Birmingham lorry drivers face warnings after three bridge strikes in four days, urging them to be aware of vehicle heights and plan routes.
Birmingham: Lorry drivers in Birmingham are getting a serious wake-up call. After three crashes at the same 14ft bridge in just four days, it’s time to pay attention. The bridge on Summer Lane in Erdington has become a bit of a trouble spot.
The latest incident happened on January 7, just before 10 am. The bridge was inspected and reopened, only to be hit again a couple of hours later. Talk about bad luck! The first lorry didn’t stop, but the second one had its trailer roof torn off, causing a real mess on the road.
To make matters worse, a woman was injured by debris from the lorry. Thankfully, she was checked out and taken to the hospital, while the driver only had a minor injury. It’s a reminder that these accidents can have serious consequences.
This isn’t the first time this bridge has been a problem. Just a few days earlier, on January 3, another lorry toppled over after hitting the same bridge. All these incidents have caused delays for passengers on the Cross City line, which runs between Birmingham New Street and Lichfield Trent Valley.
Network Rail is really pushing for drivers to “wise up, size up.” They want everyone to know their vehicle heights and plan their routes carefully. Relying on sat-navs or map apps isn’t enough, as they might not have the latest info on height restrictions.
Martin Colmey from Network Rail’s Central route made it clear: there’s no excuse for driving into a railway bridge. The bridges are clearly marked, and drivers need to be aware of their vehicle’s height. Ignoring this is just asking for trouble.
Recent stats show there were 65 bridge strikes in the West Midlands from April 2023 to March 2024, causing over 8,800 minutes of delays for rail passengers. That’s more than six days of delays! The top spots for these strikes include Cradley Road in Cradley Heath and Station Road near Berkswell station.
