New City Deal funded railway bridge in Bowling is completed

A new £5.9 million railway bridge in West Dunbartonshire has entered service, with the first trains crossing the bridge on 2 January 2026.

The bridge was moved into position on Boxing Day, following the excavation of more than 80,000 tonnes of material. Engineers then case the bridge on location using 1,860 tonnes of concrete.

The bridge is a key element of the Glasgow City Region City Deal project which will open up direct road access and enable the future development of the Bowling Strategic Development Site, previously known as the former Exxon site.

Laura Craig, scheme project manager at Network Rail Scotland, said:

“Everything we’ve done over the past few months has led up to this moment. Building such a huge bridge on site and then moving it into position is an incredible task, and it’s been amazing to see the planning and teamwork come together so successfully.

“The festive period has been an intense time, with work continuing day and night to make sure the move happened safely and on schedule. Driving the bridge into place on Boxing Day is a fantastic achievement and it’s thanks to the dedication of everyone involved.”

Councillor David McBride, West Dunbartonshire Council’s Convener of Infrastructure, Regeneration and Economic Development, said:

“This is a landmark moment in this major project and I am delighted to see such significant progress on the site.

“While there has been some disruption on the trains, this has been minimised by the work being carried out over the festive period and I thank local people for their patience.”