Bridge bash has impact on Stamford line traffic
A key crosscountry rail route faced disruption after HGV caused structural damage.
A MAJOR cross-country artery between Leicester and Peterborough was closed between November 5 and 22 after an HGV collided with Fosters Bridge spanning the A6121 between South Luffenham and Stamford. Operated by waste contractor Biffa, the lorry was transporting waste to landfill in a large roll-on, roll-off skip on behalf of Rutland County Council. The impact left the skip on the road and damaged the lorry, and the driver was taken to hospital. Although the incident occurred at 7.45am on what is normally a busy line, it was fortunate – particularly as the bridge deck was moved and bent by the impact – that it was a strike day and therefore no trains were running at the time.
Damage
Within 24 hours of the incident, Network Rail released pictures showing how an external girder had been bent by about 12 inches. There was other damage to crossbeams. In a statement released on November 6, NR said critical parts of the bridge structure was so badly damaged that a significant part of it needs to be replaced, adding that initial repairs were estimated to take up to three weeks to complete, with a new bridge deck being fabricated off-site. The road remained closed for the duration of the repairs. The bridge is 13 feet high, has chevrons around the deck and abutments to alert drivers, and is clearly signposted on the approach. Just 48 hours on from the incident, Network Rail engineers had removed the whole of the damaged bridge deck, and on November 9 allowed a couple of East Midlands Railways services to work eastbound only. In a comment on social media platform Twitter, Network Rail chairman Sir Peter Hendy said: “We report every one of these (incidents) to the Traffic Commissioners, who consider the suitability of the operator and driver to continue to hold their vocational licences; and we claim for damage and delay from the operator.”
Operations
The line is used for CrossCountry services between Birmingham New Street and Stansted Airport, and for intermodal trains from Felixstowe to the Midlands and North West terminals. It is also used by aggregate trains for both Network Rail and other customers, as well as some East Midlands Railway services from Nottingham to Norwich. The closure of the line necessitated rail replacement bus services between Leicester and Peterborough, with separate buses covering Nottingham and Peterborough. Most freight movements were diverted via London, however, on Saturday, November 12 and 19, Network Rail instigated a single line between Ketton and Langham Jct as planned engineering work around the London area prevented diversions. Rutland County Council, whose skip was damaged in the incident, said it would be reviewing the circumstances with its waste contractor.