Northwich Station Roof Collapse - 18/05/2021

[Lloyds siding]

The gable end could be stabilised quite easily with some timbers and maybe a prop. It is the damaged section of canopy and ironwork which needs demolishing, which then weakens the whole structure, so may need extra support/protection. The electrical conduits have taken some damage too, so they will need repair and checking before reopening.
Once the canopy is demolished it would be easy to get at the gable end of the building to repair.
However, that may not be the course of action. Can a local confirm what work has taken place?
I used to travel to Northwich frequently a couple of years ago.

 

[158752]

Based on a cursory glance the entirety of the ticket office and waiting room has been dismantled leaving a void between The Hub facility and the portion of station building immediately adjacent to the 2 platform based ticket vending machines. The appearance is akin to a wartime bomb damaged terraced house street at this point.

 

[Whisky Papa]

The gable end could be stabilised quite easily with some timbers and maybe a prop. It is the damaged section of canopy and ironwork which needs demolishing, which then weakens the whole structure, so may need extra support/protection. The electrical conduits have taken some damage too, so they will need repair and checking before reopening.
Once the canopy is demolished it would be easy to get at the gable end of the building to repair.
However, that may not be the course of action. Can a local confirm what work has taken place?
I used to travel to Northwich frequently a couple of years ago.

I presume it is not connected to this incident, but I'm sure many older local readers might remember when large numbers of buildings in Northwich town centre were indeed propped up with heavy timbers? Subsidence due to salt extraction I was told. I guess my memories would be late 1960s / early 1970s.

Incidentally, on GSV the date on the wall looks to be 1891, or is the last figure a damaged 4? I take it this relates to a rebuilding?

 

[peters]

I presume it is not connected to this incident, but I'm sure many older local readers might remember when large numbers of buildings in Northwich town centre were indeed propped up with heavy timbers? Subsidence due to salt extraction I was told. I guess my memories would be late 1960s / early 1970s.

Incidentally, on GSV the date on the wall looks to be 1891, or is the last figure a damaged 4? I take it this relates to a rebuilding?

Also mentions CLC in same part of the stonework but they were formed after the station opened.

The subsidence issues were worse in the lower part of Castle and the London Road area.

See http://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/feastassets/images/3621_17.jpeg

And https://live.staticflickr.com/6072/6092600588_f8a7894cb5_b.jpg

 

[Mcr Warrior]

What's been happening at Northwich station today?

 

[JRT]

Ah Northwich Station...

A few years ago, local plod accused Halifax Town supporters of vandalism at the station. Of course it wasn't true the station was already a mess.

 

[Trainer2]

Expect the demolished area to be fenced off for months until Network Rail find some cash

 

[Geeves]

It took near on 7 years to reopen New Mills Newtown ticket office, and that still had walls an a roof. They should hopefully deploy some strudy fencing. Moorside is getting on for 2 years now.

 

[Dunfanaghy Rd]

Subsidence due to salt extraction was massive. (Too) many years ago I had a ride on the LM Region Track recording coach - a positioning run, not for real - from Euston to Manchester. As we passed across an embankment in the Northwich area the crew told us that the railway had been in a cutting when first built!
Pat

 

[Taunton]

Subsidence due to salt extraction was massive. (Too) many years ago I had a ride on the LM Region Track recording coach - a positioning run, not for real - from Euston to Manchester. As we passed across an embankment in the Northwich area the crew told us that the railway had been in a cutting when first built!
Pat

That is actually at Sandbach, on the Crewe-Manchester line.

 

[The Planner]

Seen footage of it. Seems to be someone exiting the building & shuts the door behind them.

There's the lesson, just like yer mum told ya, never slam doors

Just seen the footage, wow is all I can say, lady luck was around there!

 

[peters]

Network Rail hinted it will be rebuilt but not for some time

Chris Pye, Network Rail infrastructure director for the North West, said: "We thank passengers for their patience while we’ve been working to make Northwich Station safe.

"The damaged building has been partially demolished and hoardings have been put up so the station could reopen to passengers today.

"We’ll work with local groups when the time comes to rebuild.

"We await the findings of an independent investigation by our regulator the Office of Rail and Road into what caused the incident."

Northwich Railway Station reopens to passengers two days after roof collapse

NORTHWICH Railway Station has reopened two days after part of the roof caved in.

www.knutsfordguardian.co.uk

Subsidence due to salt extraction was massive. (Too) many years ago I had a ride on the LM Region Track recording coach - a positioning run, not for real - from Euston to Manchester. As we passed across an embankment in the Northwich area the crew told us that the railway had been in a cutting when first built!
Pat

In recent years work has been done on the old salt mines to stablise them. It's not a problem unique to Northwich, if you've ever heard of bits of water called Flashes near Winsford and Wigan those are small lakes which occurred due to ground subsiding (due to mining) close to rivers and the water diverting itself into the newly formed sunken areas. Some of the ones in Wigan are right next to the Scotland to Euston mainline.

 

[Train Maniac]

Just seen the footage, wow is all I can say, lady luck was around there!

I dont suppose you have a link?

 

[snowball]

That is actually at Sandbach, on the Crewe-Manchester line.

I don't know if there still is, but there used to be a road near Sandbach from which you could see the railway supported on transverse concrete pipes. When the ground sank a bit more, they would insert some extra pipes

 

[The Planner]

I dont suppose you have a link?

Its doing the rounds on NR email, i expect it will get out soon enough.

 

[Taunton]

I don't know if there still is, but there used to be a road near Sandbach from which you could see the railway supported on transverse concrete pipes. When the ground sank a bit more, they would insert some extra pipes

It's here

Moston Footpath 21 - Google Maps

 

[Trackman]

It’s reopened now, if this hasn‘t been mentioned before.

 

[Trainer2]

It’s reopened now, if this hasn‘t been mentioned before.

The station?

 

[ServerHoster]

The station?

Yes. No ticket office, ticket machines or CIS though.

 

[yorksrob]

Are there any pictures of it currently ?

 

[peters]

What I find surprising is yesterday the leader of the RMT appeared on the news saying they were expecting that Great British Railways will result in strike action.

Yet at Northwich there was a worker in the ticket office at the time this happened and if it had happened 10 minutes later there could have been a train stopped there and a guard could have been hospitalised or worse and there's no response to this incident on the RMT website. If I was a railway worker that involved working at a Victorian town station elsewhere on the network I'd be wanting reassurance that this incident was a one off and there aren't poorly maintained buildings across the network.

 

[yorksrob]

So, have the Phillistines destroyed Northwich's civic heritage or not ?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

What I find surprising is yesterday the leader of the RMT appeared on the news saying they were expecting that Great British Railways will result in strike action.

I wonder what carefully considered response will be forthcoming from Brother Burnham in response to that statement. Will he join the RMT brothers in their intended action as was forthcoming when the bus drivers from a certain company were in strike action. He cannot be on both sides of the fence at the same time.

 

[LOL The Irony]

So, have the Phillistines destroyed Northwich's civic heritage or not ?

I've seen pictures and the cctv on facebook. They appear to have kept as much as possible and the southern end still exits, just minus a roof. The ticket office is completely gone, with just the party walls in place, along with all the damaged canopy. The roof of the first bit of remaining canopy is gone but some of the ironwork is still there.

Here's a video of the remains

 

[PG]

Here's a video of the remains

Thanks for that 'after' video. Interesting that the exterior lights are still working on the bit of building that remains minus its roof!

 

[yorksrob]

I've seen pictures and the cctv on facebook. They appear to have kept as much as possible and the southern end still exits, just minus a roof. The ticket office is completely gone, with just the party walls in place, along with all the damaged canopy. The roof of the first bit of remaining canopy is gone but some of the ironwork is still there.

Here's a video of the remains

That sounds excellent.

Fingers crossed we end up with a propery restored station !

 

[Rail Ranger]

The date stone on the front of the building "CLC 1897" (when the station was rebuilt) has been saved.

 

[LOL The Irony]

That sounds excellent.

Fingers crossed we end up with a propery restored station !

Well hopefully it will.

The date stone on the front of the building "CLC 1897" (when the station was rebuilt) has been saved.

So rebuilding it to as was should be easier. On another note, should be a good excuse to get rid of the harrington humps, add a new footbridge with a lift and widen platform 2 to enable easier reopening of the Middlewich line to passengers. What is now a loss could be turned into a win all round.

 

[Grumpy Git]

Just claim its an annex of the Palace of Westminster, money no object.

 

[Robertj21a]

I wonder what carefully considered response will be forthcoming from Brother Burnham in response to that statement. Will he join the RMT brothers in their intended action as was forthcoming when the bus drivers from a certain company were in strike action. He cannot be on both sides of the fence at the same time.

Burnham can probably walk on water (when he can get away from his ego)