Boaters 'marooned' in the Broads as bridges fail

Boaters say they are being left "marooned" in the Broads due to repeated problems with swing bridges breaking down.

The river crossings at Reedham, Norfolk, and Somerleyton, Suffolk, are nearly 125 years old and both carry railway lines linking Norwich with Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.

Currently, Reedham crossing is out of action due to a mechanical failure, leaving larger boats stuck in the waterways, while Somerleyton frequently cannot operate in hot weather.

Network Rail has apologised for the issues which have left boaters having to scrap holiday plans, and Broads firms say are harming the economy.

Reedham Swing Bridge is on the River Yare, which means boats further upstream that cannot fit under, are stuck in the Norfolk Broads.

Hire cruisers and smaller boats can continue to pass under the bridge, which has a clearance of about 10.4ft (3.14m).

Mark and Karen Roberts, from near Norwich, have spent months planning a trip to the Channel Islands but they have had to scrap their boating adventure.

They have left their vessel moored in Brundall and will instead get a ferry from Poole and pay for alternative accommodation.

Mark Roberts, 65, said: "We were meant to be there now and go away for six weeks. We had everything booked and carefully checked the tides. We are totally frustrated. We have been marooned."

The couple has been boating on the Broads for about 15 years. They say problems with the bridges are getting more frequent.

They have called on the Broads Authority, which is responsible for maintaining navigation in the waterways, to put more pressure on Network Rail to better maintain the crossings.

Boaters have a right to navigation through the 124 miles (200km) of waterway, which is enshrined in law.

Karen Roberts, 60, said: "As the summers have got hotter there have been more and more problems as the bridges cannot be opened if it is too warm.

"You speak to people in Holland about the situation and they just laugh as theirs are so well maintained."

James Fraser, director of the Norfolk Yacht Agency, said the issue is affecting businesses like his, and putting people off keeping their boats in the Norfolk Broads.

He said some people have got stuck on the wrong side of the bridge and now have to pay to moor elsewhere.

The company organises boating trips along the coast or further afield to Holland and beyond, and recently had to cancel a planned trip to Southwold.

Fraser said: "For years now, we have been losing boats from the Broads. People are packing up because they are exasperated about having their plans ruined."

He said the Royal Yachting Association estimates a moored boat is worth about £25,000 a year to the local economy.

The Broads Authority said it continues to "stress to Network Rail the inconvenience caused and the urgency in resolving the situation at Reedham, for boaters with larger vessels ".

Network Rail, which is responsible for maintaining the bridges, has apologised for the problems and said repairs are planned in the coming weeks.

It said it will trial manually swinging the bridge at Reedham and added that heat can affect the bridges as it causes the rails to expand.

A spokesperson said: "We're really sorry for the disruption caused by the very hot weather and the failure at Reedham.

"We'll be doing everything we can to minimise the impact on boat users, neighbours and passengers this summer."

In recent years, boaters have faced a number of issues with bridges in the area.

Haven Bridge in Great Yarmouth suffered a catastrophic failure in 2019 which took five years to repair.

In 2024, shortly after reopening in December 2023, it was shut for 83 days in 2024 due to a dispute over the operation of the bridge between Norfolk County Council and Peel Ports.

Rising water levels are also preventing boats from fitting under the medieval Potter Heigham Bridge, one of the lowest in the Broads.

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