A SECTION of Tonedale bridge has been destroyed following a recent traffic collision which scattered debris on the railway below.

The accident, which took place at approximately 11pm on Thursday, April 10, involved a vehicle which collided with a section of the brick wall on the Tonedale side of the bridge on Milverton Road.

The wall collapsed onto the Network Rail operated railway track below and trains were temporarily suspended while engineers cleared the debris. Nobody was reportedly injured.

Temporary traffic lights are in place on Milverton Road after a vehicle knocked a wall onto the railway tracks below Tonedale bridge
Temporary traffic lights are in place on Milverton Road after a vehicle knocked a wall onto the railway tracks below Tonedale bridge (Tindle News)

A Network Rail spokesperson said: “Following a road traffic accident on Milverton Road, in Tonedale, at approximately 11pm on Thursday, April 10, trains passing under the bridge were temporarily suspended while our engineers attended the scene.

“A structural assessment of the bridge was carried out and debris that had fallen onto the track was removed. Trains in both directions were able to run through the area at line speed again by approximately 3.30am.”

The train services have since been running as usual, while there are now temporary traffic lights in place and the site of the collision has been cordoned off.

The debris has now been cleared from the tracks below Tondedale bridge after a traffic accident led to a wall being knocked to onto the line below
The debris has now been cleared from the tracks below Tondedale bridge after a traffic accident led to a wall being knocked to onto the line below (Tindle News)

A representative of Network Rail says that the area has been cordoned off as a temporary safety measure until their contractors can undertake repairs, which they say will hopefully be completed by early next month.

This is the second incidence of a traffic accident on the bridge in the the past seven months. On October 7, 2024, the Buses of Somerset service, run by First South West, was involved in an incident which occurred as an oncoming vehicle appeared to force the bus to the side of the railway bridge, causing it to hit the wall.

While debris was left scattered on the road, nobody was injured.