Businesses 'cut off' after railway bridge strike

Businesses in Warwickshire have said a planned five-month road closure following a bridge strike has left them unable to receive deliveries.

The railway bridge on Marston Lane, Whitestone, was hit by a lorry on 11 June and a large part of the brickwork fell away.

West Coast Mainline trains continue to cross the bridge but the road beneath it has been closed to road traffic since the incident, affecting access to the Marston Hall Industrial Estate.

Network Rail said the road closure was "helping to protect local communities, road users, railway passengers and the workforce delivering the repairs", and that it was expected to remain in place until November.

Speaking to BBC CWR, David Garroway who works at the nearby Yew Tree Farm, said the closure had affected their harvest and their safety: "We had a fire down one end of the field and the fire engine couldn't get to the farm but luckily we had things on site to contain it."

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that they were called to a fire at Yew Tree Farm on 31st July 2026, but said that the fire had been extinguished by the time they got there."

Alex Ostaszkiewicz, co-owner of Max Garage said: "I think everyone on this industrial estate [has] got the same problem with the deliveries, the bin collections, the oil collections and everything. It's very, very annoying."

The diversion route across a narrow canal bridge with a 3.5 tonnes weight restriction had left Yew Tree Farm unable to access some fields with tractors and machinery.

"Diesel was delayed for a week during harvest." Garroway said.

In the last few weeks, changes to access have been made to ease the pressure on the businesses.

Following consultation with The Canal & River Trust, Warwickshire County Council said it had increased the weight limit on the canal bridge from 3.5 tonnes to 7.5 tonnes as an interim measure.

It added: "The Canal & River Trust has advised that the bridge can safely carry vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes in the short term, however, prolonged use by vehicles over three tonnes would accelerate the bridge's deterioration.

"For that reason, the temporary increase does not represent a permanent change in the bridge's status, and the 3 tonnes weight limit will be reinstated once Network Rail has completed repairs and Marston Lane can safely reopen."

The bridge is also now manned during the day to allow special access for farm vehicles.

Garraway said the lack of work seemingly going on was also frustrating.

"They seem to have put up a bit of scaffolding then just said 'Right, that'll do for now we'll come back in a few months'."

Network Rail said engineers had been carrying out detailed assessments of the damage and developing a permanent repair solution.

It added "the work involves completing detailed designs, procuring specialist steel and concrete materials, securing access to the railway and planning complex engineering activity while trains continue to run safely on the route".

Martin Ball, infrastructure director for Network Rail's West Coast South route, said: "We understand the closure of Marston Lane continues to be frustrating for residents, businesses and motorists, and we'd like to thank everyone for their patience while we carry out these essential repairs.

"Although trains are running safely, the bridge suffered significant damage and remains vulnerable to further strikes until the permanent repairs are completed."

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