30.07.2007

1,000 tonner needed for rail problem

A 1,000 tonne crane from Ainscough Crane Hire has started the complicated operation of removing 11 freight wagons following the derailment of a freight train at the end of last month.

However due to the marshy fenland location and the extensive damage to the bridge, client Network Rail has had to build a 1.3km temporary road from the A142 to get a crane in to perform the lift, which is expected to take at least two days to complete.

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Ainscough's 1000 tonne Liebherr lifting one of the carriages

The accident occurred on a rail bridge over the river Ouse between Ely and Soham closing the single track line since June 22. Replacement bus services have been taking passengers between Ely and Bury St Edmunds although it is estimated that the line will not return to normal service for another five months.

Around 20,000 tonnes of stone and plastic mesh has been brought in to build a stable and secure platform for the Liebherr LTM 11000 crane and two smaller 250 tonne cranes needed to remove the wagons.

Network Rail Anglia route director Patrick Hallgate said: "Building a 1,000-tonne crane platform on deep boggy marshland is indicative of just what a tricky engineering problem the incident has created. Our engineers have been working really hard to get to this key phase of the recovery programme. Once the lift is complete, we can get on with clearing the river, rebuilding the bridge and getting passenger and freight services back up and running as soon as possible.

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Workers trying to safely remove the carriages

"There is still a lot of work to do, and the complexity of the situation means we do not yet have a reopening date for the line. We share passengers' frustration at disruption to their service and we promise to keep all those involved informed of the progress of the recovery."

The wagons, which have been dangling precariously over the Great Ouse, holding between 20,000 and 40,000 tonnes of building aggregates. The Environment Agency has closed the river to boats and put in place booms to stop the spread of oil and hydraulic fluid from the wagons. No one was injured in the crash.