Meet Britain's most bashed railway bridge. . . possibly you've already bumped into it

Britain’s 10 most-bashed railway bridges have been revealed. Network Rail said the bridges were all hit by road vehicles at least 10 times in the year to the end of March.

Stonea's road bridge near Manea, Cambridgeshire, suffered the most frequent damage, being hit 33 times in just 12 months. This was followed by Lower Down’s Road bridge in Wimbledon, south-west London (18 strikes) and Harlaxton Road bridge in Grantham, Lincolnshire (17 strikes).

There were 1,833 bridge strikes across Britain’s rail network in 2021/22, according to Network Rail. They cost the government-owned company nearly £12 million in compensation payouts for delays.

Stuntney Road, Cambridgeshire, the location of Number 5 in Britain's 10 most-bashed railway bridges (PA)

The number of strikes was up 13 per cent compared with the previous year, coinciding with an increase in traffic. Network Rail is relaunching its “Wise Up, Size Up” campaign, urging lorry drivers to check the height of their vehicles ahead of Black Friday and Christmas, when parcel deliveries soar.

The company’s chairman Sir Peter Hendy said: “Bridge bashers cause serious safety issues on the transport network for both road and rail users. “Every incident can delay tens of thousands of passengers while we inspect the bridge and repair any damage – creating a huge cost from public funds.

Harlaxton Road in Grantham, Lincolnshire, is Number 3 in Britain's 10 most-bashed railway bridges (PA)

“During this very busy time of year for deliveries, we urge operators and drivers to properly plan their routes, know the height of their vehicles and be vigilant for road signs showing the height of bridges. We will report those who don’t to the traffic commissioners, and they risk losing their licences and livelihoods.

“Network Rail always looks to recover the entire repair and delay costs from the driver and the operator.”

Here are the railway bridges struck the most times in 2021/22:

1. Stonea Road, near Manea, Cambridgeshire (33 strikes)
2. Lower Down’s Road in Wimbledon, south-west London (18 strikes)
3. Harlaxton Road in Grantham, Lincolnshire (17 strikes)
4. Abbey Farm in Thetford, Norfolk (15 strikes)
5. Stuntney Road in Ely, Cambridgeshire (12 strikes)
6. Harefield Road bridge in West Ruislip, north-west London (12 strikes)
7. Station Road in Berkswell, West Midlands (12 strikes)
8. Station Road in Langley, Berkshire (12 strikes)
9. St John’s Street in Lichfield, Staffordshire (11 strikes)
10. Coddenham Road in Needham Market, Suffolk (10 strikes)

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