ELY S new railway bridge is expected to be completed today (Thursday). The £9 million bridge spanning 100 metres across the River Ouse will allow train services from Ipswich to Peterborough to restart. It was rebuilt after a freight train derailed in June

ELY'S new railway bridge is expected to be completed today (Thursday).

The £9 million bridge spanning 100 metres across the River Ouse will allow train services from Ipswich to Peterborough to restart.

It was rebuilt after a freight train derailed in June, damaging the bridge and leaving wagons hanging over the river.

At the weekend, the centre span of the new bridge was put in place and track maintenance teams have been working to lay new track and signals to make the line operational.

During the construction of the new bridge, Network Rail put in place a pontoon which acted like a swing bridge to allow plant equipment to be moved from one side of the river to the other and allow boats to pass through.

Patrick Hallgate, Network Anglia route director, said: "This has been an incredibly challenging project but everyone involved has worked tirelessly to get the new bridge built and I'm delighted that the finishing line is now in sight.

"I'd like to thank passengers, local residents and businesses and our rail industry partners for their continued co-operation and patience throughout this project. I'm very much looking forward to seeing passenger and freight services return to this important local and cross-country route."

The new bridge will continue to carry a single track across the river but has the capacity to carry two tracks ready for larger sized European freight.