Engineers are working to repair a unique sliding swing bridge which takes trains over a canal in North Lincolnshire after a fault with its mechanism.
Sensors on the structure in Keadby, near Scunthorpe, alerted Network Rail teams to a problem on August 1.
Train services between Doncaster and Scunthorpe are unaffected, with the bridge left in position to allow trains to keep running. The Stainforth and Keadby Canal, however, is now temporarily closed to boaters while specialist teams make the urgent repairs; canal users are advised to check for the latest information by visiting the notices section of the Canal & River Trust’s website.
Toby Patrick Bailey, programme director for Network Rail’s North and East route, said: “We are sorry to canal users who are being impacted by the fault. Our teams are working as fast as they can to repair the mechanism. We are in contact with the Canal and River Trust and we’ll work together to keep people informed about when the waterway can reopen.”
The fault with the mechanism involves a key component which allows the bridge to slide across the canal. That particular part needs replacing and a new one is now being specially made.
The historic structure is Britain’s only sliding railway bridge over a canal, with the original bridge dating back to the 1860s before it was converted into a sliding bridge in 1925. The unique canal crossing connects trains between Doncaster, Scunthorpe and the Lincolnshire coast and is one of the busiest routes for freight trains in the country.
