Geograph - photograph every grid square

The Caldew Cycleway south of Nelson Bridge. The Caldew Cycleway is also the route of The Cumbria Way long distance path (next photograph NY3955 : The Caldew Cycleway) and the Caldew Riverside Trail.
This part of the Cycleway follows a former railway that allowed freight trains to bypass Carlisle Citadel Station. The line was electrified as a part of the West Coast Electrification but was closed and dismantled soon after, following a freight train derailment on Dentonholme South Viaduct on the 1st May 1984. The damage to the viaduct was substantial, but railway engineers who assessed the damage decided it was economically repairable and were getting ready to restore this useful line. However the Conservative Government under Margaret Thatcher issued an instruction that the line should be closed. This was in accordance with government policy at that time to reduce railway mileage. Freight operators have subsequently pushed for the line to be reinstated to avoid congestion and delays, but the decision to build a flood defence wall along much of the railway formation has made reopening unlikely due to the increased cost.
Nelson Bridge was modified with a new higher span to accommodate the overhead catenary when the line was electrified; the catenary supports remain attached to the underside of the bridge.