CCTV captures moment lorry smashes through cables on Essex …
The moment a lorry smashed through and destroyed overhead cables at an Essex train station has been captured on video. The film, posted by c2c on Twitter, shows a lorry with a load propped up on a diagonal driving fast through a railway crossing in Essex on Thursday morning (May 18).
However, the load is so tall it also smashes through and destroys the overhead railway cables running along the train tracks at the station. As the lorry drives over the tracks, sparks and what appear to be flames can be seen underneath the vehicle’s wheels.
The incident is believed to have happened at one of the stations between Stanford-le-Hope and Pitsea stations in south Essex. The damage caused chaos for commuters in Essex, as several train services between Stanford and Pitsea were cancelled while engineers rushed to fix the cables.
c2c has now tweeted a video of the lorry damaging the overhead wires. They said: “This shocking CCTV footage shows the moment a lorry struck overhead lines, causing the disruption this week between Stanford-le-Hope and Pitsea. Please take care around level crossings and railways, if you drive a vehicle check you know the height restrictions.”
c2c said they expected the disruption on the rail lines to last until the close of play on Thursday, with some services being cancelled or diverted through to Basildon. There were also bus replacement services operating between Stanford and Pitsea.
In a statement on c2c’s website, they said: “For peak services, Ockendon and Rainham train services that are booked to start from/terminate at Pitsea will now start from/terminate at Stanford-le-Hope. Rail Replacement Buses will operate between Pitsea and Stanford-le-Hope.
“For off peak services, Ockendon and Rainham train services that are booked to run though Pitsea and start from/terminate at Southend Central/Shoeburyness will be diverted via Basildon and will run non-stop between Pitsea and Upminster. Rail Replacement Buses will operate between Pitsea and Grays. A shuttle train service will operate between Grays and Upminster.”
c2c is now offering compensation for anyone delayed by more than 15 minutes as a result of the service cancellations.