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Network Rail reveals a bridge is struck every five hours, naming Britain’s most-bashed bridges and urging drivers to ‘Wise Up and Size Up’: Watling Street bridge Hinckley (1) (1)

Network Rail reveals a bridge is struck every five hours, naming Britain’s most-bashed bridges and urging drivers to ‘Wise Up and Size Up’

Monday 8 Dec 2025
  • 1,666 bridges were struck by vehicles in 2024/25 – roughly one every five hours, representing an 8.75% increase on the previous year
  • Watling Street A5 in Hinckley tops the list as Britain’s most bashed bridge, which was hit 22 times in the year
  • Network Rail urges lorry drivers to ‘Wise Up, Size Up’ by checking vehicle heights and planning suitable routes to avoid costly and dangerous bridge strikes
Network Rail re-energises its Switched On website as rail safety education is put onto the English National Curriculum: SwitchedOn25

Network Rail re-energises its Switched On website as rail safety education is put onto the English National Curriculum

Monday 17 Nov 2025
  • Rail safety education becomes mandatory in PSHE curriculum in England from September 2026
  • Switched On rail safety website relaunched with enhanced, age-appropriate resources for school pupils from ages 3 - 16
  • New materials added including resources to help tackle the influence of dangerous social media trends and peer pressure encouraging bad behaviour on or near railways

Latest News

High-tech trial about to begin at Britain’s second most bashed bridge: Harlaxton Road bridge strike Sept 2023 cropped

High-tech trial about to begin at Britain’s second most bashed bridge

Monday 8 Dec 2025

Harlaxton Road bridge in Grantham has become the country’s second most struck bridge – underlining just why Network Rail has selected the structure for a high-tech trial aimed at reducing delays and costs.

Network Rail reveals a bridge is struck every five hours, naming Britain’s most-bashed bridges and urging drivers to ‘Wise Up and Size Up’: Watling Street bridge Hinckley (1) (1)

Network Rail reveals a bridge is struck every five hours, naming Britain’s most-bashed bridges and urging drivers to ‘Wise Up and Size Up’

Monday 8 Dec 2025
  • 1,666 bridges were struck by vehicles in 2024/25 – roughly one every five hours, representing an 8.75% increase on the previous year
  • Watling Street A5 in Hinckley tops the list as Britain’s most bashed bridge, which was hit 22 times in the year
  • Network Rail urges lorry drivers to ‘Wise Up, Size Up’ by checking vehicle heights and planning suitable routes to avoid costly and dangerous bridge strikes
Dad's heartfelt book on hope and grief now helping children across the country: Matt and Issie

Dad's heartfelt book on hope and grief now helping children across the country

Friday 5 Dec 2025

A dad who has written a book about bereavement to help his daughter deal with the loss of her mum has spoken of his surprise after being asked to do a live read of his work to thousands of schoolchildren across the country. 

Railway artefact returns home to Manchester Piccadilly more than 25 years after disappearance: PlaqueUnveiled

Railway artefact returns home to Manchester Piccadilly more than 25 years after disappearance

Friday 5 Dec 2025

An historic part of Manchester Piccadilly station’s heritage has been returned home – thanks to the hard work of a retired train driver.

Scotland’s railway helps get kids on bikes at Kilwinning school: Blacklands Primary, Kilwinning bike handover

Scotland’s railway helps get kids on bikes at Kilwinning school

Friday 5 Dec 2025

Network Rail and Story Contracting have donated 22 refurbished bikes to pupils at Blacklands Primary School in Kilwinning.  

Transpennine Route Upgrade amongst apprenticeship royalty: PlanBEE 1 Month cropped

Transpennine Route Upgrade amongst apprenticeship royalty

Friday 5 Dec 2025

Gateshead College’s PlanBEE apprenticeship programme has been awarded a Queen Elizabeth Prize for Higher and Further Education. One of the many extensions of the scheme is PlanBEE Rail, which the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) played a driving role in founding.

Double triumph for Keighley at National Railway Heritage Awards: Keighley restoration - credit Duncan Phillips Photography

Double triumph for Keighley at National Railway Heritage Awards

Thursday 4 Dec 2025

Keighley station was a double winner at the National Railway Heritage Awards 2025 following its extensive restoration.

Latest passenger travel advice during Manchester Piccadilly’s once-in-a-generation upgrade: Main concourse Manchester Piccadilly June 2022

Latest passenger travel advice during Manchester Piccadilly’s once-in-a-generation upgrade

Thursday 4 Dec 2025

Passengers using the North West’s busiest railway station are being advised to plan their journey in advance this February, ahead of once-in-a-generation track and signalling upgrades.