London bridges across the river Thames: 6 Blackfriars railway bridge

 



Blackfriars railway bridge

there have been two structures with the name: the first bridge was opened in 1864 and was designed by Joseph Cubitt for the London, Chatham and Dover railway. massive abutments at each end carried the railway's insignia, preserved and restored on the south side
 

following the formation of the Southern Railway in 1924, inter-city and continental services were concentrated on Waterloo, and St Paul's station became a local and suburban stop and the use of the original bridge gradually declined

it eventually became too weak to support modern trains, and was  removed in 1985 – all that remains is a series of columns crossing the Thames and the southern abutment

the second bridge, built slightly further downstream (to the east), was originally called St Paul's railway bridge and opened in 1886, it was designed by John Wolfe-Barry and Henry Marc Brunel and is made of wrought iron, when St Paul's railway station changed its name to Blackfriars in 1937 the bridge changed its name as well

as part of the Thameslink programme, the platforms at Blackfriars station have been be extended across the Thames and partially supported by the 1864 bridge piers, work on the bridge also includes the installation of a roof covered with photovoltiac solar panels

the renovations are nearing completion and i had to search very hard to find that one speck of rust!