Morpeth: Damaged Plessey Viaduct repairs expected to take weeks

A safety barrier on the Grade II-listed Plessey Viaduct was damaged

Urgent repairs to a damaged Northumberland railway viaduct are expected to take up to four weeks.

Trains north of Newcastle have been disrupted after movement was discovered in a safety barrier at Plessey Viaduct, between Cramlington and Morpeth.

Network Rail said a 25m length of the wall on top of the viaduct became "unstable" but the main Grade II-listed structure had not been affected.

Trains are operating on one line but passengers have been warned of delays.

Structural engineers and other specialists are working at the site, which carries two tracks of the East Coast Main Line over the River Blyth.

The damage was discovered during planned engineering work last weekend.

"Unfortunately, whilst we were doing that work a 25m length of the wall which sits on top of the bridge viaduct itself became unstable," Network Rail's Jason Hamilton told BBC Radio Newcastle.

"We have had to remove that and we are in the process of assessing it and redesigning it and then we are going to be rebuilding that wall section over the next two to three weeks.

"After that we will be in a position where we can put the track back in."

Options included rebuilding or realigning the barrier but it will take time to fix, Network Rail said

Network Rail said due to the location, the design of the 177-year-old viaduct and the heavy machinery needed, it was not possible to move the parapet back to its original location.

Options included rebuilding or realigning it.

It added that the safety of passengers was its priority and people have been advised to check before they travel.