Bridgnorth Cliff Railway to close for a fortnight for repairs

The works to concrete the trackside of the historic funicular train will mean it will be closed from Monday March 10 and is set to return to normal service on Monday March 24. 

A full service will remain in operation on Saturdays and Sundays.

During 2022, managers at the Cliff Railway observed that discharge from a storm drain had been redirected towards the tracks and had caused some erosion to the sandstone bedrock. Specialist civil engineers will now take an estimated fortnight to remedy the problem.

Cliff Railway chairman Malvern Tipping said: “Unfortunately, about three years ago the discharge from a storm drain was re-directed towards our tracks without any realization as to the consequences. 

"Our staff noticed that the result was erosion of the bedrock which seemed to have accelerated once it had started. I want to commend and thank Shropshire Council for having dealt with the discharge within twenty-four hours of our having reported the matter to them. However, the erosion accelerated after that point. We now have civil engineers working to fix the problem over an estimated fortnight. 

"They will secure fixings into the bedrock and then cast reinforced concrete along the full length of the affected trackside.

“The work will be undertaken over weekdays and is expected to take a fortnight. We are conscious that more passengers rely on the cliff railway over weekends and that this generates more trade for local businesses, especially on Saturdays. Therefore, we will continue to provide the usual service on Saturdays and Sundays.

"I had been anxious that any vibrations from the carriages might cause hairline cracking to any green concrete poured on a Friday. However, both our managers and the contractors had already thought of that. So, concreting will be undertaken mid-week to enable the concrete to cure sufficiently in time for the weekends. We thank both passengers and local businesses for their forbearance.”