Train ‘turned back’ from Nuneham Viaduct months before closure

The railway bridge, which carries the main line over the River Thames east of Abingdon, has been closed since April 3 after significant movement was detected in the viaduct’s structure.

The line is not expected to be operational again until June 10 while Network Rail completely rebuild the south abutment where a huge crack has formed.

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But more than two months before the closure, on January 27, a train travelling over the railway bridge towards Didcot was forced to turn back to Oxford.

Network Rail could not confirm if the incident was related to the current emergency repairs.

A spokeswoman said: “As the bridge is built next to and in the River Thames, it has been settling since the current structure was built in 1906; we have equipment installed on the bridge so we monitor any potential movement.

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“At the end of January 2023, we had reports of bumpy track in the area, and a train was turned back to Oxford to whilst our engineers investigated this report.

“We subsequently imposed a speed restriction over the bridge, and eventually then closed it due to safety concerns.”

In an interview with the Oxford Mail earlier this month, Stuart Calvert, capital delivery director for Network Rail, said the bridge had been monitored ‘incredibly professionally’ for years.

He added that Network Rail had ‘nothing to hide’.