Washington's Victoria Viaduct gets security upgrade after vandalism
Revised security measures are being put in place at a disused viaduct after it was targeted by vandals.The Grade II* listed Victoria Viaduct, which crosses the River Wear between Fatfield and Penshaw in Washington, near Sunderland, has been mothballed since the early 1990s.Network Rail, which is responsible for the site, has been given permission to replace existing fencing and add anti-climb paint on the handrails.Documents submitted with the plans said the replacement measures were due to "recent instances of vandalism" and quad bikes accessing the structure.
Work will include removing existing fencing, installing new bollards and a revised 6.5ft (2m) steel fence across both ends of the viaduct.Previous documents said preserving the structure was important in the context of hopes to bring the Leamside railway line - which runs from Pelaw in Gateshead to Tursdale in County Durham - back into operation, which could see the viaduct "come back into use".The viaduct, originally known as the Victoria Bridge, was completed in 1838 as part of the Durham Junction Railway and has a 120ft (36m) drop at its highest point to the river below.It is more than 30 years since it carried freight and no passenger train has used it since 1964 after the "Beeching Axe", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.
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