Wednesday the 23rd of November saw Network Rail's extensive repair work of Fosters Bridge which sits over the A6121 Stamford Road in Ketton complete.
The repairs were necessary after the bridge was hit by a lorry on the 5th of November and saw the railway between Leicester and Peterborough completely taken out of action.
Engineers have been working around the clock in order to take out the damaged bridge deck and replace it with a brand new one, before laying fresh ballast and track over it in order for trains to safely operate through the section.
Gary Walsh, East Midlands Route Director for Network Rail said: “We're really sorry for the disruption that passengers have faced over the last few weeks. Our teams have worked day and night to remove the damage and install a brand-new deck so that passengers can travel safely again.
“I'd like to thank our partners, passengers and people in the town for their support and patience. It's been a complex feat of engineering, so I'm pleased to see trains running normally again.”
John Robson Regional Director East Midlands and East Anglia for CrossCountry said: “We are delighted that we are able to run services as normal again following the reopening of Foster's Bridge and are keen to extend our thanks to the Network Rail team for their efforts in repairing the bridge and the patience of the local community and passengers while this work has been undertaken.”
The section of Stamford Road affected by the work will not be reopened until Friday the 25th of November due to scaffolding being removed.
Drone images reveal the repairs being carried out during a two-and-a-half-week period.
Bridge strikes cost Network Rail and therefore the taxpayer approximately £12 million in delay and cancellation fees during 2021/22. In order to tackle this, Network Rail has released an animated short as part of its ‘Wise Up, Size Up' campaign which urges drivers to be aware of the route they are taking and the height of their vehicle ahead of each journey.
I would hope that the lorry drivers company will pay for the repairs of the bridge