Report of Partial Bridge Collapse WCML 11/6

[M60lad]

Is the line open permanently now or is there plans for it to be closed sometime in the future to actually repair the bridge and if so when will this be and how long will it take?

Not to sure whether just for today but I notice that there are various cancellations today so it does look like until late morning at least Avanti are running a thinner timetable with a number of cancellations already including ones to and from Liverpool and Manchester.

 

[dk1]

Not to sure whether just for today but I notice that there are various cancellations today so it does look like until late morning at least Avanti are running a thinner timetable with a number of cancellations already including ones to and from Liverpool and Manchester.

Yes that makes sense as was best to have a mitigation plan together and so many trains would have been in the wrong locations to start the service off. Well done all involved, it’s far better than I expected this morning.

 

[Bald Rick]

Is the line open permanently now or is there plans for it to be closed sometime in the future to actually repair the bridge and if so when will this be and how long will it take?

There will be a closure or two at some point, but too early to say when or how long. Someone has to fabricate new bits of a bridge yet, and I bet the supplier hasn’t had that call yet.

 

[Swedenorer]

This is idiotic. If a vehicle hits a beam at the height of the following bridge they were going to hit the bridge, NR will have done them a favour by reducing the damage they cause.

Imo free-standing advance beams are the most effective way to prevent strikes. These drivers are thinking they can get away with it and the only way they're going to stop is if they hit something. They don't know the height of their vehicle so additional signs or penalties are not going to help.

See my post #44 Mrs S was just past the site when it happened.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Jun 2026 ==

if you’re 50m from the bridge you might as well string a thin wire across (or a laser) and if it’s broken a standard traffic light in front of the bridge changes to red, with an accompanying illuminated sign saying vehicle overheight. Using a regular traffic light will be something a driver would react to almost automatically by habit.

Something of the sort - an illuminated warning sign iirc - was put in at Emsworth when the A27 was opened by the railway bridge. It recated to any bird that flew through and broke down all the time. The plain fact is that here every bridge strike vehicle in Emsworth has passed oodles of warning signs including those on the bridge that are visible from here - the site of the last road sign 117m ahead https://maps.app.goo.gl/QTYy9mh3pUznwpbc7

 

[Tetragon213]

This is idiotic. If a vehicle hits a beam at the height of the following bridge they were going to hit the bridge, NR will have done them a favour by reducing the damage they cause.

Imo free-standing advance beams are the most effective way to prevent strikes. These drivers are thinking they can get away with it and the only way they're going to stop is if they hit something. They don't know the height of their vehicle so additional signs or penalties are not going to help.

Alternatively, long and painful jail sentences for wilful negligence and/or vandalism might get people to take this sort of thing more seriously. I wonder if there's any chances of charges for "Endangering Passengers on a Railway"...

From what I've heard, the lorry driver did a runner when he realised he'd royally screwed up. Perhaps an additional charge of fleeing the scene of an accident?

 

[66701GBRF]

There has been vast amounts of money spent over the past 15 years or so on installing miles and miles
of palisade fencing along the entire WCML, even in remote areas, to try and reduce delays and disruption
caused by trespass, so it seems strange that measures to protect a handful of low bridges from being
damaged like this cannot be justified on cost grounds...

Network Rail have a legal obligation to install and maintain fencing on all sections of operational lines, regardless or remoteness or traffic levels.

 

[Tetragon213]

if you’re 50m from the bridge you might as well string a thin wire across (or a laser) and if it’s broken a standard traffic light in front of the bridge changes to red, with an accompanying illuminated sign saying vehicle overheight. Using a regular traffic light will be something a driver would react to almost automatically by habit.

About that...

https://11foot8.com/

If a giant blaring "OVERHEIGHT MUST TURN" sign doesn't get people to stop and reassess, I doubt a red light will do the same. In fact, the same complete idiots who you're trying to deter with a red light will almost certainly floor it to "beat the lights", paradoxically making the damage worse.

 

[Harpo]

it seems strange that measures to protect a handful of low bridges from being damaged like this cannot be justified on cost grounds...

So maybe a (guesswork) conservative £25k spend per bridge? With over 5000 low bridges on the network (link to data below) that’s £125 million of ‘just in case’.

Perhaps the existing approach of prioritising bad actors is more sensible? At least this one has made it to the list, albeit painfully.

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Network-Rail-Bridge-Height-Data.xlsx

 

[matchmaker]

if you’re 50m from the bridge you might as well string a thin wire across (or a laser) and if it’s broken a standard traffic light in front of the bridge changes to red, with an accompanying illuminated sign saying vehicle overheight. Using a regular traffic light will be something a driver would react to almost automatically by habit.

Causewayhead Road bridge in Stirling has lasers which light up "Overheight vehicle - divert" signs.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Ditto. Apart from a lightweight bridge on the Central Wales line that used to get shifted off its bearings, the only significant bridge strike damage that I can recall in my career was Vigo at Bromsgrove, a brick arch bridge with a rising road and diminishing headroom, where a tipper ripped out the spandrel on exit. The structural damage wasn’t huge but the loss of the infill behind it undermined the track.

There was a derailment casued by a bridge strike near Inverurie in 1978

Accident 12/5/78 Near Oyne, ScR

 

[matchmaker]

Looking closely at #2 I think it may have a crack roughly in line with the gouge.

One of the pictures was reported as from a dashcam so another road driver might have called it in, perhaps via 999 as they might think twice about getting close enough to read the number on the emergency sign.

If the cables and rails are intact then there's no way of detecting this until a train passes, and it doesn't bear thinking about what might have happened had one arrived at speed on an unsupported track.

Oyne, 1978. Train derailed, 7 injured. From the Railway Archive:

Oyne bridge strike

 

[norbitonflyer]

Fixed signage that is there all the time has it's place, but is pretty passive, and could be passed by a driver even on a daily basis whilst driving another vehicle - like to and from work - forming a crying wolf situation.

It also assumes the driver knows the height of his vehicle, which is not necessarily the case with a load on a flatbed, such as a skip. In the Oyne incident I cited above, the driver had stowed the digger and checked the height, but then someone else had adjusted the jib and not restored it to its correc t position, so the vehicle was now, unbeknown to the driver, overheight.

Easily done - I know of two people who have damaged their bicycles and car roofs by forgetting the bikes were on the roof and hitting a car park height barrier. Also, a tipper lorry whose driver forgot to lower the tipper before driving off under a bridge. And - the same bridge, a German tour bus that passed under the bridge safely one year but had, unbeknown to the driver, had the road under it raised before it came vback for a repeat visit the following year. (Lack of metric signage psossibly an additional factor)
And bus drivers forgetting that the single decker they usually drove had been substituted by a double decker.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

From what I've heard, the lorry driver did a runner when he realised he'd royally screwed up. Perhaps an additional charge of fleeing the scene of an accident?

That is certainly a federal crime in the USA.

 

[GC class B1]

Depends how hard and how quick it was hit presumably? Force = mass x acceleration etc...

Say it was 40mph and 10tonnes, that is 140,000 Newtons.

If the vehicle was travelling at 40 MPH and weighed 10 Tonnes I have calculated the impact force as around 1,200 - 1,800 kN assuming the vehicle stopped in about 1- 1.5 seconds. That would be between 1.2 and 1.8 million Newtons

 

[GRALISTAIR]

About that...

https://11foot8.com/

If a giant blaring "OVERHEIGHT MUST TURN" sign doesn't get people to stop and reassess, I doubt a red light will do the same. In fact, the same complete idiots who you're trying to deter with a red light will almost certainly floor it to "beat the lights", paradoxically making the damage worse.

I should not laugh but I have been watching that channel - 11 foot 8 - for years when I was in the USA and there truly are some idiots and hilarious truck, caravan etc damage.

 

[zwk500]

That is certainly a federal crime in the USA.

Not particularly relevant this side of the pond, of course.

Warwickshire Police (the force covering the area of the Bridge Strike) say:

The law defines a reportable road traffic collision as a collision involving a mechanically-propelled vehicle on a road or other public area which causes:

• injury or damage to anybody - other than the driver of that vehicle
• injury or damage to an animal - other than one being carried on that vehicle (an animal is classed as a horse, cattle, ass, mule, sheep, pig, goat or dog)*
• damage to a vehicle - other than the vehicle which caused the collision
• damage to property built on, attached to, growing in, or otherwise forming part of the land where the road is

This would certainly seem to cover the 4th point. Regarding penalties,

Penalties​

You must report the collision no matter who was at fault.

If you don't stop at the scene or report an incident you could be committing an offence and be charged.

The penalties include:

• a fine
• up to six months in prison
• penalty points on your licence

The court can also disqualify you from driving.

https://www.warwickshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rs/road-safety/collisions/#:~:text=Penalties,an%20offence%20and%20be%20charged.

Of course, there are several other offences that potentially apply here, and it would depend on the evidence as to what was most appropriate to charge the driver with.

 

[Gloster]

There was an accident near Gorey in Ireland in 1975 when an excavator on a low-loader hit and displaced the girders of a bridge shortly before a train arrived: the result was five deaths. If I remember correctly the excavator‘s jib had not been properly secured and was what actually hit the bridge.

 

[Recessio]

Easily done - I know of two people who have damaged their bicycles and car roofs by forgetting the bikes were on the roof and hitting a car park height barrier.

Indeed, when East Grinstead station's new multi story park opened about ten years ago, within the first week of it opening someone forgot about the bike rack on their roof and managed to completely mangle both the bikes and the bright yellow height barrier at the entrance

 

[fandroid]

Alternatively, long and painful jail sentences for wilful negligence and/or vandalism might get people to take this sort of thing more seriously. I wonder if there's any chances of charges for "Endangering Passengers on a Railway"...

From what I've heard, the lorry driver did a runner when he realised he'd royally screwed up. Perhaps an additional charge of fleeing the scene of an accident?

Ratcheting up sentences has never worked in the area of criminal law, and just dumps more expense on taxpayers in looking after offenders in jail for longer. It comforts the "something must be done" brigade, for a bit, until the next time it happens.

Given that new vehicles have more and more features that "assist" driving, it's not difficult to imagine that could include links with satnavs that actually slow and stop high vehicles approaching low bridges.

 

[Harpo]

A huge positive to remind DaFT’s beancounters about is how the cost of diversionary route knowledge via Bushbury, Bescot, Stetchford etc. has proved so invaluable.

 

[Russel]

So maybe a (guesswork) conservative £25k spend per bridge? With over 5000 low bridges on the network (link to data below) that’s £125 million of ‘just in case’.

Perhaps the existing approach of prioritising bad actors is more sensible? At least this one has made it to the list, albeit painfully.

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Network-Rail-Bridge-Height-Data.xlsx

And how much is this incident alone going to cost in terms of repairs and disruption?

 

[Benjwri]

So maybe a (guesswork) conservative £25k spend per bridge? With over 5000 low bridges on the network (link to data below) that’s £125 million of ‘just in case’.

Perhaps the existing approach of prioritising bad actors is more sensible? At least this one has made it to the list, albeit painfully.

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Network-Rail-Bridge-Height-Data.xlsx

The beams cost between 150 to 250k in general. For example this beam in Scotland was at the higher end of the range.

The beam will provide additional protection to the bridge, reducing the risk of structural damage and potential disruption to rail services. Network Rail is investing almost £250,000 in the project.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Jun 2026 ==

And how much is this incident alone going to cost in terms of repairs and disruption?

Well 125 million is just shy of the amount paid in delay repay for the whole of last year, but given that is a significant underestimate you’re looking in the region of 10 years of delay repay.

 

[Merle Haggard]

It also assumes the driver knows the height of his vehicle, which is not necessarily the case with a load on a flatbed, such as a skip. In the Oyne incident I cited above, the driver had stowed the digger and checked the height, but then someone else had adjusted the jib and not restored it to its correc t position, so the vehicle was now, unbeknown to the driver, overheight.

Easily done - I know of two people who have damaged their bicycles and car roofs by forgetting the bikes were on the roof and hitting a car park height barrier. Also, a tipper lorry whose driver forgot to lower the tipper before driving off under a bridge. And - the same bridge, a German tour bus that passed under the bridge safely one year but had, unbeknown to the driver, had the road under it raised before it came vback for a repeat visit the following year. (Lack of metric signage psossibly an additional factor)
And bus drivers forgetting that the single decker they usually drove had been substituted by a double decker.

My bold.

There seems to be legislation that requires the overall height (i.e. including the load) to be displayed in the cab of lorries and buses..

Attempting to drive under bridges with a height prohibition sign (height in red circle) when the load height is higher than the prohibited height is an offence.

 

[option]

Higher quality pic

 

[AndrewE]

Higher quality pic

but unfortunately (maybe just on my laptop) it's nowhere near as good as the one in post #2...

 

[89-763-733]

For Gorey see https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...kQFnoECCwQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3XlWUR5NCn6-CTP0lL8-vm

 

[Russel]

Well 125 million is just shy of the amount paid in delay repay for the whole of last year, but given that is a significant underestimate you’re looking in the region of 10 years of delay repay.

That's just delay repay though, now add in all of the other costs associated with this one...

Not saying adding preventative measures such as metal beams will pay for themselves straight away, but long term thinking is key, you also need to factor in the risk reduction to the railway.

 

[Benjwri]

That's just delay repay though, now add in all of the other costs associated with this one...

Not saying adding preventative measures such as metal beams will pay for themselves straight away, but long term thinking is key, you also need to factor in the risk reduction to the railway.

That’s all well and good but you are talking crazy amount of money. No one can just magic likely at least near a billion pounds out of nowhere. What are you going to cut to pay for these beams. What is the cost associated with those cuts?

 

[zwk500]

but long term thinking is key, you also need to factor in the risk reduction to the railway.

Risk is Consequence * Likelihood.

Generally the table will look something like this:

{image showing risk matrix]

We know the impact is 'Very High', so the questions are:
How often has this bridge been struck before?
How often will this bridge be struck again?

Very High impact/consequence * very low probability/likelihood = Medium Risk.

If this was the Bridge's 1 time in 500 years when it's number came up, well it's a little late to fit the barriers...

 

[Oxfordblues]

Fifty years ago some student friends acquired a double-deck bus. Before every trip they meticulously scrutinised OS maps on which every low-height bridge had been carefully marked and they determined the itinerary accordingly. So it can be done!