Warrington Transporter Bridge

The historic Warrington Transporter Bridge crosses the River Mersey close to Warrington Bank Quay Station. It is one of only 8 bridges of this type still surviving worldwide, having Grade II listing and Scheduled Monument protection.

The current transporter was in use from 1916 until 1964 and has been out of use ever since. However, this was actually the 2nd bridge of this type to be built in Warrington. The first being built a little further North. The original transporter bridge was commissioned in 1905 and demolished in the 1960’s.

There was a third similar transporter bridge, built to provide a crossing between Runcorn and Widnes in 1905. Built alongside the existing 1865 ‘Queen Ethelfleda’ Railway viaduct or ‘Britannia bridge’, which carries the West Coast Main line from Liverpool Lime Street to London Euston. The Transporter bridge was in use until the ‘Silver Jubilee’ Bridge was built and opened in 1961. The new road bridge was built in between the two existing bridge’s to replace the original Transporter Bridge, which was closed and demolished in the same year.

Using a Transporter bridge feels similar to a regular ferry, with the suspended gondola gliding smoothly across the water. The Warrington Bridge has a span of 200ft (61m), an overall length of 339ft (103m) and a height of 76ft (23m) above water level. The transporter could carry an 18 Ton railway vehicle, however the bridge was converted to allow the conveyance of 30 Ton road vehicles in 1940.

The ‘Friends of Warrington Transporter Bridge’ (FoWTB) were formed in 2015 as an independent group to look after and liaise with other interest groups and to safeguard the bridge’s industrial heritage status and future. You can learn more about the bridge and FoWTB on their web site.