Kiwithrottlejockey
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Having fun in the hills!
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A truck driver deserves this week's “Dumbfuck of the Week” award....
from The Dominion Post....Further delays for Hutt Valley rail commutersBy MICHAEL FORBES | 5:20PM - Thursday, 08 January 2015 QUICK FIX: KiwiRail staff working to temporarily strengthen the damaged rail bridge over
Eastern Hutt Road today. — MAARTEN HOLL/Fairfax NZ.ANOTHER DAY of cancelled trains and road closures beckons for Hutt Valley commuters as KiwiRail scrambles to fix a damaged rail bridge at Silverstream.
A truck hit the bridge on Eastern Hutt Road about 1.40pm yesterday, forcing the cancellation of Hutt Valley trains between Taita and Upper Hutt, which were replaced by buses.
KiwiRail had hoped to have a temporary fix in place by this evening, but it now says normal Tranz Metro services will not resume until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest.
“The bridge has severe structural damage caused by the impact of the vehicle and KiwiRail engineers worked overnight to develop a plan to strengthen the damaged span,” spokeswoman Becs Saxton said.
Not a lot is known about how the crash happened because the truck did not stop and the driver has not been found.
But there have been unconfirmed reports the truck was transporting heavy machinery, which struck the bridge rather than the truck itself.
A worker at the scene said it may have been a forklift on the back of the truck.
Saxton said KiwiRail's first priority was to temporarily strengthen the damaged bridge span, which is a support beam that runs underneath the rail bed.
A permanent solution would be found after that, which would likely to involve replacing the bridge span altogether.
It was not yet known how quickly a replacement span could be sourced or how much the repairs would cost, Saxton said. BENT: The underside of the damaged rail bridge span.A special timetable will continue to operate until the bridge is temporarily strengthened.
Hutt Valley services will run half-hourly with bus replacements between Upper Hutt and Taita.
Wairarapa services will continue to run, as one rail line on the bridge can still be used.
But passengers on these services should plan for delays due to speed restrictions that will be in place.
Eastern Hutt Road will also be partially closed at the rail bridge while the repairs are taking place. A single lane will be managed by stop-go sign.
KiwiRail was keen for either the truck driver or anyone with information about the crash to come forward to Police, Saxton said.Related news story:
• Buses replacing trains on Hutt Valley line after crashhttp://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/64772975/Further-delays-for-Hutt-Valley-rail-commuters
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