South Wiltshire bridge among 'most bashed' in UK
New figures from Network Rail recorded 1,532 bridge strikes - causing 100 days of delays
A South Wiltshire rail bridge is among those most 'bashed' bridges in the last year, according to figures from Network rail.
Warminster Road Bridge in Wilton has cracked the top 10 for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) hitting it in the last 12 months, being struck 11 times.
Between 1st April 2023 and 31st March, Network Rail recorded 1,532 bridge strikes, which led to a combined total of delays of over 100 days.
The new figures come as Network Rail urges haulage operators and their lorry drivers to ‘Wise Up, Size Up’ and take better care on the roads.
Martin Frobisher, Network Rail’s group safety and engineering director, said: “Every time a vehicle hits a bridge it can 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.
"We will report those who don’t to the Traffic Commissioners and Network Rail always looks to recover the entire repair and delay costs from the driver and the operator.”
Most struck railway bridges in Britain 2023/24:
- Stuntney Road, Ely - 18 strikes
- Stonea Road, Stonea - 17 strikes
- Lower Downs Road, Wimbledon - 17 strikes
- Watling Street A5, Hinckley - 15 strikes
- Harlaxton Road, Grantham - 14 strikes
- Doncaster Road (A638), Ackworth, Ferrybridge - 13 strikes
- Warminster Road Bridge, Wilton - 11 strikes
- Abbey Farm, Thetford - 11 strikes
- Kenworthy Road Bridge, Homerton - 11 strikes
- Jews Lane, Twerton - 10 strikes