Indeed. On the matter of this one a friend of mine who, I think, is not on this forum, gave me permission to post these here. The bridge in question is (was?) at New Street Hill which is between Grove Park and Sundridge Park and I think it safe to say that no trains will pass between Grove Park and Bromley North for at least a week, probably longer. The bridge, according to a view on Google Earth dated 08/2020, had warning signs advising a maximum height of 3.8m.
There’s not really much holding it in position if you look at it on Streetview.
My thoughts also. I know times are hard but I can't help thinking that someone might be without a job in the morning too.
From Ground Level:
There seemingly aren’t interlocks, there have been a few similar incidents including a tipper truck somewhere last year with its whole load bed raised.From Ground Level:
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The crane (which, I presume, is what jolted the bridge enough to cause such damage) must have hit the bridge underside hard to take that parapet wall off. Either that or the crane wasn't fully lowered but you might think there would be some means of adjusting these vehicles so that they can't be driven unless the crane is fully lowered: if there isn't then there should be.
Dave
Scaffolders are on sight as we speak building a temporary structure below the bridge to make pedestrian and road access safe according to the NR Kent and Sussex Twitter feed.
The newspaper report is a straight copy'n'paste job from the NR Kent & Sussex Route Twitter feed:
It appears that even without the bridge strike an area comprising several streets is inaccessible to vehicles over 13ft high.
The vehicles have to comply with certain standards as would the HIAB equipment but whether the two integrated together need some sort of sign off by the DVSA i doubt.
You have to really ask why the hiab was going under the bridge. If I was a betting man my money would be on it going to the rail industry site at the end of North Street Hill where the road passes over the bridge on the Southeast Mainline that has been reduced to a narrow footpath for some time for refurbishment.
Depends precisely what time the bridge bash actually was, but given that the first cancellation seems to have been the 1402 from Grove Park to Bromley North, and noting that the 1345 from Bromley North to Grove Park did run, then the unit was probably up at the Grove Park end of the branch line at the time of the incident.
Just as well there's a reduced frequency on the branch at the moment (especially no peak time 4tph frequency), a TSR may well have disrupted pre-covid frequencies, given in the peaks the branch had to be double manned to cope with a 2-3 min turnaround time at each end.
Fortunately, no train involved in this one.
I presume that means they don't think the bridge is likely to outright collapse (if it did I can't see scafolding helping) but that they do think some more bits may fall off.
