First Hampshire bus strikes a railway bridge

[pompeyfan]

Another d'oh moment for first Hampshire bus after a second double decker strikes a bridge at portchester in 5 months.. At least they'll have a great fleet for open top work this summer

 

[anthony263]

Well First Cymru will be needing a new open topper this year now that the Bristol VR MOD 571P has finally been withdrawn from service and is now in preservation.

 

[wintonian]

Another d'oh moment for first Hampshire bus after a second double decker strikes a bridge at portchester in 5 months.. At least they'll have a great fleet for open top work this summer

For those that don't know Portchester the platform at Portchester station ends just to the left of the bridge and rather conveniently the fire station is next to the ridge on the far right hand side, and you can see the training tower in the background.

In fact this shot was probably taken from the footbridge going over the platforms which is alsmost ontop of the road bridge.

I wonder if the station was closed at all as the ticket office side entrance appears to be inside the cordon and the other entrance runs adjacent to the other side of the bridge.

Anyway from 'The News':

PC Lisa Oliver, of Hampshire Roads Policing Unit, said: ‘The bus has come down Station Road and not realising he’s in a double decker has gone under the bridge and the roof has come off.

There is also a video here that I have not watched yet.


Pics linked to from the BBC and The News respectively.

This is quite a good shot I thought from the video.

 

[BestWestern]

Oh dear oh dear....

Some new 'deckers needed at Hoeford depot then! Well, maybe best if they're not actually 'new'

 

[David Goddard]

First Fleet No 34060- P550EFL
One of the Northern Counties bodied Olympians delivered new to Stagecoach Viscount (Peterborough) as No 550 back in 1996/97. Later No 16550
Looks like quite a clean rip so if they do decide to convert to open top then should not need much work!
Here it is in happier times not long after delivery: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7038/6937543289_d65249041d_z.jpg

 

[mbonwick]

More correctly, new to Volvo in 1996 and then went on lease to Viscount. Returned in 2003 I think (?) and then sold to First.

 

[BestWestern]

Do we know the fate of the last victim? (34033, P543 HMP)

 

[wintonian]

Do we know the fate of the last victim? (34033, P543 HMP)

Transferred over from Empress Road in Feb 11 with 34078 withdrawn, according to this website which seems to have started marking them off one by one as they hit the bridge. - but can't find anything to say where it s now