19.08.16
Safety probe opens into Midlands bridge collapse
Following the partial bridge collapse over the Midland Main Line at Barrow on Soar earlier this month, which severely disrupted services on 3 August, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has launched an investigation.
Network Rail had been monitoring a number of pre-existing defects in the bridge structure at Grove Lane, but at the time of the collapse drilling work was being undertaken to investigate a depression in the footpath on the south side of the bridge.
Shortly after the drilling started, cracks appeared in the footpath, and then the adjacent wall, footpath and the drilling rig fell onto the railway.
No-one involved with the drilling work was injured and there were no trains in the area at the time. However, an empty train had passed only five minutes before and a London to Nottingham passenger service passed less than 10 minutes earlier.
During Wednesday 3 August rail services were suspended to allow Network Rail engineers to make the bridge safe.
RAIB said it will examine the sequence of events leading up to the partial collapse of the bridge, the construction and maintenance of the bridge, its recent history, arrangements for protection of the railway during the works and any relevant management issues.
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