Total of 298 stoppages in 2024

DURING 2024 there were nearly 300 stoppages on Canal & River Trust waterways.

A record

This makes it the record for a year's stoppages mostly caused by broken equipment, and here's the list:

January—15.   February—13.    March—12.   April—23.   May—31.   June—39.   July—35.   August—37.   September—35.   October—23.   November—27.  December—8. 

A total of 298 throughout the year.  They obviously increasing as the 'season' began with the 23 in April hitting 37 when the canals had their most use and the poorly maintained equipment being unable to cope.

And our grateful thanks for the work of Keith Gudgin in supplying the stoppages information.

Not published

However, of the total, if was discovered that there were times when stoppages were not published by the trust, so the actual number just cannot be given.

The worst hit waterway was the Leeds & Liverpool Canal that suffered 29 stoppages in all with 12 of those caused by broken swing bridges, with the many stoppages, and such as the Wigan Flight closed for weeks through a broken cill.  Such were its stoppages that one hire company was forced to stop its usual narrowboat hire and resort to day boats only.

And now, time and time again broken lock beams are getting 'bodge' jobs, either with metal or even wood, as shown.