For the next three weeks, train services between Leicester and Peterborough will be subject to disruption due to extensive damage to a railway bridge at Ketton in Rutland.
From today, Tuesday, 8th November, all trains between Leicester and Peterborough will be suspended and replaced by buses. Intending passengers should therefore check their journey at crosscountrytrains.co.uk before they travel.
Although trains between Leicester and Peterborough are suspended, trains will continue to run as planned, and an hourly service will continue between Peterborough and Cambridge with some services running through to Stansted Airport.
Rail-replacement buses will run hourly on the following routes:
- between Leicester and Peterborough;
- between Melton Mowbray – Oakham – Stamford – Peterborough;
- between Leicester – Melton Mowbray – Oakham – Stamford.
The bridge was damaged shortly before 8am on Saturday, 5th November, when a lorry carrying a heavy load struck Foster’s Bridge which crosses the A6121 Stamford Road in Ketton. The damage was so extensive that a significant part of it must be replaced before trains can again cross it safely.
The repairs are expected to last almost three weeks, and engineers have already started work on them. The section of Stamford Road under the railway will remain closed while the repairs take place. carrying essential goods
During the closure, freight services will be diverted via London.
In the year from 1st April 2020 to 31st March 2021, there were 1,624 bridge strikes reported across the railway network, with e Each incident costing the UK taxpayer about £13,000. Since 2018, Network Rail has been running a ‘Wise Up, Size Up’ campaign to urge drivers to be aware of their vehicle’s height, and to choose an appropriate route before setting off.
Gary Walsh, East Midlands Route Director for Network Rail said: “We’re very sorry for the ongoing impact this incident is having on passengers. Our teams are doing all they can to carry out these extensive repairs quickly and get trains moving safely again, but unfortunately it is likely to take around three weeks.
“During that time, passengers check before they travel and leave extra time for their journey. We’re working with our partners across the industry to divert freight trains wherever possible and keep vital goods moving around the country.”
John Robson, Regional Director for East Midlands and East Anglia for CrossCountry said: “CrossCountry would like to apologise to our customers for the disruption caused by this incident. Where possible, we will run a rail replacement bus service, but we urge customers to check our website before travelling for the most up to date information about their journey.”
Leicestershire Police said: “Shortly before 7.40am on Saturday (5 November) police received a call after a lorry struck a bridge on the A6121, close to North Luffenham. Officers attended the scene and road closures were put in place while emergency services attended.
“The driver of the vehicle was taken to hospital.”
Responses
Perhaps a new bypass would be ideal to allow HGVs to avoid the bridge. So many Bridge strikes are happening too often resulting in so many delays to train services and costing £thousands or more to repair the damage. No wonder the road is very busy 24/7.
to many strikes
sorry rail members could not resist it
as you say it costs tax payers to repair
question/ would the people who did the damage would they be clobbered for some of the payment.
I see the driver was taken to hospital so I hope he recovers quickly. But I do think he should be held responsible for the damage and disruption he has caused by not properly knowing the height of his vehicle. From the pictures, the bridge is very clearly marked with black & yellow chevrons, is obviously low and the 3.9m height is clearly marked. Why was the driver not paying proper attention?
Asking lorry drivers to be careful is a waste of time, it’s been done for years with no real effect. Drivers who hit bridges get a fine and may lose their job but there’s such a shortage of HGV drivers that they can soon get another. If there was a mandatory 6-month jail sentence for drivers of vehicles involved in bridge strikes, the problem would be pretty much solved overnight.