Passengers have been thanked after Network Rail successfully completed the emergency removal of Oxhey Grange footbridge near Watford, reopening the West Coast Main Line earlier than planned on Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n
Engineers worked through the night and into Sunday morning to safely dismantle and remove the deteriorated structure, which crossed one of Britain’s busiest railways. The operation was completed using a specialist heavy-lift crane, allowing the railway to reopen to passengers ahead of the planned 4pm hand back.<\/p>\n
Video footage and images released today show the scale and complexity of the operation, which was carried out to protect the safety of passengers, railway workers and the local community following the discovery of significant structural deterioration in the bridge. The bridge was lifted out in a single operation using a specialist 1200 tonne heavy-lift crane capable of lifting 100 tonnes. This approach significantly reduced the amount of time the railway needs to be closed compared with alternative removal methods.<\/p>\n