Somerleyton Swing Bridge Explained

Bridge Name:Somerleyton Swing Bridge
Carries:Wherry railway line
Crosses:River Waveney
Locale:Somerleyton, Suffolk, England
Maint:Network Rail[1] [2]
Design:Swing bridge
Width:54feet
Below:8.5feet
Num Track:2
Track Gauge:1435mm
Inaugurated:1905
Replaces:Previous single-track bridge
Coordinates:52.5124°N 1.6469°W

Somerleyton Swing Bridge is a railway swing bridge over the River Waveney on the Norfolk-Suffolk border.

It was built in 1905 to carry the double tracked Norwich to Lowestoft Line over the river, replacing a previous single tracked bridge.[3] It is 400m (1,300feet) west of Somerleyton railway station and near the Suffolk village of Somerleyton. It is one of only four remaining railway swing bridges crossing rivers in The Broads.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Swing bridge renewals . . www.networkrail.co.uk . 26 March 2023 .
  2. Web site: Bridge heights and openings . . www.broads-authority.gov.uk . 26 March 2023 .
  3. Web site: Somerleyton Swing Bridge . Engineering Timelines. 15 June 2015.