Changes

*[[Hampton Loade]]: The side of the embankment collapsed by the caravan park north of Hampton Loade station. The repair was achieved using ‘reinforced earth’ and the installation of new drainage.

*[[Highley]]: A large portion of the embankment opposite the cattle dock and water tower collapsed, taking with it the Highley Up starting signal. To achieve a repair the water column and cattle dock had to be removed, and the unstable ground carefully dug out in stages to avoid further collapses. New drainage was installed and the ground repaired with ‘reinforced earth’. By November a single track had been re-installed allowing rail access to the areas affected further south. Further work was then required to reinstate the cattle dock and water tower, and also to give access to the new Engine House.

*[[Borle viaductViaduct]]: Another large collapse near Borle Viaduct was reported by a local farmer, who rang the Railway to ask “Do you know your embankment is in my field?” Once again the repair involved replacing the embankment with ‘reinforced earth’, supplemented by new drainage. The concrete and brick ‘training walls’ upstream and downstream of the viaduct itself also suffered cracking. Repairs were delayed for some months waiting for the water level in the brook to subside, but ultimately involved soil nailing and rock filled ‘gabion’ baskets. This was the final area to be reinstated shortly before the public re-opening of the full line in March 2008.

*[[Victoria Bridge]]: Another washout immediately south of Victoria Bridge left the track suspended in mid-air. A new concrete retaining wall was installed, including a large drainage chamber.

*[[Folly Point]]: Another traditional ‘weak point’ above the River Severn where the railway is carried on a series of gabion baskets supported on a stone wall. Storm water had displaced these gabion baskets, and the flood swollen river was threatening to undercut the stone wall. Within hours permission had been received to dump stone into the river to prevent further erosion. Work then took place to replace the gabions and the embankment above them, although the site had to be evacuated when adjacent parts of the hillside began to move. Work re-commenced once these had been made safe.

*[[NorthwoodHalt|Northwood]]: The Northwood area was not significantly affected by the June thunderstorm, but cracks appeared in the embankment above Northwood Lane following the second storm in July. The road was closed while repairs were carried out. These involved sinking more than 450 ‘soil nails’ each up to 50 feet in length, together with new drainage and geotextile mesh reinforcement.