View source for Kew Railway Bridge

{{about|the railway bridge in Kew|the road bridge|Kew Bridge}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox Bridge
|bridge_name= Kew Railway Bridge
|image=Kew Railway Bridge.jpg
|caption= Kew Railway Bridge
|official_name= 
|carries= [[North London Line]] of the [[London Overground]] <br/>[[London Underground]] [[District line]]
|crosses=[[River Thames]]
|locale= [[Kew]]
|maint=[[Network Rail]]
|id=
|designer = [[W. R. Galbraith]]<ref name="Cherry and Pevsner"/><ref name= IoE/>
|design= [[Lattice truss bridge|Lattice girder]]<ref name= IoE/>
|material = [[Wrought iron]] 
|spans = 5
|pierswater = 
|mainspan= 
|length= 575 feet
|width= 
|height= 
|clearance=
|below= 
|traffic=
|open= {{Start date and age|df=y|1869|1|1}}<ref name= IoE/>
|heritage =[[Listed buildings|Grade II listed structure]]<ref name= IoE/> 
|closed=
|toll=
|map_cue=
|map_image=
|map_text=
|map_width=
|coordinates= 
|lat=
|long=
| embedded={{infobox designation list
| embed=yes
| designation1 = Grade II
| designation1_offname = Kew Railway Bridge
| designation1_date =  {{Start date and age|df=y|1983|5|25}}
| designation1_number = 1065412
}}
}}
[[File:Kew Rail Bridge stonework.JPG|thumbnail|Kew Railway Bridge stonework]]
'''Kew Railway Bridge''' spans the [[River Thames]] in [[London]], [[England]], between [[Kew]] and [[Strand-on-the-Green]], [[Chiswick]]. The bridge was opened in 1869.<ref name= IoE/> 

==History==
The bridge, which was given [[Listed buildings|Grade II listed structure]] protection in 1983,<ref name= IoE>{{NHLE |num=1065412 |desc= Kew Railway Bridge|date = 25 May 1983|accessdate=1 August 2020}} </ref> was designed by [[W. R. Galbraith]]<ref name="Cherry and Pevsner">{{cite book | title=[[The Buildings of England]] – London 2: South | publisher=[[Penguin Books]] | author=[[Bridget Cherry]] and [[Nikolaus Pevsner]] | year=1983 | location=London | page=715 | isbn=0-14-0710-47-7}}</ref> and built by [[Thomas Brassey|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, London|Richmond]]. 

In 1964, the north arch under Kew Railway Bridge was acquired by [http://strandsailing.org.uk/club-history/ Strand on the Green Sailing Club], and was rented from British Rail and then from Network Rail.

==Design==
It consists of five [[wrought iron]] [[Lattice truss bridge|lattice girder]] spans of 35 metres each. The [[Cast-iron architecture|cast iron]] [[Pier (architecture)|piers]] are decorated in three stages. During the [[Second World War]] a [[Pillbox (military)|pillbox]] was built to guard it on the south end, along with an open enclosure to fire an [[Blacker Bombard|anti-tank gun]] from. 

The bridge carries two tracks which are electrified with both [[third rail]] and [[London Underground]]-style [[Railway electrification system#Fourth rail|fourth rail]]. It is now owned by [[Network Rail]] and used by [[London Overground]] for [[Mildmay line]] passenger trains running between [[Richmond station (London)|Richmond]] and [[Stratford station|Stratford]]. The same tracks are also used by London Underground's [[District line]] trains running between Richmond and [[Upminster station|Upminster]].

==In fiction==
In ''[[The Dalek Invasion of Earth]]'', a 1964 serial from the [[BBC]]'s ''[[Doctor Who]]'', the [[TARDIS]] materialises under the bridge; it is trapped when the bridge collapses.<ref name="Dr Who">{{cite web | url=http://www.doctorwholocations.net/locations/kewrailwaybridge |title=Kew Railway Bridge |publisher=Drwholocations.net |access-date=6 March 2013}}</ref>

A District line train can be seen crossing the bridge in the 1965 film ''[[Four in the Morning (1965 film)|Four in the Morning]]''.{{cn|date=July 2021}}

== See also ==
*[[Crossings of the River Thames]]
*[[List of lattice girder bridges in the United Kingdom]]
*[[List of bridges in London]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category inline|Kew Railway Bridge}}

{{Crossings navbox
|structure = [[Crossings of the River Thames|Crossings]]
|place = [[River Thames]]
|upstream=[[Kew Bridge]]|downstream=[[Chiswick Bridge]]|bridge = Kew Railway Bridge<br>[[British national grid reference system|Grid 
reference]]: {{gbmappingsmall|TQ195775}}
}}

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{{Chiswick}}
{{London Overground navbox}}
{{LB Richmond}}

[[Category:1869 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Bridges completed in 1869]]
[[Category:Bridges across the River Thames]]
[[Category:Grade II listed buildings in the London Borough of Hounslow]]
[[Category:Grade II listed buildings in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames]]
[[Category:Grade II listed bridges in London]]
[[Category:Kew, London]]
[[Category:Lattice truss bridges]]
[[Category:London Overground]]
[[Category:London Underground infrastructure]]
[[Category:Railway bridges in London]]
[[Category:Transport in the London Borough of Hounslow]]
[[Category:Transport in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames]]