STOP PRESS!

BBC North West Tonight featured the Network Rail works on the Chapel Milton viaduct on their evening programme of the 4th September 2025. If you manage to see the programme on the iPlayer, the article is at 15.50 into the programme.

On Wednesday 18th June Network Rail organised a public information afternoon and evening at the Chinley Independent Chapel in order to answer any questions about the works being carried out to strengthen the Chapel Milton viaduct.

The 160 year old Chapel Milton viaduct allows rail services to transport stone, cement and limestone from four major Derbyshire quarries to destinations across Great Britain and is is a mainstay of the country’s freight network.

Network Rail is investing £7.5m to improve the viaduct between June 2025 and autumn 2025. The busiest period for works will be between the 29th August 2025 - 8th September 2025 during which period the viaduct will be closed to all rail traffic as round-the-clock engineering works will be carried out.

As regards the A624 and Wash roads, temporary traffic lights will remain in place until the last week of October 2025.

The bridge's history

Although the structure of the viaduct is well over a hundred years old, the main span of the western viaduct which connects Chapel-en-le-Frith with Chinley was replaced in 1938 in order to make sure that it was able to cope with the high speed passenger traffic that used the bridge at that time. Local historian John Benson has kindly supplied the attached document (click here) which carries a report of the extensive work carried out in 1938.

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Read more about the project  here !