Most struck railway bridge in 20-21
Network rail reveals ‘most bashed’ bridge in Britain 2020/2021
On average a railway bridge is stuck 31 times a week in Britain.
Not only does this cause delays to the rail network as the bridge is closed and checked, but also delays to local traffic while the lorry is removed. Those who don’t plan their routes properly risk losing their operator’s licence, and Network Rail will also look to recover the entire repair and costs for delays.
Network Rail has released their list of the most struck bridges in Britain 20/21, which has seen the bridge on Coddenham Road, Needham Market in Suffolk jump from 10th place last year to first place this year with almost twice as many strikes. The top ten account for 133 bridge strikes between them, 8% of the total 1624 strikes across the whole country.
Network Rail research found that 43% of LGV / HGV drivers admitted to not measuring their vehicle before heading out on the road, and 52% to not taking low bridges into account. Network Rail has therefore relaunched its “Wise up, Size up” campaign, urging drivers and haulage operators to check the height of their vehicle and to plan their route before setting off.
Logistics operators using the Descartes Route Optimisation Software to plan their delivery routes can relax, knowing that the software will consider the height and type of vehicle being used and compare this to the height of bridges along its possible route, not only selecting a delivery route that avoids low bridges, but one which is the shortest and most economical route for their deliveries.
Discover More about Route Planning & Optimisation
Reporting a Bridge Strike
- Use the telephone number on the identification plate fixed to the bridge. This number will connect to the regional railway control centre.
- If no plate is provided, the bridge strike should be reported to the Police by telephoning 999.
- Strikes can also be reported to the Network Rail emergency helpline on 03457 11 41 41.
But it is always best to avoid doing it in the first place.