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HGV now removed after being stuck under bridge on Marsh House Lane

(http://www.thisischeshire.co.uk/resources/images/2220061/) (http://www.thisischeshire.co.uk/resources/images/2220062/) (http://www.thisischeshire.co.uk/resources/images/2220063/)

A lorry has crashed into the railway bridge on Marsh House Lane in Padgate, closing the road for four hours.

Police say the collision occurred at 2.02pm today, Thursday.

Marsh House Lane has now reopened following the accident which saw the HGV stuck under the bridge.

The HGV is currently stuck underneath the bridge, although it is not yet known what caused the crash.

No one was injured and the road was reopened around 6pm after the lorry was removed.

Network Rail engineers inspected the bridge, although the rail line is no longer used, and found there was no long term damage.

"The HGV is currently stuck underneath the bridge, although it is not yet known what caused the crash."

I just love this superb piece of reporting ;D

Lorry stuck under Marsh House Lane bridge in Orford

(http://www.thisischeshire.co.uk/resources/images/2239927/) (http://www.thisischeshire.co.uk/resources/images/2239931/)

A lorry has become jammed under the railway bridge on Marsh House Lane in Orford for the second time in two weeks.

The wagon became stuck after 10.30am at the bridge between Hume Street and O'Leary Street - causing the road to be closed.

Only a fortnight ago, a HGV also crashed into the same bridge in a similar fashion with its roof becoming trapped under the undercarriage.

Engineers from Network Rail were called at 11am to check any damage to the bridge.

Trains will not be affected as the railway bridge is not in use.

Marsh House Lane is still closed and police are advising drivers to avoid the area.

Lorry stuck after railway bridge crash next to Raynes Park station

(http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/resources/images/2356291.jpg?type=articleLandscape)

There was commotion on a quiet side road this afternoon after a lorry became stuck in a railway bridge. The accident happened at about 3pm in a non-through road next to Raynes Park station, in which it appears the lorry drove underneath the railway line and exceeded the maximum height restriction.

Passersby on the ground - and on the train line above - watched as the lorry blocked the tunnel, with the driver having to let down the tyres and try to get the vehicle through.

A witness, Ben Steele, said: "It looks like he was carrying scrap metal because a girder has become stuck too. There were a lot of people standing around and taking pictures, some cars were complaining they couldn't get through. But to be honest it's quite jocular. People are having a bit of a laugh and taking photos. I suppose it helps it's a nice day today."

No injuries have been reported.

Lorry stuck under bridge leads to train delays on Lakes Line

(http://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/resources/images/2357775/) (http://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/resources/images/2357776/)
The lorry stuck under the bridge. Pic by Andrew Stuart.

Train services along the Lakes Line were experiencing delays and cancellations this afternoon after a lorry collided with a railway bridge.

The accident happened when a HGV Scania struck the underside of the railway bridge spanning Burneside Road in Kendal. The male driver of the vehicle, belonging to haulage firm, Bird^s Groupage Limited, was said to be unhurt.

Police attended the scene and traffic was moving freely after the lorry was eventually reversed from under the 14ft nine inch bridge.

Passerby Andrew Stuart was on the scene and said he saw the driver  'holding his head in his hands' after the accident.

"The lorry was the only vehicle involved and the driver was not hurt,"  said Mr Stuart.

As a precautionary measure, train services running in both directions and involving stations at Windermere, Staveley, Burneside, Kendal and Oxenholme were subject to delays.

At least one service to Oxenholme was cancelled and it is likely structural checks will be made to the bridge before services can fully resume.

As a matter of interest does anyone know if the drivers get points on their licence for hitting a bridge?

3 Careless, and inconsiderate, driving.

If a person drives a mechanically propelled vehicle on a road or other public place without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration for other persons using the road or place, he is guilty of an offence.

A bridge too far as lorry is stuck in a jam

(http://www.lutontoday.co.uk/webimage/1.4986819.1365681189!/image/207489867.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_595/207489867.jpg)

This lorry driver^s eyes were bigger than his vehicle as he failed to squeeze under a railway bridge in Luton on Tuesday.

Beds Police were called to the scene in Hitchin Road at 4.36pm, and found the lorry stuck underneath the 13ft high bridge, blocking one side of the road.

A Beds Police spokesperson said: ^Officers attended to divert traffic and were at the scene until 6.10pm when the incident was passed to Network Rail. The lorry was extremely damaged but no one was hurt and we will not be taking any further action.^

Network Rail own the bridge and a spokesperson said: ^There were some minor scrapes on the bridge but no major damage. Line services were back to normal by 6.30pm. There might have been a small impact on services prior to that. We examined the bridge as a precautionary measure but it was all fine.^

The lorry was from Ewals Cargo Care and the company have not yet responded to requests for a comment.

Halfords 'We Fit' lorry gets stuck under bridge


A Halfords lorry bearing the "We Fit" logo has got stuck under a railway bridge in Beckenham.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) was called to the scene at about 13:15 BST after the lorry trapped several parked cars on South Eden Park Road.

The LFB tweeted: "Going the 'extra mile' might have been the better option rather than trying to squeeze under a bridge in Beckenham."

Train services across the bridge were stopped as a result of the incident.

A spokesperson for Halfords said: "We would like to apologise for any delays and inconvenience caused to road and train travellers and will be working with the authorities to carry out a full investigation."

London Bridge trains on their way to Hayes were terminating at Elmers End before the lorry was cleared at about 18:30.

Lorry hits railway bridge in North Walsham

A lorry became stuck after hitting a railway bridge in Norfolk.

The top of the vehicle struck the bridge on the A149 Cromer Road, North Walsham, at about 09:20 BST.

(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/78050000/jpg/_78050264_bzqzb3jiaaakkjp.jpg)

Engineers from Network Rail were called to assess the damage to the bridge and trains were temporarily prevented from using it.

Abellio Greater Anglia said normal service was resumed at 10:47, after the lorry had been removed. Trains were delayed by up to 10 minutes.

The road was also closed in November when a lorry hit the bridge.

Low bridge in Grantham struck 15 times is reinforced

(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/78864000/jpg/_78864450_78864443.jpg)
The Springfield Road bridge is 3.6m (11ft 6in) high, and was last struck by a skip lorry in August

A railway bridge that has been struck 15 times in two years is being reinforced against future damage.

Impact beams are being fitted to the Springfield Road bridge in Grantham, Lincolnshire, in a bid to stop vehicles from hitting the main structure.

Justin Page, area director of Network Rail, said the move would help reduce disruption for rail and road users. He said when collisions do occur they can be dealt with more quickly.

Mr Page added: "In the future these beams will take the brunt of any strike."

All of the major routes through Grantham pass under bridges of restricted height and there are numerous instances of lorries striking them.

The Springfield Road bridge has been named as one of the worst in the country. However, disruption to passengers caused by bridge strikes is a nationwide problem, Network Rail said.

Last month, a Halfords 'We Fit' lorry got stuck under a bridge in London and train services across the bridge were stopped as a result of the incident.

Earlier this year, a railway bridge in West Yorkshire was closed after being hit by a skip lorry and a bridge in Edinburgh was damaged after a heavy goods lorry carrying a JCB got stuck under it.

In 2013, members of the Professional Drivers Foundation said "there was no excuse for it" after a Derbyshire bridge was hit five times in six months.

Officials in Grantham hope a new relief road planned for the town will help reduce the number of lorries having to negotiate the low bridges.

Springfield Road will be closed until the end of November while the work on the railway bridge is carried out.

Good to see we have at last overcome our squeamishnes about taking the roof off a lorry before it hits the bridge.

As I've posted before I first saw such beams in Magdaburg in 1996 where there is series of low bridges under a viaduct south of the Hbf. They were  a large goal post of heavy duty RSJs placed a couple of metres in front of the bridge. They also have another deterent at some other bridges, 600V tram power lines!

Waitrose lorry wedged under Colchester railway bridge


Trains in Essex have been delayed after a Waitrose lorry got stuck under a railway bridge.

The HGV became wedged on the A134 near Colchester North railway station at about 08:00 GMT.

Train operator Abellio Greater Anglia said the incident caused delays of up to 15 minutes in both directions.

A Waitrose spokesman apologised for "delays and inconvenience caused to road and rail users".

The lorry was freed after police took pressure out of the tyres, he said.

"We will work with authorities to fully investigate this," the spokesman added.

After a little research As suspected the road is scheduled for resurfacing between November and mid December, road works can be seen in the photos attached to some articles.

Young William will, I am

Anyone know a good, cheap bricklayer?

As I was going to Tesco in Wokingham this morning, I was struck by just how bad this poor old bridge (on the RGRR over the A321) has got. I don't recall any single strike that was reported as especially bad, so I guess it is just cumulative damage.

Network Rail are now going to repair this bridge, closing Finchampstead Raod for next weekend (12th-15th). Apparently there was a particularly serious strike a few weeks ago - though I guess it was still the last camel.

Cherry-picker van hits Bradford railway bridge

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The vehicle hit the bridge in Mill Lane, Bradford, at about 09.35 GMT

A cherry-picker van has crashed into a railway bridge in West Yorkshire causing delays to train services.

Police said the accident happened at about 09.35 GMT in Mill Lane, Bradford, near the Bradford Interchange.

Northern Rail said services were suspended from about 11.30 to 12.15 while Network Rail engineers inspected the bridge.

The road, which was closed to allow the vehicle to be removed, has since reopened. No-one was injured.

Brand new Ford Focus cars wrecked after lorry gets wedged under low bridge
Driver has some explaining to do after a shortcut took his car transporter under a low bridge ^ wrecking five new cars worth up to ^110,000.

(http://home.bt.com/images/brand-new-ford-focus-cars-wrecked-after-lorry-gets-wedged-under-low-bridge-136396943105003901-150319142142.jpg)

This is the moment a fleet of brand new Ford cars were wrecked before they even had a chance to clock up a single mile ^ after the driver of a car transporter got wedged under a low bridge.

The hapless driver took a shortcut to avoid queuing traffic when he collided with a 4.4m (14.5ft) high bridge.

Dramatic pictures showed the top tier of the vehicle ^ containing five brand new Ford Focus cars - virtually flattened in the crash.

The incident happened when the driver from Merseyside, drove under the Snowford Hill railway bridge near Long Itchington, Warkwickshire.

(http://home.bt.com/images/IMAGENAME-136396943093202601)
New Ford Focus cars start at ^13,995 for the 1.6-litre petrol model, rising to ^21,795 for the top-of-the-range diesel edition.

One motorist who witnessed the crash said: "It was like watching it in slow motion.

"It's a long road and it was pretty obvious the transporter was too high for the bridge but it kept going and suddenly there was a crunch and all these new cars got wrecked.

"The driver wasn't hurt but he looked as white as a sheet, he was no doubt trying to think of how he was going to explain it to his bosses at Ford.

"It had to be Friday 13th when the accident happened. If you want take a chance on a shortcut that is not the day to try your luck."

(http://home.bt.com/images/IMAGENAME-136396943099102601)

It is believed the damage to the cars and the bridge will run into tens of thousands of pounds.

An engineer from Warwickshire County Council was sent to inspect the damage and make a report.

A spokeswoman for Ford confirmed the "serious incident" was currently under investigation and said it was not possible to comment further at this stage.

Photo credits: SWNS

Lorry recovered after crashing into railway bridge near Kemble
Last updated 15:03 Friday 20 March 2015

A LORRY crashed into a railway bridge on the A433 into Kemble but the road has now been reopened.

The A433 was closed by police as structural assessments took place.

The lorry hit the bridge on the A433 between Cirencester and Tetbury at around 10am this morning and the road was reopened at around 2.10pm.

The lorry was carrying recycled plastic granules which were not hazardous. There were no injuries as a result of the crash.

Lorry hits bridge as train heads towards it in North Dulwich

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Passengers were stranded on board the train after the lorry hit the bridge's parapet

A lorry has crashed into a rail bridge that had a passenger train heading towards it.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) said it was called at about 11:25 BST after a crane on the lorry hit the bridge in Village Way, North Dulwich.

LFB said no one was injured and it managed to transfer all 89 passengers on to another train to continue their journeys.

Passenger Paul Coggins said he was trapped on the train for over an hour.

(http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/media/images/82185000/jpg/_82185965_82180710.jpg)
The 89 passengers were transferred to a second locomotive to continue their journeys

Richard Knighton, from LFB, said: "The lorry has smashed into the bridge and the 'grabber' on top has gone on to the track. The train driver has quickly seen it and jumped on the emergency brakes, which has narrowly escaped a potential disaster. The track has also been damaged so there was also the possibility of a derailing."

Network Rail said the lorry's crane attachment, which was extended at the time, hit the bridge parapet causing part of it to fall on to the railway. The rail company said: "Power was cut off to the conductor rail and the train. An engineer is on site inspecting the bridge further and should any structural defect be found, then we will have to stop trains for repairs to be made."

"Locomotive"....bloody journalists.

I merely quote them here on the Coffee Shop forum, ChrisB ... for our collective amusement.  ;) :D ;D

Driver gets lorry load wedged under bridge


A LORRY and its load got wedged under a Worcestershire bridge following a crash earlier today.

The incident happened at the turning from the A449 at Kidderminster onto the A450 towards Hagley.

The Operations Patrol Unit for West Mercia Police, who supplied this picture, said: "A lorry has struck the bridge and its load has fallen off.

"The driver is fine albeit shook up. There doesn't look to be any bridge damage but it's been reported anyway."

The road reopened shortly after 2pm.

Red-faced lorry driver gets skip truck wedged under a bridge
A truck driver caused commuter chaos when his skip lorry became wedged under a railway bridge, causing road and rail links to be closed.
(http://home.bt.com/images/truck-wedged-under-tunnel-136398234393403901-150522100955.jpg)

A truck driver found himself in a sticky situation, after his skip lorry became wedged under a bridge.

The huge vehicle tipped onto its side after it became wedged in the redbrick rail bridge, causing travel chaos for thousands of commuters trying to get home.

The white lorry struck the bridge, in Virginia Water, Surrey, at around 3pm on Wednesday - forcing transport bosses to close the train line in case the bridge was structurally damaged.

A witness to the crash said: "I was in the second car heading towards the lorry when it got stuck.

"There was this huge almighty crunch and grinding sound, then it came to a halt.

"The driver got out and he did not look very happy at all.

"It's a low bridge, which high vehicles are meant to take in the middle, but he just ploughed straight into the side."

It is not clear who operates the skip lorry.

Photo credits: SWNS

"The driver got out and he did not look very happy at all."

(http://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/webimage/1.7517912.1444924384!/image/1640843467.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_620/1640843467.jpg)
Motorists faced significant delays this afternoon when police were forced to close a busy Doncaster road after a lorry got stuck under a bridge.

The E.Park & Sons lorry collided with the bridge in Station Road, Bawtry at around 3pm.

Police closed the road for around 45 minutes as the vehicle was removed.

.....not a road vehicle but it is (was) a railway bridge... ::) :P

http://www.noz.de/deutschland-welt/niedersachsen/artikel/644879/frachterunfall-vermutlich-totalschaden-an-friesenbrucke-1#gallery&0&1&644879

I fancy that there may be delays on that line for several days weeks

months years

It's run by Arriva - described in one German site as a British rail company (showing journalists are the same all over).

A LORRY has become stuck under the bridge on Wootton Bassett Road, resulting in a temporary closure of the A3102.

Motorists are warned to expect delays as recovery teams move in to to extract the Lenham Lorry, which hit the bridge at about 8am, and traffic is being diverted by police.

A spokesman for Wiltshire Police said: "We got the call at 7.50am to a lorry on its side. Road closures are in place and the road is expected to be closed for several hours.

"Swindon Borough Council/highways putting in diversions.

"No serious injury to driver of lorry."

Congestion is reported to Blagrove Roundabout and on the B4006 to Bruce Street Roundabout, with long tailbacks of traffic.

Thamesdown Transport have diverted their Eastbound (West Swindon to Town Centre) services 1, 1a and 27 via Great Western Way and Paddington Drive (Bridgemead). This means that the stop at Mannington Roundabout Eastbound is currently not in use.

Westbound services (Town Centre to West Swindon) are operating their normal route.

There are severe delays for Stagecoach routes 8, 9 and 55.

A Network Rail spokesman said: "As a safety precaution trains were instructed to pass over the bridge at 5mph, this led to three trains being slightly delayed.

"Our engineer was on site within 15 minutes and conducted an inspection, the outcome of which was that there was no damage to the bridge and so normal service resumed."

Last February a Sparks Transport lorry became wedged under the bridge and began tilting sideways, in what have been a series of bridge strikes over the years. The driver was unhurt in the incident.

Notable accidents include August 2001, when two lorries hit the bridge in one day.

In November 2010 a Wilkinsons driver was fined ^85 for colliding with the bridge.

On January 22, 2013, a 32-tonne truck became stuck after its driver miscalculated the height and claimed the bridge signs were faulty.

A Mr Kipling^s cakes truck^s arched roof was ripped off later that year after a driver, apparently confused by his sat-nav, crashed into the bridge.

In January 2015 an Oak Furnitureland lorry hit the bridge, with the trailer striking the top and having to be cut up so the vehicle could be freed.

At 9.45am Thamesdown Transport said the road had reopened.

It, erm, strikes me that at 14' 9' or 4.5m, that this bridge is particularly at risk, as the standard unmarked bridge height is 16' 6" or 5.1m, so really quite close in height to this one.

7.11 The imperial figure shown on signs to indicate the available headroom should be at least 3 inches less than the measured height to allow a safety margin. If the resulting figure is not a multiple of 3 inches, it should be rounded down to the nearest lower multiple of 3 inches.

Example 1: measured height 15'-2", subtract 3" to create a safety margin 14'-11", round down to nearest multiple of 3" and sign as 14'-9".
Example 2: measured height 14'-6", subtract 3" to create a safety margin 14'-3", and sign as 14'-3" (rounding down not required as already expressed to the nearest 3")

Thus, the maximum headroom that will normally appear on a sign is 16'-0".

Given the number of hits this bridge has taken over the past few years, I'm surprised the local authority and Network Rail haven't considered reducing the carriageway height by a couple of feet to cure this problem.

I'm pretty certain there is an overheight sensor and warning equipment on the western approach (i.e. coming from Mannington roundabout/John Lewis). I don't recall seeing any in the other direction (from the Dick Lovett side), and that's the way this truck was heading. I'll take a look at stupid-o'clock tomorrow as I pootle to the station.

I noticed a while ago, what I believe is the sensor on the Mannington side, appeared to have been knocked and was leaning at an angle. Having passed it tonight it is still leaning, so perhaps it may not have been working properly?

You should be aware that traffic signs are provided at bridges to show the maximum permitted vehicle height when less than 16 ́-3 ̋ (4.95 metres).

B.5 Variable message signs (VMS) with height detection equipment
B.5.1 Infra red beams are placed in advance of the bridge and are set at the restricted signed height so that they activate the sign if the beam is broken by an overheight vehicle. The activated sign provides a warning so that the driver of the offending vehicle is given the opportunity to stop and
divert.
B.5.2 Sufficient distance is necessary for beam and sign to be located in advance of the bridge both for the sign to respond and for the driver to read and react to its message. To maximise the effectiveness of VMS through positioning, consider:
^ locating the signs in advance of a point where drivers can
easily re-route, ideally without having to turn around
^ positioning the signs away from junctions, roundabouts or other complex situations and large light sources or distractions Consideration should be given to whether parking restrictions are required so that neither the sign nor the detector is obscured by parked vehicles.
...
B.5.4 Infra red beams can suffer from malfunction due to beam misalignment and so it is essential to have a clear default message indicating when the sign is not working. It is recommended that signs are remotely monitored to identify any malfunction.
B.5.5 Each installation should have a robust maintenance contract which includes an emergency response requirement to deal with a malfunction.

B.2 Collision protection beams (CPBs)
B.2.1 Collision protection beams are installations designed to absorb the force from an impacting vehicle and so protect the structure of a bridge. As such they are generally built into the existing bridge abutments because the Highways Act 1980 does not permit free standing supports over the highway as they would create an additional and avoidable hazard to traffic.
...
B.2.4. Collision protection beams to a flat soffit bridge should be erected between 10 - 20 mm lower than the actual bridge soffit (See BD6510) and so the headroom clearance must be rechecked and any necessary adjustments made to the signing before traffic is allowed access under the bridge. The promoter of the protection scheme should allow for and meet the cost of any related re-signing.

178 Restriction on placing rails, beams etc. over highways.
(1)No person shall fix or place any overhead beam, rail, pipe, cable, wire or other similar apparatus over, along or across a highway without the consent of the highway authority for the highway, and the highway authority may attach to their consent such reasonable terms and conditions as they think fit.
...
(5)This section does not apply to any works or apparatus belonging to any statutory undertakers...

But what was the logic behind saying "this bridge is particularly at risk"? I guess it's that a driver might spot lower low bridges as too low just by eye, but this one would not stand out so much. Whether that's reason enough to concentrate efforts to heighten bridges on such high low bridges in particular I'm not so sure. 

I did look on google street view and didn't see any evidence of overheight sensors or signs, so apologies for missing that! Would seem sensible to me if those sensors were linked to the traffic lights either side of the bridge - a red light is usually pretty unambiguous and requires no thought for most drivers to respond to, but I'm sure some regulations or another, as you have highlighted, would preclude that.

The fact it's only just a low bridge I suspect tempts people to have a go ...

Even if it is just a few inches too low for the lorry, the driver has the ultimate responsibilty for the incident. The operator of the lorry can also be culpable. Routes should be planned with low bridges (and weight limits, power cables, narrow lanes etc) in mind before anyone starts the engine. Software exists to enable freight operators to do exactly that.

Interesting quote from a previous post on collision protection beams having to be bolted to the bridge abutments:

"the Highways Act 1980 does not permit free standing supports over the highway as they would create an additional and avoidable hazard to traffic."

Don't understand why would they be an additonal and avoidable hazard to traffic. Surely the whole point is to take the top off a too high a vehicle before it hits the bridge. The Germans don't have any such qualms, I first saw very substantial  free standing beams (RSJs) in Magdeburg in 1996. They also ahve 600 V tram wires as well on other low bridges!

Please explain.

28 Jan - The sensor on the Mannington side still appears to be pointing skywards as Rob mentioned earlier.

It is also mandatory for all tall vehicles (I'm not 100% sure above what height this becomes mandatory) to have their overall height clearly marked and visible from the driving position - I would assume any missing labels would result in a roadworthiness test fail.

No person shall use or cause or permit to be used on a road a vehicle to which this regulation applies if the overall travelling height exceeds 3.66 m unless there is carried in the vehicle in the manner specified in paragraph (3) a notice clearly indicating in feet and inches and in figures not less than 40 mm tall, the overall travelling height.

The law says:

Regulation 10(2) Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986

Indication of overall travelling height

10.^(1) This regulation applies to every motor vehicle which is^

(a)constructed or adapted so as to be capable of hoisting and carrying a skip;
(b)carrying a container;
(c)drawing a trailer or semi-trailer carrying a container;
(d)engineering plant;
(e)carrying engineering equipment; or
(f)drawing a trailer or semi-trailer carrying engineering equipment.

...Keynsham (a village between Bristol and Bath)

With its population of 16,500 souls, Keynsham is rather large to be described as a village. As an aside, I note that Nailsea is home to a mere 15,500 - does that make it a hamlet?  ;D ;D ;D

With its population of 16,500 souls, Keynsham is rather large to be described as a village. As an aside, I note that Nailsea is home to a mere 15,500 - does that make it a hamlet?  ;D ;D ;D

Fair comment.  :-[

I was perhaps rather tactless in describing Keynsham as a village: Nailsea (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nailsea) and Keynsham (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keynsham) are in fact both towns.  ;)

Alterations to services between Newbury and Pewsey
Due to a road vehicle colliding with a bridge between Newbury and Pewsey all lines are closed.
Impact
Train services running through these stations may be delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until 23:15 03/03.

Commuters have been at the centre of traffic chaos this morning as a HGV underestimated the height of a Taunton bridge.

A SPARKS lorry wedged itself underneath the Taunton Train Station Bridge on Station Road at around 8:15am today.

These images show the extend of damage to the goods vehicle and the traffic congestion caused by the incident.

(http://tonefm.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/12801406_1086566334729618_7010765283280450254_n.jpg)

(http://tonefm.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/10392305_1086556084730643_2496169722851170524_n.jpg)

Beat me to it! I just spotted a BBC story (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-35763259) about the same thing.

I maybe mistaken but I'm sure that's a 4.1m high trailer, which "should" fit under the bridge which is signed as 4.2m. (There should be a tolerance as well, to prevent a 4.2m high vehicle scraping along)

...
Whilst the old road surface was scraped away the last time it was resurfaced there is a belief locally that a thicker composite and asphalt top was used. With no one bothering to check the minimum clearance after.

A.1 Highway repairs under bridges
A.1.1 No surfacing works including full depth reconstruction, plane off and inlay, surface dressing or overlay should be undertaken in the vicinity of any bridge without the proposal and its implications being discussed with the Highway Authority^s Bridge Engineer and the bridge owner, if different, and their agreements to the proposal obtained. This is due to the potential for uncontrolled reductions in headroom under the bridge to occur leading to an increase in incidences of bridge strikes.

This applies to all bridges, whether a bridge with a maintained headroom less than the standard minimum maintained headroom of 16^ (5.03m), below which all bridges should be signed, or a bridge with an actual minimum headroom greater than this limit.

The maintained headroom as specified in TD 2711 Chapter 6 must not be reduced at any time. The difference between the minimum measured headroom with the maintained headroom will determine, along with other local issues, the possibility of overlaying.

A.1.2 Obligations to consult and serve notice under the New Roads and Street Works Act16 must also be followed for such works.

A.1.3 In any such situation, there must always be a presumption against raising surfacing levels and so reducing headroom. Occasions when this might be allowed are strictly limited and must be controlled by the Highway Authority^s Bridge Engineer and agreed with the Rail Authority or other bridge owner.

Rail Authorities do, at certain sites, have a legal obligation to provide a minimum clearance and this must not be compromised by any proposal without formal agreement from all involved parties.

A.1.4 There are potentially very serious implications arising from possible changes in headroom as a result of surfacing work. Checking the available clearance under the bridge must therefore be carried out both before and after surfacing, the latter being before traffic is allowed back on the carriageway, to confirm compliance with the agreed design. If an unsanctioned, unprotected reduction in clearance has occurred, immediate corrective action must be taken before allowing traffic access.

A.1.5 If there is a change in headroom agreed by both parties, especially one which reduces available headroom on signed bridges, the responsibility for changing all related signs at, on and in advance of the bridge, and also on related directional signs to indicate the new signed height for the bridge before traffic is allowed access is vested with the Highway Authority. Signs to diagram 7014.1 (see Figure 2) should be provided at the site for a maximum of six months to advise drivers of the change.

A.1.6 Reductions in clearance under unsigned bridges must at no time reduce the available minimum headroom below that for the maintained headroom for the type of bridge involved.

A.1.7 If work has been undertaken which results in increased headroom, signing must be amended or removed, as appropriate, as soon as possible and again the Highway Authority is responsible for the changing or removing the signs.

That document may only describe itself as guidance, but I'd have thought a lawyer could find enough to get a case going.

Taunton station railway bridge claimed a victim this morning, Tone FM got excited and have a large collection of videos and photos on their Facebook and website

http://tonefm.co.uk/news/rush-hour-gridlock-lorry-gets-stuck-taunton-station-bridge/

... under a bridge in Nempnet Thrubwell (were there bridges in either place).

Surely a bridge being hit twice a month merits some serious preventative action being taken? Perhaps rebuilding the bridge or lowering the road, or installing girders a hundred yards ahead of the bridge so that they get hit instead.

It has also installed a large steel protection beam, the large "low bridge" banner and CCTV.

CCTV should at least help with prosecution and hopefully getting truck drivers' insurance cos to pay out.

Installing CCTV is going to do what to prevent a truck driver crashing into it?

All those options are expensive but they only involve one (major) upheaval (or pretty much none in the case of girders). Getting every fortnight must also be expensive and incur regular upheaval.

CCTV should at least help with prosecution and hopefully getting truck drivers' insurance cos to pay out.

A Pembrokeshire road which was closed in both directions after a lorry got stuck under a railway bridge has reopened.

Dyfed-Powys Police was called to the A4076 after the vehicle got wedged at Merlins Bridge near Johnston at about 12:10 BST.

The road had to be closed while the vehicle was recovered, but reopened shortly before 14:00.

No-one was injured in the crash

Wrexham trains delayed after lorry crashes into bridge in Flintshire

Services were delayed for over an hour while engineers were at the scene of the incident to assess the damage
   
Words Steve Bagnall..........

Rail passengers faced delays this evening after a lorry crashed into a bridge.

Trains were unable to run between Wrexham Central and Bidston after the incident on Penyffordd bridge between Penyffordd and Hope at around 5.15pm.

Network Rail sent an engineer to the scene to assess any damage to the railway bridge, temporarily suspending services.

Commuters faced disruption, with a replacement bus service running between the two stations which extended journeys by about 20 minutes.

North Wales Police attended the incident and the line reopened at 6.39pm.

A Network Rail spokesperson said, “Following an articulated lorry striking Penyffordd bridge at 5.15pm this evening, Network Rail was forced to temporarily suspend rail services over the bridge until an engineer had carried out a safety inspection to ensure there was no damage to the bridge.

“Upon attending the bridge, the engineer found no damage and was able to re-open the line at 18:39. We’d like to thank all passengers whose journeys were delayed this evening for their patience.”

I want one of those girders for our railway bridge at Nailsea & Backwell!  ;D

Not that we need one, particularly: it would just be nice to have such a sturdy modern feature at our station.  :P

"The driver said that it did not say on the Satnav that it was a low bridge. He was a bit shocked I think."

... when he got there he decided to try and squeeze through (or something).

Driver reported by police after lorry wedged under rail bridge

Police have revealed that the driver of a lorry which got stuck under a railway bridge has been reported for driving without due care and attention.

The Palmer and Harvey lorry with 30-tonnes of goods inside became struck under the bridge on Saltash Road, Plymouth, near the train station. The railway line and road were closed for several hours.

The bridge was damaged in the incident on Tuesday afternoon, but remains structurally sound.

Now police have revealed the 46-year-old Plymouth driver has been reported for driving without due care and attention.

A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: "The HGV was freed from under the bridge at 7.20pm. It had to be towed as was not in a roadworthy condition as a result of the collision. The bridge was significantly damaged, but the road was fully re-opened at 8pm. The driver, a 46-year-old man from the Plymouth area, was reported for driving without due care and attention."

(http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/images/localworld/ugc-images/276351/binaries/lorry45f%20-%20Copy.jpg)

The lorry struck the bridge at about 5pm on Tuesday. Trains came to a standstill and the road was closed in both directions.

A spokesman for Network Rail said the bridge has been deemed structurally sound following the incident and lines are now back up and running.

"A lorry got stuck under Saltash Road bridge at Plymouth at around 5pm yesterday and staff were on the scene shortly after to examine the bridge," said the spokesman.

(http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/images/localworld/ugc-images/276351/binaries/PLPC20170425G-001_C%20-%20Copy.JPG)

"Trains were initially stopped from crossing the bridge before a 5mph speed restriction was put in place. The lorry was recovered and usual line speed of trains returned to normal at 7.55pm."

Drivers and rail and bus users got caught up in huge delays as authorities sought to resolve the chaos off Pennycomequick Hill.

Palmer and Harvey has refused to comment.

I do wonder if the two recent strikes of this bridge in Plymouth relate to the recent resurfacing. I don't recall anything hitting it prior to the resurfacing, now we've had 3 in 3 months.

Did they really add that much extra thickness to the surface? I would expect a road like that would've been planed down and then a fresh top dressing added to return to the original surface height.

Estimating from the photos, it looks like a good 10-15cm overlap (which incidentally,is the difference between this bridge's clearance of 4.7m and the tallest HGV trailers currently in use in the UK at 4.9m (I would guess that the trailer seen in today's photos is one of those as it looks very tall)

3.5 Remeasures should be taken by the highway authority:
(a) before and after any proposed surfacing work (see paragraphs 2.3 and 2.4).
(b) when a highway inspector or bridge owner reports evidence of a possible
change in surfacing or other circumstance having occurred which has not
been recorded/measured.
(c) where there is evidence of a reported impact on the bridge. In this regard it
is important the highway authority is formally notified by bridge owners of
any strikes on their bridges.
(d) following any replacement, reconstruction or significant work by Network
Rail or other bridge owner to the bridge superstructure or the provision of
collision protection beams.
(e) at the time of every principal bridge inspection (must be organised by those
undertaking the inspection).
(f) every six years for rail over road bridges (programmed and carried out by
the highway authority) to equate to Network Rail’s cycle of inspection.

Did they really add that much extra thickness to the surface? I would expect a road like that would've been planed down and then a fresh top dressing added to return to the original surface height.

Estimating from the photos, it looks like a good 10-15cm overlap (which incidentally,is the difference between this bridge's clearance of 4.7m and the tallest HGV trailers currently in use in the UK at 4.9m (I would guess that the trailer seen in today's photos is one of those as it looks very tall)

After stuvings post I had a look at google maps again. Coming from one direction there are no visible clearance signs on the structure of the bridge. From the other way (the direction that this latest unfortunate lorry approached from) the signs say 15'0" and 4.7m...

As the bridge clearly has a split level deck, could one be 15ft and the other part 4.7m and someone has made a bit of a boo-boo when making the sign...? I think someone needs an urgent trip out with a measuring stick!!

After stuvings post I had a look at google maps again. Coming from one direction there are no visible clearance signs on the structure of the bridge. From the other way (the direction that this latest unfortunate lorry approached from) the signs say 15'0" and 4.7m...

As the bridge clearly has a split level deck, could one be 15ft and the other part 4.7m and someone has made a bit of a boo-boo when making the sign...? I think someone needs an urgent trip out with a measuring stick!!

Stuck truck delays rush hour commuters

(http://news.images.itv.com/image/file/1388861/stream_img.jpg)
The lorry became wedged under a railway bridge during rush hour.

The lorry driver, carrying a fork hoist, brought trains in Romiley, Stockport, to a standstill after he got it wedged under a railway bridge.

The ‘avoidable gaffe’ resulted rush-hour delays to motorists and train users as police and Network Rail officials were called to Compstall Road at around 8.55am today.

They were acting on reports of a vehicle stuck under the bridge at Romiley Station, and trains between Romiley and Manchester were immediately stopped as a Network Rail engineer rushed to the scene. Once he confirmed the bridge had not been damaged, trains were resumed at 9.30am.

The incident caused delays of 37 minutes, plus knock-on delays as the network recovered after the line was declared safe and reopened. Thankfully no one was injured.

A spokesman for Network Rail said: “This kind of avoidable gaffe delays motorists and train customers. There are also potentially very serious safety consequences. “We’d urge drivers of all high vehicles to know for sure, rather than to hope, that their lorry or truck can fit under our bridges. “Transporting a forklift is even more reason to check your height before you drive.”

...has earned a reputation for its unrelenting enforcement of the laws of physics

Latest campaign by NR: https://www.networkrail.co.uk/feeds/oversized-lorries-hit-rail-bridges-five-times-day-causing-misery-hundreds-thousands-reveals-new-campaign/

...  inexperienced drivers ...  Any other ideas?

The onus is always on the driver to know the law regarding their vehicle, to read road signs and use the best driving aid available: i.e. the brain.

When I'm out and about driving my van, the satnav element (brand name 'Co-Pilot') of my PDA consistently tries to send me up (or down) Strawberry Lane, between Bishopsworth and Dundry.  Its whole schedule is based upon that being the 'best available route'.

Strawberry Lane (the name is a clue!) is a probably very ancient public right of way - but the fact of the matter is, it is a pathway, unsuitable even for scrambler bikes, never mind cars or Mercedes Sprinter vans.

Their software is clearly not fit for purpose.

 ::)

I have also been instructed by my satnav to do a U-turn on Clift House Road, in Ashton, Bristol, many times.  Problem is, it's a dual carriageway, with a very robust concrete central reservation.  ::)

However, I do get my own back on my 'Co-Pilot', by deliberately driving on the relatively new South Bristol Link road.  That really confuses the hell out of the satnav software.  The screen refreshes constantly, clearly desperately trying to work out where I am.  ;D

They reckoned that it would only take about six months for commercial drivers to get the changes

All our road authorities provide updated roads data to the official National Street Gazetteer, which is not published nor open data; you need to buy a license to use it. 

The National Street Gazetteer is a public database that is kept private

Stuving describes it well. The ever-useful Wikipedia says:


If I could spell 'oxymoron', I'd look that up too  ;D

My normally very reliable sat-nav has tried to take me into roads clearly not wide enough for a car and onto tram tracks in Nottingham.  The onus is always on the driver to know the law regarding their vehicle, to read road signs and use the best driving aid available: i.e. the brain.

Stuving describes it well. The ever-useful Wikipedia says:
If I could spell 'oxymoron', I'd look that up too  ;D

Conversely, Google Maps, which I use for navigation, tried to direct me down a road in Axminster which hasn't opened yet.

Old Oak Common Lane, London. Should've gone to... you know the rest.

http://metro.co.uk/2017/11/10/london-bus-with-specsavers-advert-loses-its-roof-in-a-crash-7070007/

I see a GWR hi vis in the last picture. Was the railway affected by this? I presume it's very close to the depot.
Also in that last picture is a very large and prominent "LOW BRIDGE" sign. Presumably if the bus was being driven by a learner, the instructor will also have a lot of questions to answer

One thing noticeable about both those USAnian videos is the behaviour of other drivers; they all just drive on or turn around, not one of them checks on the occupants of the crashed trucks.

(https://cdn.prgloo.com/media/8b5cc7da2c7249858fd0b566022c07fd.jpg?width=1035&height=960)
'Irresponsible' bridge-bash stupidity has got to stop

Route:    London North Western

Network Rail today called for an end to the entirely avoidable stupidity of lorry drivers who crash into bridges because they don’t know the height of their vehicles.

The impassioned plea came after two ‘bridge strike’ incidents in the West Midlands yesterday (31 Jan) and two today in Cumbria and West London, all of which caused hours of delays to train customers and motorists.

In the first incident in the West Midlands, shortly after midday yesterday, the lorry driver was lucky to escape unscathed after he smashed into the bridge on Summer Road in Erdington, Birmingham, before overturning. This despite clear signs showing the bridge's height.

Trains on the Cross City Line north, between Birmingham New Street and Lichfield, Staffordshire, were disrupted for hours and local roads well into the evening.

Trains on the route were further impacted when another lorry crashed into railway bridge on St John’s Street, Lichfield, just after 5.30pm. This bridge was struck 13 times in 2016/17.

Today, two separate incidents in Langwathby, Cumbria, and West Ruislip, London, caused further unnecessary delays to passengers and motorists while Network Rail investigated for any damage before fully reopening the lines.

Mark Killick, chief operating officer for Network Rail's London North Western route, said: “There’s no excuse for this. Lorry drivers should know their vehicle's height and width - not guess and hope for the best.

"Despite being very clearly marked, these bridges were driven into by irresponsible drivers causing unnecessary disruption to railway and road-users. We will be doing all we can to reclaim the costs we incurred from the haulage companies responsible.”

When a lorry ‘bridge strike’ occurs, Network Rail’s structural engineers always need to check the bridge is safe before train services can resume.

The latest bridge strikes come despite Network Rail’s recently launched ‘What the Truck’ campaign, aimed at getting lorry drivers to know their vehicles’ heights and choose road routes accordingly.

For more information on bridge strikes visit https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/looking-after-the-railway/bridges-tunnels-viaducts/risk-bridge-strikes/

Reading the twitter thread, I suppose it was inevitable that someone would attempt to prove some sort of racist point by claiming that the Polish driver didn't speak any English... however, the driver may have found it confusing that the bridge clearance sign (a mandatory red circle) gave the height in US Customary units only. Isn't it rather shocking that in 2018 we still have signs in shillings and pebbles?

Isn't it rather shocking that in 2018 we still have signs in shillings and pebbles?

Reading the twitter thread, I suppose it was inevitable that someone would attempt to prove some sort of racist point by claiming that the Polish driver didn't speak any English... however, the driver may have found it confusing that the bridge clearance sign (a mandatory red circle) gave the height in US Customary units only. Isn't it rather shocking that in 2018 we still have signs in shillings and pebbles?

Both the meter and the kilogramme are too big for many purposes.

Makes you wonder how the vast majority of people on the planet cope, doesn't it

I don't normally make a big thing of spellings - with two dyslexic children, it doesn't do - but I feel the need to point out that here in Europe we have metres, not meters.  ;D

I don't normally make a big thing of spellings - with two dyslexic children, it doesn't do - but I feel the need to point out that here in Europe we have metres, not meters.  ;D

Here in Great Britain we have the freedom to spell it either way............. ;D

Never mind English - what's the Polish for "Ildiwch i gerbydau s'yn dod atoch"? As Red Squirrel says, though, having the height sign in fahrenheit groats might not have helped.

As an inch is defined as 25.4 millimetres exactly, the length of the foot is defined by size of the metre - which used to be that object kept in Paris!

So it's a kind of metric measure :D

[By the same logic whiskey, being made from grain, is practically muesli.

By the same logic whiskey, being made from grain, is practically muesli.

Height signs can be in imperial and metric units see Diagram 629.2A of the current Regulations http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2016/362/schedule/2/part/4/made (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2016/362/schedule/2/part/4/made). This does suppose that there is a budget to replace signs, cost of sign v cost of disruption?

A busy road has been re-opened four days after a lorry hit a railway bridge and got stuck underneath.

Two huge cranes had to be brought in on Sunday to free the trapped truck from Ffordd Glanhwfa in Llangefni following the accident which happened on Thursday.

The bridge also had to be removed due to the level of damage caused.

The 100-tonne capacity cranes arrived at the scene at around 10am yesterday and the whole operation took over four hours to complete.

Anglesey Council announced that the road had re-opened this morning.

Martin Davies, from crane and specialist lifting company, Bob Francis Crane Hire had told how they planned to lift the bridge off the lorry as the structure had been so badly damaged by the impact.

Not the beefiest bridge in the world, was it? https://goo.gl/maps/z29j4vbkysT2

That must be true, because you never put ice in muesli.

No need to measure the vehicle height, they need to simply read and understand the notice exhibited by law in all HGV cabs.

BNM's given us a Cure fan's view. Here's the view of an approaching vehicle: https://goo.gl/maps/3CH1H2FNvgA2

Once again the height plate gives the headroom in some sort of mediaeval unit with which I am unfamiliar, but at a guess it's around 4m. Googling up and down the road, I can't find any advance warning beyond a 7.5t weight limit which doesn't suggest a height restriction; maybe someone more familiar with the area can set me straight on that. The overhanging vegetation puts the tin hat on it - I think the driver may have been bowled a googly here!

Fardel Bridge near Ivybridge. 236m 56.25ch MLN

https://goo.gl/maps/X5MZHZzLZW62

That's the down side of the bridge. The up side was the one struck.

He came past a 12ft triangle height sign. only in imperial.

No need to measure the vehicle height, they need to simply read and understand the notice exhibited by law in all HGV cabs.

He came past a 12ft triangle height sign. only in imperial.

Just out of interest, how close to the bridge do you need to be to be able to read those signs?

Mandatory signs are not used at arch bridges, as the main risk to these comes from vehicles which, although low enough to pass through the central part of the arch, might strike the curved shoulder of the structure.

I've never managed to find any clear rules mandating where signs must be present, just the manual that prescribes what they are look like. So the size and content (with alternatives) of the sign and chord marker on the arch are set out, but with these words:
Those "mandatory signs" must be the ones with just the headroom in a triangle.

What the manual says "should" be provided is enough advance signage, including routes avoiding, to fit with that principle that the markings on the bridge are not there to keep totally overheight vehicles from hitting it.

I think "mandatory signs" refers to the ones in a red circle which mandate the prohibition – the red triangle signs are merely a warning.

Presumably the advance sign has to reflect the signage at the actual point. To be, in effect, a "repeater" of the sign not of the obstacle.

Some arch bridges have three height limit signs – one for the central portion of the arch and one for each side. I guess it has to be a reasonably wide arch for there to be point in that, but it seems to me that perhaps the current way of signing arch bridges is not entirely satisfactory. It's the shoulders that are the main problem, I think, because high vehicles tend to also be wide.

Well did she, thought? I can see the 12 shilling sign at the bridge - prominently displayed behind the branch of a tree - but I couldn't see any others when I googled up and down the lane...

The sign is at the start of the lane, in the village next to the pub. It’s a couple of miles from the bridge, but the lane is continuous with no other roads joining. That’s where any advanced warning would be, it’s too late half way down a narrow lane.

Aha, that's what I was hoping for - thank you, LiskeardRich.

Can we all agree that it would be helpful if these signs had to also gave the height in metres? Which units are used on the in-cab signs other posters have mentioned?

One solution is the height scanning beam approaching the bridge under the railway at Pontrilas on the A465 between Abergavenny and Hereford.    Overheight vehicles travelling towards Hereford get a big warning sign.

And despite of that, it still gets hit.  Just last week, I think.

Another "instant" single decker !!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-49166689

I was wondering whether it was in service or not, which no-one has reported on - and the absence of any route indicator on the front (indeed the absence of a lot of front) means the picture doesn't help.

Looks like they hit a large pipe in front of the bridge?

Less harmful than closing the railway line, perhaps…


William Low

That's there just to protect the bridge. I used to work a few hundred metres away and they still have to close the line fairly frequently if it gets smacked. The BiB should really know better than this though.

Oh dear oh dear oh dear!

Is it really just a bridge protector? Looks very like a pipe to me. It's round and has those anti-climb spikes. Either water or sewers, I'd guess. An anti-bash girder is usually more like, well, a girder.

Is it really just a bridge protector? Looks very like a pipe to me. It's round and has those anti-climb spikes. Either water or sewers, I'd guess. An anti-bash girder is usually more like, well, a girder.

Looks like a pipe to me as well. Still appears to be doing a good job acting as a bridge protector.

The sergeant major's going to do some shouting.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-50054615

The sergeant major's going to do some shouting.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-50054615

"can we bend it back into shape, and hide it at the back, before the sergeant major finds out ?"

The sergeant major's going to do some shouting.

I think the RAF have Station Warrant Officers? Sergeant majors are a bit army.

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Re: Railway bridges struck by road vehicles - merged topic, ongoing discussion
« Reply #266 on: Yesterday at 11:08:08 pm »
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Quote from: broadgage on Yesterday at 12:35:44 pm
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The sergeant major's going to do some shouting.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-50054615

"can we bend it back into shape, and hide it at the back, before the sergeant major finds out ?"

Good luck with that one!

A double decker bus has crashed into a bridge in Norbiton, Kingston.

It is understood that the bus is a rail replacement bus.

The incident happened on Coombe Road this morning (Sunday, November 3).

Top floor of double decker bus destroyed in Hassocks 'accident'
By Harry Bullmore  @HarryBullmore
Reporter
Top floor of double decker bus destroyed in Hassocks 'accident' . Picture by Simon Fenton

(https://www.theargus.co.uk/resources/images/10742507.jpg?display=1&htype=0&type=responsive-gallery)
THE roof of a double decker school bus collapsed after an "accident" near a bridge.

The top deck of the bus was destroyed and left crumpled and misshapen following the incident this morning.

A spokesman for Heritage, the coach company which owns the bus involved, said: "The driver was returning from the school run with an empty bus which was out of service.

"We cannot comment further."

An AA spokesman warned of delays in the area as a result of the crash.

He said: "The road is partially blocked and there are delays due to an accident involving a bus on the B2116 Keymer Road, outside Hassocks station."

I can't see a Welsh connection to the bus?

I wonder why, when this sort of thing happens, the media response is so often to publish a quote from an “AA spokesman”?  ???

Do the AA, or other breakdown firms, really have a bloke on call prepared to state the obvious?

Paul

My mistake. Wrong Argus. It is indeed an English bus. I have corrected the error before I get letters from Welsh llawyers.

Diolch yn fawr!

Surely that's the AA, motoring organisation, not breakdown firm. So the answer is yes, it's part of their function.

Any raising of bridges will be too late for this poor English bus, as reported by  The Argus (https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/18073538.top-floor-double-decker-bus-destroyed-hassocks-accident/)


Apparently this one may be driver not to fault. Eyewitness accounts I’ve read elsewhere was that he was lined up to go centre under the arch and a pedestrian ran in front of the bus and he swerved to avoid pedestrian.

Apparently this one may be driver not to fault. Eyewitness accounts I’ve read elsewhere was that he was lined up to go centre under the arch and a pedestrian ran in front of the bus and he swerved to avoid pedestrian.

Is there a quote from the pedestrian who somewhat inadvisably ran in front of a speeding double decker bus heading towards a single decker bridge?

"I swerved to avoid an accident."

Is there a quote from the pedestrian who somewhat inadvisably ran in front of a speeding double decker bus heading towards a single decker bridge?

Road closed after lorry crashes and gets stuck under Corporation Street bridge

A LORRY has crashed into the bridge in Corporation Street and is stuck.
It is causing major traffic problems in the surrounding area and all the way past the Transfer Bridges as far as Elgin Drive.
Corporation Street southbound is closed from Station Road to Manchester Road.
The northbound side is open, but police are recommending drivers approach it with care.

A very nasty one in Swansea today. Several people hurt, one with life threatening injuries.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-50759983

That's twice in a week !

Without wishing to speculate, I guess bus drivers are fallible in the same way train drivers are when they have a stop short, in so much as they 'forget' how long their train is?  A bus driver could be mistakenly thinking their bus is a single decker - it only takes a few seconds.

The latest Streetview, June 2019, shows the height warning sign is missing from one end of the bridge. I don't know whether the bus was approaching from that side. Even without that warning sign, it seems astonishing to think a double decker could fit under there.

https://goo.gl/maps/oSarBdKBs78ZWrkU7

Without wishing to speculate, I guess bus drivers are fallible in the same way train drivers are when they have a stop short, in so much as they 'forget' how long their train is?  A bus driver could be mistakenly thinking their bus is a single decker - it only takes a few seconds.

Surely a picture of a double decker or saying the height of the bus somewhere in the drivers vision would be a simple solution to this?

Most have a height sticker in the cab

Without wishing to speculate, I guess bus drivers are fallible in the same way train drivers are when they have a stop short, in so much as they 'forget' how long their train is?  A bus driver could be mistakenly thinking their bus is a single decker - it only takes a few seconds.

The bus came from the other, eastern, side, where there is a height sign on the face of the bridge. There's a road narrows sign with "oncoming vehicles in middle of road" just before the bridge, and the bridge makes seeing those oncoming vehicles hard, so you'd not be unaware of it. There's also an advanced height limit warning sign that the bus must have passed, as well as one on the western approach, though neither is well positioned.

The continued use of US customary units probably doesn't help.

Being very old, I was taught 'Imperial Units'.  I understood them.
When we changed to £p, that was easy.

When meat weights changed to kg/g and some measurements changed to m/mm, I still struggle, and prefer the old units.

Luddite yes ;D

Most have a height sticker in the cab

At a bare minimum, signage should be consistent, visible and well-maintained. The continued use of US customary units probably doesn't help.

....
Only 15% of the population is over 70 and I am not sure very many of them will be driving buses or HGV's.

Yeah I believe it's at the top of the cab, out of the drivers line of vision. Surely having something within the line of vision that doesn't impede their view would solve it. Single Decker icons for Single Deckers, Double for Double deckers. Something that is a quick reference.

I am only a couple of years off retirement and I was taught only in metric units at secondary school. I did learn the other units at primary school. Admittedly I have worked in a technical profession for all my career therefore using units on a day to day basis.  The UK construction and manufacturing industry officially went metric in 1970 - that's 50 years ago!

Doesn't the railway still use "Chains" to measure distance along the track?

Fortunately a chain is 20 m, unless you're being really picky.

Fortunately a chain is 20 m, unless you're being really picky.

Fortunately a chain is 20 m, unless you're being really picky.

Yes it is 20.1168 m which is neither here nor there for finding an asset that is quite big - like a bridge or a set of points. Unless you start adding them up all the way from Paddington, in which case after 100km you could be a way out!

I suppose they still use miles and chains because otherwise they would need to need to spend money replacing all the mileposts and asset records that are measured in miles and chains. 

......getting back on track, now being reported that several of the children have "life changing" injuries - generally means amputations in this context.

It's reported that the bus was running late and the driver appeared to be taking a shortcut, despite children on board "screaming" that he was going the wrong way.

Stagecoach have confirmed that the driver was an experienced member of staff.......one would assume therefore that he would have realised that he was driving a double decker rather than a single decker, and taken the necessary precautions when approaching a low bridge.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-54116518

Or Twenty Two Yards  just like a Cricket Wicket,if you still use English 😁

I was told that if you want to visualise a hectare, try to think of something 100m x 100m...

I was told that if you want to visualise a hectare, try to think of something 100m x 100m...

By definition, therefore, a hectare is square, although any shape could constitute a hectare. I can relate that to around the length of a football pitch, squared.  An acre, by definition, is long and narrow, so harder to visualise. The M32 from where the traffic from Eastville roundabout meets the inbound carriageway to behind the White Swan?

By definition, therefore, a hectare is square, although any shape could constitute a hectare. I can relate that to around the length of a football pitch, squared.  An acre, by definition, is long and narrow, so harder to visualise. The M32 from where the traffic from Eastville roundabout meets the inbound carriageway to behind the White Swan?

Has anyone seen ?Are? in use?

Some sources I looked at reckoned ?Are? quickly fell out of use as it was either too small, say for land measurement, or unnecessary for day to day interior measurement, people just used square metres for areas up to a few hundred...

Paul

"We know where all the low bridges are located in the West of England and our operating instructions for staff fully encompass the routes that avoid the need to go near such bridges with double-deck vehicles.
...
"We are also working with technology suppliers to come up with an audible automatic warning device in cabs to warn drivers of approaching low bridges.?

First Bus are considering installing devices in their double deckers to give audible warning in advance of low bridges.
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/first-bus-looking-install-audible-4514655

....  It shouldn't be beyond the wit of some bright programmer to take that database and include it within the technology that's already on buses so that drivers get an alert ...

I have seen (on the bookshelf in shops, so it much have been a while back) road maps for HGV drivers, including all the low bridges.  It shouldn't be beyond the wit of some bright programmer to take that database and include it within the technology that's already on buses so that drivers get an alert ...

I have seen (on the bookshelf in shops, so it much have been a while back) road maps for HGV drivers, including all the low bridges.  It shouldn't be beyond the wit of some bright programmer to take that database and include it within the technology that's already on buses so that drivers get an alert ...

...

First attitude has been along the lines of 'why fit equipment to all our fleet that would only be used 0.1% of the time'.
All vehicles are now fitted with the Ticketer ticket machine which each have their own sim card & are GPS tracked, so Satnav (in simple "avoid upcoming bridge") could be fitted.

Have the Ticketer bleep (they have a speaker, right?)

By analogy with the video you posted elsewhere of Ghent, it seems safe to say "Design for speed and you get speed."

I was in Winchester earlier, and took a roundabout route home, and can confirm that the embankments at both sides of the low bridge have been completely cleared of trees and shrubs.

I wouldn?t like to think this was an admission of culpability...

Paul

I would like to think that it's an attempt to reduce the likelihood that no child (or anyone else) ends up in hospital again, minus limbs, but there's always the possibility of reckless behaviour no matter how many precautions are taken.

The stable door analogy isn't entirely appropriate, because this stable is always full of horses. Equally, it always has many doors.

It reminds me of the Cannon Street rail crash in 1991, where a train hit the buffers at only 10mph yet killed two and injured over 500.  Modern train design means a similar collision now would likely have much less serious consequences, and would probably be prevented from happening in the first case by the buffer stop TPWS grids, but both incidents are a reminder that even low speed impacts can put lives at risk.

Most frequently struck bridges in 2019-20
1. Watling Street, Hinckley, Leicestershire - struck 25 times
2. Bromford Road, Dudley, West Midlands - struck 24 times
3. St John's Street, Lichfield, Staffordshire - struck 23 times
4. Stuntney Road, Ely, Cambridgeshire - struck 19 times
5. Abbey Farm, Thetford, Norfolk - struck 16 times
6. Thurlow Park Road, Tulse Hill, London - struck 14 times
7= Carlisle Road, Cleland, North Lanarkshire - struck 13 times
7= Harlaxton Road, Grantham, Lincolnshire - struck 13 times
7= Stonea Road, Stonea, Cambridgeshire - struck 13 times
10= Coddenham Road, Needham Market, Suffolk - struck 11 times
10= Lower Downs Road, Wimbledon, London - struck 11 times

11. Lower Downs Road Wimbledon, London 11 strikes

12. Warminster Road Wilton, Wiltshire 10 strikes

13. Prescott Street Wigan, Greater Manchester 10 strikes

14. Greenhills Road Paisley, Renfrewshire 9 strikes

15. Newhouse Road South Ruislip, London 9 strikes

16. Kenworthy Road Homerton, London 9 strikes

17. St John's Road Isleworth, London 9 strikes

18. Jews Lane Twerton, Somerset 9 strikes

19. Barrowby Road Grantham, Lincolnshire 8 strikes

20. Cambridge Road Hitchin, Hertfordshire 8 strikes

And number 18 is in Bath. It's a bit of an oddity in that list, very narrow and only 6' 6", so presumably struck by vans not lorries or buses. I used to duck when, a few decades ago, I regularly rode my motorbike under it, and it hasn't got any taller since!

Whitehouse Bridge near Swindon Station used to top the list in the past but has obviously dropped down the order.

Unlike lorries I don't think there is any requirement for the height of vans to be marked/known by drivers?

The Police would regard striking a bridge as driving with undue care and attention.

Unlike lorries I don't think there is any requirement for the height of vans to be marked/known by drivers?

Unlike lorries I don't think there is any requirement for the height of vans to be marked/known by drivers?

This one is almost four years old, but just look at the reporter's name.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-38770146

Aha!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nominative_determinism

I don't think you can! (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-56278928?fbclid=IwAR2FhScaYD8fW8rm8dkVQ7AwEiiJs3xZ8ucXKGKBUf-VKbRNIT6PphACfWQ)

(https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/2970/production/_117380601_mediaitem117380600.jpg)

Update on Last September's incident in Winchester.
The Hampshire Chronicle reports today that the bus driver has been charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving and will appear in court in April.

Leeds bridge demolition: Trailer buckles under weight of debris

(https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/1681F/production/_118519129_mediaitem118519128.jpg)
The section of bridge is now being broken up for disposal

Debris from a bridge which is being demolished in Leeds caused issues when a trailer buckled under its weight.

Material from a large section of the old Regent Street flyover was being lifted onto the trailer, when it gave way.

Nobody was injured, Leeds City Council said.

Work to replace the bridge will continue and there are currently road closures in place while the work is carried out.

Epsom crash: Updates as lorry hits railway bridge

(https://i2-prod.getsurrey.co.uk/incoming/article20655936.ece/ALTERNATES/s1200/0_Epsom-collision.jpg)


The A24 High Street in Epsom was blocked in both directions and trains were disrupted after a HGV struck a railway bridge.

An image posted on Twitter by Surrey's Roads Policing Unit (RPU) showed the lorry wedged under the bridge in Hook Road on Friday (May 21).

A Surrey Police spokesperson said at 4.55pm on Friday: "We are currently at East Street in Epsom following a collision involving a HGV.

"The street remains partially closed whilst emergency services are on scene.

"At this time, the railway line below remains closed, limiting services in the area. Please check before you travel."

The incident, which took place at around 3.40pm, caused delays on surrounding routes and numerous emergency services attended.

The road reopened at around 7pm on Friday and there were no reported injuries, according to Surrey's RPU.

I wonder how fast he was going to end up with the cab facing that way!

Yes - looks like a Mercedes Sprinter van, whose driver must have had a very nasty shock, although perhaps its failure to give way contributed to the accident?

That trailer should fit under a 15’6

The trailer might have fitted if it had been central as advised.  The tilt suggests that it was not.  A last minute reaction to the presence of the sprinter perhaps? 

To be fair, we can't really say what happened. We might guess that one or other vehicle was in the wrong place, but that would be the kind of conjecture we'd frown on if this were a train crash... It can be surprising where things end up when they are deflected by other vehicles, or robust masonry.

That trailer should fit under a 15’6

It's three and a quarter zebras, or just over two ants.  :)

What I want to know is how many Olympic sized swimming pools go into a country the size of Wales?

the size of Wales?

Surrey police have released dash cam footage of the Epsom bridge incident. I hope the Waitrose driver is ok.

https://twitter.com/SurreyRoadCops/status/1397133056331370499

I don't know if you can embed tweets on this forum

Van driver exonerated.
Lorry driver seems 100% to blame.
Can/will random dash cam recording be used as evidence?

Paul

Has someone sent CfN a trigger warning? Maybe the traditional version would be best: "this may be unsuitable for Waitrose drivers of a nervous disposition". 

Is this the new way to get under low bridges? https://twitter.com/MPSRTPC/status/1408333080734015493 (https://twitter.com/MPSRTPC/status/1408333080734015493)

Bus driver jailed for crashing double decker carrying 74 children into bridge
Charlene Rodrigues  10 hrs ago


A bus driver has been jailed after injuring 41 children by crashing a double-decker into a railway bridge.

(https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AALYAZB.img?h=535&w=799&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f)
© PA One schoolgirl described the bus as “powering through the tunnel”.

Three students were left permanently scarred after Martin Walker, 37, took a wrong turn before slamming the vehicle into the bridge last September.

Winchester Crown Court heard how the bus had been carrying 74 pupils aged between 11 and 16 to Henry Beaufort School in Winchester, Hampshire.

Nicholas Cotter, prosecuting, told the court that Stagecoach employee Walker had been taking the route for the first time when he drove the 13ft 11in high bus under the 12ft bridge in Wellhouse Lane at a speed of 10mph.

A small U-Drive hire lorry carrying wedding supplies, including a dance floor, smashed into the bridge in an attempt to squeeze through.

Is it not time for these old style arch bridges to be replaced on an ongoing basis throughout the country with their modern precast counterparts?

Is it not time for these old style arch bridges to be replaced on an ongoing basis throughout the country with their modern precast counterparts?

Also amount of CO2 emitted to produce the concrete would also be huge.  

Not necessarily. Factor in the carbon saving from having shorter trips by larger vehicles, and I'm sure an accountant working for a supplier of concrete to bridge builders could make it carbon neutral. The government could award stiffcuts to the best ones, which can be sold to anyone making a bridge out of burning virgin mahogany so they can call it "green". This sort of thing works very well in the electricity supply industry.

Another one bites the dust. Ashford Hill Plymouth. Seems to have lifted the bridge a few inches. However the front top is not damaged, so did it roll down the hill?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-58387682

Lines closed. Fun. What happened to the alternative via Tavistock?

Bridge struck by a lorry
A lorry has collided with a railway bridge, causing damage to the bridge structure. The bridge is being examined by structural engineers and may be closed for some time.

Customer Advice
Train services between Newton Abbot and Plymouth are currently suspended and you are advised not to travel between these stations.

Train services are running between Plymouth and Penzance, between Exmouth, Exeter St Davids and Paignton as well as between Exeter St Davids and London Paddington.

Replacement road transport
Extremely limited replacement road transport has been sourced to run between Exeter St. Davids and Plymouth. Passengers are advised not to travel between these stations.

Night Riviera Sleeper Services
Due to the line between Newton Abbot and Plymouth being closed, our sleeper train services are cancelled.

23:45 London Paddington to Exeter St Davids, Plymouth and Penzance.
21:45 Penzance to Plymouth, Exeter St Davids, and London Paddington
If you are booked onto our Night Riviera sleeper train services, please contact us on 0345 700 0125 or contact GWR customer services and social media online.

Tickets and refunds
If you are affected by this disruption, you are able to claim compensation for delays of 15 minutes or more. Find out more about claiming a refund or rebooking your journey.

Where services can operate, they are expected to be busier than normal. Please check before you travel.

 

Another one bites the dust. Ashford Hill Plymouth. Seems to have lifted the bridge a few inches. However the front top is not damaged, so did it roll down the hill?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-58387682

It's a steep hill (as well as being very narrow and very low indeed - 10'9" - somewhere only an idiot would take a vehicle like that!). Over the 10 m or so of the road length under the bridge, the road rises by nearly 1 m! So the lorry struck the bridge from the underside and pushed several stones out of the arch in the facing. How much of the bridge's strength is provided by that facing layer of stone, given that most of the bridge and the track isn't directly above it, I wouldn't like to guess

Tesco (or its logistics provider) should contribute to the repair bill. Every little helps.

Pay the whole cost in my view, not just a contribution. The cost of this would concentrate their minds a bit on the importance of  employing only drivers who can read, understand, and act upon height restriction signs.

I'd presume the cost of repair will ultimately be borne by Tesco's fleet insurer.

The lorry branded for Tesco, will be owned and operated by a logistics company and insured through them. The only cost to Tesco will be reputations damaged by the lorry branding.
Keystone were the Tesco contractor 10 years or so ago not sure if they still are

...........and another................

https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/19551235.hgv-gets-stuck-bridge-south-marston/

Incident created
01/09/2021 07:47
Route affected
Between Birmingham International and Aberystwyth, and also between Machynlleth and Pwllheli
 
Train operator affected
Transport for Wales;
Description
Disruption between Machynlleth and Dovey Junction due to a road vehicle colliding with a bridge in the Machynlleth area earlier today has now ended.

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/macstrike.jpg)

In their apology quoted in Devon Live and Cornwall Live Tesco have mentioned their "logistics partner".

Network Rail has apologised to residents in the Mannamead area after one angry local resident was kept awake by workers who were chopping down trees in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Workers were filmed using chainsaws and chopping down trees at the Ashford Hill Bridge which was the centre of chaos last Monday when a lorry became stuck underneath the bridge, halting trains across the region.

[snip]

The company explained that staff were working tooth and nail into the early hours of Sunday to make sure the maintenance work could be finished on time, when it was promised to be.

The company admits some of the work was carried out through the night, but added that this was to make sure the bridge could be reopened as quickly and as safely as possible.

In their apology quoted in Devon Live and Cornwall Live Tesco have mentioned their "logistics partner".

Tesco own Booker so possibly them.

And another! (https://www.facebook.com/HighPeakLive/posts/889146498394587)

Where?

The coach looks like a write off. Just shows how musch crashworthiness has improved it would be interesting to see how a Mark 3 would have come out of it. Must have been doing a considerable speed.

I wonder if, while it was being transported, the carriage sagged a bit more in the centre, causing the front to rise a bit, so that the calculated clearance under the bridge disappeared?

Apparently, all was not exactly what it seemed.....

Signage requests that users telephone signaller before crossing, but no telephones have ever been provided at crossing. All services are now being cautioned across the crossing while a solution is found.

Another variation: not a vehicle striking a bridge, but a beam falling from the bridge at Worcester Foregate Street nearly striking a pedestrian.

https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/19632289.beam-falls-foregate-street-railway-bridge-narrowly-missing-man (https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/19632289.beam-falls-foregate-street-railway-bridge-narrowly-missing-man)

We're being held at Hungerford awaiting inspection by a Mobile Operations Manager.

Will he/she be frisking passengers for extra cans of Tribute?

Will he/she be frisking passengers for extra cans of Tribute?

Hope your delay isn't too long/arduous BNM.

Own goal.............


https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/19715361.rail-replacement-bus-stuck-underneath-bridge-brighton/?ref=twtrec

Own goal.............


https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/19715361.rail-replacement-bus-stuck-underneath-bridge-brighton/?ref=twtrec

Lorry hits Widnes road gantry in rush hour crash

(https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/DAFF/production/_121936065_9a802f1e-49ca-4912-9d2b-33e27c280f96.jpg)
The top of the lorry, apparently a tipper truck, was left leaning on the gantry

A lorry has crashed into a road gantry, leaving part of the vehicle propped up against the structure and causing widespread delays.

It happened on the A562 Speke Road in Widnes, Cheshire, at about 06:40 GMT, police said.

Nobody was injured but work is under way to remove the lorry part and check the gantry, near the Hale Road slip road, for stability.

And Downton are a local company, the driver must have beem under the bridge before.

Downton is a name I associate with a depot at Moreton Valence on the A38.

No, this isn't a railway bridge, but it might as well be! From the BBC, three days ago: (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-59518516)

A lorry has overturned after striking a notorious bridge in Farnham. Wrecclesham Road is currently blocked with the large vehicle having tipped on its side.

In a post on social media, Surrey Police's road unit said the driver had failed to adhere to the height restrictions. This resulted in the HGV striking the bridge and flipping over.

They've warned drivers that clearing the vehicle may take some time. Motorists might want to find a different route in the meantime or allow extra time for their journey.

There was traffic disruption in Anniesland after a lorry carrying bales of hay became stuck under a bridge.

The incident happened on Thursday afternoon shortly after 3pm on Bearsden Road.

Footage and pictures were posted online showing the vehicle unable to move.

Drivers indicated that there was a short tailback created as a result of the incident.

Loose bales of hale could also be seen on the road after the lorry collided with the bridge.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 3.15 pm on Thursday, March 17, 2022, police attended a report of a HGV stuck under a bridge in Bearsden Road, Glasgow.

“There were no reports of any injuries and the road was reopened around 6.30pm.”

That must be the final straw for the driver…  ;D

Perhaps he should be remanded on bale?  ;D

Perhaps he was coming to the end of his shift and looking forward to hitting the hay.

Just over a mile west of Farnham station, it’s one of the comparatively rare bridges with anti-collision beams fitted both sides. 

Paul

The driver deserves a damn good threshing.

Totally wiped out! Toilet roll lorry crashes into low railway bridge in London, sparking traffic chaos with roads gridlocked and South Eastern train services suspended

https://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/news/20209907.bus-stuck-railway-bridge-oxford/

Today in Oxford. A bus under the Botley Road railway bridge.

There are buses, and Botley Road buses. One is shorter than the other.

That's a bit dangerous, isn't it?

https://www.wiltshirelive.co.uk/news/wiltshire-news/a36-lorry-crash-live-wilton-7346662

That bridge in Wilton again today. That's at least the third time this year that it has been hit.

That's a bit dangerous, isn't it?

Ah, it takes a lot of scrolling down to understand what hit the bridge (Clue - It wasn't the tanker). I had been scratching my head trying to work out how the tanker in the first photo could have been too tall to do that, so assumed it must have been a side strike.

We have been informed that a road vehicle has struck a bridge between Clandon and London Road (Guildford). Staff are en-route to examine the bridge. In the meantime, trains will remain at stand. 

We're sorry but we expect there may be cancellations, delays or alterations to services until 14:00.

We have been informed of a safety inspection of the track between Clandon and Guildford. This means that the line towards Guildford is currently blocked.

Until further notice, trains between London Waterloo and Guildford via Cobham will be terminated at/started from Effingham Junction. Trains from London Waterloo to Guildford via Leatherhead will be diverted via Woking.

We have requested rail replacement buses to run between Guildford and Leatherhead and these will be in place from 17:30.

We have been informed that a road vehicle has struck a bridge between London Road Guildford and Clandon. Staff are en-route to examine the bridge. In the meantime, trains will be unable to pass between these stations.

We have been informed that a road vehicle has struck a bridge between Clandon and Guildford. Staff are en-route to examine the bridge. In the meantime, trains are unable to run over the bridge so may be diverted or delayed.

Wiltshire Police said the driver had been issued a traffic offence report for careless driving.

Another one in Romsey yesterday. Nice pictures in the Hampshire Chronicle.

https://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/news/23099754.road-blocked-lorry-strikes-railway-bridge-romsey/

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Another one in Romsey yesterday. Nice pictures in the Hampshire Chronicle.

https://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/news/23099754.road-blocked-lorry-strikes-railway-bridge-romsey/

   Just to confirm - we report every one of these to the Traffic Commissioners, who consider the suitability of the Operator and driver to continue to hold their vocational licences; and we claim for damage and delay from the operator.

The team at Google Maps are constantly on the road taking photos of the world to keep their Street View service up to date. But despite their 15 years of experience, they still manage to make an embarrassing blunder from time to time. While venturing around Grants Road, in Newry, Northern Ireland, the Google Maps Street View car got into a spot of bother after driving under a bridge.

It seems the driver forgot just how tall its camera stands as it was knocked off part way through the bridge. A hilarious series of Street View snaps show the driver entering the bridge, a blurry shot of the camera colliding with its roof, and then the back of the car as the camera presumably hangs down out of place.

S that a railway bridge though?

An educated guess - does the main Belfast to Dublin railway run over the top of it?

An educated guess - does the main Belfast to Dublin railway run over the top of it?

Bad one near Ketton this morning, a skip lorry really damaging a bridge which was only 13 ft clearance. Freight route but diversions planned fir tomorrow.
Some recent images here
https://twitter.com/staplefordtrain/status/1588848669310484483?s=61&t=jeNqiQddLzi03VAaQXLrgw

Railway bridge repaired to reconnect Leicester and Peterborough

This morning (23 November), rail passengers can travel between Leicester and Peterborough once again after Network Rail completes almost three weeks of extensive repairs.

Fosters bridge, which sits across the A6121 Stamford Road in Ketton, Rutland, was struck by a lorry on Saturday 5 November, putting the railway line between Leicester and Peterborough out of action.

Since then, engineers have worked around the clock to remove the damaged bridge deck, install a brand-new one and then lay fresh ballast and track over the top so that trains can use the section safely again.

Despite being one of the biggest bashes in recent times, damaging the deck so badly it (one of two) needed to be replaced, NR have just announced the line has reopened (https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/railway-bridge-repaired-to-reconnect-leicester-and-peterborough):

Despite being one of the biggest bashes in recent times, damaging the deck so badly it (one of two) needed to be replaced, NR have just announced the line has reopened (https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/railway-bridge-repaired-to-reconnect-leicester-and-peterborough):

Bridge strikes like these have cost Network Rail – and ultimately the taxpayer – almost £12 million in delay and cancellation fees in 2021/22.

I wonder what does get charged to the insurers?
Shouldn't those delay and cancellation fees be charged to the insurers too? Or to the MIB for those that are uninsured.

Maybe they are. It would be consequential loss, I guess. It would still "cost" NR the same amount either way - all their outgoings are funded from some external source!

New bridge deck constructed as an emergency.  That is going to cost the skip company's insurers a pretty penny.  I wouldn't like to think what their premiums might go up to at the next renewal.

Wonderful work, and truly astonishing. I wonder how long until the next?

Apparently the bridge has been struck again today.  Currently the line is closed pending an inspection.

Something different - not a lorry for once !

https://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/23168378.a30-london-road-reopens-six-hours-tractor-strikes-railway-bridge/

Same bridge as #535 I think.