Van loses roof under 'most bashed railway bridge'

Andrew Coleby A van is partially destroyed after hitting a railway bridge. The roof is shredded and a man can be seen looking at one of the rear tyres. Another man is seen on the pavement looking at the scene.Andrew Coleby
The roof was ripped off the delivery van when it hit the bridge

A railway bridge once dubbed the "most bashed" in Britain has claimed another casualty after a van got wedged under it.

The roof of the delivery van was ripped off in the collision in Bridge Road in Ely, at about 09:15 BST, Cambridgeshire Police said.

Network Rail awarded the dubious accolade of "most bashed" to the structure after 18 incidents were recorded in 2023-24.

No-one was injured or arrested in the latest collision and Network Rail said there was no structural damage to the bridge and train services "resumed normal operation at 10:00".

The spokesperson said trains were initially "being cautioned through the area while the bridge was inspected".

While once called the "most bashed bridge", by 2024-25, it had dropped to third place in Network Rail's annual list of most-struck railway bridges, with 15 recorded incidents.

However, just last month a tractor lost its roof after becoming wedged under the structure, and the following day it was hit by a van.

There are height restriction warning signs on both approaches to the bridge and there is also a bypass.

Network Rail generally publishes its updated lists of the most struck railway bridges in December each year.

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