Blackfriars Railway Bridge

Blackfriars Railway Bridge spans the River Thames in central London, standing between Blackfriars Bridge and the Millennium Bridge. The first structure opened in 1864, designed by Joseph Cubitt for the London, Chatham and Dover Railway. Its massive stone abutments once carried the railway’s insignia, still visible today on the south side. The bridge served St Paul’s Station until services moved to Waterloo in the 1920s. By the 1980s it could no longer carry modern trains and was dismantled, leaving only its piers and the restored southern abutment. The second bridge, built in 1886, was originally named St Paul’s Railway Bridge. Engineers William Mills, John Wolfe Barry and Henry Marc Brunel designed the wrought-iron structure. Edward Cruttwell supervised its construction for Lucas and Aird. The bridge was widened to carry seven rail lines, with spans ranging from 175 to 185 feet. In 1937 the station and bridge were renamed Blackfriars, reflecting their location. Visitors can still see the surviving piers of the first bridge and the abutment with its restored insignia. The second bridge carries busy Thameslink services across the Thames. Blackfriars station itself has platforms extending over the water, supported by the older piers. A solar-panelled roof tops the station, part of green upgrades designed by Will Alsop. The bridge and station sit close to the City’s financial heart, linking north and south banks with a blend of Victorian engineering and modern sustainability.