Keadby Bridge failed 5th August?

[Donny Dave]

I passed through Doncaster Station a short while ago, and I noted that all the TPE services were cancelled or 'await news'. As at 1415, the 1342 to Liverpool was delayed, the 1442 'await news', with the 1337 to Cleethorpes delayed, and the 1437 held at Sheffield, with 2 entries on the departure board, 1 saying cancelled, and the other saying await news.

I an aware there is a problem with the bridge, which affects the canal, but the railway was reported as being un affected.

Stainforth and Keadby canal closed for faulty bridge repairs

A fault was detected on the UK's only sliding swing railway bridge near Scunthorpe.

www.bbc.co.uk

A canal has had to temporarily close after a fault was detected on the UK's only sliding swing bridge.

Network Rail said a key component in the mechanism, which allows the unique railway bridge, near Keadby, in North Lincolnshire, to slide open, had failed.

Contractors were alerted on Friday and were "working as fast as they can on the urgent repair", a spokesperson said.

The company said train services between Doncaster and Scunthorpe were unaffected and it was hoped the bridge would reopen by "the end of next week".

The original Keadby sliding bridge dates to the 1860s and is the only one of its kind in the UK, according to Network Rail.

It was adapted into the current structure in 1925.

While the Stainforth and Keadby canal has been shut to boats, the bridge has been left in a position allowing train services to keep running.

Toby Patrick Bailey, programme director for Network Rail’s North and East route, apologised and said a new part was being "specially made" to replace the failed component.

“We’re sorry to canal users who are being impacted by the fault with the sliding railway bridge in Keadby.

"Our teams are working as fast as they can to repair the mechanism.

"We’re in contact with the Canal and River Trust and we’ll work together to keep people informed about when the waterway can reopen.”

Canal users have been advised to check for the latest information on the Canal and River Trust website, external.

The unique canal bridge connects trains between Doncaster, Scunthorpe and the Lincolnshire coast and is one of the busiest routes for freight trains in the country, Network Rail added.

 

[snowball]

This press release appeared on the Network Rail site on Friday:

Canal users informed of urgent Scunthorpe railway bridge repairs

Railway engineers are working to repair a unique sliding swing bridge which takes trains over a canal in Lincolnshire after a fault with its mechanism.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

Railway engineers are working to repair a unique sliding swing bridge which takes trains over a canal in Lincolnshire after a fault with its mechanism.

Sensors on the structure in Keadby alerted Network Rail teams to a problem yesterday (Thursday 1 August).

Train services between Doncaster and Scunthorpe are unaffected with the bridge left in position to allow trains to keep running.

However, that means the Stainforth and Keadby canal is now temporarily closed to boaters while specialist teams make urgent repairs.

Canal users are advised to check for the latest information by visiting the 'notices' section of the Canal and River Trust website.

Toby Patrick Bailey, programme director for Network Rail’s North and East route, said: “We’re sorry to canal users who are being impacted by the fault with the sliding railway bridge in Keadby. Our teams are working as fast as they can to repair the mechanism. We’re in contact with the Canal and River Trust and we’ll work together to keep people informed about when the waterway can reopen.”

The fault with the mechanism involves a key component which allows the bridge to slide across the canal.

That particular part needs replacing and a new one is now being specially made.

Teams are working as fast as they can on the repair, with the hope the bridge will be fully operational again by the end of next week.

The historic structure is Britain’s only sliding railway bridge over a canal, with the original bridge dating back to the 1860s before it was converted into a sliding bridge in 1925.

The unique canal crossing connects trains between Doncaster, Scunthorpe and the Lincolnshire coast and is one of the busiest routes for freight trains in the country.

 

[Doctor Fegg]

Not an easy diversion by water at all - down the Trent tideway to Trent Falls then up the Ouse to one of the famously tricky entrances at Goole or Selby…

 

[Donny Dave]

Not just that, but there is nothing running over the bridge at all. 4R51 is sat at Hatfield station, and has been there for approaching 1 and a half hours,, while 6H65 has been sat on the goods line behind Scunthorpe Station for about 2 and a half hours now. By the looks of things, TPE are running a shuttle service between Scunthorpe and Cleethorpes, with other units parked in Doncaster and Sheffield.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Could (through) TPE services between Doncaster and Cleethorpes be temporarily diverted via Gainsborough Central, or is it likely/probable that drivers wouldn't have route knowledge to be able to do that?

 

[_toommm_]

Could (through) TPE services between Doncaster and Cleethorpes be temporarily diverted via Gainsborough Central, or is it likely/probable that drivers wouldn't have route knowledge to be able to do that?

No route knowledge for TPE via Brigg. Northern could if they wanted to run additional services, but I very much doubt they would unless it was a long-term closure.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Is this bridge likely to cause as much disruption as the one on the Didcot-Oxford route last year?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

No route knowledge for TPE via Brigg.

Noted. Presumably no such thing as 'pilots' these days?

 

[endofthetunnel]

Work today to repair the bridge from its major failure last week has - in the short term at least - made it unexpectedly not possible to get detection when the bridge is closed.
The Brigg diversion route is being opened for freight.

‘Route conductors’ certainly do exist and are often used for planned diversions but are a big undertaking in the short term.

 

[Donny Dave]

TPE have lived up to their low standards today. The line has been reopened between Scunthorpe and Doncaster, however, TPE have completely abandoned Doncaster this afternoon. They have terminated everything from Liverpool at Sheffield and turned around there. Even the 2118 Liverpool to Doncaster is terminating early at Sheffield.

Meanwhile, passengers from Scunthorpe have to take a coach or the infrequent stopper to Doncaster, and have been told to catch the next available TPE service from there....

 

[Doctor Fegg]

Is this bridge likely to cause as much disruption as the one on the Didcot-Oxford route last year?

I doubt it. You can shut the Stainforth & Keadby Canal to navigation much more easily than you can shut the River Thames. You can also stank off the S&K pretty easily which you can't exactly do with the Thames.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Was everything back to 'normal' today? (Tuesday 6th August 2024)

 

[endofthetunnel]

Was everything back to 'normal' today? (Tuesday 6th August 2024)

The bridge is still not fixed but detection has been obtained so trains have been running normally today