Project profile: Millers Dale Viaduct

History

The Midland Railway was founded in 1844 in Derby from where its routes stemmed. By the 1860s it aimed to connect London and Manchester, a route that would require passing through the Peak District. The hilly terrain in this area required a number of engineering solutions, with the twin Millers Dale Viaducts being just two of a number of tunnels, viaducts and bridges built in the Wye Valley.

The Wye Valley section of the line opened in 1863, with a station in Millers Dale opening that same year. Whilst the station served passengers from local villages and was used to send goods including limestone around the country, its main purpose was to connect passengers travelling on the London to Manchester line with nearby Buxton.

The southern viaduct over which the Monsal Trail now runs was built from 1862 to 1863 just to the east of the station. Passing over the River Wye, the viaduct stood alone until 1905 when the northern viaduct was constructed to increase capacity on the line. The southern viaduct was then closed for a short time to strengthen it before both were operational together from April 1906.  

Millers Dale train station was closed in March 1967 due to dwindling passenger numbers before the railway line closed a year later in July 1968. The station’s booking office is now a café whilst the goods shed hosts an interactive exhibition on the area’s history and wildlife.

The Peak District National Park has produced a series of short podcasts featuring people who worked on, travelled on or lived by the former railway line. You can find the ‘Monsal Memories podcasts’ at the foot of this page.

About the structure

Opened in 1905, the northern viaduct is 175m long with seven spans over the River Wye and the B6049. Four of the spans were constructed using brick and three were made with steel.

The viaduct is almost identical to the original one it runs parallel to, with one key difference being the design of the support for the decks. The northern viaduct has a box structure whilst the southern and original viaduct – over which the Monsal Trail runs – has an arch structure.

Only the northern viaduct is part of the Historical Railways Estate with the adjacent southern viaduct being owned by the Peak District National Park.

What is the project?

Our structures are inspected yearly by a team of skilled inspectors, which helps us to plan work well in advance and ensure that the most critical tasks are prioritised. An inspection of Millers Dale Viaduct identified some works that are required under three of the viaduct’s seven spans.

Our contractors will waterproof three spans using a loose-laid membrane to ensure that rain water does not pool on the structure’s deck and cause corrosion. Water will instead flow into a drain that will be installed below the deck and into the River Wye.

They will also conduct some localised repairs to some areas of the spans that have been corroded. All sections will then be grit blasted before being painted to prevent further corrosion. Works are only required three of the spans as the other four were waterproofed and repaired in 2018.

What stage is it at?

Work will begin in autumn 2024 and is expected to be completed in spring 2025.