Transport infrastructure undergoing repair after floods

Date: 28/11/2012

Much of the country has been hit by extreme weather and serious flooding in recent days, which has led to widespread disruption across transport networks, with the railways being particularly hard hit.

Many services have resumed although around 170 flood warnings and 180 flood alerts were still in place on Wednesday and the south west of England is facing one of the biggest challenges of clearing up in the aftermath.

While it is hoped that some of the worst affected routes will be opened by 4pm on Wednesday, there remain a number of problems due to the excessive amounts of water parts of the railway were subjected to.

In some parts of the south, cabling and telecommunications cables were submerged underwater for nearly a week, which leaves residual problems.

As a result it could take up to ten days for the cabling to be properly dried out, which has a knock on effect for passengers.

Services from Tiverton Parkway and Exeter along the main route to London Paddington will only be running at a rate of two trains per hour in the meantime.

The railway is not the only transport infrastructure which is recovering from the floods, with roads and bridges also badly hit.

Flooding had closed the A39 at Perranworthal between Truro and Falmouth due to a nearby river bursting its banks, but this has since been reopened.

Members of the council's environmental assessment team in Cornwall have been travelling around the county to ensure that roads and bridges are safe to use after the flooding, which can cause substantial damage.

Those which are not deemed safe, such as the bridge at Roseney Mill and a road near Luxulyan, are remaining closed.

Sections of bank in the Grand Western Canal, which runs close to the A361, collapsed, causing water levels to rise and flood the local area.

A Chinook helicopter was enlisted by Cornwall Police to deliver a pump to the site so that water could be removed from the canal to prevent further problems.

Posted by Mary Treen

Transport News and Transport Consulting News