Network Rail opens new £60m Clifton rail bridge over the M6

Network Rail and its main contractor Skanska have replaced the Clifton rail bridge near Penrith in a £60 million (about €69 million) investment to make the West Coast Main Line fit for the future. On 10 January 2026 the new 130 m structure was put in place over the M6 at Clifton in Cumbria; the motorway, used by around 48,000 vehicles a day, reopened 13 hours ahead of schedule after two closures of 60 hours each. Track laying and the reconnection of overhead lines and signalling were to follow, and on the morning of 15 January 2026 the West Coast Main Line fully reopened (LOK Report, 13 Jan 2026; Penrith & Tweed News, 15 Jan 2026).