'Don't flush' plea to rail passengers to save bridge workers

[John Ashworth]

'Don't flush' plea to rail passengers to save bridge workers

Saturday, May 05, 2012 Plymouth Herald

RAIL passengers are being asked to resist the call of nature when travelling over the Brunel bridge – because workers are being showered with flushed waste.

First Great Western has said its train managers are issuing pleas to passengers to avoid flushing toilets when travelling over the historic twin-span Royal Albert Bridge.

Contract workers from the scaffolding and painting firm Taziker Industrial, which is repairing and repainting the bridge, are having to dodge sudden toilet flush bursts onto the tracks.

Project manager Peter Cook told a construction industry website: "We haven't had a direct hit but there have been several near misses.

"Usually this would not be a problem, but the older trains are running on a wooden bridge deck, which doesn't protect from toilet waste."

A train passenger reportedly also told the website: "The guard made a special announcement on the train's tannoy as we came up to the Tamar River valley.

"I thought he was going to tell us we were about to pass over the iconic bridge, but instead he asked passengers to avoid using the toilets."

A First Great Western spokesman said: "While First Great Western is the train operating company, the track is maintained by Network Rail.

"During a regular maintenance meeting between the two parties we were asked, for pretty much the reasons stated, if we would make such announcements to reduce the risk to the contractors."

The spokesman also said he was aware that Network Rail – which became the owners and custodians of the Royal Albert Bridge in 2010 – is looking into installing tarpaulin to try and stop the issue.

A spokesman for Network Rail said: "There are still a number of makes of trains, including ones which First Great Western operate, which do still have toilets which flush onto the track.

"We have seen the same issue in parts of Scotland.

"There are clear signs on these trains asking passengers not to flush in stations, and all we can say is we would advise passengers to take notice of these signs."

On Thursday Network Rail told The Herald that work to restore the Royal Albert Bridge is now "well under way".

The first section of work on the bridge has been completed and work on the second section has begun.

"The project is on time and once complete will see one of the finest bridges on the rail network returned to its former glory," the spokesman added.

The Royal Albert Bridge, which opened in 1859, stands as a testament to the engineering genius of Isambard Kingdom Brunel.