Road traffic through Oakham in Rutland is being badly affected by delays caused by damage to Foster’s Bridge on the A621 in nearby Ketton which was struck by a lorry on Saturday, 5th November.
As a result of the damage, train services are only able to use one of the railway lines over the bridge, which means that some trains will be using the wrong line over the bridge. That will affect seven freight trains each day, whilst another 15 trains a day will travel in the normal direction.
Trains travelling on the wrong line will be safely managed the ‘wrong way’ along the line over the bridge, which means that the level crossing barriers will be down for much longer than normal. Drivers using the crossings should if at all possible choose an alternative route, particularly on Saturday, 12th and Saturday, 19th November.
Although Network Rail engineers are working 24×7 to repair the bridge, the damage to the bridge was so extensive damage that a significant part requires replacement which could take up to three weeks.
The railway line over the bridge is an important freight route that carries container traffic between the port at Felixstowe and the Midlands. Although most of these services are being diverted via London, essential engineering work on the Crossrail route means that the alternative route via London diversion is not available on Saturdays.
Steve Hopkinson, East Midlands Operations Director for Network Rail said: “We know how busy these level crossings are and we are doing everything we can to minimise disruption. The trains are carrying vital imports to stock shop shelves ahead of Christmas. Moving that traffic to the road would add around 76 lorries per train.
“Wherever possible, we’re asking drivers and pedestrians in Oakham to avoid the level crossings and to allow more time for their journeys. I am sorry for the disruption which this will cause.”
Responses
And also that Network Rail should have authority, without hindrance, of being able to mount along the road, each side, some extremely solid concrete pillars and cross beams, which will not move in the event of an accident. Not to go back to the local council for planning permission etc.
When, oh when is the ‘cowboy’ road haulage industry going to be made to pay for the environmental carnage they cause each day? The ‘cowboy’ company in this case should be billed the full cost – in £’s per minutes – for each service scheduled to pass over this Bridge from the moment of impact to re-opening.