Significant damage has been caused to a bridge at Ketton, between Leicester and Peterborough after it was struck by a lorry on Saturday, 5 November. Critical parts of the bridge structure have been so badly damaged that a significant part of it needs to be replaced.
The driver of the lorry, who was transporting containers to and from a Rutland County Council waste and recycling centres when it hit the bridge, was taken to hospital after the incident as a precaution.
The bridge crosses the A6121 Stamford Road, which also remains closed while emergency work to remove the damaged structure is carried out
Gary Walsh, route director for Network Rail said, “I am really sorry that passengers and the community are likely to be affected by this accident for some time. The impact has cause significant damage and our engineers have to replace two structural beams as well as then reinstating the track, signals and other railway equipment on top of the bridge.
“We’re doing everything we can to get trains moving again safely and thank everyone for their patience while we carry out this work.”
Engineers are working to repair the structure, the initial repair of which may take up to two weeks.
Network Rail is working with CrossCountry trains to develop plans for passengers who use Stanstead to Birmingham New Street services which are likely to remain disrupted. These details will be confirmed as soon as possible but passengers are advised to check before they travel. No disruption was caused on Saturday, as East Midlands Railway were running an amended timetable due to the planned then cancelled strike action.
