Tesco collapses!

Deconstruction? It wasn' t us, honest...

From http://www.4rfv.co.uk/nationalnews.asp?id=42095

01 July 2005

Gerrards Cross tunnel collapse causes commuter chaos

An inquiry has been launched into the collapse of 20-metre section of a partially completed railway tunnel last night.The tunnel at Gerrards Cross in Buckinghamshire was to be put in place so that the carpark for a £20 million Tesco Superstore development could be built over the Chiltern line.No-one was injured in the collapse of the tunnel over the line which runs from Marylebone to Birmingham but train services on the line will be subject to major disruption for at least a week until thousands of tonnes of material can be cleared from the track.

At around 7.30pm on Thursday evening the driver of a train stopped near the Gerrards Cross station alerted authorities of the collapse of the tunnel near the station.Overnight, specialist investigators from Network Rail and the Health and Safety Executive were called in to examine the scene.A spokesperson for Chiltern Railways this morning apologised for the inconvenience caused by the situation, which he said was beyond the company's control.
The Gerrards Cross station will remain closed until further notice and Chiltern Railways announced that an emergency timetable is in operation on the route.

Passengers will be bused between: Beaconsfield and Amersham (for onward Chiltern Railways and London Underground services to central London); High Wycombe to Maidenhead (for onward First Great Western Link trains to London Paddington); and Denham to West Ruislip (for onward Chiltern Railways and London Underground services to central London).The spokesperson confirmed that until further notice, Chiltern Railways tickets would be accepted by Virgin Trains, First Great Western Link, Central Trains, Silverlink Trains and London Underground on the neighbouring alternative rail routes.(SP/GB)