A railway bridge in Hinckley, England, has been struck by a lorry for the second time in two days, leading to temporary disruption of train services. The incident occurred on Tuesday at 13:48 local time when a lorry collided with the bridge on Watling Street.
Network Rail confirmed that an inspection of the bridge took place within 30 minutes of the collision. No damage was found, and train services were able to resume operations without significant delays, with only 16 minutes of overall disruption reported. The bridge is known as 'Britain's most bashed' bridge, according to BBC News.
"Bridge strikes remain one of the biggest causes of disruption on the railway," a Network Rail spokesperson stated. The organization reiterated its call for drivers to be more vigilant. "We continue to urge drivers to Wise Up, Size Up, by knowing the height of their vehicle, planning their route carefully and always obeying road signs and warning systems at low bridges."
The collision on Tuesday followed a similar incident on Monday, which also involved a lorry striking the same bridge. Police reported that the road was shut due to the "road traffic collision" with the bridge on Monday. The frequency of such incidents highlights ongoing challenges with drivers failing to account for vehicle height when navigating low bridges.
Previous incidents at the Watling Street bridge have involved lorries overturning or becoming wedged. Network Rail data indicates that bridge strikes cause significant financial losses and operational headaches across the UK's rail network, impacting journeys and requiring costly repairs.