Kew Railway Bridge

Kew Railway Bridge
Kew Railway Bridge
Carries	London Overground North London Line London Underground District Line
Crosses	River Thames
Locale	Kew
Maintained by	Network Rail
Designer	W.R. Galbraith
Design	Lattice girder
Material	Wrought iron
Number of spans	5
Opened	1869
Heritage status	Grade II listed structure

Kew Railway Bridge spans the River Thames in London between Kew and Strand-on-the-Green, Chiswick. The bridge was designed by W.R. Galbraith and built by Brassey & Ogilvie for the London and South Western Railway. The bridge is part of an extension to the latter company's railway line from Acton Junction to Richmond. The bridge was opened in 1869 and consists of five wrought iron lattice girder spans of 35 metres each. The cast iron piers are decorated in three stages and can be seen from inside a passing train.

The bridge carries two tracks which are electrified with both third rail and London Underground style fourth rail. It is now owned by Network Rail and used by London Overground North London Line passenger trains running between Richmond and Stratford. The same tracks are also used by London Underground's District Line trains running between Richmond and Upminster.

In The Dalek Invasion of Earth, an episode of the BBC's Doctor Who, the TARDIS materialises under the Kew Railway Bridge, where it is subsequently trapped when the bridge collapses.

The bridge was given Grade II listed structure protection in 1983.

See also

• Crossings of the River Thames