Bridge faces bulldozers for rail upgrade

AN access bridge leading to the Norton House Hotel is set to be demolished as part of work to upgrade the Airdrie to Bathgate Railway Line.

The single track bridge, which also provides access to a local farm in Newbridge, needs to be replaced with a wider, higher bridge to accommodate the new railway line.

Network Rail has now applied for planning permission to demolish the bridge, which crosses the line between Edinburgh and Ratho. It will be replaced with a new concrete superstructure, which will increase in height and width, to allow a safe access walkway to be created along the side of the line underneath the bridge.

The company has said that as it is a live section of line there is likely to be some disruption to services while the work is carried out.

There are already set to be severe disruptions to the Edinburgh to Glasgow services later this year, when work to complete the first phase of the new £300 million section of track is carried out.

The project requires alteration to services on the main Edinburgh to Glasgow and Edinburgh to Dunblane routes via Linlithgow over five days in October, along with two further weekends that month.