New technology to be fitted at East Coast Main Line bridge prone to lorry strikes

New technology is to be fitted at one of the country’s most struck bridges in a bid to reduce train delays and costs.

The bridge that carries the East Coast Main Line over Harlaxton Road, Grantham, was hit 14 times between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024, putting it fifth in the list of bridges struck by vehicles.

In the last nine months it’s been hit a further 11 times, including three in one week in November, despite signs, chevrons and protective beams being in place. Those incidents have cost £600,000 in damage and delays.

Network Rail has now secured £50,000 of funding for a trial using cameras and sensors, allowing engineers to check structures remotely and in seconds, rather than in person hours after they’re struck.

Cameras will provide visual indications while the sensors measure the impact and check the structure and tracks.

Michael Clegg, Route Engineer for Network Rail, said: “While we know we cannot prevent all future incidents, this technology will cut the inspection time after a bridge strike from hours to seconds in many cases.

“This means we can have trains running again much sooner after a bridge strike, providing a boost to the reliability of the railway and saving potentially hundreds of thousands of pounds.”

If successful, the technology will be installed at other suitable bridges.