Trains halted after partial bridge collapse

[ForburyLion]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7424757.stm

Trains halted over bridge safety

The new bridge was inched into place earlier this month.
Train services at Liverpool Street station have been suspended while structural engineers inspect a new bridge which has partially collapsed.

The 1,300-tonne bridge had been inched across existing railway tracks using hydraulic rams, as part of the East London Line extension into Shoreditch.

Around 300 passengers on three trains stopped before entering the station had to walk along tracks to Bethnal Green.

Trains to Stansted Airport, Cambridge, Southend and Norwich are affected.

Services on the line will now begin and end at Tottenham Hale and Stratford.

Justin Drerup, who lives close to the tracks, said his flat suddenly shook and cracks appeared in the plaster.

"I looked out of my window and could see the bridge was no longer sitting level," he said.

A spokesman for Network Rail said engineers from Transport for London, which had commissioned the new bridge from contractors, were inspecting the structure.

It was not known how long the delays would continue.

No-one was hurt in the incident.

[shebarose]

The unit involved was a 321 reportedly.

[Riche]

The unit involved was a 321 reportedly.

Which unit?

They mention three trains, they mention a bridge, but I don't see any mention of a single unit involved.

[dorlan]

The report has been updated...

Rail bridge debris halts services

[shebarose]

It would seem that the bridge just had a bit of a jolt. It had been resting on temporary supports but had been jacked up about 8 inches to allow work to be done on the permanent supports. Unfortunately one of the jacks collapsed and the bridge dropped onto it's support dislodging some scaffolding and concrete "planks" onto the lines below. There was never any danger of the bridge "collapsing" onto the lines below.

O L Leigh

[jtiffin]

Customers for Liverpool Street had to take the Central line from Stratford.