Guildford Railway Bridge
Bridge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Guildford Railway Bridge is a pair of bridges that carry the Eastern railway line across the Swan River in Perth, Western Australia.
Guildford Railway Bridge | |
|---|---|
Southbound bridge view from northbound bridge | |
| Coordinates | 31°53′58″S 115°57′38″E |
| Carries | Eastern railway line |
| Crosses | Swan River |
| Begins | Guildford |
| Ends | Bassendean |
| Owner | Public Transport Authority |
| Characteristics | |
| Material | Steel |
| Piers in water | 5 |
| Rail characteristics | |
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) |
| History | |
| Constructed by | John Holland |
| Opened | 1st: 15 June 1969 2nd: 12 October 1975 |
| Location | |
 Interactive map of Guildford Railway Bridge | |
History
The original bridge was a timber viaduct that opened in 1880 as a combined rail and road bridge. In February 1898, a new two track bridge opened downstream. In 1939 the original timber trusses were replaced by steel girders.[1] The original bridge remained as a road bridge and later a foot bridge until demolished in the late 1960s.[2]
As part of the project to standardise the line from Kalgoorlie to Perth, on 15 June 1969 a new single track standard gauge steel girder bridge on concrete supports built by John Holland opened.[3][4][5] The existing bridge was retained for narrow gauge services.[2][6]
On 12 October 1975, an identical steel girder bridge opened on the site of the 1880 structure.[2] It was built as a dual gauge structure with the 1969 bridge also converted to dual gauge allowing the 1898 bridges to be demolished.[7]
