Stonea: Call for better warnings at most-bashed bridge

A driver sustained "slight" injuries when this van was sliced in two after hitting the bridge in 2019

Residents living near one of Britain's most bashed rail bridges say new signage will "make no difference" to the number of strikes.

Stonea bridge is on the B1098 at a remote spot in the Cambridgeshire Fens between March and Manea.

Network Rail said the number of vehicle strikes at the 6ft 6in (2m) high bridge had fallen in recent months.

The bridge held the accolade of most bashed bridge in Britain in the year to March 2022, with 33 reported strikes.

A Network Rail spokesman said its latest figures, from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 showed that Stonea bridge had 15 reported strikes, meaning it had dropped to third place in the top 10.

A steel girder was cracked in two during a crash a few years ago

But local resident, lorry driver James Fuller, who lives next to the bridge, said they had seen far more strikes than that.

"When we hear a bang, we know about it - I'd be surprised if the official figures come anywhere near," he said.

"It gets hit - we believe - twice a week."

He and others have written to the county council and Network Rail expressing concern about the bridge.

"We're at our wits' end - that's what it boils down to."

A recently-fitted new sign - saying low bridge - is "impressive - especially at night - you can really see from quite a way off", said Mr Fuller.

"Unfortunately it's not made the slightest bit of difference. The day they completed the work, something hit it."

New signs were installed a few weeks ago by Network Rail

This is how the bridge looked before new signage was put in place (photographed from the other side of the bridge)

Mr Fuller said he did not think the authorities appreciated "the risks and dangers that exist here".

Graham Chappell, who runs the Fenland Road Safety Campaign said: "The long-term plan is for the underpass to be closed to motor vehicles but this requires the overground manned crossing to become automated and that's a technical challenge for Network Rail... and we're not sure when that's going to be achieved."

He described the new signage as "pretty impressive luminous lettering... but we know it's not enough to mitigate human error and there have already been impacts on the bridge since".

Both he and Mr Fuller agreed the 50mph limit on the road could be reduced, especially after a motorcyclist was killed in a crash in the underpass in June.

The chevrons on the sign have already been damaged by vehicles scraping them

A Network Rail Anglia spokesperson said: "This is one of the country's most-bashed railway bridges so we've provided the new warning signage to help reduce the likelihood of future strikes.

"Previously we also added a protection beam to minimise the impact of collisions on the operation of the railway, and improve safety for motorists.

"However, even with these precautions, we really need drivers of larger vehicles to take better care by knowing the height of their vehicles and choosing suitable routes before they head out on journeys."

A spokesperson from Cambridgeshire County Council said: "We have reviewed this location and we will be replacing the road markings and installing new signage.

"These works should be completed by the end of the year."