New data from Network Rail has revealed that a railway bridge in Grantham is one of the most bashed bridges in Britain. From April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, the bridge on Harlaxton Road was struck 14 times, which makes it the fifth most-hit railway bridge.
This Lincolnshire bridge was previously the third most-hit railway bridge in Britain for 2021/22, after it was hit 17 times. The new data for 2023/24 shows that 1,532 bridge strikes were reported to Network Rail, which is around one every six hours, Lincolnshire Live reports.
These incidents have cost Britain’s rail industry around £20m in repairs, delays and cancellations. At the top of the list for the most incidents is the bridge on Stuntney Road, Ely, after it was hit 18 times in the 12 month period, followed by railway bridges in Stonea, Wimbledon and Hinckley.
The new figures come as Network Rail urges haulage operators and lorry drivers to take better care on the road by knowing the height of their vehicles and choosing suitable routes. This is part of the organisation’s ongoing ‘Wise Up, Size Up’ campaign.
Martin Frobisher, Network Rail’s group safety and engineering director, said: “Every time a vehicle hits a bridge it can cause serious safety issues for road and rail users. To compound matters, these incidents can delay tens of thousands of passengers while we inspect the bridge and repair any damage, creating cost from public funds which should be used upgrading and improving our network.
“We’ve done a lot of work with transport partners to tackle bridge strikes and it’s encouraging to see this is paying off with a general downward trend in the number of incidents. But with a strike every six hours there’s still much to do and we urge operators and drivers to properly plan their routes, know the height of their vehicles and be vigilant for road signs showing the height of bridges.”
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