Following damage to a Victorian railway bridge at Stoborough in Dorset, trains have been unable to travel from the mainline at Wareham through to Swanage, but now work is due to start to restore the transport link.
While Swanage Railway’s heritage trains have been able to continue to shuttle between Norden and Swanage, the damage to the bridge by an oversized lorry in August 2024, has meant special event passenger trains from London have been unable to bring daytrippers to Swanage.
Specialist contractors will be repairing the bridge
Section of Grange Road to close for five days
The work to repair the brick and iron bridge over Grange Road, between Stoborough Heath and Creech Bottom, is due to start on Monday 7th April 2025.
The repairs, expected to cost £90,000, will require part of Grange Road to be closed for five days in order for the structure of the bridge to be fixed.
The road closure applies to a short 130 metre section of Grange Road linking Stoborough with Creech.
A diversion for traffic heading south will be indicated by signs via the Stoborough end of Wareham bypass, Corfe Castle, Church Knowle and Steeple.
Signed diversions for traffic heading north will be via Steeple, Church Knowle, Corfe Castle and the Stoborough end of the Wareham bypass.
Chair of Swanage Railway Company Gavin Johns at the Grange Road bridge
“Bridge was struck by a vehicle”
Chair of Swanage Railway Company Gavin Johns said:
“We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused to road users and thank them for their patience which is very much appreciated while we carry out the repairs to the Grange Road bridge.
“The bridge repair work has been scheduled so the week-long road closure takes place during the second week of April – and not during the Easter period at the end of April – to minimise any inconvenience.
“Arranging and scheduling the repairs to the Grange Road bridge has been detailed and protracted because of the need to liaise with insurance companies, bridge experts and contractors after the bridge was struck by a vehicle in August 2024.”
The route is used by visiting locos that travel down from the main line to Swanage, like this 1940s steam locomotive No. 34067 Tangmere
Grange Road bridge built in 1884
It is expected the repair work will be complete by the end of April 2025, enabling Swanage Railway engineering trains, special event trains – and trains running on to the Swanage Railway from the main line at Worgret Junction – to again cross the bridge after eight months of closure.
Further work to clean and paint the metal girders and hand rails of the Grange Road bridge is planned for autumn 2025, which will require the road to be closed again.
The historic Grange Road bridge was built in 1884 and carried its first passenger train with the opening of the branch line from Wareham to Corfe Castle and Swanage in May 1885.
The Swanage branch line was closed in 1972, with much of the track lifted for scrap. Volunteers started to rebuild the railway at a derelict Swanage station in 1976.
By 2009 the branch line was reconnected to the mainline at Worgret Junction and although plans to provide a regular passenger service between Swanage and Wareham have stalled, the repair work will enable special event trains to visit Swanage again.
Further information
- More about Swanage Railway
