Repairs have value the taxpayer hundreds
An area railway bridge has been struck a number of occasions this 12 months – and Community Rail says its inflicting repeated disruption for passengers and street customers, and racking up important, avoidable prices for taxpayers. The Abergavenny Highway bridge, in Caersws, has been hit 12 occasions by street autos since January 2024, inflicting greater than 1,100 minutes of prepare delays and costing greater than £46,000 in taxpayer-funded repairs.
Every incident has pressured the A470 to shut quickly, resulting in important delays for each rail passengers and street customers.
Regardless of the presence of a number of warning indicators on approaches to the bridge over the Cambrian railway line, over-height autos proceed to collide with the bridge – creating severe security dangers, pointless prices and inconvenience. For the largest tales in Wales first, signal as much as our day by day publication right here
Cambrian Railway Partnership Neighborhood Rail Improvement Officer, Deb Justice, mentioned: “This impacts not solely native journeys on our trains however rail journey throughout the entire of Wales and Borders. We’re asking drivers to take a second to verify the peak and width of their autos earlier than setting out.
“It’s a small motion, however one that may make an enormous distinction to the protection and reliability of journey for each rail passengers and street customers.”
Whereas signage is already in place on the strategy to the Abergavenny Highway bridge, Community Rail has plans to put in new indicators, within the coming months. This varieties a part of a wider programme of funding in security measures and driver schooling to scale back bridge strikes throughout the Wales.
Drivers are being urged to know the peak and width of their autos earlier than beginning their journey, with reminders now showing at motorway service stations nationwide – together with posters and pump-top messages at petrol stations.
Rebecca Watling, Head of Efficiency at Community Rail Wales and Borders mentioned: “When a car hits a bridge, it creates a severe security danger and causes main disruption to the railway, with trains stopped for important inspections and repairs – which means folks miss essential appointments or connections”
“These incidents additionally carry a big value to the general public purse – cash that may very well be much better spent on upgrading and sustaining our rail community.
“I’d prefer to remind all drivers to verify the peak and width of their autos and comply with the protection signage on the strategy to railway bridges as incidents like this are solely avoidable.”
