More disruption at Rutland level crossing today, ahead of full bridge repair
Network Rail are set to have a Ketton railway bridge fixed ahead-of-schedule
Rutland residents are being warned to expect more frequent and longer delays at Oakham's level crossing today.
It's as the final repairs are made to Foster's Bridge near Ketton, which was damaged after a lorry collided with it on Saturday 5 November.
Freight trains will be travelling 'the wrong way' on one track on the Leicester and Peterborough line.
Local rail expert Nigel Spencer says it'll be the last weekend disruption before the new bridge is installed 'this evening':
'There'll still be running some services through the wrong way on Saturday, mainly to get the freight services that they have to divert at the moment through London, but they can't do that on Saturday.'
'...so they've got to bring them back from Felixstowe towards Oakham so that'll be, again, slow closures through the crossings.'
'The line going from Oakham to Peterborough has been open for freight and the odd passenger train that they've sent through early in the morning. Obviously because they can't come back it doesn't make it very easy to run a normal passenger service, so they've just been using buses.'
'Today will be, again, slow closures through the crossings. As far as last weekend it went very well - it was still taking a fair time (for trains), about an hour or so to get from Ketton, but the crossings were only down for about ten minutes, so it wasn't too bad.'
Network Rail said:
"Engineers have been working to carry out the immediate repairs and have made good progress, after a lorry struck Foster’s Bridge on Saturday 5 November. The line will reopen in both directions on Wednesday 23 November."
"In the meantime, passengers are urged to check their journey before travelling as buses replace all trains between Leicester and Peterborough (via Melton Mowbray) until Wednesday 23 November."
"Services between Birmingham and Leicester are running as normal and an hourly service between Peterborough and Cambridge has continued throughout the work, with some services running through to Stansted Airport."