Derailed cement wagons have been removed by engineers in Carlisle which will allow major repairs to take place.
An 800-tonne crane was used over the weekend to lift the wagons over the tracks at Petteril Bridge Junction.
The derailment happened on Wednesday 19th October and caused significant damage to the bridge, track and line side equipment.
The railway has been closed since the incident and is currently impacting services on the Tyne Valley line between Carlisle and Newcastle and the Settle to Carlisle Line between Carlisle and Skipton.
The wagons have been loaded onto the back of low-loaders and have been taken away to be investigated by rail accident investigators.
Repair work will involve
- Up to 50 engineers will be on site each day
- They will replace 80 metres of damaged track
- Install 400 metres of cabling for signals and points
- Replace two switches – moving sections of track which enables trains to switch lines
- Secure bridge foundations eroded in the river Petteril with 100 tonnes of stone
- Rebuild 41 metres of destroyed bridge parapet
Network Rail hopes to have the work complete in early December to allow train services to resume.
Craig Jackson, Network Rail Works Delivery manager, said: “The weather has hugely been on our side to remove the three stranded cement wagons this weekend and this marks a turning point in our hard work to get the railway repaired and reopen for passengers.
“Now the wagons have been loaded onto lorries to be taken away by accident investigators, work can really get going to fix the track and bridge significantly damaged by the derailment. The railway must stay closed while we carry out these important repairs, so please check National Rail Enquiries as bus replacement services will still be in operation.”
Kerry Peters, regional director for Northern, said: “This is a really complex operation and we are thankful for the expertise that Network Rail are providing in recovering the freight train and reinstating the track.
“Whilst there is some work to do the potential reopening of the line in December will be very welcomed by our passengers on the route. We will do all we can to support this. We have been providing rail replacement buses where needed and I want to thank any customers who have been impacted by the derailment for their understanding and patience. We look forward to operating a full train service on the route as soon as possible.”
How much has this cost??
I don’t know, but the rental of that enormous crane and its operating crew must have been in the £thousands per day.
I watched some of this recovery on Saturday, when they recovered 2 of the 3 wagons that were partially in the River Petteril. The one shown being recovered was right way up, but the second was upside down. This clearly needed very careful attachment of the slings and, despite some ominous noises as its weight was taken up by the slings and it moved a bit sideways, it was recovered successfully. The third wagon was, I guess, recovered on Sunday and must also have been difficult to sling, because it was on its side. All in all an impressive piece of work by all involved!