Back last summer I told you about the bridge at Castleton on my local line to Whitby that was struck so violently by a skip lorry that the entire bridge deck was moved sideways by some 100mm – about four inches in old money – distorting the track and rendering the bridge unsafe and thus closing both the railway and the road below while Network Rail’s Orange Army carried out emergency temporary repairs. After four days the line reopened to both road and rail traffic, the latter with a severe speed restriction pending a more detailed inspection by NR engineers. There was major inconvenience both to the village, because the road is the only route out to the north without a massive diversion, and there isn’t even an alternative pedestrian route, and because buses had to be provided to replace all services, including the school train, significantly lengthening journey times. It seems the driver of the offending vehicle subsequently appeared in court and was fined.
