Great Western Coffee Shop

Reports of a bridge strike at Claverham between Nailsea & Backwell and Yatton.

It is a road over rail bridge and apparently there is debris from the brickwork on the line.

The line has been closed pending an inspection.  Cross Country services going via Westbury.

Southbound line reopened around 10.30am and the northbound shortly after 3pm.

Still lots of cancellations this evening, as Mrs R has testified, somewhat grumpily, to me, having recently got in after a taxi ride courtesy of GWR.

The overbridge is still closed to all road traffic, due to significant structural damage - and it seems likely to remain so for some time.  There are comprehensive diversion signs in place on all of the approach roads / lanes.

Guess what?  One of my delivery customers is within a stones throw of that bridge.  ::)

If you can throw stones, can't you throw produce?  No perhaps not.  ;D

Hmm.  :-X

My delivery customer at that site is still somewhat isolated from the outside world.  ::)

However, as of this evening, a few men in orange were apparently finishing off the final bits of rebuilding the structure of that overbridge, and the stonemasons will then do the final touches on the parapet.

It's taken some nine months to resolve, but my customer is fairly happy: the Network Rail contractors, working on site, have had to pay her for the use of the farm land upon which they placed all of their cabins, JCBs and whatever.

I'm only sorry that I wasn't able to get a picture or two of the bridge structure for you here.  ::)

As of this evening (some ten months after the initial bridge strike) I can now confirm that the bridge is fully repaired and re-opened for road traffic.  ;D

However: can anyone spot the rather basic error here - it appears twice on that bridge, one on each side?

(https://i.imgur.com/wxXS57n.jpg?4)

 ::)

effected

Yes, I was rather badly affected when I read those notices.  :o ::) ;D

Further pictures of the rebuilt bridge will follow.  I K Brunel himself would have been proud of it, I think.  ;)

It's interesting that the phone number is for 'The Rail Authority'. Who they?

It seems the sign writer believes that the infrastructure owner may change name in the future and has gone for a generic name to lessen the need for sign changes. Perhaps they were fed up with changing signs from 'Railtrack' (of which there are still many on structures around the UK) to 'Network Rail'.

The sign writer then spoils it by saying the structure is owned, not by 'The Rail Authority', but 'Network Rail'.

Call the number and you will almost certainly be answered by someone introducing themselves from 'Network Rail'.

Oh, and there's a smelling pistake.  :P

Here are some pictures, taken by me yesterday evening, of the rebuilt bridge.

The wall on the eastern side of the road overbridge was unaffected by the incident last year, but I noticed that Network Rail have also taken the opportunity to erect some of their green metal railings at each end of that existing wall, to discourage trespassing on the railway line below.  The picture also gives some idea of the relative height of the original bridge parapet on that side, compared with the rebuilt wall on the western side:

(https://i.imgur.com/ZcNLhL8.jpg?1)

Turning westwards, from much the same standpoint, you will note the significantly greater height of the new wall, relative to the similar green railings erected on that side:

(https://i.imgur.com/nKDw44x.jpg?1)

Those new concrete curbs do actually allow one to stand on them and gain an almost birds-eye view over that raised parapet, along the railway line below - I tried it, and thought it would be great for watching a steam special approaching, for example.  ;D

(https://i.imgur.com/qh7Wz90.jpg?1)

(https://i.imgur.com/02U5T3n.jpg?1)

(https://i.imgur.com/z7DSMJ8.jpg?1)

And finally ... Network Rail have tidied up the whole site, and have built improved authorised access to their trackside cabinets, protected by more green metal railings:

(https://i.imgur.com/layoRv5.jpg?1)

....line never going to be electrified then.  Lack of correct coping stones if so..... ::)

Can't help wondering whether the green paint for the railings was delivered in a green and white mercedes sprinter, driven by a man whose uniform for W******e includes a green and white stripy shirt...... ???

My van is white (see picture 4 above), and my shirts are grey and white stripes - but you're in the right area.  ;) :D ;D

Perhaps is is to disguise the the green trains which might otherwise stand out like a sore thumb against the background of the green grass :) ;D