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Archive
1997-06-11 RTK-002
Railtrack plc
Ely bridge bash could be history
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Press release
Railtrack plc
Ely bridge bash could be history
Vehicles getting stuck under Ely station railway bridge, the second most hit in the country, could become a thing of the past.
In an attempt to stop the bridge being hit, Railtrack and Cambridgeshire County Council have jointly funded new width restriction bollards and road markings, which should stop wide, high-sided vehicles from using the underpass.
The new measures were installed whilst the bridge was shut following damage by a vehicle, and were unveiled when the road reopened on Wednesday 11 June. Three weeks of repair work has been necessary after the vehicle dislodged a beam and damaged part of the support structure.
Railtrack's engineering contractor, May Gurney, has been working on the bridge continuously since 21 May. The repair work included demolition of the damaged beam and strengthening of the structure. As the beam did not support the track, train services were not affected by the work.
Railtrack area manager Andy Sturt commented: "Railtrack is delighted that Cambridgeshire County Council has agreed to install the bollards and road markings and we were happy to jointly fund the project.
"The bridge has been hit more than 60 times in the past three years and every time this happens hundreds of people are inconvenienced. Train travellers are delayed while trains are either stopped or slowed down and motorists suffer because the road is shut.
"Our investigations have shown that in many cases motorists were not aware of the height of their vehicles. If in doubt motorists should use the level crossing and not attempt to get under the bridge.
"We are confident, however, that these new measures will go a long way to reducing the number of times this bridge is hit," he added.
Railnews Archive ::: 1997-06-11 RTK-002
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