A
bridge
in
Rutland
was
so
seriously
damaged
by
a
lorry
on
5
November
that
the
railway
may
be
closed
between
Leicester
and
Peterborough
for
the
next
three
weeks,
Replacement
buses
are
running
and
freight
trains
carrying
essential
goods
are
being
diverted
via
London.
Fosters
Bridge
at
Ketton
crosses
the
A6121,
which
will
also
be
closed
until
repairs
can
be
completed.

Trains
return


++
More
trains
are
running
today
after
the
cancellation
of
three
24-hour
RMT
strikes
at
the
eleventh
hour
on
Friday
afternoon.
Train
operators
were
unable
to
change
the
rosters
for
thousands
of
drivers
and
other
train
crew
immediately,
and
timetables
are
slowly
returning
to
normal
day
by
day.
The
strikes
would
have
been
staged
on
Saturday,
Monday
and
tomorrow,
and
‘intense
negotiations’
between
the
RMT,
Network
Rail
and
train
operators
are
now
underway.
The
union
has
also
warned
that
more
strikes
may
be
called
unless
there
is
a
settlement,
and
a
ballot
of
its
members
authorising
fresh
walkouts
until
April
closes
a
week
today.

Metro
expansion


++
Transport
North
East
has
set
out
a
business
case
for
an
extension
of
the
Tyne
&
Wear
Metro
which
would
give
Washington
a
rail
connection
and
also
be
the
start
of
reinstating
the
Leamside
line.
The
Washington
Metro
Loop
would
include
new
stations
at
Follingsby,
Washington
North
and
Washington
South.
The
scheme
would
cost
£745
million,
and
TNE
said
the
trains
would
replace
1.7
million
car
journeys
a
year.