RAILWAY bridges across the East Coast Main Line through the North-East and North Yorkshire remain in a scandalous state ten weeks after the Selby disaster, The Northern Echo reveals today.

We visited 50 bridges between Newcastle and York and found the approach on dozens of bridges to be inadequately protected.

The extensive survey comes as major new reports from two county councils in the region underline the need for urgent action.

Last night, politicians, experts, trade unions and relatives of rail disaster victims joined calls for immediate measures to reduce the risk of another catastrophe.

In one appalling example - at Birtley - wooden fencing was in a complete state of disrepair.

Structural engineer John Knapton, of Newcastle University, who joined The Northern Echo's investigation, said: "What surprised me was the dilapidated state of bridges on secondary roads. Often, all there is to protect high speed lines is nothing more than wooden garden fencing - and frequently even that is broken.

"At one point there's nothing to stop a push-bike getting on the line, let alone a juggernaut."

The revelations come two and a half months after the Selby disaster, caused when a Land Rover crashed off the M62.

Cedric Truckle, uncle of Stephen Dunn, the freight train driver who died in the disaster, said any safety improvements identified should be carried out immediately.

He said: "It is too late for us, but all bridge barriers need to be extended and replaced if necessary. The Government must have the revenue to pay for this with the amount it gets from motorists."

Our shocking findings have been given added weight by reports just completed by Durham and North Yorkshire county councils.

Both authorities are now seeking an urgent meeting with Railtrack to clarify who is responsible for the bridges - a major source of dispute.

In North Yorkshire it is estimated the vast majority require work of some sort - many considered a high priority.

Durham County Council revealed it had yesterday begun a £20,000 scheme to strengthen the approaches to Littleburn bridge at Burnigill farm on the B6300, south of Durham City.

The bridge is one of five highlighted in a report to cabinet members on Monday as needing the most urgent attention.

A council spokesman said it considered the other four to be Railtrack's responsibility. A copy of the authority's survey is being sent to Railtrack, asking what it proposes to do.

There is no legislation clearly defining areas of responsibility. Often, it is set out in individual agreements reached when engineering works were carried out.

The authority is now searching through records dating back to the 19th Century to see if it can trace agreements.

Railtrack said ownership of the bridges is split between the Highways Agency, local highways authorities and Railtrack.

"Responsibility for road safety and road management, including highways barriers, is always the responsibility of the relevant highways authority.

"As far as railway safety is concerned this is a matter for Railtrack."

Shadow environmental minister Archie Norman said last night: "One would have thought that after the last three years history of rail accidents, we would have got over the buck-passing phase and crashed some heads together."

No one from Transport Secretary John Prescott's office was available for comment.

Solicitor John Traynor, whose brother Ged - a former Easington district Council officer - was one of the seven victims of the Southall rail crash, said: "It is extremely worrying to hear of such clear, damning evidence."