Work is underway on a £3.6 million restoration of the Avon Viaduct near Linlithgow, a 23-span listed structure that carries the railway over the River Avon between West Lothian and Falkirk. Network Rail said the project starts Aug. 3 and is scheduled for completion in May 2027.
The scope includes masonry repairs, steelwork repainting, and structural strengthening. Network Rail also plans to replace existing metal parapet handrails with glass reinforced polymer, or GRP, parapets.
Because the viaduct is listed, Network Rail said the work has been planned to protect the structure’s character while completing essential maintenance. The rail owner said it has worked with local authorities and environmental specialists as plans moved forward, and ecological surveys have been completed to protect wildlife, including nesting birds and bats, with mitigation measures put in place.
For mason contractors and restoration teams, the project is a reminder that “masonry repairs” on historic infrastructure rarely stand alone. The work ties into access planning, sequencing with steelwork operations, and protection of adjacent masonry surfaces while coatings and strengthening work move ahead. On listed structures, documentation and quality control sit at the center of production, since every repair also has a heritage outcome.
Project manager Allison Flanagan said the investment extends the life of one of Scotland’s historic rail structures and protects an important part of the local landscape and railway heritage.
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