78-643: Maidenhead Railway Bridge , also known as Maidenhead Viaduct and The Sounding Arch , carries the Great Western Main Line (GWML) over the River Thames between Maidenhead , Berkshire and Taplow , Buckinghamshire , England. It is a single structure of two tall, wide red-brick arches buttressed by two over-land smaller arches. It crosses the river on the Maidenhead-Bray Reach, between Boulter's Lock and Bray Lock , and
156-543: A landscape, usually by bridging a river valley or other eroded opening in an otherwise flat area. Often such valleys had roads descending either side (with a small bridge over the river, where necessary) that become inadequate for the traffic load, necessitating a viaduct for "through" traffic. Such bridges also lend themselves for use by rail traffic, which requires straighter and flatter routes. Some viaducts have more than one deck, such that one deck has vehicular traffic and another deck carries rail traffic. One example of this
234-603: A number of announcements and delays, the government announced in March 2011 that it would electrify the line as far as Bristol Temple Meads. Following delays to the work and a large increase in costs, the Conservative government announced in July 2017 that, for the time being, electrification would only be completed as far as Thingley Junction, 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Chippenham. Electrification as far as Didcot Parkway
312-536: A plan for a 118-mile-long (190 km) railway running on an east–west alignment in between the key cities of London and Bristol . The line, which became known as the Great Western Railway , displayed exceptional attention to maintaining either level ground, or gentle gradients of no greater than 1 in 1000, on the majority of the route. A key river crossing of the railway occurred between Maidenhead , Berkshire and Taplow , Buckinghamshire , where
390-464: A railway to be built to help maintain the city's position as the second port of the country as well as the chief one for American trade. More specifically, fearing rising competition from Liverpool and railway developments to its favour, the sought railway was to be preferably built to superior standards as to out-perform any of the lines serving the North West of England . Thus, the line built by
468-607: A repurposed rail viaduct provides a garden promenade on top and workspace for artisans below. The garden promenade is called the Coulée verte René-Dumont while the workspaces in the arches below are the Viaduc des Arts . The project was inaugurated in 1993. Manhattan's High Line , inaugurated in 2009, also uses an elevated train line as a linear urban park . In Indonesia viaducts are used for railways in Java and also for highways such as
546-447: A result, the centring for the arches was left in place until its destruction during a heavy storm in late 1839, despite which the arches stayed up, effectively vindicating Brunel's design. During 1861, dual-gauge track was installed across the structure, allowing both broad gauge and standard gauge services to cross it. During the late 1890s, the bridge was widened on either side to allow the structure to carry four standard gauge tracks,
624-483: A route south of the Great Western Main Line to link the airport with Reading. Plans for electrification of the line will make it easier to access Heathrow from Reading, since lack of electrification between Reading station and Airport Junction (near West Drayton station) was a limiting factor. Plans under consideration in 2014 included new tunnels between Heathrow and Langley . Signalling Solutions
702-500: A series of passing loops allow fast trains to overtake slower ones. This section is signalled for bi-directional running on each line but this facility is usually only used during engineering working or when there is significant disruption to traffic in one direction. The summit of the line is at Swindon, and falls away in each direction: Swindon is 270 feet (82 m) above Paddington, and 292 feet (89 m) above Bristol Temple Meads. The maximum gradient between Paddington and Didcot
780-482: A significant adverse landscape impact: they will affect important views along the river and the character of the river corridor; they will affect the setting of the Riverside Conservation Area; and they will affect the setting of the listed railway bridge and the setting of the adjacent Grade I listed road bridge." As a means of reducing the visual impact of the electrification infrastructure on
858-471: A task which was supervised by the civil engineer Sir John Fowler , who placed a high level of importance upon preserving the original design and appearance of the bridge. Today, the Maidenhead Bridge forms a key crossing along the eastern section of the Great Western Main Line, allowing trains to travel to and from the line's terminus in the capital, London Paddington station . During the 2010s,
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#1732772855982936-433: A £5 billion modernisation by Network Rail. Reading railway station saw a major redevelopment with new platforms, a new entrance, footbridge and lifts; the work was completed a year ahead of schedule in July 2014. The eastern section from Paddington to Hayes & Harlington was electrified in 1998. The Crossrail project covered electrification of the line from Airport Junction to Maidenhead and, following
1014-496: Is 1 in 1320 (0.75 ‰ or 0.075 % ); between Didcot and Swindon it is 1 in 660 (1.5 ‰ or 0.15%) but west of Swindon, gradients as steep as 1 in 100 (10 ‰ or 1%) are found in places, such as Box Tunnel and to the east of Dauntsey . The line is electrified between Paddington and Langley Burrell (just east of Chippenham) using 25 kV AC overhead supply lines; the Reading to Taunton line (as far as Newbury) and
1092-627: Is a 19th-century derivation from an analogy with ancient Roman aqueducts . Like the Roman aqueducts , many early viaducts comprised a series of arches of roughly equal length. The longest viaduct in antiquity may have been the Pont Serme which crossed wide marshes in southern France. At its longest point, it measured 2,679 meters with a width of 22 meters. Viaducts are commonly used in many cities that are railroad hubs , such as Chicago, Birmingham, London and Manchester . These viaducts cross
1170-572: Is a connecting Transport for Wales boat train to/from Fishguard Harbour for the Stena Line ferry to Rosslare Europort in Ireland . An integrated timetable is offered between London Paddington and Rosslare Europort with through ticketing available. Daytime and nocturnal journeys are offered in both directions daily (including Sundays). Between London and Didcot there are four tracks, two for each direction. The main lines are mostly used by
1248-472: Is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across a wide valley, road, river, or other low-lying terrain features and obstacles. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via meaning "road", and ducere meaning "to lead". It
1326-507: Is built across land rather than water, the space below the arches may be used for businesses such as car parking, vehicle repairs, light industry, bars and nightclubs. In the United Kingdom, many railway lines in urban areas have been constructed on viaducts, and so the infrastructure owner Network Rail has an extensive property portfolio in arches under viaducts. In Berlin the space under the arches of elevated subway lines ( S-Bahn )
1404-485: Is less than 0.1 per cent), which had the benefit of reducing the running costs of the trains. On 31 August 1835, the Great Western Railway Act was passed by parliament , authorising the building of the line. Work commenced on its construction during the following year. The resident engineer who oversaw the building of Maidenhead Bridge was John Wallis Hammond, while William Chadwick was appointed as
1482-563: Is near-centrally rooted in the downstream end of a very small island . The Maidenhead Bridge was designed by the Great Western Railway Company engineer, the noted mechanical and civil engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel . It was completed in 1838, but not brought into use until 1 July 1839. While it was being constructed, the innovative low-rise arches of the structure attracted considerable criticism and controversy, relating to their alleged lack of stability. As
1560-496: Is presently a part of the national rail system managed by Network Rail while the majority of passenger services upon it are provided by the current Great Western Railway franchise. The GWML was built by the original Great Western Railway company between 1838 and 1841, as a dual track line in the 7 ft ( 2,134 mm ) broad gauge . The broad gauge remained in use until 1892, after which standard gauge track has been exclusively used. Between 1877 and 1932, many sections of
1638-908: Is the Prince Edward Viaduct in Toronto, Canada, that carries motor traffic on the top deck as Bloor Street , and metro as the Bloor-Danforth subway line on the lower deck, over the steep Don River valley . Others were built to span settled areas, crossing over roads beneath—the reason for many viaducts in London. Viaducts over water make use of islands or successive arches. They are often combined with other types of bridges or tunnels to cross navigable waters as viaduct sections, while less expensive to design and build than tunnels or bridges with larger spans, typically lack sufficient horizontal and vertical clearance for large ships. See
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#17327728559821716-569: Is to resignal the 12 miles (19 km) from Paddington to West Drayton , including the Airport branch, as part of the Crossrail project. There are calls for the reintroduction of Corsham station due to recent growth of the town. The original station was closed to passengers in 1965. A local group is campaigning for the reopening of Saltford station between Bath and Bristol, to coincide with electrification. Viaduct A viaduct
1794-407: Is used for several different purposes, including small eateries or bars. Elevated expressways were built in major cities such as Boston ( Central Artery ), Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seoul , Tokyo and Toronto ( Gardiner Expressway ). Some were demolished because they were unappealing and divided the city. In other cases, viaducts were demolished because they were structurally unsafe, such as
1872-649: The Warship locomotives, which were based on proven West German designs, the British-designed Class 14 , Hymek and Western types. However, these were all eventually withdrawn and replaced with more standard British Rail diesel-electric classes such as the Class 37 and Class 47 . During the 1970s, the line speed of the GWML was upgraded to permit faster operations; this work was in preparation for
1950-593: The 1979–90 Conservative governments that succeeded the 1976–79 Labour government , the proposal was not implemented. In the mid-1990s, the line between London Paddington and Hayes & Harlington was electrified as part of the Heathrow Express scheme, which was officially launched in June 1998. As part of the privatisation of British Rail , the Great Western InterCity franchise
2028-542: The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel . The Millau Viaduct is a cable-stayed road-bridge that spans the valley of the river Tarn near Millau in southern France. It opened in 2004 and is the tallest vehicular bridge in the world, with one pier's summit at 343 metres (1,125 ft). The viaduct Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge in China was the longest bridge in the world as of 2011 . Where a viaduct
2106-549: The Class 800 trains are slower in diesel mode than under electric power. Network Rail plans to install European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) in-cab signalling on the Great Western line; this is a pre-requisite for the Super Express trains to run at 140 mph (225 km/h). Some of this resignalling work was undertaken during the electrification work. Furthermore, Network Rail has envisaged
2184-645: The Embarcadero Freeway in San Francisco, which was damaged by an earthquake in 1989. However, in developing nations such as Thailand ( Bang Na Expressway , the world's longest road bridge ), India ( Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway ), China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nicaragua, elevated expressways have been built and more are under construction to improve traffic flow, particularly as a workaround of land shortage when built atop surface roads. Other uses have been found for some viaducts. In Paris, France,
2262-426: The Great Western Railway and engineered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel was originally a dual track line using a wider 7 ft ( 2,134 mm ) broad gauge . The line's construction costs were considerably higher due to the use of this broad gauge. The route of the GWML includes dozens of listed buildings and structures, including tunnel portals, bridges and viaducts, stations, and associated hotels. Part of
2340-536: The Maidenhead Regatta . The Thames towpath passes directly under the right-hand arch (facing upstream), which is also known as the "Sounding Arch", due to its spectacular echo . During July 2012, the bridge was upgraded to a Grade I listed structure in light of its historical importance. To this day, the arches of the structure remain the flattest ever constructed. During the 1830s, the famed mechanical and civil engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel developed
2418-536: The Slough rail accident of 1900, in which five passengers were killed, improved vacuum braking systems were used on locomotives and passenger rolling stock; furthermore, Automatic Train Control (ATC) was introduced in 1908. Further widenings of the line took place between 1903 and 1910; another round of widening works occurred between 1931 and 1932. By the 1930s, trains traversing the GWML were reportedly attaining
Maidenhead Railway Bridge - Misplaced Pages Continue
2496-690: The Thames Valley , crossing the River Thames three times, including on the Maidenhead Railway Bridge . Between Chippenham and Bath the line passes through Box Tunnel , and then follows the valley of the River Avon . A junction west of Swindon allows trains to reach Bristol by an alternative route along the South Wales Main Line . Other diversionary routes exist between Chippenham and Bath via Melksham and
2574-578: The Wessex Main Line , although this involves a reversal at Bradford Junction; and from Reading to Bath via the Reading–Taunton line . Most services are provided by Great Western Railway (GWR). The stations served by trains between London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads are Reading , Didcot Parkway , Swindon , Chippenham , and Bath Spa . Some trains between London and Bristol do not call at Didcot Parkway. The Elizabeth line runs on
2652-692: The Cornish Riviera Express, which again made full use of the wider loading gauge on that route. At the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the Great Western Railway, and thus the GWML, was taken into government control, as were most major railways in Britain. After the conflict, the companies were reorganised into the "big four" companies , of which the Great Western Railway was one. The railways, including
2730-509: The GWML include West London (including Acton , Ealing , Hanwell , Southall , Hayes , Harlington and West Drayton ); Iver ; Langley ; Slough ; Burnham ; Taplow ; Maidenhead ; Twyford ; Reading ; Tilehurst ; Pangbourne ; Goring-on-Thames ; Streatley ; Cholsey ; Didcot ; Swindon ; Chippenham ; Bath ; Keynsham ; and Bristol . The route includes dozens of listed buildings and structures, including tunnel portals, bridges and viaducts, stations, and associated hotels. Presently,
2808-409: The GWML is electrified between London Paddington and Royal Wootton Bassett. In the long term, Network Rail plans to install European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) in-cab signalling across the entire line. The construction of what would become the GWML was motivated by several factors, one of the more influential being the sizeable merchant community of Bristol, which keenly advocated for such
2886-462: The GWML were widened to four tracks. During 1908, Automatic Train Control (ATC) was introduced as a safety measure. In 1948, the Great Western Railway, and thus the GWML, was merged into the Western Region of British Railways . During the 1970s, the GWML was upgraded to support higher line speeds, as a result of which many sections permitted 125 mph (201 km/h) operations, enabling
2964-527: The GWML, returned to direct government control during the Second World War before being nationalised to form British Railways (BR) in 1948, thus bringing the line into public ownership. Unlike the other BR regions, which introduced diesel-electric locomotives, the Western Region , to which the GWML belonged, decided to procure a complete range of diesel-hydraulic locomotives to fulfil its type 1 to type 4 power requirements. These included
3042-485: The Great Western Main Line between London and Reading. Fast Heathrow Express trains from Paddington to London Heathrow Airport are operated by GWR on behalf of Heathrow Airport Holdings . CrossCountry operate trains between Reading and Oxford, using the Great Western Main Line as far as Didcot. Great Western Railway also operate a train between London Paddington – Cardiff Central every 30 minutes, with hourly extensions to Swansea . At Swansea/Cardiff there
3120-415: The Great Western Main Line include West London (including Acton , Ealing , Hanwell , Southall , Hayes , Harlington and West Drayton ); Iver ; Langley ; Slough ; Burnham ; Taplow ; Maidenhead ; Twyford ; Reading ; Tilehurst ; Pangbourne ; Goring-on-Thames ; Streatley ; Cholsey ; Didcot ; Swindon ; Chippenham ; Bath ; Keynsham ; and Bristol . From London to Didcot, the line follows
3198-523: The Great Western line between Paddington and Reading . At one stage, to accommodate construction activity in the area, it had been planned for a temporary construction depot to be created in Guards Club Park, immediately adjacent to the Maidenhead Bridge on the Berkshire side. However, the depot was never established, although the bridge itself still underwent some modification to accommodate
Maidenhead Railway Bridge - Misplaced Pages Continue
3276-591: The South Wales Main Line (as far as Cardiff Central) are also electrified. The line speed is 125 mph (201 km/h). The relief lines from Paddington to Didcot are limited to 90 mph (140 km/h) as far as Reading, and then 100 mph (160 km/h) to Didcot. Lower restrictions apply at various locations. The line is one of two Network Rail -owned lines equipped with the Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system,
3354-473: The Thames became the subject of considerable controversy concerning their stability or purported lack thereof. During the construction of the bridge, the timber centring used to build the arches was eased; on the eastern arch, the three lowest rings of brickwork began to settle, separating from the body of the arch across a section of between 7.6 metres and 9.1 metres. Critics were keen to cite that up as proof that
3432-404: The Thames. Over the following decades, traffic to and from London increased enormously. During 1861, work was carried out to install mixed gauge tracks throughout the route between London and Bristol, allowing standard gauge traffic to traverse the structure. In anticipation of the final conversion of all broad gauge tracks to the standard rail gauge, which occurred during 1890–1892, the bridge
3510-431: The appearance of supporting the bridge. Later on, the formwork was washed away during heavy flooding, but the bridge remained standing with no ill effects. In the light of that, the strength of the arches was finally accepted and Brunel's design was vindicated. As built and opened on 1 July 1839, the bridge carried a pair of Brunel's 7 ft 1 ⁄ 4 in ( 2,140 mm ) broad gauge railway tracks over
3588-512: The contractor for the construction of the structure. As originally built, the Maidenhead Bridge possessed a length of 235 metres and a width of 9.1 metres. It was visually symmetrical about the central river pier, which was founded on top of an existing small island sited roughly midstream in the river. The two main arches had a semi-elliptical shape, each having a span of 39 metres with a very low rise of 7.4 metres. The approach viaducts featured four round-headed flood arches. The short arches nearest
3666-528: The deployment of ERTMS to function as the replacement for the aging ATP system. Further capacity improvements are also scheduled at Swindon, adding to recent changes and the new Platform 4. Crossrail services are planned to terminate at Reading. Some of the current suburban services into London Paddington are planned to be transferred to the new Crossrail service, which will free up some surface-level capacity at Paddington. Other more distant aspirations include resignalling and capacity improvements at Reading;
3744-482: The design of the arches was flawed. However, it was soon established that the problem was the result of the mortar having not been fully hardened, while it also appeared worse on the spandrels than midway underneath the arches. During July 1838, William Chadwick, the contractor, acknowledged his responsibility for the situation. Remedial work was carried out before the centring was eased again in October 1838, and it
3822-418: The design of the other large bridges along the line, Brunel achieved a reduction in the forces acting through the brickwork via the adoption of internal longitudinal walls and voids . They served to lighten the superstructure above the arches, as well as reducing the overall weight of the bridge. The bridge carries the railway across the river on a deck supported by a pair of elliptical brick arches which, at
3900-413: The design that was subsequently built and is still in use today. According to author Paul Clements, the design selected by Brunel had been directly inspired by earlier experiments performed by his father, Marc Brunel , during 1832, which Isambard had financed. Isambard employed calculus principles in the designing of the bridge's critical semi-elliptical arches which supported the structure. In common with
3978-475: The far ends of the bridge. The masts will be fixed such that they may be removed in the future without damaging the bridge as it stands today." The report also states: "It is proposed that the OHLE over Maidenhead railway bridge will use masts with wires suspended from cantilevers, since these will be visually lighter structures than the gantries to be used along other parts of the route. The masts will however, have
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#17327728559824056-412: The faster trains and are on the south side of the route. The relief lines on the north side are used for slower services and those that call at all stations, as only London Paddington, Slough, Maidenhead, Twyford, Reading and Didcot Parkway stations have platforms on the main lines (although a few others have main line platforms that can be used in an emergency). Between Didcot and Royal Wootton Bassett ,
4134-403: The highest average speeds in the world. A legacy of the broad gauge was that trains for some routes could be built slightly wider than was normal in Britain; examples included the 1929-built " Super Saloons " used on the boat train services that conveyed transatlantic passengers to London in luxury. When the company celebrated its centenary during 1935, new "Centenary" carriages were built for
4212-755: The historic bridge area, the possibility of adopting third rail electrification for that section of the line was proposed. However, following a study of that option, the use of a third rail was rejected. 51°31′16″N 0°42′06″W / 51.52111°N 0.70167°W / 51.52111; -0.70167 Great Western Main Line The Great Western Main Line ( GWML ) is a main line railway in England that runs westwards from London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads . It connects to other main lines such as those from Reading to Penzance and Swindon to Swansea . The GWML
4290-407: The installation of overhead line equipment and associated infrastructure. The latest Crossrail Environmental Statement: states: "The OHLE (Overhead Line Equipment) requires that supporting posts be founded on the bridge structure. These will be positioned so as not to disrupt the symmetry of the bridge. Three sets of masts will be fixed at the bridge supports and a further two sets will be fixed at
4368-580: The introduction of the InterCity 125 high speed train (HST). The HST brought about considerable improvements in service and reduced journey times. In 1977, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Nationalised Industries recommended considering electrification of more of Britain's rail network and, by 1979, British Rail had presented a range of options that included electrifying the line from Paddington to Swansea by 2000. Under
4446-498: The large railroad yards that are needed for freight trains there, and also cross the multi-track railroad lines that are needed for heavy rail traffic. These viaducts provide grade separation and keep highway and city street traffic from having to be continually interrupted by the train traffic. Likewise, some viaducts carry railroads over large valleys, or they carry railroads over cities with many cross-streets and avenues. Many viaducts over land connect points of similar height in
4524-659: The last 500 miles of track were converted to standard gauge. Between 1877 and 1899, the original dual tracks were widened to four in numerous places, mainly in the east half of the line: Paddington to Southall (October 1877), Southall to West Drayton (November 1878), West Drayton to Slough (June 1879), Slough to east side of Maidenhead Bridge (September 1884), Maidenhead Bridge to Reading (June 1893), Reading station (1899), Reading to Pangbourne (July 1893), Pangbourne to Cholsey and Moulsford (June 1894), Cholsey and Moulsford to Didcot (December 1892); also short sections between Didcot and Swindon, and at Bristol. Following
4602-465: The line would cross over the Thames , and Brunel himself undertook the design for that structure. The building of a bridge over the Thames at that location had to make provision for the necessary navigational clearance, so as not to unduly hinder the traditional river shipping present. However, that clearance requirement, when combined with Brunel's desire to maintaining a gentle gradient of 1 in 1,320 for
4680-432: The newly introduced InterCity 125 high speed train (HST) to make faster journeys. British Rail proposed widespread electrification of the line in the late 1970s, although this was not speedily implemented. During the mid-1990s, a stretch of the GWML between London Paddington and Hayes & Harlington was electrified using 25 kV AC overhead lines for the Heathrow Express . Further, although not total, electrification
4758-474: The other being the Chiltern Main Line . Major civil engineering structures on the Great Western Main Line include the following. and Bristol Temple Meads Line-side train monitoring equipment includes hot axle box detectors (HABD) and 'Wheelchex' wheel impact load detectors (WILD), sited as follows. (Down Main disconnected December 2016) Since 2011, the Great Western has been undergoing
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#17327728559824836-423: The provision of four continuous tracks between Didcot and Swindon (including a grade-separated junction at Milton, where the westbound relief line switches from the north side of the line to the south); and resignalling between Bath and Bristol to enable trains to run closer together. Access to Heathrow Airport from the west remains an aspiration and the 2009 Heathrow Airtrack scheme, abandoned in 2011, proposed
4914-429: The railway lines, posed some problems for the bridge's design. Brunel was very averse to allowing any compromise of the gradient which had been set for the whole route, because believed it would negatively affect both passenger comfort and the maximum speeds of trains. The first plan devised by Brunel for the river crossing was for the building of triple-arch viaduct at the site, but he chose to discard that in favour of
4992-500: The redder Cattybrook brick . The pre-existing London stock brick arches were also encased in Cattybrook brick to ensure uniformity of colour, causing the distinctive chamfered step between the original Brunel arch and Fowler's additions. To avoid any differential settlement between the old and new sections, the foundation extensions were close piled and covered with a timber grillage, before being filled with concrete. During 1950,
5070-498: The relief lines between Reading and London had been raised, so that 86% of the line could be used at 90 mph (140 km/h). By 2019, the partial electrification of the GWML permitted the replacement of InterCity 125 and Class 180 sets by new Hitachi Super Express high speed trains – the Class 800 and Class 802 . The procurement programme for these trains, known as the Intercity Express Programme ,
5148-476: The river bank had a span of 6.4 metres while the six flanking arches each had an 8.5 metre span. The elevations were identical and had Doric pilasters positioned between the river and bankside arches, with corniced parapets throughout, while the deck comprised a series of stone slabs. The brickwork, both on the elevations and under the arches, was executed in London stock brick . The innovative low-rise arches over
5226-613: The route passes through and contributes to the Georgian Architecture of the City of Bath World Heritage Site; the path through Sydney Gardens has been described as a "piece of deliberate railway theatre by Brunel without parallel" . Grade I listed structures on the line include London Paddington , Wharncliffe Viaduct , the 1839 Tudor gothic River Avon Bridge in Bristol, and Bristol Temple Meads station . The line
5304-513: The time of their construction, were the widest and flattest in the world. Each arch has a span of 128 feet (39 m), combined with a rise of only 24 feet (7.3 m). The flatness of the arches was deemed necessary to avoid creating a raised "hump" on the deck of that bridge, which would have gone against Brunel's accommodation of the performance the locomotives of the time, and his practice of maximising operational economy by building lines with flat or very gentle gradients (locally 1 in 1,320, which
5382-536: The tracks across the structure were provided with overhead line equipment and associated infrastructure, to allow electric trains to use the route. The Maidenhead Bridge features in Rain, Steam and Speed – The Great Western Railway , painted by J. M. W. Turner during 1844, which is now in the National Gallery, London . The bridge is approximate to the finish line of an annual day of rowing races , known as
5460-687: The western half of the bridge was awarded Grade II* listing and, in April 1985, the eastern half also received the same level of listing. During July 2012, the Maidenhead Railway Bridge was upgraded to Grade I listed status by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport , following consultation with English Heritage . The Crossrail development, which created the Elizabeth line , saw the long-delayed overhead electrification of
5538-518: Was awarded by the Director of Passenger Rail Franchising to Great Western Holdings in December 1995, and it began operations on 4 February 1996. Via multiple contract extensions, this operator, which currently trades as Great Western Railway has been the primary operator of passenger services on the GWML for multiple decades. In August 2008, it was announced that a number of speed limits on
5616-636: Was carried out during the 2010s; this permitted the replacement of diesel-powered trains such as the InterCity 125 and Class 180 with electric and bi-mode train sets such as the Hitachi Super Express high speed trains, specifically the Class 800 and Class 802 . Due to budget overruns, the British government deferred electrification of the section through Bath Spa from Royal Wootton Bassett to Bristol in 2016. Communities served by
5694-407: Was completed in December 2017, and to Thingley Junction in December 2019. Electrification of associated lines, including Bristol Parkway to Temple Meads and Didcot to Oxford, was also postponed indefinitely; electrification of the route between London and Cardiff was completed in 2019. The government argued that bi-mode trains would fill in the gaps pending completion of electrification, although
5772-426: Was highly impacted by the GWML's electrification scheme, particularly the abandonment of diesel-only trains in favour of bi-mode trains, which were elongated and outfitted with a second transformer to maximise their use of the electrified sections. The electrification of the line also allowed the introduction of other rolling stock, such as Class 387 EMUs, to conduct shorter-distance services. Communities served by
5850-471: Was opened in stages between 1838 and 1841. The first section, between Paddington Station and Maidenhead Bridge station opened on 4 June 1838, while the final section, between Chippenham and Bath, was opened on completion of the Box Tunnel , the longest railway tunnel driven by that time, in June 1841. The line's alignment was so level and straight it was nicknamed "Brunel's billiard table". The track
5928-600: Was supplemented with a third rail for dual gauge operation, allowing standard gauge 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1,435 mm ) trains to also operate on the route, in stages between 1854 and 1875. Dual gauge was introduced as follows: London to Reading (October 1861), Reading to Didcot (December 1856), Didcot to Swindon (February 1872), Swindon to Thingley Junction, Chippenham (June 1874), Thingley Junction to Bathampton (March 1875), Bathampton to Bristol (June 1874), Bristol station area (May 1854). The broad gauge remained in use until 1892, at which point
6006-468: Was then left in place over the winter. Author E.T. MacDermot has claimed that, as the bridge neared completion, the board of the Great Western Railway themselves had doubts that the arches would be able to stay up under the weight of passing trains and issued an order to Brunel, instructing him to leave the wooden formwork used to construct the arches in place. However, Brunel decided to lower it slightly so that it provided no structural effect, although it gave
6084-432: Was widened on each side to carry four standard gauge tracks. That work was carried out under the supervision of the civil engineer Sir John Fowler , the width overall being increased from 30 feet (9.1 m) to 57 feet 3 inches (17.45 m). The expansion was undertaken sympathetically, resulting in the outward shape of the bridge remaining almost unaltered, but the new elevations and arches were constructed using
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