Forth Bridge visitor hub and walkway planned

[DavidB-AU]

Visitors will be able to walk at the top of the Forth Bridge rail crossing if proposals from Network Rail are approved. The operator has submitted a planning application to install a bridge walk and visitor hub.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-49754810

[The Pilotman]

Interesting idea. You can take a guided walk to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge so why not the Forth Bridge?

[jacko]

Charities already arrange walks along the bridge and sponsored abseils. Apparently a nightmare for network rail staff.

[Joseph_Pestell]

33 minutes ago, Western Aviator said:

Interesting idea. You can take a guided walk to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge so why not the Forth Bridge?

 

Weather in Sydney rather better!

[phil-b259]

49 minutes ago, jacko said:

Charities already arrange walks along the bridge and sponsored abseils. Apparently a nightmare for network rail staff.

 

Possibly because the infrastructure is not there to accommodate them without disrupting train services!

 

If NR puts in place dedicated walkways, support wires, etc. (and from the artists impression we are looking like a Sydney style setup with Hard Hats, Overalls and safety harnesses to allow folk to 'clip on') which ensure separation from the operational railway then such charity events may become a lot easier to manage.

 

 

Edited September 20, 2019 by phil-b259

[Alex TM]

3 hours ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

Weather in Sydney rather better!

Hi,

 

Having lived, until recently, not far downstream from the Forth Bridge I can vouch for the ferocious winds that blow up that river.  It'll be a brave soul who wants to go for a walk up there.

 

Regards,

 

Alex.

[PhilMortimer]

3 hours ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

Weather in Sydney rather better!

 

Not last time I was at Sydney bridge - cold, wet, foggy, lashing it down with rain. Reminded me of Scotland!

 

[Dava]

Seems like a great project to enable people to experience the scale of the bridge close-up. Definitely on my To-do list. It is the Icon of Scotland.  My dad used to cross the Bridge to school by train in pre-war days and I remember crossing the Forth by diesel car ferry before the road bridge was built. 

 

Dava

[Bernard Lamb]

A company with a policy of getting rid of non core assets now wants to build and run a tourist facility.

Funny old world.

I await the comments when the first coach load of punters are told it is closed due to high winds.

I have cycled over the road bridge enough times to know what it can be like.

Bernard

 

[Paul13]

I think it's an excellent plan and will make a great experience, especially if it's done as well as the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb which is brilliant and fascinating.

[phil-b259]

1 hour ago, Bernard Lamb said:

A company with a policy of getting rid of non core assets now wants to build and run a tourist facility.

Funny old world.

I await the comments when the first coach load of punters are told it is closed due to high winds.

I have cycled over the road bridge enough times to know what it can be like.

Bernard

 

 

If its anything like the Sydney experience then you won't get 'coach loads of punters' turning up as you put it!

 

Have a look at this website https://www.bridgeclimb.com/?utm_source=ADM-Search&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=Peak&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8LjP3aDg5AIVCtTeCh235QnpEAAYASAAEgJDSfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

This is NOT an Eiffel tower setup we are talking about with lifts and reassuringly secure viewing pens! - you are basically acting as a construction worker with all the necessary PPE that goes with it.

 

These sorts of experiences require you to have a good level of fitness, no joint / walking problems and a god head for heights - its NOT something you do as a casual visit.

 

As is the case with the Sydney experience, it will be made clear that there will be occasions when the prevailing weather conditions make it too dangerous to allow the climb to take place - as such any participants will have no right to adversely 'comment' as you put it in the event that the climb cannot take place as it will have been made clear when booking the experience that it is weather dependent.

 

As for getting rid of 'non core' activities - that is not NRs own doing, rather its an instruction from their pay masters in HM Treasury. Given the forth bridge is an expensive asset to maintain revenue generating things like this proposal are probably welcomed (as long as i is self funding).

 

I do concede though that should it be a success and generate a decent income, the bureaucrats in Whitehall will want to find a way of getting NR to sell it off....

 

 

 

 

Edited September 20, 2019 by phil-b259

[The Stationmaster]

On 20/09/2019 at 15:50, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

Weather in Sydney rather better!

 

Wanna bet - you should see it when it's raining!  (Actually you probably rather wouldn't).   And even the Sydney Harbour Bridge walks are cancelled if the weather is not suitable.  Incidentally you are not permitted to carry a camera on the Sydney Harbour Bridge walks for obvious - when you think about it - safety reasons which might defeat the purpose for some people.  But there you can get high enough on the pylon at one end to get good views of the bridge and the bridge walkers as well as anything else, including trains.   But I don't see that opportunity existing on the Forth Bridge.

 

[Ian Hargrave]

I’ll give the Forth a glance tomorrow as I’m driving south.For the ultimate experience though,fly in to Edinburgh airport.If you’re lucky enough,your aircraft’s final approach gives a grandstand view .

[JeremyC]

Given that the Forth Bridge must be one of the most famous bridges in the world and with its attendant two road bridges also among the most famous sets of bridges it is astonishing that there is no visitor centre in the area dedicated to the bridges.

(The nearest there has been was an education centre about the building of the new Queensferry Crossing.)

Edited September 21, 2019 by JeremyC

[stewartingram]

Wasn't this visitor centre idea started of by Nigel Harris (Rail editor) when he visited the site after the recent repaint?

 

Stewart

[Roddy Angus]

4 hours ago, stewartingram said:

Wasn't this visitor centre idea started of by Nigel Harris (Rail editor) when he visited the site after the recent repaint?

 

Stewart

 

They've been talking about it for years and nothing has ever come of the various schemes.  I'll  believe it when I see it (from the top).

Roddy

[Edwin_m]

On 20/09/2019 at 21:49, phil-b259 said:

 

This is NOT an Eiffel tower setup we are talking about with lifts and reassuringly secure viewing pens! - you are basically acting as a construction worker with all the necessary PPE that goes with it.

 

These sorts of experiences require you to have a good level of fitness, no joint / walking problems and a god head for heights - its NOT something you do as a casual visit.

 

As is the case with the Sydney experience, it will be made clear that there will be occasions when the prevailing weather conditions make it too dangerous to allow the climb to take place - as such any participants will have no right to adversely 'comment' as you put it in the event that the climb cannot take place as it will have been made clear when booking the experience that it is weather dependent.

 

19 hours ago, JeremyC said:

Given that the Forth Bridge must be one of the most famous bridges in the world and with its attendant two road bridges also among the most famous sets of bridges it is astonishing that there is no visitor centre in the area dedicated to the bridges.

(The nearest there has been was an education centre about the building of the new Queensferry Crossing.)

 

21 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

Incidentally you are not permitted to carry a camera on the Sydney Harbour Bridge walks for obvious - when you think about it - safety reasons which might defeat the purpose for some people.  But there you can get high enough on the pylon at one end to get good views of the bridge and the bridge walkers as well as anything else, including trains.   But I don't see that opportunity existing on the Forth Bridge.

One of the incarnations of this proposal was to have a visitor centre at the northern pier (which is on land) with a lift up to the top for the less hardy visitors, presumably to some kind of viewing platform enclosed or otherwise.  The bridge-climbing experience was to start at the Dalmeny end and I think would involve some sort of new walkway along the approach viaduct before climbing the southern cantilever.  However I haven't heard anything official about this for a couple of years so I had assumed it had fallen by the wayside - perhaps a result of NR not having management time to deal with something non-core and inevitably complicated.