How to Build a Railway is a twelve-part podcast series exploring the story behind the construction of the UK’s new high speed rail line.

This episode of the HS2 podcast series goes back above ground to explore the design and construction of bridges, with a specific focus on HS2’s iconic Colne Valley Viaduct.

Good infrastructure will impact minimally on the surrounding environment. For some stretches of the HS2 route, the diverse landscape and ground conditions are not suitable for tunnels. Where elevated sections of the line are needed – like over lakes and waterways – it brings opportunity for the engineers and architects working on the project to construct a modern and complementary design for the railway, reflective of its natural surroundings.

Episode seven features Billy Ahluwalia, HS2’s Senior Project Manager working on the UK’s longest railway bridge, the Colne Valley Viaduct. Taking us back to the Victorian era, Billy sets the scene exploring the evolution of bridge building.

Focusing on HS2’s iconic viaduct, we also hear from David Smith, Lead Civil Structures Engineer, and Laura Kidd, Lead Architect, about the design vision for the bridge and how it will stand the test of time.

And Ludovic Vergne, Align JV’s Construction Project Manager for the viaduct’s deck segment precast factory, tells us about the 160-metre long launching girder ‘Dominique’, the enormous bridge-building machine that’s lifting the giant concrete deck segments of the viaduct’s arches into position.