It has released details of early feasibility studies into plans that would allow visitor’s to walk – or even climb – on the bridge.
Network Rail has today launched a new website and survey with the aim of establishing the most attractive visitor options and obtain a greater understanding of customer expectations. The website includes artists’ impressions of the proposals, a 3D flythrough of the visitor options and a summary of the feasibility study findings.
Limited market research has already been carried out into the plans, which include a lift, visitor centre, viewing platform and walks. Interest in all the proposals was high and the research predicts visitor numbers ranging from about 75,000 a year to more than 230,000.
Two concepts are under consideration to provide access to the bridge - a visitor centre and viewing platform linked by a lift in North Queensferry, and a smaller base to coordinate guided walks to the top of the south tower in South Queensferry.
The North Queensferry proposals would see a discreet building created under the northern Fife Tower offering education and exhibition facilities alongside catering and shopping. The centre would be connected by a step-free ramp to two lifts on the eastern side of the bridge. The lifts would offer access to a viewing platform at the top of the bridge, 110m above sea level.
On the south side, a pod-style building is proposed to coordinate guided walks on the structure for groups of up to 15 people. The building would be developed on Network Rail owned land underneath the southern approach span, just a short walk from Dalmeny Station. The walk would see access permitted along the south approach span on a pre-existing walkway underneath the track, followed by a climb to the top of the southern Queensferry Tower using a walkway within the top cantilever.
David Simpson, route managing director, Network Rail Scotland said: “After 10 years spent restoring the bridge to its full glory, and in advance of the application for world heritage listing, these plans will offer the public the chance to visit the bridge and see it ‘close-up’ for the first time. We are hugely excited by these proposals and believe that they have the potential to be developed into an important new visitor attraction for Scotland.
“While these plans are still at development stage, we believe that the options we have revealed today can be delivered without impacting the well loved view of the bridge. Any infrastructure on the bridge will be less visible than the existing scaffold platform and all buildings designs will be sensitive to the environment.
“It’s an ambitious target, but we’d love to see these plans at least partially realised by 2015 to coincide with the bridge’s 125th anniversary. Any profits from the two facilities would be reinvested into the upkeep of the bridge. The bridge remains a key part of Scotland’s railway infrastructure, linking Edinburgh with Fife and the north, and carrying over 200 trains per day.
Network Rail will now begin the process of developing designs in consultation with the relevant authorities and local communities.
The plans can be seen at the project website www.forthbridgeexperience.com.
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