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Spa Valley Bridge Strike

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by Sidmouth, Sep 16, 2017.

  1. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

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    Posted on behalf of the Spa Valley Railway


    IMPORTANT ANNOUCMENT:

    On Friday 15th September at approximately 04:30 Broom Lane Bridge, located around 1 mile from High Rocks Station, near to the Adams Well Campsite was struck by a lorry.

    We have unfortunately suffered bridge strikes here before however this time it is severe. The lorry has caused damage to a flange outstand at midspan, this is the central beam on Broom Lane Bridge and it has also as a result removed tension control bolts and rivets that are supporting.

    The damage done by the lorry to the bridge is such that we cannot now operate any trains over it until it is repaired by our Contract Bridge Engineers, an inspection by them and our Consultant Civil Engineer is taking place on Monday at 08:00.

    This means that for the time being, until the bridge is repaired, the Spa Valley Railway is unable to operate trains beyond Adams Well in the direction of Groombridge.

    An Emergency Timetable using our Class 207 DEMU 1317 will be in place for this weekend and most likely the next, depending on how or when the repairs to the structure can take place.

    The repairs to this bridge will undoubtedly cost a lot of money so we are asking at this time for support from our friends and visitors either by making a donation via PayPal or by visiting us to ride on 1317 which will help our income at our time of need.

    This is obviously a major blow to all of us here at the Spa Valley Railway after such an enjoyable summer with our Steam Festival, Diesel Gala & 20th Birthday Bash however we are a determined railway, with a strong volunteer workforce and we will not be defeated!

    Please support us if you can. Donations can be made via PayPal to our Broom Lane Bridge appeal here: https://www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk/article.php/54/donations

    Jonnie Wesson
    General Manager
     
  2. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

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    Do we know though whodunit or was it a 'hit and run' the local media havnt given any details beyond that it happened
     
  3. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

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  4. Reading General

    Reading General Part of the furniture

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    if so, why are they looking for donations?
     
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  5. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

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    I think we need more information. I suggest that if the identity of the vehicle was known the insurers would be over them like a rash as the 'interruption of business' costs are racking up at a fair rate I imagine
     
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  6. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    Even if the vehicle has been identified, insurance companies can be very slow in paying out and the railway needs repairs doing a.s.a.p.
     
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  7. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

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    and owners of offending vehicle may be in full denial mode , que long drawn out insurance discussion .
     
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  8. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

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    May I suggest that as there is a request for donations that the Spa Valley should be providing more details, ie we do/don't know the identity of the vehicle and what exactly the funds are needed for?

    Eg The vehicle that has hit the bridge has not been identified, because of this we may not be able to fully recover our costs and it may take some time. In the meanwhile funds are urgently needed to cover lost income and ensure that the railway can continue to pay its bills
     
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  9. Reading General

    Reading General Part of the furniture

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    this exactly.... otherwise it comes across as a kneejerk reaction.
     
  10. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Insurers invariably suggest a "deny everything" stance, so I'd not read too much into this aspect. As it's rather unlikely that the bridge made any sudden moves, it'll all come out in the wash.
     
  11. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

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    My understanding is that were 'personal injury' claims are involved that (sometimes?) insurers will pull their fingers out and ensure that accident victims get treated so they are back to work asap thus avoiding even larger liability.

    There is also the legal doctrine Res Ipsa Loquitur - The principle of res ipsa loquitur when translated means 'the thing or the happening speaks for itself.' So if you drive a 14 foot high lorry under a 13 foot high bridge you don't have to faff about proving liability, its clear cut
     
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  12. dan.lank

    dan.lank Member

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    As somebody who worked in insurance for 5 years until recently, I'm not sure that's quite a fair description. If the fault of the incident is clear (nothing much clearer than a truck driving into a bridge - assuming the appropriate warnings were in place and visible), then the insurers will want to mitigate their losses. Dragging their heels won't help anything and will cost them more in the long run. They'll be savvy enough to not want to allow losses to rack up. In my experience the majority of insurers are very reasonable, the problem is that everybody wants their claim to be top priority, and everybody thinks they're not at fault!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  13. D1039

    D1039 Guest

    As someone back in it after a three-year break, neither am I.

    I recall reading a comment from the GM of another line that they were filling in an insurance claim form after a bridge strike. I'm not sure whether that was to their own insurer, the errant driver's or the Motor Insurance Bureau (it's not my line of business, fortunately). I'd sort of assumed the Spa Valley would have some insurance but whether that covers the consequential loss is another matter altogether.

    Patrick
     
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  14. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

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    I would have thought that most lines would have 'interruption of business' cover of some sort.

    But, at the moment despite the existence of an appeal some important information is missing
     
  15. BrightonBaltic

    BrightonBaltic Member

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    The Septics have come up with a solution to these incidents. May I suggest that they should be installed on both sides of all rail bridges in the UK...

    [​IMG]
     
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  16. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

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    How about if you hit the sign, a demolition ball is released swinging down at the driver?
     
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  17. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

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    I can see the local yobbos standing around that contraption with sledgehammers, just waiting for their chance!
     
  18. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

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    According to the website.............' The damage done by the lorry to the bridge is such that we cannot now operate any trains over it until it is repaired by our Contract Bridge Engineers, an inspection by them and our Consultant Civil Engineer is taking place on Monday at 08:00.'

    It is now 15.56 on Monday and there has not been an update which is rather suprising..............
     
  19. Bean-counter

    Bean-counter Part of the furniture

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    OK, so a preserved line has its operations severely curtailed by an act which it in no way can be blamed for, but the 'experts' in here think that it is wrong to appeal for donations to cover obvious resultant costs, seem never to have heard of 'an insurance excess' and consider it unreasonable that no update has been posted on Facebook from an inspection which expected/hoped to be undertaken this morning!

    Fortunately, I suspect there are many who will be supporting the line in its hour of need rather than making insinuations and accusations.

    Steven
     
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  20. GWR4707

    GWR4707 Nat Pres stalwart

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    As someone who dealt with a plethora of bridge strikes during my time at British Waterways I would not hold your breath expecting to get a penny out of insurers, unless you have photographic evidence they will not even entertain any claim, in one case a lorry hit a bridge whilst we were stood looking at it, he drove away and the company denied everything and no claim was honoured as it was our word against his and our legal team decided it wasn't worth the costs to try and prove.

    The bridge on the way to the goods vehicle testing station was a particular target.
     
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