Peterborough to Leicester Line Bridge Bash.

[TheBigD]

Bridge between Ketton and Luffenham damaged by Bridge bash and line currently closed.

 

[Halish Railway]

Luckily there’re no passenger services using the line today due to (cancelled at short notice) strike action.

 

[htafc]

It really, really annoys me when avoidable bridge strikes like this one happen.

 

[Failed Unit]

Anyone know how much if anything the insurance company of the lorry have to pay? I suspect the driver will get 3 points and a very small fine.

 

[chiltern trev]

Deleted

 

[TheBigD]

More photos from Facebook...

 

[chiltern trev]

Deleted

 

[ExRes]

Network Rails photos mentioned earlier.

View attachment 123245

View attachment 123246

Thanks, excellent pictures, I wonder if the lorry belongs to Rutland CC or if the skip was being carried by a third party

 

[londonmidland]

Internal reports suggest that the Down line will remain out of use for several weeks, due to the damage.

 

[chiltern trev]

The skip lorry is red all over - so maybe a third party.

 

[TheBigD]

Internal reports suggest that the Down line will remain out of use for several weeks, due to the damage.

If that's the case then I'd expect both lines to be effectively shut as its an awfully long section to do any single line working, or just up direction trains allowed*.

SLW Section would need to be Ketton to Langham over the up line and the crossover at Ketton would require down trains to reverse to access the up line. That would also seriously impact the trains that run via Corby on the Langham to Manton section.

(happy to be corrected but I'm pretty sure that the crossover at Manton on the Peterborough line was removed/taken out of use a few years ago. The other crossover at Manton is on the Corby line and of no use in this situation.)

*for passengers trains I'd expect services to be turned around at Stamford and Melton though Peterborough and Leicester would be operationally easier.

 

[High Dyke]

Internal reports suggest that the Down line will remain out of use for several weeks, due to the damage.

Network Rail are advising disruption on that route until next Saturday (12th).

Signage wise, from the A1 there are about five signs before the bridge. From the A47 there are four signs, with two from the Wireless Hill roundabout before the bridge. Part of the investigation will include checking the appropriate signage is in place.

 

[TheBigD]

From Facebook again...

 

[sharpley]

The skip lorry is red all over - so maybe a third party.

Believe its a Biffa lorry working on behalf of Rutland council

 

[Bald Rick]

Looking at that bridge it’s major structural damage. My guess is a new deck as a minimum.

 

[TheBigD]

Looking at that bridge it’s major structural damage. My guess is a new deck as a minimum.

One of my colleagues laughed at the suggestion of just a month's closure. He's of a similar opinion to you.

Would 12-18 months be pessimistic?

 

[Bald Rick]

One of my colleagues laughed at the suggestion of just a month's closure. He's of a similar opinion to you.

too early to say. But I’d have a tenner at any price it will be back before Christmas (this year!) and an even bet that it’s back before the end of this month.

 

[Sleepy]

This will also disrupt EMR services between Nottingham and Norwich tommorow which were going to divert due to engineering work in Grantham area. Coaches between Nottingham and Peterborough now. Attached is from EMR website https://www.eastmidlandsrailway.co....mended-services-between-liverpool-lime-street

 

[LowLevel]

One of my colleagues laughed at the suggestion of just a month's closure. He's of a similar opinion to you.

Would 12-18 months be pessimistic?

To be fair given it's a critical freight route (I don't think big boxes can go via Bottesford, only the smaller ones) so a huge diversion I assume it'll be just about priority one to fix even if they have to rip the whole bridge out and start again!

 

[TheBigD]

To be fair given it's a critical freight route (I don't think big boxes can go via Bottesford, only the smaller ones) so a huge diversion I assume it'll be just about priority one to fix even if they have to rip the whole bridge out and start again!

Big boxes aren't cleared via Bottesford. For example see the route this freightliner, 4L10, takes...

Realtime Trains | 4L10 1835 East Mids Gateway Tl (Fl) to Felixstowe North F.L.T. | 17/11/2022

Real-time train running information for 4L10 1835 departure from East Mids Gateway Tl (Fl) to Felixstowe North F.L.T. on 17/11/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

When the bridge at Stonea was hit and the beam snapped in October 2019 it was nearly 18 months before it was fully repaired and the road opened. The railway opened pretty quickly with a speed restriction and the bridge supported by a whole load of adjustable supports*.

Will be interesting to see what happens at Ketton/Luffenham but colleagues have suggested there is more damage. Time will tell, you know what the railway rumour mill is like!!!

* I'm sure they have a proper name but it escape me at the moment.

 

[Sonik]

To be fair given it's a critical freight route (I don't think big boxes can go via Bottesford, only the smaller ones) so a huge diversion I assume it'll be just about priority one to fix even if they have to rip the whole bridge out and start again!

Loads of paths in the system but it doesn't look like much freight actually runs this way?

 

[TheBigD]

Loads of paths in the system but it doesn't look like much freight actually runs this way?

I can't recall liners going that way in recent times. When Leicester-Peterbough is shut for overnight maintenance 1 week in 8, the stone traffic from Mountsorrel and elsewhere goes that way but the liners go via London.

 

[Bald Rick]

Loads of paths in the system but it doesn't look like much freight actually runs this way?

Lots does.

 

[Sonik]

I can't recall liners going that way in recent times. When Leicester-Peterbough is shut for overnight maintenance 1 week in 8, the stone traffic from Mountsorrel and elsewhere goes that way but the liners go via London.

That's the impression I get, boxes all day long in my neck of the woods.

There are a handful that go via Luffenham, mostly to/from Hams Hall it seems. But most of the other paths don't actualy get used.

 

[ExRes]

Have to say that my opinion would be to support the bridge from underneath so that the line can be reopened as soon as possible, obviously block the road in order to do it and let drivers find an alternative, I'm sure Rutland CC and the lorries owners, if indeed a 3rd party, would be happy to explain the diversionary routes and arrange funding for the repairs

 

[swt_passenger]

Have to say that my opinion would be to support the bridge from underneath so that the line can be reopened as soon as possible, obviously block the road in order to do it and let drivers find an alternative, I'm sure Rutland CC and the lorries owners, if indeed a 3rd party, would be happy to explain the diversionary routes and arrange funding for the repairs

I think the right side main girder of the right hand bridge span looks twisted away from the vertical, I doubt it will just be a case of supporting it.

 

[TheBigD]

Have to say that my opinion would be to support the bridge from underneath so that the line can be reopened as soon as possible, obviously block the road in order to do it and let drivers find an alternative, I'm sure Rutland CC and the lorries owners, if indeed a 3rd party, would be happy to explain the diversionary routes and arrange funding for the repairs

The diversion route for road traffic isn't that much further, couple of miles at most. It's already sign posted as the alternative route for high vehicles.

 

[a good off]

The WCML will be busier with diversions. It was only about three weeks ago when Channelsea Jn was blocked that we managed to divert stuff this way including 4 dead class 90s being dragged inside a liner.

 

[66701GBRF]

Loads of paths in the system but it doesn't look like much freight actually runs this way?

All of our Birch Coppice and Hams Hall intermodal services run that way as does the return portion of Trafford Park service (except when all services are diverted via London during engineering work 2 out of 8 weeks). There is lots of aggregates that run that way too.

This week has been “London week” where services are diverted via WCML/ECML/GEML due to engineering work between Peterborough and Stowmarket which is probably why it doesn’t look like much stuff runs that way.

 

[Ken H]

I am afraid more bridges need 'Goalposts' each side. The government shoukd fund this, not the railway. Maybe a special levy on HGVs could provide funding.