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08
Feb
Police cordon off area in Knaresborough as some trains resume
Police have cordoned off Viaduct Terrace in Knaresborough after a section of the pedestrian walkway collapsed into the River Nidd this afternoon.
The incident has led to train services between Harrogate and York being cancelled this evening due to what rail operator Northern has decribed as "urgent repairs to the railway".
Its latest update at 8.08pm said:
"Due to urgent repairs to the railway between York and Harrogate trains have to run at reduced speed on all lines. Train services running through these stations may be cancelled or delayed by up to 20 minutes. Disruption is expected until the end of the day."
Viaduct Terrace is almost directly beneath the viaduct that carries trains between Harrogate and York.
It appears a section of the terrace collapsed into the River Nidd due to a landslip after weeks of wet weather, but this has yet to be confirmed.
The scene this afternoon at Viaduct Terrace.
None of the emergency services has issued a statement yet. However, multiple organisations have been active at the scene.
Matt Walker, a Knaresborough town councillor and North Yorkshire councillor, said a “full multi agency response has been working together to manage the situation safely and effectively”.
In a social media update at about 7pm. Cllr Walker said:
“The area is now under police control and has been safely cordoned off. Officers will remain on site throughout the night to keep everyone safe. A huge thank you to all agencies involved for their quick, coordinated response.”
He added representatives from Northern Powergrid attended due to electrical cables near the viaduct. “After assessment, they’ve confirmed there is no damage,” he said.
Cllr Matt Walker
Environment Agency staff have inspected the river and its banks. “They’ll continue monitoring closely due to the recent rainfall,” said Cllr Walker, who added North Yorkshire Council highways officers were on site this afternoon and will return first thing in the morning for further assessments.
Rail operator Northern said at 6.55pm that services were unable to operate between York and Harrogate in both directions.
It added customers can travel via Micklefield as an alternative and that ticket restrictions have been lifted during this disruption.
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