Report of Partial Bridge Collapse WCML 11/6

[Tobytrain10]

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

I just saw a lawley street freight has gone via coventry arena 4M93

 

[800001]

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

Feel for TOC controllers and NR controllers, never rains but it pours.
Earning there money today.

 

[Merle Haggard]

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

OTT Maps shows 1H53 standing on the Down at Blisworth, and 6 Class 1 and class 9 trains on the Up between Long Buckby and Northampton, mostly standing at reds.

 

[blimmo]

A protection beam on free-standing supports in advance of a bridge can be considered as an obstruction to the highway contrary to Section 178 of the Highways Act 1980... [If a lorry hit the protection beam, I suppose the drivers insurers could then claim that Network Rail are then liable for the damage to the lorry!]

This is idiotic. If a vehicle hits a beam at the height of the following bridge they were going to hit the bridge, NR will have done them a favour by reducing the damage they cause.

Imo free-standing advance beams are the most effective way to prevent strikes. These drivers are thinking they can get away with it and the only way they're going to stop is if they hit something. They don't know the height of their vehicle so additional signs or penalties are not going to help.

 

[Omnishambles]

Avanti have the 805s now.

Contingency plans only ever in the main covered the thinning of services to enable a robust complete service to run via the West Mids, never any diversions via Nun/Cov for Avanti (or previous) due to crew route knowledge.
Regardless it will be chaos for as long as it takes as services will be thinned yet not retimed which will knock on to later services, crews will have to part diagrams cancelled and not be able to get to their next starting location.
Case in point the recent Bourne End dewirement, following morning right time from Lichfield, 45” late Euston and that is just with a slow line diversion

 

[londonmidland]

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

Ah yes, of course. So usual route from northern based terminals down to Nuneaton. Would they then divert onto the Coventry line, before re-joining at Rugby, or would they turn off towards Leicester and Peterbrough, and go to eastern ports that way?

 

[Starmill]

Avanti have the 805s now.

Have Avanti or their predecessors ever used Bedworth for diversions? I don't think they have? So the trains haven't been cleared and they don't have any crew.

They did go via Nuneaton Abbey Jn with Voyagers right until the end, although that'd be no particular help here.

 

[800001]

Yes it's obvious, but bad information can be worse than no information.

Proof reading before posting is key.

Yes I agree, but cut them some slack, the person typing that will also have 20000 other jobs to deal with.

Yes mistakes shouldn't happen, but everyone makes mistakes.

 

[AlterEgo]

This is idiotic. If a vehicle hits a beam at the height of the following bridge they were going to hit the bridge, NR will have done them a favour by reducing the damage they cause.

Imo free-standing advance beams are the most effective way to prevent strikes. These drivers are thinking they can get away with it and the only way they're going to stop is if they hit something. They don't know the height of their vehicle so additional signs or penalties are not going to help.

Totally agree. A girder about 50 yards from the bridge stops it getting hit.

 

[rmHawk765]

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

Thanks for this. We will of course have to wait until the bridge is inspected, as you say there is the chance that bridge as a whole has been weakened.

 

[D1537]

Google is on the nail with its images if you type in "Budget Skips Exhall".

 

[Omnishambles]

Does anyone know what line that deck was holding ?
Down TV Slow worst impacted could see bi-di working with the Down TV Fast also remaining blocked from tomorrow dependent on the overall structure state.

 

[QueensCurve]

CD366 sets out the requirements for collision protection beams, for anyone who enjoys technical reading.

A protection beam on free-standing supports in advance of a bridge can be considered as an obstruction to the highway contrary to Section 178 of the Highways Act 1980... [If a lorry hit the protection beam, I suppose the drivers insurers could then claim that Network Rail are then liable for the damage to the lorry!]

Surely it is possible to legislate to change that?

A protection beam fitted to the existing structure is acceptable, but it's difficult to do that in a way that provides meaningful protection to the bridge.

Most bridge strikes don't require repairs, but if you report that a bridge has been struck, then trains will be stopped or cautioned (depending on the bridge) until someone examines it. It's probably this disruption that drives most of the cost. Even if you go ahead and provide a protection beam, it's still likely that trains would be disrupted until safety checks were completed, so the costs do not go away... although you might be able to change the bridge from 'stop all trains until inspected by an engineer' to 'first train driver inspects track at caution and then further trains are speed limited until an engineer can visit'

I would envisage a structure separate from the bridge so that when it it would not require stopping or cautioning trains.

 

[56xx]

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.

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.

I think you've got it spot on. If the beam was pushed off that easily it may even be possible to lift it back up and be reset on the abutments allowing the line to re-open with a severe speed restriction.

 

[The Planner]

Ah yes, of course. So usual route from northern based terminals down to Nuneaton. Would they then divert onto the Coventry line, before re-joining at Rugby, or would they turn off towards Leicester and Peterbrough, and go to eastern ports that way?

Could be either to be fair. London Gateway is likely to be via Cov.

 

[Russel]

I think you've got it spot on. If the beam was pushed off that easily it may even be possible to lift it back up and be reset on the abutments allowing the line to re-open with a severe speed restriction.

Can't imagine a piece of 1960s concrete that has been hit and fell nearly 4 meters onto the ground will be reused!

 

[56xx]

Can't imagine a piece of 1960s concrete that has been hit and fell nearly 4 meters onto the ground will be reused!

Obviously not permanently but it seems from the images that it is a pretty chunky beam and would survive a fall.

 

[Freightmaster]

Seems odd to me given how risk averse the railway has become over the last few years.

Its money.

There has been vast amounts of money spent over the past 15 years or so on installing miles and miles
of palisade fencing along the entire WCML, even in remote areas, to try and reduce delays and disruption
caused by trespass, so it seems strange that measures to protect a handful of low bridges from being
damaged like this cannot be justified on cost grounds...

 

[Bald Rick]

There has been vast amounts of money spent over the past 15 years or so on installing miles and miles
of palisade fencing along the entire WCML, even in remote areas, to try and reduce delays and disruption
caused by trespass, so it seems strange that measures to protect a handful of low bridges from being
damaged like this cannot be justified on cost grounds...

As others have said, it’s not cost per se. There are significant legal issues.

 

[yorkie]

This thread is to discuss the infrastructure matter and impact on the railway etc.

For travel advice, ticket acceptance, alternative routeing etc, please use the following thread:

Bridge collapse disruption: travel information due to bridge strike near Nuneaton

Moderator note: split from https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/report-of-partial-bridge-collapse-wcml-11-6.303259/page-2#post-7819755 Anyone wanting to get to Holyhead has no hope. All trains cancelled and starting from Nuneaton or Crewe. Avanti haven’t listed any ticket acceptance in their...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[DazT]

Have Avanti or their predecessors ever used Bedworth for diversions? I don't think they have? So the trains haven't been cleared and they don't have any crew.

They did go via Nuneaton Abbey Jn with Voyagers right until the end, although that'd be no particular help here.

A long time ago. InterCity yes on drags, loads. Virgin Trains, very infrequently and only with Voyagers. Last time I can say (having worked the box at Coundon Road), I've got a video of a Voyager passing the box in 2007 in Virgin livery. CrossCountry sometimes have an odd one go that way when Stafford - Wolves - Brum is knackered and just run Stafford straight to Coventry up the Trent.

I suspect the 805's (and even 807/390 being dragged) don't have the appropriate route clearance to even go that way over the branch, even though most of the bridges have been raised.

 

[dmncf]

Google is on the nail with its images if you type in "Budget Skips Exhall".

View attachment 205801

The photos are from reviews that people have posted - on the Google Maps profile, Reviews tab, sort by Newest.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

maps.app.goo.gl

(link is to the Google Maps profile of Budget Skips Services Ltd)

 

[Kite159]

I guess if it isn't fixed by the weekend the planned closure at Coventry will be postponed to allow some Avanti services to get diverted via the West Midlands, assuming all lines remain blocked.

(Similar to what happened when a landslip near a tunnel forced the closure of the Chiltern line when Network Rail were planning a weekend closure of the WCML at Watford Junction)

 

[NSEWonderer]

It looks to me like one concrete beam (of a total of about 15 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?

Hmm seems like a lot of work

 

[JKF]

Totally agree. A girder about 50 yards from the bridge stops it getting hit.

if you’re 50m from the bridge you might as well string a thin wire across (or a laser) and if it’s broken a standard traffic light in front of the bridge changes to red, with an accompanying illuminated sign saying vehicle overheight. Using a regular traffic light will be something a driver would react to almost automatically by habit.

 

[NSEWonderer]

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

Depends how urgent the work is, I'd be veey surprised they even postpone that especially if its been advertised to the general public for weeks and the necessary things put in place to facilitate it.

 

[JKF]

I would imagine they could get two of the three lines back up and running fairly quickly, with a speed limit. How disruptive would that be?

 

[edwin_m]

I would imagine they could get two of the three lines back up and running fairly quickly, with a speed limit. How disruptive would that be?

They also have the line via Coventry and the Stour Valley avoiding New Street, assuming the crews have route knowledge. So many more alternatives available than if it was (for example) south of Roade.

 

[NSEWonderer]

I would imagine they could get two of the three lines back up and running fairly quickly, with a speed limit. How disruptive would that be?

They'd have to structurally check it, be happy that it doesnt slide or become compromised any more than it currently is under dynamic load aka train movements up to X speed for the load of traffic it handles. Its definitely a waiting game.

 

[blimmo]

if you’re 50m from the bridge you might as well string a thin wire across (or a laser) and if it’s broken a standard traffic light in front of the bridge changes to red, with an accompanying illuminated sign saying vehicle overheight. Using a regular traffic light will be something a driver would react to almost automatically by habit.

I disagree. A sign is something a driver can easily ignore ("they're just being overcautious"). Hitting a bar is something that cannot be ignored. Unless they're running from the police or something they will stop.

Bars as overheight enforcement are common on car parks etc. Using them here shouldn't be controversial except that apparently there are some ridiculous legal issues.