Bridge safety project continues

Ten people died in the crash in February 2001

Work has started on the next phase of a project to improve safety on railway bridges in County Durham.

Durham County Council set up the scheme after the Selby rail disaster in February 2001 to reduce the risk of any similar incidents.

Shortly after the crash, it started a safety inspection of all road over rail bridges in the county.

Improvements have already been carried out on four bridges and work has begun on a fifth, with two more planned.

The authority has used a specially-devised point-scoring system to assess risk and set priorities, which has been used as the basis for new national guidance on local road rail bridge safety.

'Prompt response'

The fifth project is in Hett Lane, between Sunderland Bridge and Hett Village, south of Durham City.

A further two projects are for Ricknall Lane to the east of Newton Aycliffe, on 8 March and on the C37 to the south of Bradbury on 5 April.

The cost of the three projects is £150,000.

Council cabinet member for transport, Bob Pendlebury, said: "The three bridges involved in this latest phase of work are the last of the 'high risk' structures identified in our survey.

"Our prompt response to the Selby rail crash and our programme of safety improvements since then is a clear illustration of our continuing commitment to the safety of road and rail users in County Durham."

Ten people died and 76 were injured when a Land Rover plunged down a grass verge and landed on the East Coast main line, causing a GNER train to derail.