THE railway bridge on Warminster Road in Wilton has been revealed as one of the top 10 "most bashed" in Britain.
It secured the seventh spot with 11 bridge strikes in the list released by Network Rail.
For 2019/2020 it was ranked in 12th place with 10 bridge strikes.
The figures have been released as part of Network Rail's "Wise Up, Size Up" campaign, reminding lorry drivers and haulage operators to take better care by knowing the height of their vehicles and choosing suitable routes before they head out on journeys.
Top places for bridge strikes
The Coddenham Road bridge on the B1078 has the unflattering title of the most bashed bridge in Britain.
Located in Needham Market, Suffolk, the bridge was struck 19 times last year, which Network Rail says mounted to £41,331 in unnecessary train delay and cancellation costs.
St John’s Street bridge in Lichfield City, Staffordshire, and Harlaxton Road bridge, Lincolnshire - struck 18 and 16 times respectively - were in second and third.
Most struck railway bridges in Britain 2020/21:
- Coddenham Road Needham Market, Suffolk 19 strikes
- St John's Street Lichfield, Staffordshire 18 strikes
- Harlaxton Road Grantham, Lincolnshire 16 strikes
- Stuntney Road Ely, Cambridgeshire 15 strikes
- Bromford Road Dudley, West Midlands 13 strikes
- Watling Street Hinckley, Leicestershire 11 strikes
- Warminster Road Wilton, Wiltshire 11 strikes
- Ipswich Road Manningtree, Essex 10 strikes
- Thames Street Staines-upon-Thames, Surrey, 10 strikes
- Lower Downs Road Wimbledon, London, 10 strikes
Impact of bridge strikes
Sir Peter Hendy CBE, chair of Network Rail said: "Bridge strikes cause unnecessary delays, costs, and safety issues for road and rail users. To compound matters, they drain public funds which should be used on upgrading and improving our network.
"In recent years we've done a lot of work with partners across the industry to tackle the problem and whilst it's encouraging to see numbers on the decline, there's a lot more work to be done.
“With Black Friday and Christmas fast approaching, we urge professional operators and drivers to properly plan their routes, know the height of their vehicles and look out for road signs warning of oncoming bridges. Those who don’t are at risk of losing their driver’s and operator’s licences, and Network Rail looks to recover the entire repair and delay costs from the driver’s employer.”
Bridge strike figures
Bridge strikes reported across the railway network in the last five financial years:
Year 2016/17 – 1,878 strikes
Year 2017/18 – 2,039 strikes
Year 2018/19 – 1,926 strikes
Year 2019/20 – 1,720 strikes
Year 2020/21 – 1,624 strikes
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