Bridge strike at Ketton causes major disruption
has been caused to services between Leicester and Peterborough after a bridge suffered significant damage caused by a lorry on November 5.
The bridge crossing the A6121 Stamford Road at Ketton, near Oakham, suffered severe damage to two structural beams after being struck by a Rutland County Council lorry which had been transporting containers to and from one of its waste and recycling centres.
As a result of the incident, one of the two railway lines over the bridge has been removed, with the damaged supporting beams and bridge deck removed to allow repairs to be carried out.
The remaining single line on the undamaged section continued to carry train services, although significant disruption was caused to the Crosscountry services between Stanstead and Birmingham New Street that usually use the affected route. Additionally, freight traffic was diverted via London. However, on two Saturdays – November 12 and 19 – a number of freight trains were operated in the ‘wrong direction’, in addition to the passenger services that are still able to operate over the affected line.
Network Rail route director Gary Walsh said: “We are very sorry for the ongoing impact this incident is having on passengers. Our teams are doing all they can to carry out these extensive repairs quickly and get trains moving safely again but unfortunately it is likely to take around three weeks. “During that time, passengers should check before they travel and leave extra time for their journey. We are working with partners in the industry to divert freight trains wherever possible and keep vital goods moving around the country.”
Leicestershire Police said: “Shortly before 7.40am on Saturday, November 5, police received a call after a lorry struck a bridge on the A6121, close to North Luffenham. Officers attended the scene and road closures were put in place while emergency services attended. The driver of the vehicle was taken to hospital. Enquiries remain ongoing.”
Network Rail said that between April 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022, there were 1833 bridge strikes reported across the network, up from 1624 on the previous year. Network Rail has been running the Wise Up, Size Up campaign since 2018 to urge drivers to know the height of their vehicle and choose an appropriate route before setting off on their journey. However, despite active campaigns, bridge strikes are still occurring regularly – with some structures being hit on multiple occasions. Network Rail estimated that repairs to the damaged bridge would take about three weeks, with work still being carried out as this issue of Railways Illustrated went to print.