Network Rail urged to learn lessons after Yarnton bridge accident report
Oxfordshire County Council has welcomed a report into a rail bridge collapse near Yarnton on 10 February, 2023.
Network Rail has been given four clear recommendations as a result of the report which has been conducted by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.
One of the recommendations is that Network Rail should improve the process of evaluating defects. Oxfordshire County Council had previously alerted Network Rail to problems at the bridge.
Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “When there are issues with bridges over railways they tend to have ramifications for pedestrians, motorists and cyclists as they seek to move around the county. As such it is essential that Network Rail learns lessons for the future from this comprehensive report.
“The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has been crystal clear as regards what Network Rail now needs to do to cut down the chances of type of thing happening again.
“On behalf of the people in this particular area of Oxfordshire and the wider county we would urge Network Rail to absorb what has been said and quickly act upon the recommendations. It is frustrating for everyone when issues that could have been mitigated or avoided lead to huge disruption to people’s day to day lives, as was the case here a year ago.”
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