Cycling along the Kennet and Avon towpath this morning l couldn’t fail to notice the signs that have been placed along a length of Brunel’s retaining wall, which he built to one side of his Great Western Railway to hold back the canal, which is at a higher level.
The signs say the wall is dangerous and parts of it could fall. If that’s towards the main London line, it would completely stop rail traffic. I have no idea who has placed the boards there, but
I took this up with Network Rail – hoping someone might come and take a look.
I have had a quick response from Matthew Purkiss, who is the Community Relations Executive for Network Rail.
He told me: “Thank you for getting in touch with us, regarding your concerns about this wall.
I’ve spoken to our structures team, who’ve confirmed they have issued a 26-week works order on this wall.
Our team have confirmed this work will include:
- Removing vegetation from the wall, treating with an approved herbicide, raking out defective joints, and repointing as required.
- Removing any roots behind the wall that may be exerting pressure and pushing the wall towards the track.
- Repairing or replacing any damaged copings or stonework that present a risk of falling onto the track or becoming loose.
Unfortunately, I’m unable to confirm a specific date at this time as our team are currently planning this work.
That said, our structures team have advised that the necessary work will be completed by September.If you have any further questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to get back in touch with us.”
I was walking there this morning and saw these signs, too. It struck me that the wall seemed to be leaning towards the canal, and so the danger might be to people, especially children, walking on the grass near the wall. This needs looking at, too, not just the danger of the wall falling trackwards.