Shropshire villagers baffled by 115-mile rail work diversion
Shropshire villagers were left baffled when they received letters about work to their railway bridge which appeared to be sending them on a diversion 115 miles away.
The letters, sent to residents of Steventon, near Ludlow, said a road closure would be in place on four nights while work was underway to raise the height of the bridge. But the map showing the diversion route did not look familiar.
That was because a system error had got the small parish confused with a much larger village of the same name, in Oxfordshire.
Councillor Andy Boddington said: "I am concerned that the good residents of Steventon, Oxfordshire, might not have been informed about these works."
Network Rail spokeswoman Bryony Parry said: “A letter intended for residents in Steventon, Oxfordshire was also sent to residents in Steventon, Ludlow. This is owing to a system fault which created a sending list for both locations. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
