Railway bridge closure leads to 'awful' traffic problems in Newton Harcourt

Network Rail has been working on electrification of the Midland Mainline near Newton Harcourt

Railway bridge closures have caused major problems with increased traffic and speeding in a Leicestershire village, residents have said.

Network Rail is reconstructing the Station Road bridge over the Midland Mainline near, Newton Harcourt, to allow for the railway to take electric trains.

Villagers said that had diverted more "dangerous" vehicles past their homes.

They have called for better traffic-calming measures.

Rat run

Network Rail has apologised for delays to the work on Station Road, which has been shut since January.

It was set to have finished already but is now expected to last until November.

It is the latest of a number of nearby bridges affected.

Resident Mike Lockwood said: "At the moment the traffic is absolutely enormous.

"It's awful. None of them stay to 30mph.

"It's definitely turned into a rat run since they closed the bridges."

Villagers Mike Lockwood, Judit Szabo, Karin Loew and Roger Jones want action to stop speeding

Fellow resident Judit Szabo said some drivers had made the village feel unsafe for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.

She said: "You take your life in your hands. It's not safe for residents.

"We already had speeding cars in the village before the works and it's just got worse."

The residents said they support the long-running rail electrification scheme but want better protection against aggressive and speeding drivers.

Unexpected work

They have asked Leicestershire County Council for mobile speed warning cameras to be deployed.

A spokesperson for Network Rail said: "We apologise for the extended closure facing residents and motorists.

"Completion has been delayed due to unexpected work and additional safety features needing to be implemented, including the installation of new traffic lights.

"We are working closely with the county council to ensure that work is completed and the bridge is reopened as soon as possible."

A spokesperson for the county council said: "Speeding traffic through the village is a matter which needs to be reported to the police.

"Newton Harcourt already has traffic management controls in place, and there is an existing 30mph limit."