Bridge strike Plymouth 30 August

[whole diary]

[TaplowGreen]

Causing huge problems for those trying to get home to/from the Westcountry after the BH weekend, Reading festival etc.

Numerous cancellations and shortened journeys (including tonight's sleepers - cancelled both directions)

Due to a lorry colliding with a bridge between Plymouth and Totnes all lines are closed.
Train services running through these stations may be cancelled, delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Extremely limited replacement road transport has been sourced to run between Exeter St. Davids and Plymouth. Passengers are advised not to travel between these stations.
South Western Railway are conveying passengers between Exeter St Davids and London Waterloo in both directions until further notice. Arrangements have been made for Great Western Railway rail tickets to be accepted for these journeys.

[RailCornwall]

Looks serious in the second picture in this BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) News item

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-58387682



Parts of the Bridge have moved, there must be worries about the rest of the structure.

Service tomorrow not guaranteed ..... (GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Help Tweet)

Great Western Railway
@GWRHelp
 Journey tickets for today will be valid for travel tomorrow.

Network Rail engineers are assessing the damage to the bridge & track to determine when it will be safe to resume services.

At present we can’t confirm a service for tomorrow but please follow us for updates.

[ChrisB]

Actual damage done this time. Keystones have been dislodged from the arch, meaning a collapse is possibke. Suspect it won’t be fixed overnight. NR^» (Network Rail - home page) have tweeted pictures of the damage with the lorry holding up the arch, they don’t want to move it immediately

[RailCornwall]

NRW^» (Network Rail Western - about) Tweet

(It's Tesco this time)

https://twitter.com/networkrailwest/status/1432420907205681154

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) confirm disruption to continue tomorrow

Due to the severity of the damage to the bridge we expect disruption to continue tomorrow.

We advise not to travel on long distance services between Cornwall and London tomorrow morning and to await further updates.



https://twitter.com/GWRHelp/status/1432424199583420421

The Bridge

[TaplowGreen]

.....there's going to be some very wealthy taxi drivers judging by reports!

(GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) have switched off replies to their Twitter feed, so no more advice from that channel other than their own updates)

Latest on journeycheck "Disruption is expected until the end of the day on 01/09/21"

[broadgage]

I remain of the opinion that penalties for this type of incompetent driving should be far more severe.

The driver of the truck should lose their licence for some years, except in the rather unlikely case of some exceptional extenuating circumstance.

The operator, or more realistically their insurers, should be liable for the full costs of delay minutes, compensation to passengers, surveyors fees, bridge repairs and other costs.
A few large payouts would concentrate the mind.

[Ollie]

(GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) have switched off replies to their Twitter feed, so no more advice from that channel other than their own updates)

That's not what that means, this is a feature that Twitter have introduced which I like (although I don't use Twitter often any longer). It means a Twitter thread can be looked at and will only contain updates from GWR (or any others that GWR choose to allow to respond to that tweet)

People can still tweet @GWRHelp as usual and should expect a response in the usual way. It's just the disruption tweet that can't be replied to. You have to start your own Twitter thread.

[grahame]

People can still tweet @GWRHelp as usual and should expect a response in the usual way. It's just the disruption tweet that can't be replied to. You have to start your own Twitter thread.

Much appreciate that clarification - and relieved - mighty relieved - that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are continuing to respond to customers. Spot on - thank you.

[grahame]

Guardian Headline.

Whitehall must act on skills shortages – or see businesses driven into the ground

Illustration of a Tesco lorry (and talk of Tesco) ... is it just me seeing ironic humour ...

[LiskeardRich]

I remain of the opinion that penalties for this type of incompetent driving should be far more severe.

The driver of the truck should lose their licence for some years, except in the rather unlikely case of some exceptional extenuating circumstance.

The operator, or more realistically their insurers, should be liable for the full costs of delay minutes, compensation to passengers, surveyors fees, bridge repairs and other costs.
A few large payouts would concentrate the mind.

I was just wondering things like consequential losses claimable from the truck insurers.. I’m due to go to London tomorrow for my eldest step daughters birthday outing. I’m not ruining her birthday outing due to this so will likely drive from Cornwall to Exeter St David’s to pick up the train, seeing the rail replacement reporting lack of availability. I’ll now incur additional car parking costs (id have walked to my local station) and around 120 miles round trip of petrol as a result of this trucks negligence.
Obviously I wouldn’t dream of claiming off GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), but what grounds would the truck company have to deny they caused my out of pocket costs by this incident. It isn’t worth claiming, purely hypothetical I’ll probably be £20 out of pocket at most. 

[Timmer]

Latest from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) website:

https://www.gwr.com/travel-information/travel-updates/live-network-updates/disruption-information

A lorry has collided with a railway bridge in Plymouth, causing damage to the bridge structure. The bridge has been examined by structural engineers and further inspections are needed during daylight hours on Monday 30 August.

The line between Plymouth and Totnes (in both directions) is currently closed and is expected to remain closed until at least early afternoon on Monday 30 August. Due to the damage sustained, there is a high likelihood that the line may be closed for longer.

Customer Advice

Train services between Newton Abbot and Plymouth are currently suspended and you are advised not to travel between these stations.

Train services are running between Plymouth and Penzance, between Exmouth, Exeter St Davids and Paignton, as well as between Exeter St Davids and London Paddington, although these services are subject to alteration.

There are currently no direct services between Cornwall and London in either direction.

Ivybridge station currently has no train service and no alternative road transport.

Replacement road transport

Extremely limited replacement road transport has been sourced to run between Exeter St Davids and Plymouth. Passengers are advised not to travel between these stations.


Night Riviera Sleeper Services

Due to the line between Newton Abbot and Plymouth being closed, our Sunday night sleeper train services are cancelled.

23:45 London Paddington to Exeter St Davids, Plymouth and Penzance.
21:45 Penzance to Plymouth, Exeter St Davids, and London Paddington

If you are booked onto our Night Riviera sleeper train services, please contact us on 0345 700 0125 or contact GWR customer services and social media online.

Tickets and refunds

If you are affected by this disruption, you are able to claim compensation for delays of 15 minutes or more.

Tickets dated for Sunday 30 August, can be instead be used for travel on either Monday 31 August, Tuesday 01 September or Wednesday 02 September.

Where services can operate, they are expected to be busier than normal. Please check before you travel to get the latest updates.

GWR train services on Tuesday 31 August 2021

Local stopping GWR train services will be available between Exeter St Davids and Totnes, with local stopping and high speed train services available between Plymouth and Penzance.

GWR train services between London Paddington, Exeter St Davids, Plymouth and Penzance, are running between London Paddington and Exeter St Davids only.

Due to the railway bridge damage, the line will remain closed on Tuesday 31 August between Totnes and Plymouth.

You are advised not to travel between Totnes and Plymouth on Tuesday 31 August, if travelling locally. If you are travelling over a longer distance you are advised not to travel between Exeter St Davids and Plymouth.

We have requested replacement road transport for journeys between Tiverton Parkway, Exeter St Davids and Plymouth and are awaiting confirmation. Journey times will be extended between Exeter St Davids and Plymouth and you may experience a wait for replacement road transport.

I think you are looking at the end of the week if they have to rip up the track and dig down to see what damage may be hidden. My, how many bridge strikes have we seen where it’s been a couple of hours closure and that was it…not this time 

[Southernman]

Another example of how useful a diversionary route via Tavistock and Okehampton would be....Not all about the seawall!

[broadgage]

Perhaps it is time to re-brand incidents of this nature ?
Some years ago the police stopped referring to "road traffic accidents" the new term being "road traffic collision" the reasoning being that "accident" implied bad luck, rather the result of poor driving which is the cause of most collisions.
Common causes are.
Exceeding the speed limit.
Driving within the speed limit, but in excess of that required by conditions such as ice, fog, standing water.
Driver impaired through drink or drugs.
Driver lacks formal training, no licence or a dodgy one.
Unsuitable vehicle for task.
Lack of vehicle maintenance.

Very few road traffic collisions are true accidents, examples of these rare ones include.
Sudden collapse of man made structure into road, vehicles run into it.
Sudden fall of tree across road.
Sudden illness of driver.
Unforeseeable mechanical failure.

So returning to bridge bashes, perhaps the new term should be "due to a lorry being driven into a railway bridge"
This is almost always the fault of the truck driver.
Extenuating circumstances are rare, but could include,
Height under bridge not clearly marked.
Height under bridge wrongly marked.
Height of vehicle wrongly marked in the cab (the person who did this might be criminaly liable, but not the driver)
Sudden illness.
Unforeseeable mechanical failure.

[bobm]

Latest from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) website:

https://www.gwr.com/travel-information/travel-updates/live-network-updates/disruption-information

A lorry has collided with a railway bridge in Plymouth, causing damage to the bridge structure. The bridge has been examined by structural engineers and further inspections are needed during daylight hours on Monday 30 August.

The line between Plymouth and Totnes (in both directions) is currently closed and is expected to remain closed until at least early afternoon on Monday 30 August. Due to the damage sustained, there is a high likelihood that the line may be closed for longer.

Customer Advice

Train services between Newton Abbot and Plymouth are currently suspended and you are advised not to travel between these stations.

Train services are running between Plymouth and Penzance, between Exmouth, Exeter St Davids and Paignton, as well as between Exeter St Davids and London Paddington, although these services are subject to alteration.

There are currently no direct services between Cornwall and London in either direction.

Ivybridge station currently has no train service and no alternative road transport.

Replacement road transport

Extremely limited replacement road transport has been sourced to run between Exeter St Davids and Plymouth. Passengers are advised not to travel between these stations.


Night Riviera Sleeper Services

Due to the line between Newton Abbot and Plymouth being closed, our Sunday night sleeper train services are cancelled.

23:45 London Paddington to Exeter St Davids, Plymouth and Penzance.
21:45 Penzance to Plymouth, Exeter St Davids, and London Paddington

If you are booked onto our Night Riviera sleeper train services, please contact us on 0345 700 0125 or contact GWR customer services and social media online.

Tickets and refunds

If you are affected by this disruption, you are able to claim compensation for delays of 15 minutes or more.

Tickets dated for Sunday 30 August, can be instead be used for travel on either Monday 31 August, Tuesday 01 September or Wednesday 02 September.

Where services can operate, they are expected to be busier than normal. Please check before you travel to get the latest updates.

GWR train services on Tuesday 31 August 2021

Local stopping GWR train services will be available between Exeter St Davids and Totnes, with local stopping and high speed train services available between Plymouth and Penzance.

GWR train services between London Paddington, Exeter St Davids, Plymouth and Penzance, are running between London Paddington and Exeter St Davids only.

Due to the railway bridge damage, the line will remain closed on Tuesday 31 August between Totnes and Plymouth.

You are advised not to travel between Totnes and Plymouth on Tuesday 31 August, if travelling locally. If you are travelling over a longer distance you are advised not to travel between Exeter St Davids and Plymouth.

We have requested replacement road transport for journeys between Tiverton Parkway, Exeter St Davids and Plymouth and are awaiting confirmation. Journey times will be extended between Exeter St Davids and Plymouth and you may experience a wait for replacement road transport.

I think you are looking at the end of the week if they have to rip up the track and dig down to see what damage may be hidden. My, how many bridge strikes have we seen where it’s been a couple of hours closure and that was it…not this time 

Someone has got very confused about what days of the week we are talking about.

[Timmer]

Someone has got very confused about what days of the week we are talking about.

Oh gosh yes. If it had happened a year ago the dates would be correct. Can only think someone had last years calendar on their desk