East Midlands Railway (EMR) is urging drivers of Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV), buses, and vans to fully understand the height of their vehicles after the railway operator was affected by 54 bridge strike incidents last year.

This comes after Foster's bridge on the A6121 in North Luffenham, Rutland, was struck by a bin lorry in early November 2022, causing disruption to road and rail travel for weeks.

The impact meant that that section of the tracks had to be closed for over a week while repairs took place.

Shortly after repairs were completed, on 30 November 2022, another lorry struck the bridge. This incident only caused minor damage, but highlighted the importance for EMR of urging HGV drivers to remain vigilant on the roads.

Bridge strikes, where vehicles collide with bridges, continue to be a significant and recurring problem across EMR's network.

The operator has shared the top 10 most-hit bridges on its network in an effort to alert drivers to understand which structures regularly catch people out.

Industry research has found that 43 per cent of HGV drivers admit to not measuring their vehicle before heading out on the road, and 52 per cent admit to not taking low bridges into account. 

On average, each strike costs the UK taxpayer around £13,000 and in 2023 the top ten bridge strikes in EMR's region led to 3,325 minutes of delays alone.  

EMR is urging drivers to understand their vehicles' height limits and guard against the causes of bridge strikes.

These causes include:

• Going off the line of route, including under diversion
• Operating 'not in service' and taking a shortcut
• Insufficient route knowledge returning a vehicle to the depot for maintenance
• Those normally drive a single-deck vehicle taking a double-deck vehicle on a single-deck route

Michael Webb, Joint Head of Performance at East Midlands Railway, said: "Unfortunately, bridge strikes are a constant issue that affects our network each year. Drivers and rail customers may experience frustration and delayed journeys, but a bridge strike has the potential to cause a train derailment with catastrophic consequences as well as loss of life or serious injury to the vehicle driver, passengers, and other people nearby.

"Those responsible for causing a bridge strike may be liable for costs associated with the incident, including the inspection and repair of the bridge and the cost of train delays, which can be considerable."

"We have shared the top ten most-hit bridges across our network to raise awareness but we are also urging drivers to understand fully the height of their vehicle and not take any unnecessary risks - especially if they are on roads they are not familiar with."

Bridges hit in the local area include Foster's Bridge on the A6121, Fletten Bridge in Syston, the Rugby Road Bridge in Hinckley - and more.

More information regarding guidance for drivers can be found here.