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UK Rail Bridge Strikes Rise to 1,666 as Network Rail Targets Hotspots

Network Rail is testing sensors and cameras to speed inspections at repeat hotspots.

Overview

  • Incidents increased from 1,532 to 1,666 in 2024/25, causing more than 186,000 minutes of delays and an estimated £12 million in costs.
  • Watling Street in Hinckley topped the annual list with 22 strikes, followed by Harlaxton Road in Grantham with 18.
  • Station Road in Berkswell recorded 14 strikes, the most in the West Midlands, where a remote monitoring trial is under way.
  • Needham Market’s Coddenham Road and Thetford’s Abbey Farm each logged 11 strikes, with Abbey Farm’s clearance at just 7ft 3ins.
  • Network Rail urged drivers and operators to know vehicle heights, plan routes carefully, and heed low-bridge signs during the peak delivery season, noting an average of one strike every five hours.