Forth Bridge to bid for world heritage status

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The Forth Bridge has been chosen to put forward a nomination to Unesco to be considered as a world heritage site.

The Forth Bridges Forum will prepare a bid for consideration for the rail bridge in 2014. A decision will be made in 2015.

The Forum includes representatives from Network Rail, Transport Scotland and Historic Scotland.

Once the bid has been submitted, it will undergo a ‘demanding 18 month process of scrutiny and evaluation’ by Unesco and the International Council on Monuments and Sites.

Scottish Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said:

“The Forth Bridge is a Scottish icon that is recognised the world over.

“We are extremely excited that we have the opportunity to make the case for the bridge being inscribed as Scotland’s sixth World Heritage Site.”

David Simpson, route managing director for Network Rail Scotland, said:

“The Forth Bridge is one of the most recognisable bridges anywhere in the world and certainly the most cherished Scottish structure of the Victorian era.

“The bridge has become a source of pride and a symbol of Scotland’s resilience and ingenuity, but we must never lose sight of the fact that it is first and foremost a working structure which still carries over 200 trains a day.

“This nomination should be regarded as a further tribute to the thousands of men who have contributed to building, maintaining and restoring the structure over the last 130 years.”

The Forth Bridge, opened in 1890, was the world’s first large-scale steel cantilever bridge and is one and a half miles long.

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