It was engineered by Blyth and Cunningham and built by Sir William Arrol & Co.[1] It consisted of wrought iron lattice girders linked at the top by a light arched lattice girder, and carried on a cast iron arch (visible in the photograph) over twin piers in the river.

The piers are formed of cast iron cylinders sunk to bedrock and filled with concrete, and then extended above the river with Dalbeattie granite.

[2] In 1966–1967, the girders and tracks were removed, leaving the pillars in the water, after resignalling meant it was no longer needed.

[3] The current, second bridge was built in 1899–1905 during the expansion of Central Station, to a design by D. A. Matheson, chief engineer of the Caledonian Railway.

[4] The bridge varies in width from 35 to 62.5 metres (115 to 205 ft) and carries up to ten tracks.