£15m plans have been revealed to build a viewing platform on top of the Forth Bridge in Scotland, opening the railway route to the public for the first time.
The bridge, which will celebrate its 125th anniversary in 2015, will see a visitor centre built into the base of its northern Fife tower. A glass paneled lift will lead up to the 330ft (100m) high viewing platform.
A second centre will also be opened in South Queensferry, which will act as a base for guided walks to the top of the bridge's south tower.
The railway bridge, built in 1890, is currently seeking heritage listing with UNESCO and still remains a key part of Scotland’s railway network, linking Edinburgh with Fife and carrying more than 200 trains every day.
Work on the bridge spanned a decade and cost £130m. It was completed in 2011.
The project, funded by Network Rail, is looking for the facilities to be open by 2015 and it is thought that the ‘high up’ style attraction could be a significant boost to South Queensferry and Edinburgh.
A recent feature in the Q1 2013 edition of
Attractions Management Magazine looked at the success of ‘high up’ attractions. A similar project which has seen great success is Australia’s Sydney Harbour Bridge, which has become one of the country’s most popular and lucrative attractions since opening 15 years ago.
Read the feature here: http://lei.sr?a=V7E3F
