A Lichfield railway bridge is one of the most struck in the UK, new figures have revealed.
The St John Street bridge was third on the list released by Network Rail.
Data reveals it was hit by vehicles 23 times in the past year.
Network Rail’s chair, Sir Peter Hendy CBE, said although the overall number of bridge strikes was down across the country, the issue was still a huge problem.
“We’ve done a lot of work with partners across the industry in recent years to tackle bridge strikes, and while it’s encouraging to see our work is paying off with numbers now on the decline, there’s a lot more to be done to cut the unnecessary delays, costs and safety risks they pose.”
Sir Peter Hendy CBE
Only bridges in Hinckley and Dudley with 25 and 24 strikes were above the St John Street one in the league table.
Hideo Takano, senior structures advisor at Highways England, said:
“Although bridge strikes are comparatively low for our roads, as part of the collective drive to reduce bridge strikes happening we work with other transport authorities as part of the Bridge Strike Prevention Group and welcome Network Rail’s new campaign.
“Bridges strikes can cause hours of disruption and although we re-open our roads as soon as possible we recognise the frustration delays can cause.
“Around two-thirds of bridge strikes on our roads are caused by vehicles carrying a load.
“So, to reduce the risk of this happening we urge all drivers to follow these simple steps – know your height, plan your route and secure your load.”
Hideo Takano
