Network Rail failing to check safety of bridges

[whole diary]

[TaplowGreen]

Very worrying given recent events in Oxfordshire


https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12087485/Regulator-warns-Network-Rail-failing-check-safety-bridges-putting-passengers-risk.html

[stuving]

Very worrying given recent events in Oxfordshire

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12087485/Regulator-warns-Network-Rail-failing-check-safety-bridges-putting-passengers-risk.html

That article's an exercise in missing the point:

Network Rail has been warned by the industry regulator that it is failing to properly check the safety of some 70,000 monitored pieces of rail infrastructure, putting passengers at potential risk and causing delays to services across the network.

Well, no, as the ORR's letter is solely about the backlog of inspections, though it talks about non-compliance with NR^» (Network Rail - home page)'s standard for inspections. This backlog isn't new - the ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) has been going on about it for years. Their prodding about using new technology was aimed at speeding up inspections, not observing more of what is going on.

Nuneham is a red herring, as it had been inspected, and was not part of any backlog. Better inspection methods for foundations is about the only thing that would have helped in that case.

[Red Squirrel]

Hmm.

[JayMac]

Sea Mills?

[Electric train]

Hmm.

Personally for me I would want to know what the steel "bracing" was installed for, it may now no longer be of importance.

I work with our structures engineers who are constantly inspecting bridges, tunnels, viaducts etc their time is constrained by the duration and time of the access they can have.  The ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) do speak with forked tongue they are both the safety authority, the railways version of the HSE^▸ (Health and Safety Executive) also the ORR are the performance regulator who often warn NR^» (Network Rail - home page) of the impact it has on train services

[Red Squirrel]

Sea Mills?

Indeed.

Personally for me I would want to know what the steel "bracing" was installed for, it may now no longer be of importance.

I work with our structures engineers who are constantly inspecting bridges, tunnels, viaducts etc their time is constrained by the duration and time of the access they can have.  The ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) do speak with forked tongue they are both the safety authority, the railways version of the HSE^▸ (Health and Safety Executive) also the ORR are the performance regulator who often warn NR^» (Network Rail - home page) of the impact it has on train services

There is a huge tidal range here, and this is the entrance to a harbour used by small craft. My guess is that this bracing was installed to protect the structure from the effects of the tide, possibly combined with floating objects.

At the last spring tide they closed the line and sent down divers. Doesn't fill one with confidence.

[Electric train]

Sea Mills?

Indeed.

Personally for me I would want to know what the steel "bracing" was installed for, it may now no longer be of importance.

I work with our structures engineers who are constantly inspecting bridges, tunnels, viaducts etc their time is constrained by the duration and time of the access they can have.  The ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) do speak with forked tongue they are both the safety authority, the railways version of the HSE^▸ (Health and Safety Executive) also the ORR are the performance regulator who often warn NR^» (Network Rail - home page) of the impact it has on train services

There is a huge tidal range here, and this is the entrance to a harbour used by small craft. My guess is that this bracing was installed to protect the structure from the effects of the tide, possibly combined with floating objects.

At the last spring tide they closed the line and sent down divers. Doesn't fill one with confidence.

One of the problems with bridge piers that sit in flowing water is they get undermined by strong currents, I would be more worried if you had not seen divers inspecting the bridge