One of UK’s ‘most bashed bridges’

LANGLEY: The Station Road bridge has been named as one of the ‘most bashed bridges’ in Britain.

Figures released by Network Rail show the bridge has been struck 12 times over the past year, costing £181,000.

This resulted in travel delays of more than 34 hours, more than any other bridge in Network Rail’s top 10 list.

Station Road was the eighth most struck bridge in the UK in 2021/22 with collisions up 200 per cent compared to the previous year.

Tim Porter, Network Rail’s asset engineer for the Wales & Western region, said: “Bridge strikes are dangerous, disruptive and costly, diverting public funds that could otherwise be used for improving and upgrading our rail network.

“The impact of a bridge strike is far reaching and can result in lengthy delays for both train passengers and road users.

“We are urging vehicle owners, and in particular HGV drivers, to ensure they know the height of their vehicles before they travel.”

Mr Porter urged drivers to plan ahead before they travel and check the route they’ve chosen is suitable for heavy goods traffic, with no low bridges.

Lorry drivers could face stiff penalties, including the removal of their public service vehicle licence, if they collide with bridges, Network Rail added.

He added: “While overall bridge strikes in our region remain low, it’s concerning to see such a large increase in the number of times the Langley bridge has been affected over the past year.

“We’ll continue to work with our partners within the road and rail industries to raise awareness of this issue to ensure that drivers know the risks and take suitable action to avoid a costly collision.”