| Caersws railway bridge that keeps being driven into 'has cost taxpayers £50k' Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 19:18, 23rd November 2025 |     |
From the BBC:
More than 1,110 minutes of train delays and temporary closures of the A470 have been caused by the crashes
A bridge that has been hit 12 times by drivers over nearly two years in "avoidable" incidents has cost taxpayers £50,000 in repairs, Network Rail has said.
The Abergavenny Road railway bridge, in Caersws, Powys, has been struck a dozen times since January 2024 - seven times in 2025 alone.
Network Rail said over-height vehicles crashed into the bridge over the Cambrian railway line despite numerous warning signs, causing more than 1,110 minutes of train delays and the A470 to temporarily close. The rail operator said it planned to install new signs in the coming months and urged drivers to know the height and width of their vehicles before starting their journey.
Network Rail says drivers are crashing into the bridge despite numerous warning signs
Rebecca Watling, head of performance at Network Rail Wales and Borders, said "incidents like this are entirely avoidable".
"When a vehicle hits a bridge, it creates a serious safety risk and causes major disruption to the railway, with trains stopped for essential inspections and repairs - meaning people miss important appointments or connections," she said. "These incidents also carry a significant cost to the public purse - money that could be far better spent on upgrading and maintaining our rail network." She urged drivers to "check the height and width of their vehicles".
Deb Justice, Cambrian Railway Partnership's community rail development officer, said: "This affects not only local journeys on our trains but rail travel across the whole of Wales and Borders."
She also urged drivers to "take a moment" to check the size of their vehicles before setting out. "It's a small action, but one that can make a huge difference to the safety and reliability of travel for both rail passengers and road users."
| Re: Caersws railway ridge that keeps being driven into 'has cost taxpayers £50k' Posted by Noggin at 08:31, 24th November 2025 | |
If it's such a problem, why has it not just got a dirty great girder arch either side to protect it?
| Re: Caersws railway ridge that keeps being driven into 'has cost taxpayers £50k' Posted by Mark A at 09:14, 24th November 2025 | |
No excuse of course as it *is* signed from the road, but remarkably, despite being over the A470, there are poor sightlines into the bridge itself, signage that announces it but doesn't scream, vegetation on wing walls and approach embankments + steel span is grey, all of which lessen the visual cues and from the south, no height sign on the deck itself. (Acknowledge that with all that in place, people would still manage not to notice it...)
This might be one of the bridges that acts as a protective gateway for various other low bridges in mid wales, e.g. the series on the road up the coast from Machynlleth.
Mark
