Railway Viaduct

The Railway Viaduct in Rugby is built from Staffordshire blue bricks and sandstone with eleven elliptical arches supporting its structure. Two sections of the bridge still span the West Coast Main Line in active use today.

Charles Blacker Vignoles designed and built this structure between 1839 and 1840 for the Midland Railway Company's expansion plans. It became part of the early railway network that transformed transportation across England.

The structure connected industrial towns when railways were expanding across Britain during the Victorian era. You can still see how it served as a vital link for moving goods and people between regions.

The viaduct can be viewed from outside and is accessible via footpaths in Rugby that connect to nearby roads. The best views come from ground level where you can see the full span of the arches and brick details clearly.

The steel girder section spanning the main line earned the nickname 'birdcage' because of its distinctive structural pattern. This design made the bridge lighter while still supporting heavy trains passing overhead.

Location: Rugby

Architects: Charles Blacker Vignoles

GPS coordinates: 52.38472,-1.26426

Latest update: December 14, 2025 17:04