Report of Partial Bridge Collapse WCML 11/6

[swt_passenger]

Won't the WCML need this route for the Sunday diversions? Wonder how substantial the damage to the bridge is!

It looks to me like one concrete beam (of a total of about 15 or 16 which I’ve only estimated from Streetview), and the non-load bearing parapet on that side, has been pushed off the abutments. As there’s only small amount of ballast on the ground all the tracks might still be in their correct position. I’m no civil engineer but I suspect it’s fixable with a replacement beam. Could they even fit a temporary steel replacement?

 

[Noseygit]

Won't the WCML need this route for the Sunday diversions? Wonder how substantial the damage to the bridge is!

I’m guessing that the Coventry engineering works will be postponed as I can’t see this operating by then

 

[Bayum]

If I understand correctly that the part of the bridge that was hit actually has a track over it, we're lucky there wasn't a train passing at the same time... though if it is a hit and run I guess this was planned.

Or in that section…

 

[ac6000cw]

Clearly not enough warning signs about the bridge being low....

Having had a wander along the road on Google Streetview (on both sides of the bridge) I couldn't find any advance 'low bridge' warning signs in the vicinity of it.

Does NR have the legal right to erect those sort of signs on the public highway?

 

[Starmill]

Having had a wander along the road on Google Streetview (on both sides of the bridge) I couldn't find any advance 'low bridge' warning signs in the vicinity of it.

Does NR have the legal right to erect those sort of signs on the public highway?

The local authority does. If necessary, there's a process by which Network Rail can apply for them.

 

[SCDR_WMR]

How many strikes has it had, and when? That would be my first thought for a gradual increase in damage.

Many strikes over the years. This was a skip lorry.

 

[swt_passenger]

Having had a wander along the road on Google Streetview (on both sides of the bridge) I couldn't find any advance 'low bridge' warning signs in the vicinity of it.

Does NR have the legal right to erect those sort of signs on the public highway?

You’ll find them if you go far enough, eg at the junction with the B4112, that’s half a mile away. They seem to be at the last road junctions that are ‘points of no return’ where a large vehicle wouldn’t be able to do anything to turn round. I believe this is often what gets done in rural areas.

 

[Tobytrain10]

If they dont get this fixed tonight (Which they probably wont), tommorow will be incredibly chaotic trying to fit all the freight and passengers onto a line that already had lots of freight and passengers.

 

[thenorthern]

I know most guards will not be signed for Coventry to Nuneaton but will this route be used for diversions?

Obviously, given it's a major route the repairs will be done much quicker than other disruption such as the Whitehaven tunnel or Settle and Carlisle landslip but I think the disruption will last several weeks.

 

[800001]

I know most guards will not be signed for Coventry to Nuneaton but will this route be used for diversions?

Obviously, given it's a major route the repairs will be done much quicker than other disruption such as the Whitehaven tunnel or Settle and Carlisle landslip but I think the disruption will last several weeks.

Maybe close the road and tempory structure supports put under the bridge while a complete repair is undertaken?

 

[Tobytrain10]

I know most guards will not be signed for Coventry to Nuneaton but will this route be used for diversions?

Obviously, given it's a major route the repairs will be done much quicker than other disruption such as the Whitehaven tunnel or Settle and Carlisle landslip but I think the disruption will last several weeks.

I would imagine freight may use this route?

 

[dk1]

If they dont get this fixed tonight (Which they probably wont), tommorow will be incredibly chaotic trying to fit all the freight and passengers onto a line that already had lots of freight and passengers.

At least a plan should be in place if it doesn’t reopen and a thinned out timetable that is more robust will be put into place. Freight operators will be looking into alternative routing.

 

[thenorthern]

Maybe close the road and tempory structure supports put under the bridge while a complete repair is undertaken?

I think a road closure is inevitable however there will be things like speed restrictions in place while the works happen.

I would imagine freight may use this route?

Depends, I would imagine a lot of it would use other routes if possible.

 

[The Planner]

Maybe an opportunity to improve the entire structure and lower the approach road? I have no idea of the lay of the land there, just thinking out loud.

Clearly not enough warning signs about the bridge being low....

None of that will happen, it will be a repair to get the railway running. No one has a design resource etc to change anything at a drop of a hat.

 

[Tobytrain10]

At least a plan should be in place if it doesn’t reopen and a thinned out timetable that is more robust will be put into place. Freight operators will be looking into alternative routing.

Yeah, i would imagine intermodals may do via peterborough

 

[dk1]

Yeah, i would imagine intermodals may do via peterborough

It would make sense. Freightliner are masters at rewriting things at short notice.

 

[The Planner]

If they dont get this fixed tonight (Which they probably wont), tommorow will be incredibly chaotic trying to fit all the freight and passengers onto a line that already had lots of freight and passengers.

There are agreed contingency plans as to what runs and what gets cancelled.

I know most guards will not be signed for Coventry to Nuneaton but will this route be used for diversions?

Obviously, given it's a major route the repairs will be done much quicker than other disruption such as the Whitehaven tunnel or Settle and Carlisle landslip but I think the disruption will last several weeks.

With what? Its not wired.

 

[edwin_m]

A couple more photos:

View attachment 205788View attachment 205789

Images show a collapsed bridge and the vehicle involved

With the truck facing away from the collapse and the gouge mark on the fallen beam in the original photo, I think it got part of the way under, realised they'd hit it, and tried to back out which pushed the beam off the abutments.

Maybe an opportunity to improve the entire structure and lower the approach road? I have no idea of the lay of the land there, just thinking out loud..

They will do the minimum necessary to get the railway operational again. Trying to lower the road would involve doing a design, identifying and relocating any utilities under it, probably installing drainage in the new dip, and would extend the closure from I guess a week or more into months.

 

[thenorthern]

There are agreed contingency plans as to what runs and what gets cancelled.

With what? Its not wired.

Avanti have the 805s now.

 

[The Planner]

Avanti have the 805s now.

Enough to cover the North Wales circuits, not to cover Liverpool, Manchester amd Glasgow.

 

[Pete_uk]

Wow, a lucky escape from the railway point of view.

That'll take some emergency repairs.

 

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

It seems it was a skip lorry of some sort and the culprit was caught on dash cam before fleeing the scene in the vehicle. Hope a decent prison sentence awaits them.

Hopefully also a thorough investigation and robust action for the company's O Licence and Traffic Manager by the Traffic Commisioner.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I just did a Real-time Trains for Nuneaton. The number of cancellations is insane

 

[londonmidland]

Yeah, i would imagine intermodals may do via peterborough

Would this be the same route as what they did a few months ago during the WCML engineering works blockade, so divert via Water Orton, Nuneaton, Leicester and Peterborough?

 

[800001]

I just did a Real-time Trains for Nuneaton. The number of cancellations is insane

To be expected when the line is closed on the wcml south of there!

 

[PartyOperator]

I'm on a train heading south - diverted via West Midlands, through Rugby and they just announced were going via Northampton because of the OHLE...

 

[ac6000cw]

If I understand correctly that the part of the bridge that was hit actually has a track over it, we're lucky there wasn't a train passing at the same time... though if it is a hit and run I guess this was planned.

If you count the concrete beams (on Streetview) there are 16 of them across the width of the bridge, which carries three tracks so an average of 5 beams per track. From the photo in the first post, it looks like it's probably only an outer beam that's been demolished - there's no track or sleeper ends visible hanging across the gap (just cables and a duct/pipe). There's still the potential issue of other beams being displaced or weakened, of course

 

[londonmidland]

It never rains but pours. OLE issues now reported in Kilsby Tunnel. Trains diverting via Northampton.

 

[james60059]

I would imagine freight may use this route?

Some freight has already gone via Coventry from Nuneaton and v-v.

 

[The Planner]

Would this be the same route as what they did a few months ago during the WCML engineering works blockade, so divert via Water Orton, Nuneaton, Leicester and Peterborough?

They won't need to via Water Orton, there is a link off the WCML at Nuneaton.