Ely’s Stuntney Bridge is the most bashed in the country (Image: Network Rail)
This small railway bridge is struck by motorists more than any other in England with more than a dozen shunts in the past 12 months.
The Stuntney Road railway bridge tops the list, according to new figures from
Data shows the bridge was hit a staggering 18 times in 2023/24, with some motorists stuck for hours.
Earlier this year, the bridge was shut for two hours after a removal van collided with the structure.
The bridge is located just a few yards from the Ely train station and across the road from a large Tesco supermarket.
The bridge was hit 18 times between 2023/24 (Image: Network Rail)
with a population of just 20,000 residents.
However, the city in the east, and the home of former Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell.
Pam Boss, 79, a resident of Ely said: “That bridge has been hit three times in a fortnight, they hit the bridge, they pull themselves out of it and stop along the roadside.
“The only time it is reported is when a big vehicle gets wedged under the bridge.”
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A bridge located on Stonea Road near March was named the joint second most affected bridge with 17 impacts.
Lower Downs Road in Wimbledon, London has also recorded 17 shunts over the past year.
Network Rail has warned 1,532 bridge strikes were reported in the year to April with £20million in delays, cancellations and repairs.
Martin Frobisher, Network Rail’s group safety and engineering director, said they had worked to “tackle bridge strikes”.
He stressed damage was being fixed with “public funds” which should have been used elsewhere.
However, he stressed there was a “downward trend” in the number of incidents on UK roads.
Every time a vehicle hits a bridge it can cause serious safety issues for road and rail users.
He continued: “To compound matters, these incidents can delay tens of thousands of passengers while we inspect the bridge and repair any damage – creating cost from public funds which should be used upgrading and improving our network.
“We’ve done a lot of work with transport partners to tackle bridge strikes, and it’s encouraging to see this is paying off with a general downward trend in the number of incidents.”