Bridge Collapse at Barrow on Soar 2nd Aug 2016

[Trog]

The alternative would be insurance, but for a Victorian infrastructure outfit like NR, the premiums would be horrendous.

Insurance is a law of averages game plus a profit margin for the insurance company. If you have a large enough group of assets there is no point having insurance as it is cheaper to just do repairs as they happen. Insurance is good to average the cost out for things where you have a lot or all your eggs in one basket, so you go years with nothing happening then you lose everything in one go.

 

[philthetube]

Not if someone other than water authority contractors did the damage surely?

If the law works the way I would expect it to, (I am not an expert), and if a leaking water pipe was the problem I would expect the water authority to be liable to netork rail and whoever damaged the pipe to be liable to the water board, and hard luck the water people if they cannot find them.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

If the law works the way I would expect it to, (I am not an expert), and if a leaking water pipe was the problem I would expect the water authority to be liable to netork rail and whoever damaged the pipe to be liable to the water board, and hard luck the water people if they cannot find them.

Ok that makes sense

 

[70014IronDuke]

I see that EMT has got all services, including Ivanhoe line trains stopping at Barrow-upon-Soar, back up and running. Congratulations to all involved.

 

[edwin_m]

If the law works the way I would expect it to, (I am not an expert), and if a leaking water pipe was the problem I would expect the water authority to be liable to netork rail and whoever damaged the pipe to be liable to the water board, and hard luck the water people if they cannot find them.

There seems to be a suspicion that it might have been the Network Rail people who damaged the pipe when starting their "investigations" shortly before the collapse, in which case the resulting leak was probably the cause of the collapse. If true this might still mean there was an earlier leak that weakened the structure, though the water would presumably then be coming out somewhere that someone would notice. Given the current state of the evidence, any of this could be quite hard to prove!

The above liability issue may be why Network Rail appears to be saying little about the sequence of events. Do we even know if the line was under possession? The fact the work was being done at night time suggests it probably was, which would explain NR's statement that it wasn't possible for a train to hit the wreckage, but it would be good to know for certain.

 

[Philip Phlopp]

There seems to be a suspicion that it might have been the Network Rail people who damaged the pipe when starting their "investigations" shortly before the collapse, in which case the resulting leak was probably the cause of the collapse. If true this might still mean there was an earlier leak that weakened the structure, though the water would presumably then be coming out somewhere that someone would notice. Given the current state of the evidence, any of this could be quite hard to prove!

The above liability issue may be why Network Rail appears to be saying little about the sequence of events. Do we even know if the line was under possession? The fact the work was being done at night time suggests it probably was, which would explain NR's statement that it wasn't possible for a train to hit the wreckage, but it would be good to know for certain.

I did hear that a possession was taken 2 hours before the collapse, but that could equally be confusion about when the last train service to pass under the bridge was.

 

[Robertj21a]

I did hear that a possession was taken 2 hours before the collapse, but that could equally be confusion about when the last train service to pass under the bridge was.

But I take it that there's no dispute that Network Rail staff/contractors were already in attendance prior to the parapet collapse ?

 

[Philip Phlopp]

But I take it that there's no dispute that Network Rail staff/contractors were already in attendance prior to the parapet collapse ?

I don't think anybody is disputing that.

The sequence of events, as far as I am aware, is that contractors arrive, begin work, parapet collapses. I don't know whether the parapet collapsed directly as a result of contractor activity (which is I guess where you're leading - either the contractors drill through a pipe hypothesis or by being knocked by their vehicle etc) or if it was an indirect result (vibration from tools causing existing weakness to fail, tools placed against the wall).

I also don't know whether all the work being undertaken on the bridge actually required a possession to effect, if there was a possession taken, it's entirely possible some work was to be carried out before and after the possession, as is frequently the case with work packages.

 

[najaB]

I don't think anybody is disputing that.

The sequence of events, as far as I am aware, is that contractors arrive, begin work, parapet collapses. I don't know whether the parapet collapsed directly as a result of contractor activity (which is I guess where you're leading - either the contractors drill through a pipe hypothesis or by being knocked by their vehicle etc) or if it was an indirect result (vibration from tools causing existing weakness to fail, tools placed against the wall).

Indeed, it's very easy to fall into the post hoc ergo propter hoc way of thinking.

 

[Robertj21a]

I don't think anybody is disputing that.

The sequence of events, as far as I am aware, is that contractors arrive, begin work, parapet collapses. I don't know whether the parapet collapsed directly as a result of contractor activity (which is I guess where you're leading - either the contractors drill through a pipe hypothesis or by being knocked by their vehicle etc) or if it was an indirect result (vibration from tools causing existing weakness to fail, tools placed against the wall).

I also don't know whether all the work being undertaken on the bridge actually required a possession to effect, if there was a possession taken, it's entirely possible some work was to be carried out before and after the possession, as is frequently the case with work packages.

Thank you, very helpful. I certainly appreciate that we need to await the formal findings. My query wasn't intended to be 'leading' anywhere at all, other than to check what were facts rather than gossip.

A much earlier comment from me suggested that the collapse had been 'unexpected' and I only made that assumption because local houses are very close by - no doubt the residents would have been notified if the collapse was 'expected'.

 

[edwin_m]

A much earlier comment from me suggested that the collapse had been 'unexpected' and I only made that assumption because local houses are very close by - no doubt the residents would have been notified if the collapse was 'expected'.

If collapse was "expected" then both railway and road would have been closed due to the obvious safety risk, until some emergency strengthening could be done to remove that risk.

 

[Robertj21a]

There's a bit of an update in the local paper:-

http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/m...dge-collapse/story-29600611-detail/story.html

More train disruptions to come after Barrow upon Soar bridge collapse


Late evening train services between Leicester and Nottingham will be disrupted for the rest of the week due to ongoing work following the bridge collapse at Barrow upon Soar.

East Midlands Trains will be cancelling the 8.36pm service from Nottingham to Leicester on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with the next service running at 9.35pm each day.

The 9.26pm from Leicester to Nottingham will also be cancelled on the same three days but this service will be replaced by a bus calling at Syston, Sileby, Barrow upon Soar, Loughborough, East Midlands Parkway, Beeston and Nottingham.

In addition, the 8.49pm Sheffield to London St Pancras International will not be calling at Loughborough each of the three days. Passengers will be able to change at East Midlands Parkway where a train will depart at 9.40pm for Loughborough.

The company said in a statement to passengers: "We are really sorry for the inconvenience caused to your journey."

Normal train services had resumed on Thursday last week following the bridge collapse two days earlier.


The collapse happened as engineers from Network Rail were on site to inspect the bridge, which had been flagged up as dangerous months earlier.

Read more: Leicestershire rail bridge collapse: Barrow residents 'worried about state of bridge for years'


Rubble fell onto the tracks about 40 minutes after a train had passed along them.

It later emerged that Leicestershire County Council had told Network Rail in May that it had concerns about the structure.

A spokesperson for Network Rail said: "Repairs continue to the bridge at Barrow upon Soar while the long term plan is considered.

"While intermediate repairs take place there may be alterations to a small number services which run at the end of the day, and we are working alongside East Midlands Trains to communicate this information to passengers.

"Network Rail wrote to residents in the area last week to inform them of our short term plans to fix the bridge and will be doing so again this week, with plans also in place to hold a drop-in session in the coming weeks to discuss the repairs with residents.

"As soon as we have more information we will share it, and we apologise again for those who have, or who continue to be, inconvenienced by this bridge closure."

 

[Flying Phil]

Thanks for the update Robert.

 

[snowball]

Press release

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/barrow-upon-soar-bridge-reopens-to-pedestrians

A bridge over the Midland Lane Line in Leicestershire which partially collapsed earlier this month has reopened to pedestrians.

Work has been taking place round the clock at Grove Lane, which crosses four tracks in Barrow upon Soar, since August 1 when the incident happened to secure the bridge and create a safe walking route.

That phase of work is now complete and the footpath, which is protected by a 2.4metre high fence, opened this morning (Monday 22 August).

Gary Walsh, area director for Network Rail, said: “This was a significant incident and a lot of work has gone into securing the bridge and getting it ready to be used. I’m pleased that pedestrians can now access the bridge again and thank those living nearby for bearing with us while the work has taken place.

“We have been in regular contact with those living near the bridge and will continue to let them know about the future plans.”

Plans for the long term repairs to the bridge that would reopen the road to vehicles are currently being designed, with further information to follow as soon as plans are finalised. Trains running beneath the bridge are now back to normal speed.

Members of the public with an enquiry about the bridge repairs should contact Network Rail’s national helpline on 03457 11 41 41.

 

[Robertj21a]

Here is the initial RAIB report. I'm surprised to see that the rail tracks were still open to traffic at the time.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/partial-bridge-collapse-barrow-on-soar

News story
Partial bridge collapse, Barrow on Soar

From:Rail Accident Investigation Branch First published:18 August 2016

Investigation into the partial collapse of a bridge over open lines, Barrow on Soar, Leicestershire, 1 August 2016.

Image showing partial bridge collapse at Barrow upon Soar
Image showing partial bridge collapse at Barrow upon Soar

At around 23:50 hrs on 1 August 2016, part of a bridge wall and footpath at Grove Lane, Barrow on Soar, collapsed and a large volume of masonry fell onto the Midland Main Line below. At the time of the collapse, drilling work was being undertaken to investigate a depression in the footpath on the south side of the bridge. The bridge was closed to the public when the collapse occurred, but the railway lines below were open to traffic. There were a number of pre-existing defects in the bridge structure which Network Rail had been monitoring for some years.

Shortly after drilling commenced to take soil samples for analysis, cracks appeared in the footpath, and then the adjacent wall, footpath and the drilling rig fell onto the railway. Workers engaged in the drilling work were able to get clear and no-one was injured.

There were no trains in the immediate vicinity at the time. However, an empty train passed less than five minutes earlier and a London to Nottingham passenger service passed less than 10 minutes earlier. Rail services through the bridge were suspended until Wednesday 3 August to allow the bridge to be made safe.

Our investigation will examine the sequence of events leading up to partial collapse of the bridge, the construction and maintenance of the bridge, its recent history, arrangements for protection of the railway during the works and any relevant management issues.

Our investigation is independent of any investigation by the railway industry or by the industry’s regulator, the Office of Rail and Road.

We will publish our findings, including any recommendations to improve safety, at the conclusion of our investigation. This report will be available on our website.


18 August 2016
From:
Rail Accident Investigation Branch

 

[Flying Phil]

"Shortly after drilling commenced to take soil samples for analysis, cracks appeared in the footpath, and then the adjacent wall, footpath and the drilling rig fell onto the railway. Workers engaged in the drilling work were able to get clear and no-one was injured."

That must have been scary for those workers!!

 

[najaB]

That must have been scary for those workers!!

I can't think which would be the bigger brown pants inducing moment of the entire thing - the narrow escape with their lives, or knowing that it had all just fallen onto the live railway!

 

[YorkshireBear]

I can't think which would be the bigger brown pants inducing moment of the entire thing - the narrow escape with their lives, or knowing that it had all just fallen onto the live railway!

Railway had a possession on it at the time I believe.

 

[ac6000cw]

Railway had a possession on it at the time I believe.

Read post #135 carefully - the lines were open to traffic according to the RAIB

 

[Robertj21a]

Railway had a possession on it at the time I believe.

Seems not, according to the report. I'm sure this RAIB version conflicts with earlier assurances that no trains could have been affected.

 

[Trog]

Seems not, according to the report. I'm sure this RAIB version conflicts with earlier assurances that no trains could have been affected.

Possibly the last train had passed the site, but a possession had not yet been taken, or was still in the process of being taken.

 

[edwin_m]

Possibly the last train had passed the site, but a possession had not yet been taken, or was still in the process of being taken.

Would a possession even have been intended? I would imagine if they were only doing exploratory digging, with no perceived risk to the railway, then probably not. The need to close the road (to protect the workforce from traffic, as it is very narrow) would be enough to explain why it was being done late at night.

 

[snowball]

NR press release:

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/barrow-upon-soar-bridge-to-reopen-in-early-2017

Network Rail has confirmed that a bridge which partially collapsed over the Midland Main Line in Leicestershire will reopen early next year.

Grove Lane bridge, which crosses four rail lines in Barrow upon Soar, suffered damage on 1 August.

Although the railway reopened to passenger trains the following day, and the bridge reopened to pedestrians three weeks later, the long-term repairs to reopen the bridge to motorists have been carefully considered to minimise the disruption to both rail passengers and nearby residents.

Now Network Rail can confirm plans have been drawn up to not only repair the bridge but also raise the parapets slightly to make it safe to carry the electrical wires that will form part of the Midland Main Line route upgrade, with the bridge to reopen fully in January 2017. The parapet adjustments will mean no further disruption will be necessary in years to come.

Plans to raise the parapets are currently being discussed with Leicestershire County Council.

Gary Walsh, area director for Network Rail said: “The plans we have put forward for Grove Lane not only make it safe for vehicles but also future-proof the bridge for electrification which is part of our Railway Upgrade Plan for Leicestershire. Doing this work now means we won’t need to come back in the future and create further disruption. We’ll continue to speak regularly and openly with residents about any noise and night time work that is likely, as well as to passengers about any changes to train times.”

A public drop-in event will take place at the Scout Hut on Thursday, 22 September between 3.30pm and 6.30pm, when members of Network Rail project team will be on hand to discuss the plans with residents.

 

[Flying Phil]

So it does look as if the work will take place during the Christmas shutdown for line possession - and, further along that section, the GCR bridge is supposed to be installed at the same time - but I believe that is a bit behind schedule? Has work started on the abutments yet?

 

[Robertj21a]

There's a bit more in the local paper

http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/a...line-planned/story-29742656-detail/story.html

 

[Hairy Bear]

So it does look as if the work will take place during the Christmas shutdown for line possession - and, further along that section, the GCR bridge is supposed to be installed at the same time - but I believe that is a bit behind schedule? Has work started on the abutments yet?

No visible progress on site since the original clearing of site for the first sod ,...etc.... etc.

 

[Flying Phil]

Does anybody know if this rebuilding is still on schedule?
Also there has been no more work yet on the GCR MML bridge (Lots of paperwork done though according to the Main Line magazine).

 

[Bletchleyite]

I can't think which would be the bigger brown pants inducing moment of the entire thing - the narrow escape with their lives, or knowing that it had all just fallen onto the live railway!

Not half as much as the "Tesco Value Tunnel" at Gerrards Cross!

 

[Flying Phil]

So, are there no information updates on this work?

 

[Hairy Bear]

Barrow Bridge
Scaffolding now erected on the outside of the collapsed bit,, so rebuilding should start very shortly.

GCR Loughborough
No visible progress since sod cutting ceremony.
I think there waiting until Christmas day morning to see if Santa's brought them a bridge in his sack !!.