02 Nov 2021, 10:23 am
#45
(02 Nov 2021, 9:00 am)Ds1197 Victoria viaduct looked like it was in disrepair the last time I seen it which I think its grade listed and don't network rail still own the track bed of the leamside line
Yeah, they own all the track bed and infrastructure still. Although most of the track was removed during 2012, supposedly to deter theft (despite being a decade after 2 miles of it was nicked in Penshaw during 2003) and because it was deemed life-expired by Network Rail.
There was an FOI response here (dated 2017) that stated the Viaduct is in a fair state of repair:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/g...ia_viaduct
I've been up there last year when out walking, and although you cannot get onto the Viaduct itself anymore, it doesn't look in too bad a condition apart from I wouldn't trust holding the railings, as they are definitely in need of repair. There's also proper walking routes below and it doesn't look in bad condition from under either. I'm no structural engineer though!
There's fencing with a gate at each side (as below) now, so you can't use it to walk between Washington and Penshaw. When the gates originally went up, the locks kept getting cut off to reopen it as a through route, but I believe the gate at the Penshaw side has now been welded shut by Network Rail. I'd say it seems to have worked as a deterrent to some degree, as the Washington side is really overgrown now.
![[Image: 98453712-2950698421712108-4281949362781403748-n.jpg]](https://i.ibb.co/TTFBQQj/98453712-2950698421712108-4281949362781403748-n.jpg)
