Oaks Viaduct was Britain

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

's largest railway bridge that spanned the Dearne Valley

Dearne Valley

The Dearne Valley is an area of South Yorkshire along the River Dearne. It encompasses the towns of Wombwell, Wath-upon-Dearne, Swinton, Conisbrough and Mexborough, the large villages of Ardsley, Bolton on Dearne, Goldthorpe, Thurnscoe, Darfield, Stairfoot and Brampton Bierlow, and many other...

, in South Yorkshire

South Yorkshire

South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...

. The viaduct crossed Rotherham Road at Lundwood

Lundwood

Lundwood is a village in the metropolitan borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England.-History:Lying about three miles from Barnsley town centre, Lundwood is built around the ruins of Monk Bretton Priory which was founded in 1154 as the Priory of St Mary Magdalene of Lund by Adam Fitswaine...

, and spanned across the Dearne Valley including the Dearne and Dove Canal

Dearne and Dove Canal

The Dearne and Dove Canal ran for almost ten miles through South Yorkshire, England from Swinton to Barnsley through nineteen locks, rising 127 yards. The canal also had two short branches, the Worsbrough branch and the Elsecar branch, both about two miles long with reservoirs at the head of each....

, to the other side, connecting with Barnsley Colliery, and joined the existing Barnsley

Barnsley

Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...

 - Sheffield

Sheffield

Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...

 line.

It served as an alternative line for trains between Leeds

Leeds

Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...

 and Sheffield on the Midland Railway

Midland Railway

The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....

's main line forming the last link in the Cudworth

Cudworth, South Yorkshire

Cudworth is a semi-rural village on the outskirts of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England. Cudworth has a busy village centre surrounded by some housing and green belt countryside...

 to Wincobank "Chapeltown

Chapeltown, South Yorkshire

Chapeltown is in northern Sheffield, in South Yorkshire, England. It forms part of the Ecclesfield civil parish. There is a wide variety of shops, pubs and restaurants as well as a supermarket...

 loop". This allowed trains to avoid congestion in the Wath-upon-Dearne

Wath-upon-Dearne

Wath-upon-Dearne is a small town on the south side of the Dearne Valley in the historic county of the West Riding of Yorkshire and the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England, lying 5 miles north of Rotherham, almost midway between Barnsley and Doncaster. It has a population...

 and Swinton

Swinton, South Yorkshire

Swinton is a suburban town within the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, in South Yorkshire, England on part of the west bank of the River Don...

 areas, albeit by the slower and more hilly line. The "Cudworth Flyer" local train from Barnsley

Barnsley

Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...

, connecting with Midland line trains at Cudworth, also passed over the viaduct. It also served as a railway for the coal industry, allowing access to the many rail-connected collieries in the area, serving Wombwell Main, Darfield Main and Wath Main Colliery.

In 1965, the bridge was deemed unsafe, leading to the withdrawal of all train services and the eventual demolition of the bridge.