Peterborough to Leicester Line Bridge Bash.

[dannyman30]

The driver was first taken to hospital, so may not yet have spoken to the police. https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/lorry-driver-injured-hospital-after-7788257

A previous driver was given a fixed penalty for careless driving in Scotland (not sure if the traffic laws vary slightly) https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/in-your-area/lorry-driver-hit-penalty-after-27491595

I guess the police will speak to the driver and then decide whether to issue a Fixed Penalty or take the driver to court for something like driving without due care and attention. The driver will also presumably have a somewhat awkward conversation with their employer.

Well I'm just concerned and confused at the same time tbh. I work for biffa and I know who the driver is that caused it. But I didn't find out until Monday as I thought it was slightly a bit strange why my colleague didn't turn up that morning then I eventually found out from another colleague who told me what happened. The driver in question is a very smart bloke and weren't stupid. So I'm just shocked completely.

 

[zwk500]

Well I'm just concerned and confused at the same time tbh. I work for biffa and I know who the driver is that caused it. But I didn't find out until Monday as I thought it was slightly a bit strange why my colleague didn't turn up that morning then I eventually found out from another colleague who told me what happened. The driver in question is a very smart bloke and weren't stupid. So I'm just shocked completely.

Do you know if he is OK now?

On a separate note, do your lorries have height-specific navigation aids?

 

[dannyman30]

Haven't been told nothing about he's condition all I heard was he had an operation on he's spine. On your separate note I literally have no clue. I only drive the vans

 

[zwk500]

Haven't been told nothing about he's condition all I heard was he had an operation on he's spine.

Blimey. I hope he recovers quickly.

On your separate note I literally have no clue. I only drive the vans

Ok, cheers.

 

[dannyman30]

I'm hoping the same

 

[12LDA28C]

What are the possible penalties for driving an "out of gauge" lorry into a bridge and how do they compare with those for doing it with an out of gauge train?

An out of gauge train? I don't think you'll find too many examples of a train hitting a low bridge.

But when they do, this is the result...

 

[zwk500]

An out of gauge train? I don't think you'll find too many examples of a train hitting a low bridge.

More than a few examples out there of Containers getting into arguments with bridges due to improper loading or routing.

 

[12LDA28C]

More than a few examples out there of Containers getting into arguments with bridges due to improper loading or routing.

Compared to the number of lorries (and indeed buses) hitting low bridges, a tiny fraction I would say.

 

[D6130]

An out of gauge train? I don't think you'll find too many examples of a train hitting a low bridge.

But when they do, this is the result...

Oh dear! Did somebody drive that 08 up the Burry Port & Gwendraeth Valley line?

 

[12LDA28C]

Oh dear! Did somebody drive that 08 up the Burry Port & Gwendraeth Valley line?

Yes indeed, exactly that.

 

[66701GBRF]

More than a few examples out there of Containers getting into arguments with bridges due to improper loading or routing.

Indeed, once such incident fairly recently too.

 

[dannyman30]

Apparently what someone told me that this bin was compacted green waste.

 

[sharpley]

A number of container trains are to run on the wrong line over the bridge on the next few Saturdays as the London diversionary route won't be available. NR advising that level crossing barriers in the area will be down for much longer. Story from LeicestershireLive...

Delays warning for drivers as Fosters Bridge repairs continue

Rutland County Council lorry collided with Fosters Bridge last weekend

www.leicestermercury.co.uk

Coming into effect this Saturday (November 12), motorists in Oakham and the surrounding area are being warned of delays due to Network Rail using the town’s level crossings. Rail bosses are calling on drivers to avoid them if at all possible.

The reason for this is due to vital freight services having to travel in the “wrong direction” through Oakham and then over Fosters Bridge itself. Throughout the day, the bridge is only operating one way.


A similar warning is in place for the following Saturday (November 19) as the continued problems with the bridge are affecting an important freight route for the UK. Fosters Bridge takes on some freight traffic which carries containers between the port at Felixstowe and the Midlands, with most services at present being diverted through London.

However, essential engineering work on the Crossrail route makes the London diversion unavailable on both Saturdays. Network Rail say that over the two weekends seven freight trains will be safely managed the “wrong way” along the line over the bridge.

 

[Mordac]

The driver was first taken to hospital, so may not yet have spoken to the police. https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/lorry-driver-injured-hospital-after-7788257

A previous driver was given a fixed penalty for careless driving in Scotland (not sure if the traffic laws vary slightly) https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/in-your-area/lorry-driver-hit-penalty-after-27491595

I guess the police will speak to the driver and then decide whether to issue a Fixed Penalty or take the driver to court for something like driving without due care and attention. The driver will also presumably have a somewhat awkward conversation with their employer.

Traffic laws are devolved to Northern Ireland, but not Scotland or Wales. I believe Scotland got special dispensation to change drink driving limits, but otherwise everything else is the same across GB.

 

[TheBigD]

SLW section will have to be Ketton to Langham.
Westbound services (down line) will have to stop at Ketton, reverse back over the crossover on to the up line, then run wrong road all the way through to Langham, where the crossover will be facing the movement, before crossing back over to the down line.
I can see why they have only diagrammed 7 trains according to the article!

If they don't want to reverse at Ketton it will mean using the facing crossover at Helpston having the SLW section Helpston to Langham which will require more staff (crossing attendents for the AHBCs at Bainton and Bainton Green). I suspect this will be unlikely.

 

[PG]

As beams go, they are fairly straightforward. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone found them in a civil engineering contractors’ equivalent of ‘down the back of the sofa’ (in the compound).

Perhaps Network Rail still had a few of the original 'bomb-proof' GWEP electrification masts lying around...

 

[38Cto15E]

According to Realtimetrains, there were some Intermodals today from the Birmingham area to Felixstowe, they didn't appear to lose any time between Langham and Ketton.

 

[High Dyke]

According to Realtimetrains, there were some Intermodals today from the Birmingham area to Felixstowe, they didn't appear to lose any time between Langham and Ketton.

Normal working, on the Up line (towards Peterborough) albeit with a possible speed restriction at the site.

 

[66701GBRF]

According to Realtimetrains, there were some Intermodals today from the Birmingham area to Felixstowe, they didn't appear to lose any time between Langham and Ketton.

UP line is open without any speed restrictions.

 

[Ploughman]

As beams go, they are fairly straightforward. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone found them in a civil engineering contractors’ equivalent of ‘down the back of the sofa’ (in the compound).

Maybe a bridge job got cancelled due to mismeasurement of the gap.
As happened near Pontefract racecourse in about 2006 when, with the new bridge on site and the transporters in place, someone checked the gap and found it to be about a foot too wide. Job cancelled.
What to do with the bridge then?
Keep it in a yard just in case?

 

[Snow1964]

Not sure if there is a general thread on bridge bash, but one happened at Salisbury today, and took side off top deck.

More worrying is photo of queue and what appears to be a missing height sign on the bridge

Bus rips its side off in Salisbury crash

A bus has crashed in Salisbury.

www.salisburyjournal.co.uk

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Getting to the stage where we almost need a "sticky" or pinned thread on all incidents of this nature. They seem to be more frequent.

 

[zwk500]

Getting to the stage where we almost need a "sticky" or pinned thread on all incidents of this nature. They seem to be more frequent.

You almost need a separate board, let alone thread. Worrying to me is that both the Bash the thread was originally started for and the bus bash mentioned above seem to have hit the bridges with a good deal of force. The bus is probably showing worse for less force than the skip, but even so I don't like to think of the forces involved.

 

[philthetube]

There is virtually no strength in the top deck of a bus, they are not expected to roll onto their roofs so no need.

From the pics the back end of the bus survived so presumably the bus stopped within its own length

 

[Cowley]

Thread reopened for @zwk500 to provide an update.

 

[zwk500]

Much obliged @Cowley

NR have put out a tweet regarding repairs of the bridge: https://twitter.com/NetworkRailEM/status/1593233258544001025

What a difference a week makes! the new replacement deck for Fosters bridge at Ketton which was hit by a lorry is ready to be installed It'll be craned in this Saturday night and the railway should be fully open from Wednesday (23rd) - weather permitting!

 

[snowball]

Also a press release yesterday

Line to reopen after Rutland bridge strike

Passenger services between Leicester and Peterborough will resume on Wednesday 23 November, after a bridge strike in Ketton, Rutland caused extensive damage, leading to the closure of the line.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

Passenger services between Leicester and Peterborough will resume on Wednesday 23 November, after a bridge strike in Ketton, Rutland caused extensive damage, leading to the closure of the line.

Engineers have been working to carry out the immediate repairs and have made good progress, after a lorry struck Foster’s Bridge on Saturday 5 November. The line will reopen in both directions on Wednesday 23 November.

In the meantime, passengers are urged to check their journey before travelling as buses replace all trains between Leicester and Peterborough (via Melton Mowbray) until Wednesday 23 November.

Services between Birmingham and Leicester are running as normal and an hourly service between Peterborough and Cambridge has continued throughout the work, with some services running through to Stansted Airport.

Drivers in Oakham are also being urged to expect delays at the town’s level crossings – and avoid them wherever they can – on Saturday 19 November.

As engineers continue to make repairs, essential freight services need to travel in the ‘wrong direction’ through the town and over Foster’s Bridge, which is only operating one-way following the incident.

The line is one of only two routes for freight traffic between the Midlands and the port of Felixstowe – the other one is via London. Essential planned engineering work on the Crossrail route on this day means that freight traffic will need to travel via Oakham. The level crossing barriers in the town will be down for much longer than usual, and people should choose an alternative route wherever possible.

The A6121 Stamford Road, which runs underneath Foster’s Bridge, won’t fully reopen until the vehicle collision beam is reinstated. Weather permitting, this will happen on Saturday 19 November which will allow the road to reopen by 18:00 on Friday 25 November.

Gary Walsh, East Midlands Route Director for Network Rail, said: “This has been a massive piece of work for our teams and I am pleased that the line between Leicester and Peterborough will fully reopen next Wednesday. The damage to the bridge at Ketton was substantial and we are very sorry for the impact this has caused.

“Our teams have worked hard to carry out these repairs as quickly as possible and I’d like to thank passengers and the local community for their patience. In the meantime, passengers should continue to check before they travel and drivers in the Oakham area should avoid the level crossings in the town wherever possible on Saturday.”

John Robson, Regional Director East Midlands and East Anglia for CrossCountry, said: "We are looking forward to being able to run our services as normal again and are delighted with how efficient Network Rail have been to be able to reinstate services following the substantial impact the damage to the bridge has caused. We would like to echo Network Rail thanks to the local community and our customers for their patience."

 

[swt_passenger]

On the second NR photo, ie the finished grey painted deck, (link in previous post), is that the type of bridge where they will fit longitudinal timbers in the “slots” to carry the rail chairs?

Are they what are known as “way-beams” or something?

But can anyone please explain why this design of bridge is better suited to that location than a conventional trough carrying ballast? Is it about the overall depth of the bridge?

 

[zwk500]

On the second NR photo, ie the finished grey painted deck, (link in previous post), is that the type of bridge where they will fit longitudinal timbers in the “slots” to carry the rail chairs?

In essence yes, although the 'chairs' may well be pandrol clip bases but that's a technicality

Are they what are known as “way-beams” or something?

No idea sorry

But can anyone please explain why this design of bridge is better suited to that location than a conventional trough carrying ballast? Is it about the overall depth of the bridge?

Because it's a like-for-like replacement of the previous bridge deck, as that's what the abutments are designed to hold. If they were doing a full bridge replacement including clearance works then a concrete trough might be used, but that would required a lot more design and preparatory work.

 

[Bald Rick]

Are they what are known as “way-beams” or something?

Effectively yes. Aka Long timbers.