Holes Bay Rail Crossing – Maintaining Critical Infrastructure in a Highly Sensitive Environment

Holes Bay is located within Poole Harbour (Dorset, UK) which forms the largest natural harbour in Europe. A large area is drained at low water, revealing salt-marsh and mud-flat ecosystems which support wintering wading birds and wildfowl leading to the area being designated as a Wetland of International Importance (under the Ramsar convention), Special Protection Area (SPA) and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). A vital rail link crosses the bay, consisting of a causeway, which includes two viaduct crossings to allow tidal exchange in the upper reaches of the bay. Two tracks run on top of the causeway, which serve the London Waterloo to Weymouth main line which is a vital link in both regional and national terms.