Later this summer, work will start on the replacement of four railway bridges in Forest Gate in east London.

The bridges all carry London Overground Suffragette line trains, and are situated between Leytonstone High Road and Woodgrange Park stations.

The roads affected by the work include Talbot Road – E7 0DX, Strode Road – E7 0DU, Stracey Road – E7 0HG, and Latimer Road – E7 0LH.

The old bridges are 130 years old and are being monitored closely to make sure they are safe. However, to avoid future disruption, they need to be replaced now. After replacement, the new bridges should last for another 100-plus years.

Work to replace the bridges on Talbot Road and Stracey Road will start on 1st September, followed by work starting on the Strode Road and Latimer Road bridges on 28th September.

Both the road and pavement under the bridges will need to be closed for the entirety of the project, whilst there will also be a need to close other roads in the areas for shorter periods through to 2027.

In the first part of the work, the support structures at the ends of the existing bridges will be extended to enable them to carry the new decks.

This will be followed in spring next year with the demolition of the old bridge decks and the installation of the new bridge spans. Completion of the work is planned for late summer 2027.

Train services on the Suffragette line will also be affected in 2027, requiring the line to be closed during some weekends.

Before the work starts, drop-in sessions for people to meet the project team and ask questions will be held at the Forest Gate Learning Zone at 1 Woodford Road, on Thursday, 6th August, from 10.30 am to 1.30 pm, and on Wednesday, 12th August, from 5.00 pm to 7.30 pm.

Last year, Network Rail replaced another bridge in nearby Hackney, and in 2024, they replaced a bridge in Dalston, also in east London.

“Thousands of people travel over these old bridges every day by train, passing through residential areas in east London. Our project will deliver four brand-new bridges that will serve the surrounding community and rail passengers for several generations. We’re really sorry for the disruption, and we’ll work very closely with residents and businesses to keep the impact to a minimum while we get the job done.”

Joe Kennedy, Infrastructure Director, Network Rail Anglia