the line was extended to Windsor
. Joseph Locke
designed the original bridge with three 100-foot cast iron
girders supported on stone-faced land arches with two stone-faced river piers
. Due to concerns over its structural integrity, the bridge was rebuilt in 1908 reusing the existing piers and abutment
s to a design by the London & South Western Railway's
chief engineer, J W Jacomb-Hood.
The bridge was declared a Grade II listed structure in 2008, providing protection to preserve its special character from unsympathetic development.
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
immediately upstream of Twickenham Bridge
Twickenham Bridge
Twickenham Bridge crosses the River Thames in southwest London, England. Built in 1933 as part of the newly constructed "Chertsey Arterial Road", the bridge connects the Old Deer Park district of Richmond on the south bank of the river to St. Margarets on the north bank, both within the London...
. It carries National Rail
National Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
services operated by South West Trains
South West Trains
South West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
from London Waterloo
Waterloo station
Waterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....
to Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, and lies between Richmond
Richmond station (London)
Richmond station is a National Rail and London Underground station in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in south west London which is managed by South West Trains....
and St. Margarets stations.
After the railway came to Richmond
Richmond station (London)
Richmond station is a National Rail and London Underground station in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in south west London which is managed by South West Trains....
station in 1846, the line was extended to Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
. Joseph Locke
Joseph Locke
Joseph Locke was a notable English civil engineer of the 19th century, particularly associated with railway projects...
designed the original bridge with three 100-foot cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
girders supported on stone-faced land arches with two stone-faced river piers
Pier (architecture)
In architecture, a pier is an upright support for a superstructure, such as an arch or bridge. Sections of wall between openings function as piers. The simplest cross section of the pier is square, or rectangular, although other shapes are also common, such as the richly articulated piers of Donato...
. Due to concerns over its structural integrity, the bridge was rebuilt in 1908 reusing the existing piers and abutment
Abutment
An abutment is, generally, the point where two structures or objects meet. This word comes from the verb abut, which means adjoin or having common boundary. An abutment is an engineering term that describes a structure located at the ends of a bridge, where the bridge slab adjoins the approaching...
s to a design by the London & South Western Railway's
London and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
chief engineer, J W Jacomb-Hood.
The bridge was declared a Grade II listed structure in 2008, providing protection to preserve its special character from unsympathetic development.